It ain't over till it's Game Over

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It's only three more weeks until we finally get to play Super Mario Odyssey. Even now it's safe to say that it has been a very long time since a Mario Game has created such buzz. Of course every game the (now officially) former plumber has starred in was excellent and from the looks Odyssey will continue this trend, but it's been a while since even non Nintendo Fans looked forward to a new Mario adventure.
Odyssey aims to take everything we knew about Mario, throw it right ouf the window and start completely fresh. And I couldn't be more excited.

Still there was one piece of news lately that got me thinking. Some of you may have heard about it, while others are still blissfully unaware. Don't worry it's nothing spoilerish, so you can continue reading. The piece of Information I'm talking about was revealed by the game director Kenta Motokura.

If you die in Super Mario Odyssey you won't have to worry about your life count. Simply because there is none. So if you die you'll get send back to the last checkpoint and lose ten coins. And even if you don't have any coins left you won't Game Over. Simply speaking there is no Game Over in the game.

We thought about how a lives system would work in this kind of broad, exploration-focused game. In this sort of game, there would be a lot of different restart points. We decided not to use the lives system because it was not an element that was absolutely necessary. We also thought that it would affect some users’ desire to play because, while users who are good at the game would rarely see the (game over) screen that comes up when Mario runs out of lives, inexperienced users would probably end up seeing it frequently.

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Now some purists may cry out about this, but let's face the fact. When was the last time you saw a game over screen in a game? Well it was probably Breath of the Wild but just because the words are written on Screen doesn't mean that this is a true Game Over. So let me rephrase my previous question. When was the last time you saw a Game Over have serious consequences? Ahh now it gets more tricky to answer, doesn't it? So today I'd like to take a look back at the history of the Game Over Screen and how it's used today.

Money Please:

To put it simply that was the reason for the Game Over screens existance in the first place. The 80s and earyl 90s were the domain of Arcade machines. Home Consoles had started to grow in popularity, but if you wanted to play the best looking and most impressive games you had to head to your nearest Arcade. In the early days of the industry many games on NES and other consoles were simply watered down ports of the arcade version. That's why so many titles had highscores and simply felt ''arcady''.

So why was the Game Over important for arcade games? You paid to play. Yes just like with todays online gaming, in arcade halls you had to spent your hard earned money to play a round. And it influenced game design, just like microtransaktions do today. A Game Over simply meant you had to start and pay again.

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You may have wondered about the classic continue screen many fighting games still have. A countdown is, well, counting down from and you have to press a button to try again. Well in the arcade it worked the same, but instead of pressing a button you had to insert more money. The countdown was there to pressure you into doing so. You don't want to lose your hard earned progress, just because you hesitated for 9 seconds, don't you?

So during those days the Game Over Screen was tied to real consequences, namely losing your hard earned allowance. That's also partly a reason why so many arcade games are hard as hell. Harder games resulted in more Game Over Screens, which resulted in more money.

But with the rise of Home Consoles this started to change. Game Over couldn't have any monetary consequences anymore, so developers had to adapt. Now time lost was the measurement in which you payed for your game over. Which leads us to today.

Back to the starting line:

That's probably still the moste common Game Over penalty, if there is still a Game Over in your games. You simply get sent back to the beginning of the level to your last checkpoint or (in some very old games) to the start of the game. But while this method was quite popular in early days it quickly died down. Simply because it was very discouraging. While in the Arcade you had the chance to choose, pay for the continue or loose your progress, on the home console this choice was absent. This lead to frustrated customers quitting, which in turn lead to the developers gradually reducing the impact the Game Over had on the gameplay experience.

Another fact for the dwindling impact of the Game Over Screen was owed to the fact that games grew more and more diverse. Over the time the simply platforming gameplay, which dominated the early NES days, had turned into countless different genres. And with that new questions arose. How do you implent a ''Game Over'' into a sports game? Or you can't send the player back to the start of your game, if it's a hundred hour long RPG epic.

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The questions developers now had to answer was if they wanted a Game Over in ther game and if yes, how could they make it count? Many started to answer the first question with no. Games like Assassins Creed don't really offer a Game Over anymore. If you die you'll get briefly desynchronized before you can start again from a savepoint, which there are many off, meaning that in the end the only time you loose is on the loading screen. Even Breath of the Wild does this. When you attack an enemy camp and fail, you may see the words Game Over written in red letters over a black screen, but once you press Continue you'll start again at the same location.

The Idea is that a death shouldn't frustrate you instead. Instead it should allow you the learn from your mistakes and quickly use your new knowledge to this time conquer the task in front of you.

Game Over truly has become nothing more than some words written on the screen. So the question todays developers have to answer isn't really if they want a Game Over or not, but how much do they want death to count. How much should a death cost you?

To die, or not to die:

The Game Over has always been just the name for the most costly death. A ''normal'' death may send you back to the start of the level, but once you've used up all your lives it will send you to the start of the game. As we iterated the concept of finite lives and the Game Over has mostly disappeared from todays gaming market, but that doesn't mean the concept of a costly death has. But it's easy to make a death cost ''much''. It's not so easy to do this without creating a frustrating experiences for your customer. It's a thin line creating a death system that does punish your players but at the same time encourages them to keep playing your game. Luckily there are two games out there that impented that concept brilliantly.

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The first one is Dark Souls (it was probably Demon Souls but I've never played that game. Like with everything in the Game Dark Souls really punished you for your death. Souls are the core currency in the games world. You use them to level up and buy things from merchants. Because of that they're pretty important. Now if you die you loose all your souls and are send back to the last bonfire (savepoint). Now because this would feel really frustrating because you will die a lot in Dark Souls the developers implemented a genious trick. You can reclaim your souls if you manage to come back to the place where you died earlier and pick them up. But if you die again before that they are lost forever. They give you a chance to make up for your mistake. This has two effects. Frist it makes a stressful game even more stressful if you have to get through the deadly traps of Sen's Fortress to reclaim your one million souls near the top, and secondly because of it Dark Souls never feels unfair. You always have the chance to get back what is yours. Another Game that used the same concept was Zombi U for the Wii-U. If you died there you're character would turn into a Zombie and you'd take control of a new survivor. If you then returned to the place your former Avatar had died, you could find him(or her) wandering around the area as Zombi. Now you just had to kill your former self to reclaim all your equipment. But just like with Dark Souls if you died again before that all was lost.

The second one is the predecessor to a game which released the other day. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor was kind of a sleeper hit in 2014. The gameplay was an Assassins Creed rip-off, but quite solid and Monolith managed to create a Mordor that was interesting to explore. The hidden star of the game was, however, the Nemesis System. Many of the Orks in Saurons Army did have unique character traits and even without the players input the Army would change. Orcs would fight eachother and rise in rank. I don't want to get into to much detail for this system, but there was one aspect of it that ties into todays topic. If an Orc managed to kill you during your adventure this would have real consequences. Not for the player, you would still get send back to the last checkpoint and could start again, but for the Orc. Not only would they gain scars from the encounter but if they managed to kill you they would then rise in rank and grow more powerful. So as a direct consequences of your failure your enemies grew stronger. This wasn't just a great way to attach a real weight to your deaths, but also served to motivate the player. Finally killing an Orc that managed to slay you earlier is an extremely satisfying feeling.

But how does this all tie into Mario you may ask? Well I talked about this two examples to show that just adding weight to a death isn't enough today. It would be easy for the developers of Odyssey to just implement a life system and if you saw the Game Over just throw you back at the start of the world and delete all your Power Moons, but that would be bad game design and feel extremely discouraging. Death can still have weight in video games, but you need to be the right game for it. It shouldn't be an afterthought, but instead needs to be an integral part of the experience. If it isn't then you're better off simply kicking it out.

But what are your experiences with Game Over in Video Games? Which Game Over did turn you insane? Do you miss a meaningful Live and Game Over System in todays games? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

The Switch, A flawed Masterpiece

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When Nintendo announced the Switch last year many people were skeptical. At first glance it seemed like a continuation of the Wii-U. A sequel to a very mediocre product. Now six months after the Switch launched we all can see how wrong this assumption was. The console is sold out nearly constantly.

It offers a small but excellent library of games and what's more important has cultivated the image of a product that people want to own. And while supply constraints and a conservative sales approach by Nintendo won't allow for the console to achieve Wii levels of success, it can be already said that the Nintendo Switch is a successful console. Still the only way I could describe the Switch was as a flawed masterpiece. They did nearly everything right this time. So today let us take a look at the flawed greatness of the Nintendo Switch.

Play your games everytime, everywhere:

The best thing about the Switch, apart from Zelda, is, of course, the fullfilled promise of a home console to-go. When the rumors about the concept first surfaced I found it hard to believe, but when I saw the first trailer I was sold. Now the only thing Nintendo had to do was to keep that promise they've shown us. It would've been desastrous if there was one game that you couldn't play on the go because it needed the Switch to be docked. Luckily everything played out just perfectly. Being able to grab your Switch and seamlessly switch (har har) from TV- into Portable-Mode is a huge deal. Even if it's only because you have to go to the toilet. The concept of no longer being bound to a specific place to enjoy your console games is just huge. And Nintendo marketed i perfectly. Every spot for the Switch has been great so far. They perfectly show the freedom you have when owning the product.

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This is why the lack of any other features except games is that much more baffling. Just let us take a look at one of the Switch commercials. Let's use the the latest Switch commercial.

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As you can see it does a great job of selling the appeal of the console to the customer. It truly shows that the console allows you to play games however you want. And wherever you want. Still that's all there is to it. Games. And even though the Switch has some of the greatest games currently on the market in it's library, is it really enough? Now don't worry this wont become a rant about the lack of games on the systme. Because I think there is no lack. The Switch has a pretty healthy library already with lots of different titles for all genres. Of course many of these are Indie games, but that's not the point. The Point is that the Switch is clearly positioned as hip and cool. Not unlike an I-Phone for example. Because of that it targets mostly young adults (aparft from Nintendo fans like us of course). Now you have to ask yourself are games really enough for those people to keep them satisfied in the long run? Maybe you already guesse what I'm talking about. Yes it's the lack of other software on the system. Not games, but things like a Youtube app, a web browser or Netflix. Things that even the Wii-U got. And here we are nearly seven months after the launch of the console and none of those things are even announced. And don't get me started on the virtual console.

This just feels like wasted potential to me. Just imagine being able enjoy Netflix on the go. Or maybe bring it to a friends place, who doesn't own the service. There are so many possibilities to position the Switch as a great entertainment product.

Of course I know that Nintendo always says their consoles are just that. Video game consoles. And I agree. They shouldn't change that. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't at least try to adapt a little. Adding Netflix, Amazon Prime and other similar apps would further increase the appeal of the system.

Play your games everytime, everywhere... if you can get a system:

Stock issues... that's a whole world of pain right there for any Nintendo fan. And don't worry I will talk about this in the future in more detail, but right now let us focus on the Switch. Where I live it's relatively easy to get one, but I've heard and read enough reports already where people drive hundreds of kilometers in search of a Switch. Or take Japan for example, where you can participate in a lottery for the chance of being allowed to buy a console. That's insane, there is no other way of putting it. Now the current situation can't be helped. After the failure of the Wii-U Nintendo was very cautios to not overship their product. After all there were just as many people predicting the console to fail as there were believers.

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In the end the Switch proved to be a huge success. Too huge for Nintendo. Even seven months after launch we regularly hear about shipping problems. Now this isn't a failure of the console itself, but of the company behind it. Still it damages the Switch. If you can't get the product of your choice for several months chances are high that you'll turn towards one of the competitors. After the fifth or sixth fruitless visit to your local electronics shop those PS4 may start to look rather tempting. Why wait for a console when you can have another with a bigger library for a cheaper price? In Japan this proves to be true as some reports suggest that several potential buyers have already lost interest in the Switch because of the stock issues.

Hopefully Nintendo is already ramping up the production for the holiday season. Because there is nothing more disheartening than not getting what you want on christmas. If the stock issues persist through November and Decemer this could really hurt the Switch as many potential customers may instead choose the competition and don't come back because one console is enough.

Overall these complaints are very minor, but they shouldn't be ignored. Because a small tripwire can lead to the fall of even the biggest juggernaut.  

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So what are your thoughts on the Switch so far? What things do you think Nintendo should primarly work on to improve? Or are you completely satisfied by the console. Anyways let me know your opinion in the comments.

and as always

thanks for reading

Top 5 atmospheric Games on Nintendo Consoles

Happy and colorful. That is the image that Nintendo has cultivated over the years. And that's the way they are seen by the general public. Just take a look at their two latest big new IPs, Splatoon and ARMS, and you'll see it for yourself. Now of course there is nothing wrong with that, and that's the last thing I would want to imply. But this image, as true as it is, leads to one simple problem. At least in my eyes. People tend to see Nintendo as just that. It's just a kids and family company. And this will and should always be Nintendos main identity. But to say Nintendo is just that is very, very wrong.

When I say to you, think of a typical Nintendo title, most of you probably going to have a very specific picture in mind. But what people tend to forget, when thinking of Nintendo games, is that there is more than just the Happy and colorful fassade. There are countless games for Nintendo consoles with thick atmosphere. Of course this doesn't exclude happy and colorful ones, but most people tend to forget that. When you think of an atmospheric game you probably think of something dark and brooding. Which is a damn shame because atmosphere can come in all shapes and colors. So today I'd like to focus on this topic. I hope you'll enjoy my little collection of atmospheric Nintendo games.

5: Xenoblade Chronicles X

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For me this game is still one of the best games on the Wii-U and it's a damn shame that so few people have played it. Luckily Xenoblade Chronicles 2 looks just as promising, so maybe this time around more people get to enjoy the creative worlds that Monolith tends to create. Because if there is one thing that this studio excels at, then it's creating imaginative worlds with rich atmosphere. And while the original Xenoblade had some really cool areas, which has to be expected of a game set on two gigantic titans, Xenoblade Chronicles X really took the cake for me. Becaues it was one of the few games that managed to create truly alien feeling areas. While venturing through Sylvalum or Noctilum I never had the feeling that something like this could exist on earth. Together with the genius music this created an alien atmosphere that has yet to be replicated by another game for me.

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There is hardly anything comparable to the feeling of soaring through the Noctilum with your Skell. The titanic beasts and awe-inspiring enviroments just suck me in. Or the contrast between the calm serenity of Sylvalum and the deadly beasts that inhabit it. The other three continents int the game, Oblivia, Cauldros and Primordia, don't manage to live up to that standard fully, but they are just as beautiful. Especially at night.

Sadly that rich atmosphere is sometimes interrupted by the gameplay. I'm not talking about battles or the like, but things like collectibles being small blue crystals floating on the overworld instaed of actual things. Picking up an actual plant from the ground or simply driving over a bluy crystal symbolizing it, is a huge difference. Especially in the atmosphere department. Still the awe-inspiring enviroments will (hopefully) let forget about such minor hiccups.

4: Zombi U

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Everytime I mention this game I praise it. But it's simply that good. Especially for being a launch title on the Wii-U. Coming from a time when Ubisoft still was fully behind Nintendo this game sought to do what Red Seel on the Wii couldn't. Showing of the new unique capabilities of the console and create a good title in the process. What we got is still one of the best Horror titles on any console. Ubisoft managed to do the unthinkable and make Zombies menacing again. And they did it with one simple trick, which also was responsible for the great atmosphere of the title. The perrfect use of the Wii-U gamepad. I have already talked countless times that Zombi U used the problem of competing screens to it's advantage. By not pausing the game when you open the inventory and forcing the player to look onto the gamepad they create a threatening atmosphere where you never can relax. Just how a Horror Game should feel.

Zombi U is the perfect example that you don't need the latest tech and best graphics to create an atmosphere that sucks you into the game. It uses the limitations and possibilities of it's hardware perfectly. That's also the reason why the port of the game for X-Box, PlayStation and PC didn't truly work in my eyes. Zombi U only works fully on the Wii-U, but here it creates a horror atmosphere that doesn't allow you to relax even one second.

3: Metroid Prime

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You can't talk about atmosphere without mentioning one of the most atmospheric game series of all time. Even with it's limited tools on the NES and SNES Metroid always managed to suck you into it's alien worlds. The feeling of isolation mixed with the greatness of Samus Aran truly created an unique atmosphere. So when the series made the jump to 3D enviroments it continued to do exactly that. Metroid Prime was a huge risk for Nintendo. Not only was the series on a more than seven year hiatus, but the preceding game also was one of the greatest of all time. So could Talon IV keep up with the creepy and alien atmosphere of Planet Zebes?

To answer this question quickly. Yes it could. Retro masterfully reimagined Metroid as First-Person title, and while Talon IV may not feel as alien as Zebes at first glance, it is an absolutely stunning and atmospheric place to visit. Even now more than a decade later.

The one thing Retro absolutely nailed on their first try with the Metroid Series was the feeling of lonelyness. Exploring Talon IV always feels dangerous, but never out of your league. After all your Samus Aran.

One of the main reasons for the great atmosphere of the title is, without a doubt, the switch to first-Person. This creates a much stronger connection with the game. Metroid Prime manages to make you forget your surroundings and completely sucks you into it's alien world. And any game that still manages that more than a decade after it's release deserves a place on this list.

2: Resident Evil 4

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In 2002 Capcom announced the Capcom 5. Five exclusive titles for the Nintendo Gamecube. Among those was one game in particular that created a lot of buzz. Resident Evil had been a PlayStation exclusive series up until then. But after releasing the excellent Remake on the first title on the GameCube the wind seemed to change. And so the excellent Resident Evil 4 was created from the ground up as GameCube exclusive. (Ironic because nowadays nearly each available platform on the market got a port of this game.)

After the third title in the series and the spin-off Code: Veronica the Resident Evil franchise was in a tight spot. The games, great as they were, had started to feel stale. Because of that game creator Shinji Mikami decided that the gameplay of the series needed a rework. The result was, and still is, one of the greates horror titles ever.

So what is so great about the atmosphere in Resident Evil 4? Well I could talk about how great the game sill looks or how the varied and detailed enviroments or rural spain suck you in. But the thing that truly creates the great atmosphere, at least for me, are the enemies. No longer are you fighting brainless Zombies, but infected villages and cul people. And while the Las Plagas parasite has made them obedient towards the cult, it hasn't turned them into mindless Zombies. They behave quite dynamically and adjust to your strategy. And that's what makes this game so atmospheric.

1: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

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Never ever before have I lost myself to such an extent in a virtual world. Only Skyrim and my first time playing World of Warcraft in 2005 come close to the feeling that Breath of the Wild created. When the game was first introduced in 2014 I couldn't completely believe Nintendos promise of a truly open game, where you could tackle problems from any possible angle. But I happily admit how wrong I was. Not only did Breath of the Wild create the most ''open'' Open world so far, but it also has showed me the limitations other, similar, games have. Awkwardly jumping up a mountain in Skyrim now feels so much worse after experiencing the climbing system in BotW.

To me the game is the complete package where presentation and gameplay perfectly work together to create the single best atmosphere in any game I've played so far.

An important factor in that is the genious muscial score, that is praised far to less when talking about the game. Yes the score is very withdrawn, but that's exactly the idea. It is only there to emphasize the world. Take the Hebra Mountains as an example. The sparse music there serves to pull you in and emphasize the feeling of cold- and lonelyness that these mountains emit. Also when the Score wells up from time to time it feels that much more intense and special.

If you've never played Breath of the Wild it's hard to describe but the ability to go wherever you want simply changes everything. When playing Breath of the Wild I don't have the feeling that I'm playing a game, instead it truly feels like an adventure. An Adventure everyone should experience for themselves.

So what games manage to suck you in with their atmosphere? Which games let you forget the fact that you're playing a game? I really love to hear your answer. So let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

Splatoon 2 Review

It was during e3 2014 that Nintendo introduced us to a strange new project of theirs. A group of young developers had assembled and created their own vision of a new game, without interference from more senior staff. This new game slowly took form and then it was finally unveiled to the public as Splatoon. A new kind of Multiplayer Shooter that would cover the saturated genre with a fresh coat of paint.

Upon first seeing the game I wasn't sure what to think, but then the gameplay demonstration from the Show floor and reports from people, who had tried the game firsthand, started to show up. And from then onwards I was hooked. Just like most of Wii-U Owners. So far Splatoon sold an incredible 4.83 Million copies on an install base of only 13.56. That is an impressive 35% attach rate. Especially in Japan there was and still is a huge Hype surrounding the lovely SquidKids.

So it came to no surprise that Nintendo announced Splatoon 2 earlier this year as one of the launch window games for the Switch. Still some concerns did arise. Did they manage to create a good sequel in only one year of time? After all the development of Splatoon officially ended in 2016 one year after the games launch. And what improvements would Splatoon 2 bring to the table?

Story:

Just like with the first game the second installment also arrives with surprisingly fun single player. But while it was a surprise the first time around, this time this was expected. The story follows the principle of all Nintendo games in that it's basically the same thing as last time with some minor tweaks. But here I didn't mind because Splatoon is a very gameplay driven experience. Even in Single Player. In one way or another it was very refreshing to experience a callback to some of earlier FPS games with a simple story and platform driven gameplay.

Just for competitions sake here is the Story of Splatoon 2. Two years after the defeat of DJ Oktario by the hands of Agent 3 the great Zapfish, source of all energy in the town of Inkopolis, has disappeared once again. But what's even more troubling is that Callie, one half of the popular Squid Sisters Idol Group and also secretly Agent 1, is also missing. And because Captain Cuttlefish and Agent 3 are on vacation it's now up to Agent 2, also known as Marie from the Squid Sisters, to recruit a new Inkling and venture once again into Octo Canyon to solve this mystery.

As you can see the Story is more on the light side in this game, but once more let me stress that this is not a problem.

One thing that also returns from the first game are the sunken scrolls. One of them is hidden in each level of the single player campaign and finding them unlocks some nice trivia about the Inkling world, as well as some background story. But it's nothing really knew and if you played the first game you already know the surprisingly dark backstory behind the world of Splatoon. So for a veteran, while nice, the scrolls offer nothing new or interesting.

Gameplay:

The Gameplay formula in Splatoon 2 follows the same idea as the story. Don't fix something which isn't broken.

Up to this day Splatoon remains one of the few games that truly got Gyroscopic aiming right and the second installment also delivers in that regard. Everything feels fluid and intuitive. Once again you can switch between Squid and Kid form with the press of a button. The former allows you to swim quickly through your own Ink, even up walls, but also makes you more vulnerable, while your humanoid form is used for battle.

The single player once again features a variety of Mario Galaxy style levels. What I mean by that, is that levels consist out of several floating platforms of varying size. Each of these Islands consists of one ore two challenges and after beating them you can progress to the next one. And once more the Single Player proves to be the hidden gem of the game. The levels are extremely varied with each one offering a new idea or at least an extension of a previously encountered one.

One of the biggest changes is that now there are several different weapons, which you can use during your missions. Well to be honest that is not completely true. During the first playthrough of a level the weapon you have to use is preset. But afterward your free to choose. This is a big improvement over the original game where the Sniper and Roller weapon were locked as special challenges behind Amiibo. One accompanying effect of this new weapon variety is that the game in general feels harder. Especially the bosses. For example the second boss is really easy if you use a ranged weapon, but when you fight him the first time you have to use the Roller. So later on when you have access to all weapons for a level you can individually adjust the difficulty of your playthrough via the weapon you choose.

Apart from that the Single Player hasn't changed much. You still collect Salmon Roe as a sort of currency to upgrade your weapons. One thing that is new is a resource called Sardinium. One of these is also hidden in each level and they are also used to purchase upgrades.

One negative aspect of the Single Player is that it feels much more grindy than the first campaign. To 100% the game you need to beat every level with each of the 9 weapons. Also while the Salmon Roe you collected in the first title on your way to the last boss was easily enough to upgrade everything this time I didn't come even close.

If you just want to finish the single player then the campaign is once again a very enjoyable experience, but if you want to complete everything it becomes a grind pretty fast.

But in a game like Splatoon the single player is, of course, only the complementary course. The heart of the game lies in it's different multiyplayer modes. All of them are still 4on4 Matches against an opposing team of inklings. Except for one, but more on that later. Once again the game distinguishes between Turf War and Ranked battles. As you need at least rank 10 to participate in the latter, let us focus on the former for now.

The goal of Turf war is to cover as much of the map with your own Ink. Walls aren't counted for points, but can help you traversing the terrain faster. With a match lasting only 3 Minutes the frantic, fast and fun mentality of this mode is perfectly enhanced. The concept of Turf War is easy to grasp, but it will entertain you for several hours. It's perfect for quick match after work, as well as extended hour long sessions. At least I have yet to grow tired of these quick and entertaining battles.

At the end of each round you'll then earn experience points and money based on how well you performed during the battle.

Ranked battles are unlocked once your reach rank 10 and pit you against other players in one of three battle modes.

The first one, called Splat Zones, is a simply king of the hill style of mode. You and your team have to capture a point somewhere on the map (most of the time right in the middle) by covering it in your own ink. And then you simply have to defend it while accumulating points.

Next up is Tower Control. Here the goal is to capture a tower in the middle of the map, which then starts to move towards your enemies base. If it reaches the base your team wins, but if the enemy manages to capture it instead it starts to move towards your base.

And lastly there is the rainmaker mode. This mode is easily the most fun, but also needs the most coordination between you and your teammates. The goal here is to get the mighty rainmaker weapon int your enemies base. This weapon can be picked up by any player, but it slows you down. It also fires powerful, but slow bombs, which are easy to dodge. So to be successful you need the support of your team.

All three ranked modes require some coordination between you and your teammates. Because of that it can feel rather frustrating if you're stuck with group of bad randoms, but if you manage to play it with some friends it's a great deal of fun.

And because of this, once you reach at least A rank in Ranked battles, you can then participate in so called league battles. Join up with one friend to form a two man team and get paired with another two man power trip or ask three friends to form a full squad. Then you battle against others. At the end of each Legaue Battle (it ends when the stages rotate) your results will then displayed and you'll get to see how well you ranked in comparison with other players.

The last of the multiplayer modes is the newly introduced salmon run. Here you team up with three other players to work for the dubious Grizzco Industries and collect fish eggs for them. It's basically a horde mode, like so many shooters offer nowadays, but that is not keeping it from being loads of fun. Your team has to work together to survive on one of two maps against a seemingly endless stream of strange fishlike creatures called Salmonids. Just like most horde modes Salmon Run is incredibly addicting and fun. Not only are the enemies really varied and cool to fight, but there are also eight boss Salmonids, which need special tactics to be brought down.

The mode may rise and fall with your teammates, but that is true for every multiplayer focused game. As far as it concerns me I think Salmon Run is the best addition Splatoon 2 made to the game. Because of that it's even more bewildering that Nintendo once again choose to restrict your freedom on how you want to play the game.

With that let us head towards the negative points. One of them returns from the first game, albeit a little bit improved. Once again Splatoon 2 features a map rotation. That means for multiplayer you can't choose which map to play. You can't even vote for one out of the selection of stages. Instead you get to play tow maps for two hours before they change again. This means that if you plan on an extended session of Splatoon 2 you'll get the same two maps over and over again.

Even worse is the treatment Salmon Run got. Because Grizzco Industries isn't hiring all the time Salmon Run is only playable during specific time periods. That means if you have a worklife or other commitments on some days you simply won't be able to play this game mode, because it was only available from 2.am til 2.pm. This is simply unacceptable. If I pay full price for a game I expect to play all it's modes during all times of the day. It's especially bad because Salmon Run is the hidden star of the multiplayer in Splatoon 2. Also there are some sweet rewards like new equipment.

And that brings me to the next point. Inkopolis is still a very style driven metropolis. And because of that it's not only important to be good in battle, but also to look good in battle. Like in the first game you can equip your Inkling with Shoes, headgear and Tops. And once again these pieces of stylish clothing not only look good, but also help you in your fights. Each piece can hold up to four secondary benefits. These can range from quicker Ink regeneration to more movement speed in Squid form all the way to a quicker respawn after getting killed.

And once again you are able to re-roll these random benefits until you finally have crafted the piece of equipment that is perfect for your gameplay style. With that you're then finally able to jump into battle.

But to kill your enemies you need weapons. Luckily Sheldon has you covered. The charismatic shellfish once again sells you all the hottest stuff to efficiently destroy your enemies. With each rank up you unlock more and more weapons.

Like in the first game weapons always come as packs of three. One main weapon, one secondary and an ultimate. For balancing reasons this is fixed, so you'll always know that someone who uses a specific weapon will always have the same ultimate.
Weapon wise the game hasn't changed much. Most weapon types from the first game make a comeback, but there are also some new ones like the new Dualie weapons.

Probably the biggest change affected the ultimate weapons. They aren't as powerful as they were in the first game and are now much more situational in their use. But in the right hands they sill prove to be absolutely devastating.

Splatoon 2 once again uses the updated principle from the first game, which also is used in ARMS. That means the game shipped with a, to be honest, ridiculously small amount of maps and general content, but over the course of the year it will receive free updates adding new equipment, weapons, maps and maybe even game modes. Nintendo choose this model to ensure the longevity of Splatoon 2. Instead of dumping all on you at release they keep updating the game in order to have the player come back again and again. It proved to be a success with the original Splatoon and I'm sure it will work here again.

On the other hand some players may have the feeling that they get their full moneys worth only after one year when the Updates have finished.

Presentation:

On the first glance it would be hard to tell Splatoon 2 from its predecessor. In fact the game looks exactly the same. This isn't a bad thing however, as the first title already had a pretty unique art style. Again Nintendo doesn't need to fix something which isn't broken, but visually its exactly the game as the first one.

Apart from that the worlds are once again lively and colorful. Of course the Comic style helps with creating memorable scenes without having to add too much detail, but calling Splatoon 2 anything but a beautiful game would be a bold lie.

The stronger aspect of the presentation is, just like in the first game, the musical score. It accompanies the game perfectly. Both remixes from the first title as well as new songs fit perfectly into the colorful world of Inkopolis, where everything has to ''fresh'' and cool.

The new Band Off the Hook (Tentacles in Japanese) provide some really interesting songs. And even though Nintendo opted to use a gibberish language once more, that gibberish actually sounds really good.

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It doesn't matter if it's in single player or during the frantic last minute of Turf War. The music always perfectly captures the feeling of the game and enhances it. In that regard it's a job well done.

Conclusion:

Splatoon 2 is a by the books sequel. It's the embodiment of the Don't fix what's not broken mentality. As a second installment in, what's hopefully going to be a long running franchise, it gets away with a lack of innovation, but at some places the ink is starting to run thin. With basically no changes and only new maps, weapons and one new game mode Splatoon 2 often feels more like an add-on to the original game.

However this doesn't change the fact that the game is pure additcing fun. From a great singleplayer where every mission is pure enjoyment to the quick and easy to grasp Turf Wars each and every game mode of Splatoon 2 is fun. I don't think there is a bigger achievement for a game. Or any game in that matter.

That is why some of the decisions Nintendo made hurt so much more. Not being able to play the excellent Salmon Run whenever I want really dampens my enjoyment for that mode. And the map rotation still is, and always will be, a dumb concept.

It's a testament to genius game concept that is Splatoon that despite all of this I can wholeheartedly recommend the game to all of you. It's full of charm and details.

If you loved the first one and own a Switch it's definitely worth the purchase, but if you own the first one Splatoon 2 won't offer anything truly new to you. At least not enough to buy a new system just for it.

Conclusion (One Sentence):

Splatoon 2 often feels more like a 1.5 edition of the base game than a full blown sequel, but the genius game concept is so much fun you won't mind this fact.  

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The Switch Online Rant

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Nintendo is a strange company. On one hand they create one of the best and most addicting Online Games in Splatoon 2 and on the other they actively try everything to keep you from playing online with your friends. On one hand they are stuck in the past and on the other they try to forcefully implement Smartphones and anything new and exciting into their products.

So this time let's talk about the absolute idiocy that is the Nintendo Online Smartphone app.

One Step Forward, One Step back:

With the launch of the Switch Nintendo also announced their new plans for their Online infrastructure. Originally it was planned that it would start in the fall of this year, but now Nintendo has pushed back the start to earyl 2018. But what are the key data of their new Online service?

Well first and foremost it's not free anymore. Like with X-Box and PlayStation Nintendo will now charge a yearly fee for Online Play. It's considerably lower than the competition, with only 20$ a year, but the value is also not the same. Of course you'll get to play online, but instead of an big title from a year ago or an actual Indie Game for free, like on X-Box or PlayStation, Nintendo will only offer a NES Game each month. Originally you couldn't even keep the games. It was planned that after, for example, July ended, you'd loose access to the game of that month even though you were still paying for the Online Service. Luckily Nintendo changed that after a lot of complaints. So not everything's bad I guess.

But that's only half of their new online infrastructure. The other half is, to put it bluntly, stupid as hell. Because thing like Online Lobbies or Friendlists have been outsourced to a smartphone app. That means that if I want to play Splatoon 2 with my friends I have to download the smartphone app, start it on my phone and then add my friends there. It's needlessly complicated. Totalbiscuit released a sceenshot of what is necessary if you want to play with some of your friends.

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That's is ridiculous.

Another thing is that as long as the app is running you can't do anything else on your phone. Got a message and want to check it? Not possible.

I'm sorry, but there is no justification for this. Especially as fans we should not put up with such lackluster execution.

Sadly this proves once more that Nintendo has absolutely no idea how online is working. To me it seems like if they tried to lessen the load on their Online Infrastructure via outsourcing. Still they want us to pay for it.

Splatoon 2 is a great game, but this online nonsense has really damped my enjoyment of the title. Sadly there isn't much we can do except for telling Nintendo directly how we feel about the situation. Maybe the listen.

Maybe...

and as always

thanks for reading

Nintendo Q1 Financial Results

I hope you all are enjoying Splatoon 2 as much as I do. If you managed to get hold of a Switch that is. But the launch of the sequel to one of the most addicting and fun online shooters in decades was not the only thing noteworthy that happened in the last couple of days.

Because today Nintendo released their Q1 financial results reports. With that we have up to date information about the sales figures of all Nintendo Platforms and games. The Quarter covers everything sold from the 1^st April until the 30^th June. So without further ado let's take a look at the data.

• Net Sales: ¥154,069 Million
• Operating Income: ¥16,208 Million
• Profit: ¥21,260 Million

• Total Switch Hardware: 4.70 Million
• Total Switch Software: 13.60 Million
• Total 3DS Hardware: 67.08 Million
• Total 3DS Software: 335.10 Million
• Total Wii-U Hardware: 13.56 Million
• Total Wii-U Software 99.97 Million Units

• Smart Device, IP related income: ¥9,062 Million
• Earnings from Pokemon Go: ¥3,286 Million

So all in all we're looking at quite the successful quarter for Nintendo. And to think what could have been possible if the Switch wasn't plagued by constant supply issues. But there is on big thing that I would like to direct your eyes to. The insane attach rate Mario Kart 8 and Breath of the Wild have. Nearly everyone who owns a Switch owns those games. This once again proves the Power Nintendo IP has to sell software, but also poses a great danger. If Nintendos first party offerings are too successful 3^rd Party developers may feel discouraged to bring their games onto the system. Nintendo has to actively work against this, not by releasing inferior games, but by encouraging and fostering relationship with other publishers. Lets hope they've learned their lesson from the Wii-U.

Anyways these numbers are great and prove that the Switch Hype is far from dying. Let's hope they can keep that momentum until the holidays, but with Super Mario Odyssey on the Horizon I have little doubts that they'll manage.

And as always

thanks fro reading

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Top 5 upcoming Nintendo Games

2017 proves to be an interesting year for Nintendo. The Nintendo Switch launched with great success, but supply shortages and a lack of big titles have seen it slow down somewhat. Of course it's still far from being a Wii-U. Everytime a new shipment of consoles hits the shelves they are sold out in a matter of hours. At least where I live. And with the release of Splatoon 2 the small software drought that plagued the console through April and May seems to be finally over. Also the future is looking more than bright.

On the other hand we have the 3DS, which, despite being at the end of its lifespan, still gets great new releases. It even got a new iteration with the New 2DS. It seems Nintendo really is standing by their word to support their dedicated handheld and don't see the Switch as a replacement.

Now focusing solely on the Software Nintendo has had a good year so far. ARMS, a completely new IP, launched with solid sales and scores from game critics and The Legend of Zelda has blown every person and their mother completely out of the water. But this year is far from over and if we take a small peek into the future we still have an exciting line-up on the Horizon.

So today I'd like to talk about the 5 Games upcoming Nintendo games you should get most excited about.

5: Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

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For a long time I wouldn't believe that this game actually existed. I couldn't believe it.
I'm not a big fan of the Rabbids and I probably won't get this game for exactly that reason, but despite that we all should still get excited for that release. First and foremost because the game looks really good. Well apart for the damn Rabbids. Most importantly the gameplay looks polished and like it could be a lot of fun. I'm not the first one to state that, but it strongly reminds me of X-Com, which is never a bad sign. The combat seems to be very strategical, but still the presentation makes it look really fast paced and action driven.

The Gameplay, however, isn't the only thing that looks exciting about this game. It's the implications that Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle has. This is the first in a long time that Nintendo has given one of their IPs to another company. Not only that but they allowed this company to create their own crossover game. Now I'm not saying that from now on Nintendo should hand out the rights to develop their titles left and right, but if they are willing to give Mario to Ubisoft, so that they can develop a strategy game including him, they may be willing to do the same with other IPs. IPs which could truly benefit from a new angle or even just a new game in their franchise. If Nintendo is unwilling or unable to create a new entry then why not give it over to another Publisher, so that they can develop a game for the Switch. Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle proves that this is now a possibility and that makes me very excited. My fingers are crossed for an Advanced War revival.

Also just look how proud the creator of the game is.

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4: Pokemon UltraSun/UltraMoon

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Probably the last proper Pokemon Games released for the 3DS these will surely be great experiences. I'm feeling that with the transition towards the Nintendo Switch Pokemon will surely change. It will be just as groundbreaking as Zelda and Mario transitioning into 3D during the N64 era. Anything less would be disappointing.

And because of that I think that UltraSun and UltraMoon will be the last hooray for the Pokemon series on dedicated Handhelds. GameFreak will cram everything they can into these titles. I have the feeling that UltraSun and UltraMoon will be the Ultimate Pokemon experience.

3: Xenoblade Chronicles 2

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The first Xenoblade Chronicles was one of the best JRPGs of all time. And it's spiritual successor Xenoblade Chronicles X was my personal game of the Year in 2015. So when Nintendo announced Xenoblade Chronicles 2 during the Switch event in January I couldn't believe my luck. And when they announced that the game would launch this year I lost it.

First of all the game looks great. I really love the kind of open worlds Monolith creates. And I think the decision to go full Anime style with the characters instead of a mixture like in X was the right one. Also I'm sure they'll fix the FPS issues and rough edges until release.

I'm simply looking forward to exploring this world. Because while Breath of the Wild created probably the greatest open world of all time (up until now), one thing that that the Xenoblade titles have, that Breath of the Wild lacks, is something truly unique. Don't get me wrong I love Hyrule, but something like Noctilum or Sylvalum you can't find in any other game. Monolith are experts in creating unique and alien worlds. Stepping foot into the Noctilum for the first time and hearing the amazing overworld score will forever be one of my greatest gaming moments.

And with Xenoblade 2 I'm sure Monolith will deliver once again. The trailers alone make me wanna experience this world. Just like Mira these new world simply feels awe inspiring. And it also helps that all Xenoblade Games so far were also pretty good in the gameplay department.

It's a shame that Xenoblade 2 launches in a year with Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild. Otherwise I'm sure it would be one of the main contenders for my game of the year spot.

2: Metroid: Samus Returns

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It's a new Metroid title. A new 2D Metroid title. Forget that it's a remake of the GameBoy game. Just look at this and tell me you're not excited.

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Forget Peach, Zelda and Co. For me Samus will always be the first Lady of Nintendo. And to see her (hopefully) return to form is just great.

Metroid has had it rough in the last couple of years. Metroid Other M, while mechanically good, was a storyline mess and did a lot of damage to Samus as a character. And while Metroid Prime: Federation Force may have been an okay game it cam at completely the wrong time. It felt more like an insult towards Metroid fans.

But now Nintendo seems to be back on track and intends to bring Metroid back into the spotlight were the series belongs. With the renaissance of the the MetroidVania genre in the last couple of years, mostly thanks to indie developers, this is the perfect timing to bring back one of the founders of the whole genre.

Also if the gameplay from the Nintendo Treehouse is anything to go by we don't need to be concerned for the quality of the game. Samus Returns looks and plays amazing.

1: Mario Odyssey

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Of course this game is number 1. After Breath of the Wild this is the biggest game of the year for anyone owning a Nintendo Switch. And while Link returned to his 2D roots with his newest game, Mario chooses a different direction. It's also a return, but instead of going all the way back it's a return to the leveldesign of one of the most important games of all time. When Super Mario 64 launched it wowed its audience with worlds that seemed endless. Super Mario Sunshine also followed in the same vein, but with Mario Galaxy 1&2 and Super Mario 3D World Nintendo steered 3D Mario titles into a different direction. The focus shifted more onto the platforming, instead of exploring spacious worlds. Of course this wasn't a bad thin, and in the end it served to make the announcement of Super Mario Odyssey all the more special.

Just like with Breath of the Wild one year before Mario just stole the show during this years e3. And once again Nintendo proved that if they change the formula of one of their established franchises, then they truly intend to knock it out of the park.

Super Mario Odyssey is a game that is fun even when you're just watching someone else playing it. The levels look so vibrant and colorful that you just want to jump in and start adventuring.

Mario has always been great, but this is the first time since the original Galaxy that I felt a rush of excitement, when watching a Mario game. Odyssey surely has the potential to be a true game changer.

So what are your most anticipated games for this year? Let me know in the comments below.

And as always

thanks for reading