Top 5 Nintendo Games of 2016

It's a New Year, yes it is!

I hope all of you, my dear readers, had a splendid New Years Eve and a good start into 2017.

During my christmas break this year I took the time to replay some games from 2016 and reflect on the Year. And while I think gaming wise the past year has been generally good, as a Nintendo fan it was quite rocky. The Wii-U support reached a new low and even the 3DS is slowly declining. There were some very enjoyable experiences on both consoles, but it's a sad truth that there were time periods in which I didn't turn on my Wii-U for several weeks.

But with 2017 officially started and the Switch on the Horizon the future looks bright for Nintendo. So today I wanted to look back at 2016 one last time the only way it makes sense. With a Toplist about the Five best Nintendo games of the last year.

Yes this is the arbitrary games award show, which everyone does around this time. So I hope you enjoy my pics.

5: Paper Mario: Color Splash

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A game that got a lot of hate from the community from the get got managed to pull itself into the Top 5 Games of the year? This means this year was truly terrible... or maybe the game wasn't so bad after all. Color Splash has some very obvious weaknesses, but during my playthrough I didn't mind them, because this game has also a lot of charm. The only true complain I have subjectively is the endless stream of Toad NPCs instead of a diverse cast.

Objectively you also have to criticize the battle system and the general simplicity of the game, but this doesn't deprive the game of its fun.

Paper Mario Color Splash is a good game. It's not outstanding and it's weaker than Thousand Years Door, but it is still a good adventure game.

Especially the music and level design are top notch. It's a lot of fun to explore the different stages of the game. The handcrafted paper look of the series truly shines in HD.

If you can overlook the shallow combat system and the copy pasted Toad NPCs you'll find Paper Mario to be a game with a lot of charm and thought put into.

Maybe the path to a truly great new Paper Mario lies somewhere in the middle. Fans should be more open to changes, but at the same time the developers shouldn't forcefully try to fix what isn't broken. We don't need another Thousand Year Door, but a new game that carries the spirit of the GameCube classic, while also stepping forward. Also, an that can't be denied, we need Paper Mario to return to its Roleplaying roots.

Until then we have an enjoyable experience in Color Splash, that doesn't manage to reach the same heights as it's predecessors, but is a good game nonetheless.

4: Fire Emblem Fates

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And now to a truly great game that would be deserving of an even higher place on this list, if it wasn't for one huge hiccup.

If you're lucky enough to own a Japanese copy of this game, you can ignore the following criticism and put Fates as the number 2 on this list. As for the rest of us. Fuck Censorship.

Fire Emblem Fates has become synonymous for Nintendo (especially Nintendo of Americas) desire to remain child friendly at all costs. And in the process they butchered the translation of this great game. I don't want to recount the whole drama surrounding this release, but by inserting political messages and memes into the translation they made Fire Emblem Fates worse. It is a saddening example of translators hampering the work of the creators. And it is also a reminder that Nintendo doesn't value it's customers as much as it should.

But on the other hand it's also one of the best tactical RPGs of the last years. Since Awakening the Fire Emblem series rose from the Ashes like a phoenix. It's unique style of tactical and round based strategy makes it a worthy pic for this list. Fire Emblem Fates is a great game. Which makes it all the more painful, that I couldn't enjoy this game during it's release. (I only played it second hand by borrowing it from a friend.)

It tells a great and deep story about two vastly different kingdoms at war. And while having two Versions of the game to experience both sides of the story may leave a bad aftertaste, both, Conquest and Birthright, are excellent games with a lot of content.

If Nintendo did have more confidence in its consumers and products this game could have competed for the Numer One spot on this list. Sadly they thought otherwise. Even though I'm sure the West would have been ready for petting your Anime Waifu...

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3: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

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Yes your eyes are not deceiving you. Number 3 is a remaster of a ten year old game. It is a great game with a Metacritic of 95 (96 for the GameCube version), but it's a remaster nonetheless.

The remaster is technically sound and it is a clear visual improvement over the original. The Colors don't look as washed out and the world looks more vibrant and alive. Everything looks crisp and detailed. So in that department the remaster was a full success. And as opposed to Wind Waker HD Twilight Princess HD even offered some new content. Granted it was only a cave of ordeals especially designed for Wolf Link, but it still was quite enjoyable. And the fact that you can safe your result on the Wolf Link Amiibo and then carry it on to Breath of Wild to summon him as companion there, even makes the whole thing worthwhile.

Twilight Princess HD generally uses the Amiibo quite well. Especially the Ganondorf one. Using him will strengthen all monsters and increase the damage they deal, coupled with the integrated Hero Mode, which doubles the damage of all monsters, this creates the most challenging Zelda experience since Zelda 2.

Apart from these changes Twilight Princess HD is the same game as the original from ten years ago. It's still the biggest Hyrule to date, and even though the Overworld often feels empty, I always greatly enjoyed exploring it. The Dungeons are high quality, as you'd expect from a Zelda Game. But while the Story was obviously planned to be much darker than in previous Zelda games (and it is) it lacks some of the impact Majoras Mask had. Also Ganondorfs involvement is rather half handed and it feels like has been tacked onto the end.

But apart from theses small flaws Twilight Princess is a great Zelda game, which will provide you with hours upon hours of entertainment. And Twilight Princess HD is the best possible version of the game.

2: Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE

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When this game was announced it didn't think much of it. I had never played Persona and wasn't to big on Fire Emblem either. And after it's long development I had already mostly forgotten about this game. But when it finally surfaced with a trailer it immediately got my attention. The unique blend of Japanese Pop Culture and classic Fantasy RPG was quite interesting. It was also batshit crazy Japanese, but that was part of its appeal. Sadly this game was also damped by some Censorship, even though it wasn't as bad as with Fire Emblem Fates because the dialogues were left mostly alone. Still it was another reminder that Nintendo doesn't truly care about their adult customers. Changing revealing outfits did greatly diminish the appeal of a game mostly centered around the Japanese Idol Scene.

But apart from these censorship issues I hardly found anything to criticize with this game. The Story is unique and fun, and perfectly fits the Idol theme. And it's surprisingly epic at the end. Especially the characters, though they are quite stereotypical, are very enjoy- and likable.

The only thing that is bothering me about this game is that there is too little side content... in a way. There are lots of side quests and stories to uncover, but apart from that there is not a lot to do. Persona games often have a plethora of mini-games or activities to simulate the normal every day life of it's protagonists. This is something I missed with Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE.
However I don't miss it very much, because the game is just too much fun. Especially the dynamic battle system, which, even though its round based, feels very intuitive and direct through the great session mechanic. Also it's quite hard and you have to keep your enemies strengths and weaknesses in mind at all times.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE was a treat. It's a very Japanese game. Something we don't get too see all to often on the Wii-U. It was a breath of fresh air in a year that desperately needed it and I can wholeheartedly recommend it. And if the censorship bothers you, try to find a used copy as I did.

1: Pokemon Sun/Moon

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It was quite obvious that these games would claim the Top Spot. Sun/Moon created and unbelievable Hype and they delivered. In a year with some very huge disappointments it's great to see a game delivering on it's promise. Some even go as far as calling Sun/Moon the best games since the series debut. And while I would put Gold/Silver/Crystal above them, it's hard to wholeheartedly disagree. Sun/Moon are just that good.

After 20 years GameFreak truly shook up the Pokemon Formula without completely revamping it. The games felt new, but also familiar enough for old timers to feel immediately at home.

There are some good new Pokemon Designs and especially the Alola Forms of older Pokemon are great.

Presentation wise these are the best looking Pokemon Games so far. It's clear that the 3DS is at its limits, but it is certainly worth it. Never before has the World of Pokemon felt bigger.

The Formula shake up did wonders. Traveling across the four Islands, completing diverse Insel challenges and fighting the four Island Kings is much more rewarding than simply going from Arena to Arena.

I can't give these games higher praise than to say that I truly felt like a ten year old again, while exploring the Alola Region. And from the record breaking sales of the games it looks like I'm not the only one. All I can say is well done GameFreak. Pokemon Sun/Moon are the best Nintendo Game of 2016 and for me they are also the best overall game of this past year.

So what Games did you enjoy the most this last year? Anything that truly blew you away? Or was the year overall disappointing?

Whatever your opinion about Nintendos past year is, let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE Censorship Part 3: The Final Cleavage

Picture Source: Censored Gaming

Are you enjoying Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE? I found a used copy yesterday because a good friend of mine was praising the game day in day out. And I have to agree with her sentiment. It's a good game. Very Japanese, but also very entertaining. The gameplay is more than solid and honestly I'm having a lot of fun so far. But sadly it's dragged down by stupid censorship. I already covered why Censorship in such titles I just plain stupid and I don't want to repeat myself. Still I didn't want withhold this video. Some of you probably know Censored Gamin already, and for those who don't, it's a Youtube Channel focusing on localization changes and Censorship. Two days ago they put out this video detailing all changes in the international release of Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE.

Source: Censored Gaming

Now like I said I don't want to repeat myself on this topic, but I have to say that this video made me angry. The Censorship in this game is just all over the place and inconsequential. This makes the whole thing even worse. The Hot Spring DLC was removed but some Bikini Outfits weren't. Tsubasas skin is painted white to cover her cleavage, but another costume gives you a full view.

This kind of censorship makes me angry because it shows a complete disregard for the source material. Sometimes changes are necessary for different markets, but they need to be done with sense and direction. The patchwork localization done to Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE is a disservice to the game.

I reached out to Nintendo, but I'm just a random nobody, so I got a standard customer support answer back.

In any case it's sad to see that Nintendo has so little faith in its own game and the audience. So what is your take away from the whole situation? Can you still enjoy Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE or has Nintendos poor handling of the game soured the experience?

And as always

Thanks for reading 

Nintendo: A History of Censorship

Tomorrow Fire Emblem Fates launches in Europe. To celebrate this let's take a look at the history of censorship in Nintendo Games.

Censorship has always been a part of Nintendo games, whenever the transitioned to the West. Most of the time it was because of religious themes or some adult jokes not fitting into the kid friendly image of Nintendo of America. As we all know this is still a problem, so let us take a look into the past and see how little has changed since then.

The Legend of Zelda Series:

The Legend of Zelda has had its fair share of censorship starting even with the first title of the series. I'm not talking about the third dungeon of the game (during the first quest playthrough), which is shaped like a left facing swastika. Because this was left in. No I'm talking about the Book of Magic, which was a bible in the Japanese release of the game. This also explains the cross on the cover of the book.

In the second game the Palaces were originally called Temples, but once again this was changed for religious reasons.

A Link to the Past is one of the better known cases of censorship in the series. At least with fans. The original Japanese title translates to The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods. Also Agahnim was called a Priest in the original source instead of Wizard like in the Western releases.

Next up is a well known case of censorship with German Zelda Fans. The original release of Link's Awakening for the GameBoy shares many differences with it's remake for the GameBoy Color. For example Martha the Mermaid lost her Bikini Top and not her Necklace. If Link dove underwater she quickly swam away to escape the lecherous hero, who tried to stare at her bare breasts.

Also, and this only applies to the German version, if you stun the Buzz Blobs with the Magic Powder and turn them into Cukeman they will talk to you. In the german version they then utter sentences like ''Nie ohne Kondom'' (Never without Condom) or ''Gib mir deinen Saft, ich geb dir meinen.'' (Give me your juice, I'll give you mine).

This was later edited out with the DX Version and is a one of the reasons why I prefer the original GameBoy release.

The Game with the most changes is without a doubt Ocarina of Time. Pretty well known are the changes to the Gerudo Symbol and the original Fire Temple music. The Gerudo Symbol was originally a crescent moon and a star. Many thought this resembled the Islamic emblem to closely. Also the chants in the original Fire Temple music were taken from Islamic prayers. Once again for religious reasons these two things were changed in any release of the game beyond the N64.

Another case of censorship was turning the Blood of Ganondorf Green to avoid and ESRB Rating of T (Teen).

Lastly the design of Skull Kid was changed. This case was similar to the outrage about the Pokemon Jinx. The original Skull Kid design featured a black face and prominent lips, often associated in the United States with derogatory black stereotypes. For Majoras Mask and any following releases like Ocarina of Time 3D this was changed. Now Skull Kids sport beaks and their skin color was changed to resemble wood or straw.

Super Mario Series:

While the Main Mario Series has been spared from any sort of censorship, the countless spin-off titles got their fair share of it. However most of this Censorship was very miniscule.

Let's start with Super Mario RPG for the Super Nintendo. Here the victory animation for Bowser had to be changed because it looked like he was flipping the player off.

Next up is another Super Nintendo Game Mario Kart. And once again Bowser is the target of Censorship. While celebrating his victory he could be seen drinking from a bottle of champagne.

Also another act of censorship in Mario Kart 64 was the removal of Billboards. In the Japanese version companies like Marioros (an obvious allusion to Malboro) advertise all over the race tracks. This was removed for western releases. However if it's was due to the family friendly image of Nintendo or concerns of getting sued, is not clear.

And lastly we have the case of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year door. Here we have several notable acts of censorship. First up is the infamous house in Rogueport, which sported the chalk outline of a Toad coupled with dried blood on the floor. It was obvious that a murder had taken place in this house. For Western releases all of the evidence was removed. The Crime Scene Cleaners really did a good job on this one.

Another thing, that only affected Europe, was the removal of Marios Arm raising animation whenever he talked to people, because it resembled the Nazi Salute.

Another small change was that the bottle of Chuckola Cola was originally called vintage Red. Nintendo of America changed the Name of the item and the color of the liquid into something more kid friendly.

Next up is the character Peeka and her obvious resemblance to the design of Playboy Bunnys. Like with the billboards in Mario Kart this was probably changed out of fear of getting sued for copyright infringement and the concerns about their image. 

Lastly the big thing. In the Japanese Version the companion Vivian is openly stated to be a transgender Woman. It is said that she may look like a woman, but is in fact a boy. She seeks acceptance from her sisters, who finally see her as a female in the end. This entire story was censored in America.

Of course this is only a small overview. Bu from this we can see that Nintendo was always happy to change details, which they deemed controversial or damaging to their kid friendly image. If we take a look at recent cases of censorship, like Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE or Fire Emblem, we see that this is still the case. Nintendo is still living in the past and hasn't adapted to this new situation, where they also release games targeted at a more mature audience. Xenoblade Chronicles X, Fatal Frame 5, Fire Emblem... These are all series tailored for a more mature audience. They often deal with mature themes.

In the End it's not Nintendos Job to protect Children from ''harmful'' images. This is the job of the parents.

And as always

Thanks for reading

Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE Censorship Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

Bullshit! That's all I can say about this. If I was unsure about buying this game before, now I know the answer without a doubt. Just like with Fire Emblem Fates Nintendo won't get one Cent for their shady censorship practices.
Maybe I'll get a used copy of Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE, but Nintendo won't get my money.

I'm sorry for this little rant. You may ask yourself now, what I'm talking about. Well it's this Video from Censored Gaming.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2QRlnLNYbs

We already knew about the censorship of Tsubasas breasts in several costumes, but this video shows even more stupid censorship. They also removed highlights on her hips making them much plainer in the process. It just looks stupid now. Also they removed the floating Japanese Text from the music video, which robs it of much of its atmosphere. The English version looks so much more boring then its Japanese counterpart.

All this proves that Nintendo has no idea who their audience is with this game. And yes I know that Atlus is handling the localization, but Nintendo has the last word and we all know who is responsible for this mess.

Consequences?

Sow what shall we do? First don't listen to people who tell you that you need to buy the game, because otherwise Nintendo won't bring over such games anymore. This is a stupid argument. It just means that Nintendo is holding you at ransom with the threat of not localizing games anymore. Next simply don't buy the game or at least buy a used copy, so that Nintendo won't get any money for their shady censorship. And lastly let them know directly, why you boycott the game. Write them a mail or twitter them. Just let them know that this censorship is not accepted. But please stay polite.

I may sound a little bitter, but that is because I was really looking forward to this game. It just looke so delightfully insane and Japanese. I really wanted to give it a try. But now I can't comfortably buy this. I can't support a company that butchers their own product to appease some imaginary critics. You can't create a game that lives from it's atmosphere and then continuously start to butcher said atmosphere.

I'm not sure who at Nintendo of America is responsible for this puritan and backwards attitude, but he or she really needs to go.

Well what's your opinion on this continuous censorship of Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE?

And as always

Censorship *****

Nintendo News: 09.05.2016 - 13.05.2016

Hello and Welcome to Dillians Nintendo News Recap.

It was a good week. Some good news, some bad news and merchandise.

New Releases:

• Color Symphony 2 – Wii-U Download-Software
• Super Meat Boy – Wii-U Download-Software
• Words Up! Academy – Nintendo 3DS Download-Software
• Contra 3 The Alien Wars – Virtual Console (New Nintendo 3DS)
• Mario Strikers Charged Football – Wii Download Version (Wii-U)
• Pixel Slime U – Wii-U Download-Software

Well let's get real here. If you wanted Super Meat Boy you probably have gotten it already three years ago. Nonetheless it's nice to have it on the Wii-U now. And because it looks like we won't get another Mario Strikers any time soon, Charged is a great addition to the Wii download offerings. They just should have made it possible to play online.

As for the two Indie games for the Wii-U, while Pixel slime doesn't look to interesting, Color Symphony 2 has an interesting graphical style. It utilizes different background colors and the switch between them to make obstacles appear/disappear, like several other games have done before. Still if you like challenging puzzle platformers you can give it a try.

Source:http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Recent-Releases/Recent-Releases-753285.html

Splatoon:

Splatoon is a huge success. I know I start each post like this, but it can't be said enough. The Japanese just love the little squid girls and boys. And if this sounds strange, then mission accomplished. Nintendo would be absolutely stupid not further capitalize on that. As many of your probably are aware Nintendo produced play cards in it's early days. In the last years they rekindled that old passion by selling Hanafuda Cards with a Mario Design.

And what series will receive such an honor next? Of course it's Splatoon. Nintendo announced that soon three card sets will be sold throughout Japan. Each set contains several cards and will cost 1.080 Yen, which is roughly 9€ or 10 Dollars.

The three sets will be a standard set, which contains symbols from the game, a second set, which contains Ingame screenshots showing Inklings wearing different clothes, and a final set, which contains Weapon designs.

Source: http://nintendoeverything.com/japan-getting-splatoon-themed-playing-cards/

Well that's the danger when you release your Nintendo News a little bit early. Just half an hour later some new Splatoon News are announced. The big Japanese Video Game Magazine CoroCoro, which most of you proabably know because of the Pokemon News always posted there, announced that they would design special items for Splatoon. These Items include the CoroCoro Splat Roller. It features the CoroCoro Logo on the side and also comes with different side arms than a regular Splat Roller. 

It uses the Splash Wall instead of the Suction Bomb and the Inkzooka instead of the Killer Wail. 

There will also be a CoroCoro Cap (Main Power: Power Up) and a CoroCoro Parker (Main Power: Cold blooded). Both will feature the magazines logo and it's signature orange colour. 

The Items will release this summer as part of an Update which contains Sheldons Picks No. 2.

Source: http://gonintendo.com/stories/257614-splatoon-corocoro-collaboration-items-coming-this-summer

Tokyo Mirage Session#FE:

Censorship ****. This bears repeating because this week we got some information about the DLCs of Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE heading to the West. These DLCs include three dungeons. One to quickly acquire rare Items, one to improve your weapons and one to increase your level faster. The other batch of DLCs include new costumes for your heroes. While the costume DLCs are OK, and the dungeons suck, because they allow you to cheese the game in exchange for money, the true Outrage lies with one of the costume DLCs. The Hotspring DLC, which provided beachwear for the male and female characters as well as four commercials set at a hotsrping, won't be coming to the West. Just like it was speculated weeks earlier and feared by me. Well this truly sucks, because it doesn't make sense. If you'd like to read my thoughts on this matter you can do it here: http://dilliansthoughthub.blogspot.co.at/2016/05/censorship.html

Or just scroll down.

Source: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Wii-U/Tokyo-Mirage-Sessions-FE-1025740.html#Downloadable_content

Hyrule Warriors Legends:

Hyrule Warriors Legends will receive four download packs across the entire year. This week Nintendo revealed the first one, which will launch on 19^th of May. It will include new costumes for your fairy companions, the Wind Waker adventure map and Wind Waker themed costumes for several characters.

Also, like it was announced in the last Nintendo Direct, Medli will launch alongside it as a free character for both, the Wii-U and 3DS, version.

Check out the Trailer here:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLO2NLGj2Q4

Nintendo:

Nintendo gave us some (small) information about their upcoming Smartphone games set in the Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing Franchise. Both of these games will have a Free to play concept with ways to spent real money Ingame. It will be interesting how Nintendo will incorporate this concept into these series and if they manage to avoid the pay to win trap.

Source: https://mynintendonews.com/2016/05/11/animal-crossing-and-fire-emblem-mobile-will-be-free-to-play/

Also Nintendo of America revealed a new slogan for their commercials this week. It was introduced at the end of a commercial announcing a price cut for the Nintendo 2DS. However there hasn't been any official response from NoA towards the new slogan, so they may test the waters here. And in related news. The Nintendo 2DS got a price cut in America and is now sold at a suggested retail price of 79.99 Dollars. Here's the commercial:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWt_tzUGCfQ

Next up is Nintendo Minute. This is a charming little format by Nintendo of America, starring Kit and Krysta. And while the title is a blatant lie because none of the episodes last only a minute (They are much longer), it's a lot of fun. This week the Nintendo Minute Team started a new series within their series called Backlog Buster, where they finish some unfinished business and bust through their backlog. Take a look at the first episode, featuring Earthbound, here:

Hmm that reminds me that I also haven't played Earthbound so far. SHAME!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyMFIq1kKnE

Culdcept Revolt:

While we in the West have yet to wait for another Nintendo Direct our friends in Japan were lucky. On 11^th of May they got a entire direct for one game. Culdcept Revolt, which signals the return of this franchise after nearly 10 years of hiatus. Culdcept is a mixture of a classic board game and a card game with strong fantasy elements. The game looks pretty interesting. Let's hope it comes to the West someday. Anyways here is the entire Direct. Sadly it hasn't been translated so far.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNx6lykXqI0

Minecraft:

You may ask yourself why a franchise owned by Microsoft and found on all platforms is mentoined here on the Nintendo News Recap. Well the reason is simple. Since it's launch on the Wii-U Minecraft has been a constant Top Seller on the E-Shop. To celebrate this Mojang and Nintendo will be releasing the Super Mario Mash Up Pack on the 18^th of May. And that for absolutely free. The Pack includes several skin for your playable character as well as a preset world with Super Mario Elements. You'd best take a look at the trailer here:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5l5FA3iac4

The Legend of Zelda:

As we all know Zelda has some amazing musical scores. To celebrate the 30^th anniversary and probably to cope with the delay of Zelda U the British composer Rebecca Trip decided to create an orchestral arrangement for Twilight Princess.

If you liked what you heard then be sure to give her other arrangements a listen too. She has done some great video game related work, but also some beautiful original work. Be sure to pay her Youtube Channel a visit.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/user/RebeccaETripp/

Super Mario Maker:

Yesterday a new costume was release for our favorite Torment creator. While they may have no more room in Smash Bros. we gladly welcome the Ice Climbers into the Mushroom Kingdom.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsCWnMmTHgo

Fire Emblem:

While the newest entrance into the Fire Emblem Series, Fates, was rightfully criticized for a lackluster translation and stupid censorship, let's forget all about that for now. Rena Strober is the talented voice actress, which gives the games female protagonist. Anyways here is her version of the games title track ''Lost in thoughts all alone''. Enjoy.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_cwzvwC1zY

Pokemon:

And finally Pokemon. This week we got the first real trailer for the newest Pokemon Adventures Sun and Moon, which will launch worldwide on 18 of November 2016. I did a Trailer Watch on it to cover all the Information and you can read it here: http://dilliansthoughthub.blogspot.co.at/2016/05/trailer-watch-pokemon-sunmoon_10.html

And that was it for this week. Enjoy your games and enjoy the weekend.

And as always

thanks for reading  

Censorship *****

As we all know Censorship sucks. So let's talk about it.

Personally I am against any form of Censorship. Not only because it devalues the work of the original creator, but also because it often doesn't make sense. I will explain later what I mean with that statement, but for now let's evaluate about what kind of Censorship I'm talking.

Censorship:

Censorship is the suppresion of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions. (Censorship – Definition and More from the FreeMerriam-Webster Dictionary)

The source of Censorship is always from the outside. Even if the so called Self-Censorship is only done to appeal to a specific target demographic. One of these outside influences can be the law. In Germany and Austria any depiction of symbols from the National Socialist Party, especially the Swastika, is forbidden. As a consequence Wolfenstein had to be censored for a release here. The Nazis in the game were renamed into the Regime and any Swastikas were changed. And even if I'm also against this form of censorship, I at least can understand it because of our history.

I think that a grown up medium can deal with the depiction of controversial themes. Especially if these themes aren't glorified.

Another source for Censorship is pressure from media outlets, twitter, etc. This often happens to eastern video games, especially those who have a large amount of Fanservice.

The third source is the company itself, when the so called Self-Censorship happens. This mostly is done to protect a certain image of a company or to broaden the games audience.

About these last two sources I want to talk today, and why it doesn't make sense to listen to them. For this we'll take a look at Japanese Games coming to the west (or not), which were censored.

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3:

Picture Source: Dualshockers

Some of you may have followed the Shitstorm surrounding this game. When Koei Tecmo announced the release of Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 for the PlayStation 4 and Vita, they also announced that the game would not come to the West, citing cultural differences. They would, however, release an English version in Asia. Of course this was met with a backlash by many gamers lambasting Koei Tecmo for caving in to Social Justice Warriors. Play Asia, an import shop, announced that the Game broke their record for highest Pre-Orders for any product ever and later on also broke their internal sales record.

This proved one thing. True Fans are willing to go a long way to get an uncensored and authentic version of their game.

And for the record, yes Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is an extremely shallow game that has little to offer except jiggling tits, but so what? It's brainless fun and if you're so horny that you'll spend 60 dollars to get off then more power to you. To find this game disgusting you need to have a very sex negative attitude. It's stupid yes... so what?

Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE:

Image Soucre: GameIdealist

I talked about the censorship of this game last week. (Read it here:http://dilliansthoughthub.blogspot.co.at/2016/05/tokyo-mirage-sessionsfe-hidden-boobs.html ) 

This case of censorship is, in my eyes, even more problematic than the non release of Dead or Alive Xtreme 3. Because of the Region Lock on the Wii-U and the fact that there won't be an uncensored English version, the only way to experience the game, as the developers intended, is importing a Japanese Wii-U, the Japanese Version of the Game and learning Japanese. I also stated that the censorship of outfits cuts deeply into the idol world of the game and robs it of authenticity. And I will use this game as an example, why Censorship often doesn't make sense.

It doesn't make sense:

Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE is a niche game. It was a niche game in Japan and it will be a niche game here. It sold 50 thousand copies there and I don't think it will sell much more here. Especially after the censorship. Because that is the case with such games. Many of them are niche games in the west for a very specific audience. A very specific, and often well informed, audience. So things like changes, censorship and bad translation don't go by unnoticed. That's why the censorship of such game is often so baffling. They cut their own flesh with such moves. ''Normal'' Gamers won't buy a game about magical teenage Popstars, which fight strange looking unicorn Ladies, while riding a cyborg Pegasus even if the tits are censored.

Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhSRGH5PVdk

And that is the baffling part. By censoring parts of their game they don't open it up to a new audience, but only alienate the original one.

By caving in to backlash they don't create thousands of new buyers. We have seen that times and times again. Many of the people calling things problematic aren't even fans of the product they criticize. And the worst part, at least for me, is that the creators devalue their own artistic vision and integrity with such moves. Where is the pride to stand up for your product?

Even if there are cultural differences don't change the game. Some players may buy the game for exactly that reason. To experience a different viewpoint than the ones they are shown in western games, as a way of cultural exchange.

Of course it's often just because of the boobies, but who cares. Let the boobs be free I say. They are just boobs and, as we all know, asses are far superior.

What I'm trying to say is that Censorship is always more harm- then helpful. It angers the informed fans and it won't appease the critics. I doesn't bring in new fans, but only alienates old ones. And in the end it robs us of stupid and sexy, but still harmless, fun.

And as always

thanks for reading

Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE The hidden Boobs Saga

Several weeks ago we learned that the localization of Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE will be handled by Atlus. Many fans sighed in relief after learning that, but sadly it seems that this relief was unfounded. While Atlus may be handling the bulk of the translation, Nintendos Treehouse still has the role of an overseer. Nintendo still acts as publisher and because of that they still suggest changes, if they deem them necessary. And we all know that Nintendo likes to go overboard in that regard. So after Fire Emblem Fates got ruined for a lot of people because of the lackluster translation and the rampant censorship, will Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE meet the same fate?

After watching the playable Demo at PAX East two weeks ago the definitive answer could net be given, but the prospect wasn't too promising. This week some more gameplay material surfaced, and while I'm still reluctant to give a final answer it does look like the game will be majorly censored in the west. Let's take a look at the videos and then talk about what it could mean for the game.

Censorship in Action:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y1RVMplNAc

Ok first let's start this with a positive outlook. Maybe this isn't a case of censorship, but a case of ''Choosing your costume.'' The game is very idol driven, and you have many different costumes and outfits to choose from. Maybe it's the case that the player in the English version just choose/equipped another outfit and this decision was obviously also shown in the cutscene. This is probably just wishful thinking, and the much more realistic and depressing answer is that the bikini outfit was censored, which doesn't make sense. The game is taking place in the Japanese Idol world. Sexy vibes lie in the very nature of this field of work.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhSRGH5PVdk

While it could be debated if there was censorship in the first video here the case is crystal clear. This is censorship in its most blatant and lazy form. They didn't even design a new outfit for the boss, just covered up her boobs with black mist, which ironically makes it look as if she is not wearing anything underneath. The worst thing is that it doesn't make sense. The heroine shows just as much cleavage in this scene. Were is the logic in that?

Why are boobs bad?

Seriously? What's with that sex negative attitude, not only from Nintendo, but a big part of the American gaming press? Yes the depiction of women in games is often superficial, but so is the depiction of men. But I don't want to delve to deep into this topic for now, but focus on the censorship at hand, and what it means for this game.

First of all let me say again that I absolutely am against any form of censorship. Also this kind of censorship doesn't make sense. Not a shred. Removing bikini outfits from serious medieval fantasy games may have a tiny amount of ground, but this game revolves around the Idol world. A field of work which is inherently sexy. And yes I know I repeat myself.

The Censorship of Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE does not only rob players of some fan service, but damages the core of the game. It robs the game world of it's immersion.

This sex negative censorship is nothing new for Nintendo. The removal of the breast slider in Xenoblade Chronicles X robbed women with a bigger or smaller bust size of the possibility to create an avatar in their image.

Well at least it seems the translation will be handled properly this time and not butchered like Fire Emblem Fates.

But what does this mean for the game? As for now I would anyone advise to not preorder the game or cancel your preorder. It's an unnecessary practice, especially if you only plan on buying the standard version of the game. Let's wait an see what is revealed in the upcoming weeks. And if you really want to play the game, but don't want to support Nintendo and their censorship, then consider waiting a month longer and getting a used copy of it.

So what is your take on this censorship? Does it bother you?

And as always

thanks for reading

Nintendo News: 25.04.2016 - 29.04.2016

Hello and Welcome to Dillians Nintendo News Recap.

This week is a rather brief recap, because most of the interesting stuff has already been covered during the Investors meeting. Nonetheless let us start with the new releases.

New Releases:

• Yo-Kai Watch – Nintendo 3DS Game Card
• Pixel Maker – Wii-U Download-Software
• Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge – Wii-U Download-Software
• Lost Reavers – Wii-U Download-Software
• Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge – Nintendo 3DS Download-Software
• Super Punch-Out!! - Virtual Console(New Nintendo 3DS)
• Run Run and Die – Wii-U Download-Software
• Tap Tap Arcade – Wii-U Download-Software
• Sssnakes – Nintendo 3DS Download-Software
• Shutshimi – Wii-U Download-Software

An OK week I would say. Europe finally got Yo-Kai Watch and Lost Reavers seems to be a solid Free to Play title. Apart from these two there is mostly junk, but at least Super Punch-Out!! for the New Nintendo 3DS is a fun virtual console title. However it speaks volumes on the software situation on the Wii-U that this is considered an OK week.

Source:http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Recent-Releases/Recent-Releases-753285.html

Nintendo:

The big news this week was, of course, the Nintendo investor meeting that happened on Wednesday. There Nintendo President Kimishima informed shareholders about the performance of Wii-U, 3DS and the upcoming plans of the company. Here are the highlights:

• Nintendo was profitable, but the profit was down in comparison to last year.
• Wii-U and 3DS sold slighty less than last fiscal year.
• Miitomo is a huge success with over 10 Million Users
• Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing are the first two Nintendo series to get smartphone apps.
• The NX will launch worldwide in March 2017.
• Zelda U is now Zelda U/NX it will launch in 2017 for both consoles.
• This year Zelda will be the only game at E3.

If you want to read a more insightful post, I wrote one. You can view it here:

http://dilliansthoughthub.blogspot.co.at/2016/04/nintendo-investor-meeting-april-2016.html

Source: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/

NX:

Nintendo President Kimishima also had a Q&A with the shareholders following the investors meeting, where we got some more information on the NX.

• NX won't be sold at a loss, like the Wii-U was at the start.
• The NX launches in March to ensure enough games are available at launch and in the post launch period
• Nintendo has a lot of confidence in the NX and plans to make up the failure of the Wii-U.
• NX is planned to have a long lifespan.

Source: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/events/160428qa/index.html

Metroid Prime: Federation Force:

This past week the PAX East in Boston took place and of course Nintendo was present. GameXplain got the chance to have an extensive look at Metroid Prime: Federation Force and released a gameplay video for you to enjoy.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkz_g3WfVjk

Fire Emblem:

And not only did the guys over at GameXplain get the chance to hunt space pirats, but also to delve deep into the world of Idols and Demons!?

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUqOFBU7hQA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66XXDsJphHM

But not all is great with Tokyo Mirage Sessions#Fe, because some censorship has already been spotted. So far it's only light, but I'll keep an eye on it, and in the worst case won't buy this game either. Or at least only get a used copy of it. Hopefully my fears are unfounded.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD6POqW3CPc

The Legend of Zelda:

Apart from the painful delay of Zelda U this week also gave us another Zelda related information. Some of you may know the Zelda Mangas, which retell the Stories of the several games and add some more plot to them. For example did you know that Young Link and Volvagia formed a close friendship, making it all the harder for Adult Link to kill him? All that and more can be found in these Mangas. And now Twilight Princess finally joins the club and get its own Manga iteration. Vol. 1 will launch in June in Japan.

Source:http://www.perfectly-nintendo.com/legend-zelda-twilight-princess-volume-1-manga-june-japan/

Splatoon:

And finally we have a quick update on Splatoon. This past weekend the second live concert of the Squid Sisters took place and it was very cool and very japanese. Check it out:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCtesNXdYY4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY_5nouZpKM

And that was it for this week. Enjoy your games and enjoy the weekend.

And as always

thanks for reading