So, I announced that I was going to release a revised version of one of my stories, Psycho Shatter, on September 11th. Well, progress has been slower than anticipated, and it will actually not be done until September 15th of so. I underestimated the workload, and want to make sure I am happy with the final product by editing it once more. Sorry that my output on that front has been so lacking as of late.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Edition is the Game of the Year compilation piece of The Phantom Pain, Ground Zeroes, and all the DLC released in the past year. However, it does not contain the cut conclusion of the game… Anyways, it will be out October 11th, 2016 for XBO, PS4, and PC at a discounted $50 price. Though, I’m probably never going to touch the game, as I only really care about the first three Metal Gear Solid games, along with Metal Gear Rising, even though I had an awful time trying to play that game. Plus, well, I don’t want to give Konami money.
If somebody asked me who my least favorite major multi-game developer was, I would probably say Renegade Kid, provider of a series of popular throwback titles and experimental 3D games designed for Nintendo’s handheld systems. Quite simply, my experiences with some of their games, Dementium, Moon, and Mutant Mudds made them look like a poor studio at worst, and a mediocre studio at best. Anyhow, they are no more, as the founders separated the studio’s output into 3D titles and 2D titles and formed a pair of new companies, who I am putting on my mental checklist of developers to ignore.
After months of anticipation, Nintendo finally hosted another Nintendo Direct this past week… one focusing on the 3DS. A rather meaty series of announcements that show that Nintendo is supporting the system, even though it will be outmoded soon after this, presumably, final barrage of games before the NX arrives and makes them all look archaic. However, the ensing arrival of the NX and ensured obsolescence of the 3DS as a piece of hardware makes me tilt my head at many of these games. 
Well, some of them are perfectly sensible. Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, Dragon Quest VII, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, Yo-Kai Watch 2, and the newly announced Picross 3D Round 2 were all released in Japan at an earlier point, and are set to release sometime this September. Grezzo’s dungeon exploring and town building action RPG, Ever Oasis is also clearly built around the system and based on the developer’s innate familiarity with the hardware. I suppose that the announced simplistic three on three multiplayer game, Tank Troopers can also be considered a game built around the hardware, but I question the decision to make a multiplayer focus handheld game due out near the end of its lifespan.
I understand the idea behind updating Hyrule Warriors Legends, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and the Mii Plaza with DLC, functionality updates, and new game modes respectively, and I actually respect that. But upon hearing these things, I can’t help but think about how nicer they would be if they were on more advanced hardware. The games could very well be good, but I view them as obsolete versions of things I will get my hands on if I wait a little longer. Because of that, I view their only purpose being to fill a void of some sort.
I feel the same about most other games, they just feel like a way to fill a release slot. Mario Party: Star Tour looks like a disposable last gasp, aping a subseries that has not been truly adored in about a decade. Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is an impressive and enticing idea, but the limited online capabilities and lack of certain features make it look like a gutted version of the Wii U game, not an enhanced version. Poochie & Yoshi’s Wooly World is a port of Yoshi’s Wooly World with additional levels, and presented through a 240p screen incapable of capturing the details and artistry that went into the original Wii U release. Which was about half of the appeal…
Then there is Mario Sports Superstar, a combination of Mario themed soccer, baseball, golf, tennis, and… horse racing. If I were to guess, it is either a bold new direction for the Mario sports games, or it is just a combination of three half finished Mario sport prototypes for the 3DS, paired with a streamlined version of the Mario Tennis and Mario Golf games previously released for the system. At least, that’s what makes sense to me.
The most noteworthy announcement from this Nintendo Direct was an unsubtitled Pikmin game for 3DS, a platformer with a garish art style that is a call back from that awkward era where 3D models were converted into 2D sprites. One that emphasizes precise timing, fast reflexes, and puzzle solving. While I am very interested in playing a Pikmin game without worrying about a time limit or such thing, I really did not enjoy the footage that was shown, and think the game looks like a sluggish platformer that requires a lot of restarting.
Anything else? Oh, right, some Pokemon Sun and Moon information. The presentation revealed the previously rumored Dark type Rattata, or rather the Dark Normal type Rattata, who supposedly evolved this way after being a nocturnal species by the aggressive Yungoos. Just like real rats and mongooses in Hawaii. Z Moves were also clarified, and there will be far more than just a few stones for each respective type. In fact, certain Z Stones will be for specific Pokemon, and allow them to perform a unique and devastating move, as will be the case with Snorlax, whose pre-evolution will be distributed to early adopters… Remember how they did the same thing for Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, but it was a shiny Beldum?
Moving away towards the 3DS and to the future, some people have continued to accumulate leaked information regarding the NX. Namely the lovely Laura Kate Dale (who I support via Patreon) along with industry veteran and Nintendo specialist Emily Rogers. They’ve cross referenced their sources, and based on developer kits, have determined that the NX will have a split D-pad, share button, clamps on the back of each controller segment that can be recessed into the controller itself, a 720p resolution, a 6.2 inch screen, multi-touch support, and is region free. All of which sounds quite cool and interesting, but I just want to see Nintendo announce this thing already…
Also, Nintendo felt it upon themselves to issue takedown notices for over 500 fan games. News that sounds almost infuriating, especially after how the large profile fan developed Metroid 2 remake AM2R and Pokemon Uranium were taken down from the developer’s sites a few hours after release, at least before you realize what site these takedowns were issued towards. GameJolt is a game distributor who allows developers to host free and premium games, not dissimilarly to Itch.io. The storefronts even look similar. The fan games were freely distributed, but GameJolt also engages in a program where developers are monetarily compensated for bringing in traffic, which is potentially Nintendo’s problem with this, as they are still pissy about most people making ad revenue over their IP. Huh.
Gearbox announced that they will be bringing Duke Nukem 3D to modern consoles with a revised and remastered version of the 1996 classic, complete with a new level by some of the original creative team. Given the moniker of World Tour, the game is set to release on PS4, XBO, and PC on October 11th. Upon hearing about this title’s existence, my mind goes back to that Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded thing from a few years ago. A full 3D remake of the game that was better than the previously released Duke Nukem Forever, but was cancelled. It would have been nice to see that come back instead of this, but Gearbox is bad and Randy Pitchford is a liar who should not be given shoes.