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Blazblue Cross Tag Battle On Nintendo Switch Is Basically Dead, Will New DLC Revive it?

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Rae Michelle Richards

Last year brought a number of brand new indie and AAA fighting games to fruition. Alongside big names like Final Fantasy Dissidia NT entering the console arena for the first time and Soul Calibur VI teaming up with Square Enix, Arc System Works launched their own dream crossover title, Blazblue: Cross Team Battle last June.  During the summer months – after launch – it felt like CTB was sure to continue to foster a healthy community and would be a game that had potential to not just be a flash in the pan. When your roster spans Rooster Teeth’s RBWY franchise, Atlus’ Persona series, Arc System Works own Blazblue franchise and with newcomers from the criminally underappreciated Under Night In-Birth series, how could things go wrong?

Last night I loaded up BBTAG for the first time in a few months to try out the last DLC Pack that I finally got around to purchasing. After playing around with the katana-wielding Yuzuriha in a handful of offline VS matches, I went online to adjust my profile and pick up a few icons. While connected I decided to check the lobbies and surprisingly there were literally zero people playing online last night around 11 PM MST.  A fighting game’s ranked or competitive scene dying, I can see, it takes developer support and community interest to keep tournaments and the like going. But even the dozens of casual lobbies were empty. Things were a little better this evening, but not by much, with a grand total of 12 people in one casual lobby.

So what are some factors that might have worked against Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle to cause it to die within six months? I don’t have the exact answer but here are a few ideas:

  1. Poorly Received DLC Model – BBTag shipped with two versions – a full priced $69.99 USD release that included the complete 40 character roster or a $49.99 USD version that unlocked only half of the fighters. Arc System Works rolled out 3 free RWBY characters over the course of early summer until a major update hit at the end of August that unlocked the remaining DLC characters. Despite not being released for a full two months after launch, criticism of the launch line-up was swift due to the fact that the majority of the sprites, announcers, and movesets were datamined almost immediately.
  2. Nintendo Online Requirement –  It’s much easier for folks to hop online and play the various free to play titles available on Switch than it is to fork over $20 USD for the now mandatory online subscription. Yes, Online on other platforms also requires a sub fee but for the first three months of its life, anyone who owned Cross Tag Battle could hop on battle online without a paywall.
  3. Lack of Developer Support – Everything looked a lot brighter when the last of the DLC characters were revealed in August. Unloading the remainder of the roster in one big mega patch was a bit of a gamble after the slow drip-feed leading up to the announcement. While BBTag’s add-on characters were significantly cheaper than say Capcoms ($6.99 for 3 Characters Vs. $39.99 CDN for the current SFV Season Pass), Arc didn’t do much to make the mega patch an event. A press release was sent out, we covered it, the community loved it and then…. that was everything we’ve heard about Blazblue Cross until the end of the year….
  4. The Smash Factor – When talking about 2018 fighting games, I can’t ignore the fact that Nintendo released one of its most anticipated games right as the year was coming to a close. Packing in an impressive roster of 75 characters, all of whom come with the game, a full single-player campaign, and marketing presence that Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle could never hope to match- it is a sound argument that some of BBTag’s community have simply moved over to Smash for the time being.

“What’s Next?” – As a community, we simply do not know. Back during the release stream for the last two character packs in August 2018, Arc posted the above image on their screens both on stream and at the event – seeming to tease a fifth “fate” or franchise to join the fray. Since then we’ve heard absolutely nothing but “Anime FGC News” on Twitter recently reported that something would be announced in February. EVO 2019 isn’t until August, so lets all hope that Blazblue Cross Tag Battle gets an entire second season of additional characters – with a fifth franchise there is so much more potential.

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Wizard of Legend (Nintendo Switch) | Review

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Meghan Kass

When I first saw images of Wizard of Legend, I will be completely honest and say I rolled my eyes and groaned a bit. To me it seemed like yet another indie game using pixel art to try and cash in on nostalgic value and save some money by using a less involved art direction. I couldn’t see how the developer and publisher, Contingent99 could sell me on this game at all. I’ve played dungeon crawlers, I’ve played “8 bit” pixel style games and overall I just had a “been there, done that” attitude about it all. After I watched the trailer though, my feelings began to change and I became more excited to play it. I can say, playing it definitely was not the experience I first expected.

To say this game is some groundbreaking experience that completely changes the genre would be a bit hyperbolic. This game is very enjoyable, though. This game became so enjoyable for me, I even took my switch with my to my work and played it through my break while playing coffee.

This game is a great one to get on the Switch for the portability and the option to put it on a bigger screen if you want to play with a friend. The main idea of the game is simple; are a wizard going through a gauntlet to prove yourself.

You will first need to get yourself some equipment and weapons and spells from the main market  or you will be pummeled almost immediately. As soon as you feel sufficiently prepared for the dungeons, you transport yourself down and begin your challenge.

The dungeons are proceduraly generated along with its enemies.  What’s interesting about this particular game is the bosses you need to face are also procedurally generated and the environment is as well. If you are going to face the ice boss for instance, the floors you go through in the dungeon will also be ice themed. Every time you die, everything refreshes, but you keep your money earned which means you can make upgrades.

Be prepared to die a lot, because you will. These dungeons are difficult, especially if you are flying solo. This game goes much smoother if you are playing with a friend. It took me many deaths and collecting coins to get the right gear to get through dungeons. I will give the game credit though, it doesn’t feel like a slog. Yes, it can be frustrating when you are almost through and then die at the last stretch of a dungeon, but the levels generally go quickly so you it won’t take long to get back to where you were and if you upgraded, it might go even quicker, some of my favorite upgrades was the relic antiquated tabi which gave you a chance to evade and the Arcana Mentis Imperium which charms enemies into fighting each other. This game will give you a lot to collect and try out and play with. The controls on the Switch are smooth and easy to pick up.

The pixel art is standard and pleasing enough. The colors are very vibrant, which is what stood out to me the most, but other than that its all pretty standard design. That doesn’t mean its bad, it just means its fine.

Overall, this is an enjoyable game for someone craving a dungeon crawler that is good on the go or with a friend. I recommend this for the Switch over Steam personally for the portability alone, unless you only have friends with PCs you want to play with, in that case, choose Steam. Try it out and enjoy some good old fashioned dungeoneering.

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Nier: Automata Director Yoko Taro Collaborates With Tiny Metal Developers For Promo

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Get ready for the promotional crossover you didn’t know you needed in your life – Director of Nier: Automata Yoko Taro alongside the Director / Producer of the upcoming Tiny Metal Hiroki Yura, promoting the upcoming December 21st release of Tiny Metal on PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC. 

It is clear from the get-go that Yoko Taro didn’t play more than 5 minutes of the tutorial, as he states as much several times throughout the 2-minute video. When asked to comment about the soundtrack, Taro unabashedly admits that he couldn’t really hear it during his brief gameplay session but promises that it must be amazing. To be honest, I’m not discouraged or even criticizing Yoko Taro here, this is exactly what I would expect from a crossover promotion featuring the director of Neir, and I love every second of it. 

Tiny Metal takes cues from Nintendo’s long-abandoned Advanced Wars franchise and seems to be an unofficial spiritual successor to it. It was recently delayed from its intended late November release date to the upcoming December 21st release window.  

Source: Youtube

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88 Heroes: 98 Heroes Edition | Review

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Meghan Kass

On August 8th, 1988 at 8:08 am I was but an infant when one of the most terrible acts of evil was attempted. Doctor Evil H8 almost had destroyed the world unless he was delivered his demand of .$88 octillion with a deadline of only 88 minutes! In order to save mankind from destruction by nuclear warhead, we needed the help of the brave, the bold, and the silly 88 heroes! This is the set up for developer, Bitmap Bureau’s, game “88 Heroes”. Now this game, published by Rising Star Games has come to the Nintendo Switch with some interesting challenges to add to an already interesting game.

The main game is a chaotic 2D platformer, with emphasis on the chaotic. You are given a random hero to make it through a level in 88 seconds. These heroes are what make the game different from other indie platformers like it. Some heroes possess great powers or weapons that can help annihilate enemies such as Laser Kittie who can shoot across a level with their laser or Hammerstein who can literally break through floors which can literally open opportunities to shorten your time getting through a level. Some heroes, however, are less than impressive such as Hard Hat Harriot who has an impressive jackhammer, but does nothing with it and has no impressive abilities or Wang Wei the panda on a unicycle who does nothing except the somewhat amusing trick of riding backwards which means an added annoyance for the player who would need to change how they control a hero in order to progress in the level.

If you lose a hero during a level either through death or time running out, that’s no problem at all! Another hero can take its place immediately and might even be better for the situation at hand. You have 88 chances to get through 88 levels and most of them will get you frustrated and groaning as you figure out how to get past traps, what awaits you around every corner and what types of heroes will help you succeed. If you get a hero you don’t want to use or won’t help you, you can “deton8” your hero and move on to the next if you wish, but I find there is literally no point in not at least trying to get past a level without blowing up your hero and losing one of your 88 lives anyway.  Along with a way to destroy your hero, you can also gain a hero back if you collect $88 worth of coins and picking one to be “reborn”. My favorite hero, personally, was Ms. Fortune simply for her gimmick. You can make her flip a coin and depending on the outcome she will either get you to the end of a level or die instantly. Most of the times, the heroes gave me a smirk or an amused groan usually due to a pun or silly pop culture references.If you need more of a challenge, there is always the magnificent 8 mode which lets you only chose 8 heroes to get through 88 levels with.

Overall, aside from a few frame rate issues that I didn’t experience almost at all, the game is a solid 2D platformer indie game. The Switch looks like it quite the console for indie games and this game is a fun addition. At the price of $30, I might recommend waiting for a sale for this game, but if you are craving a fun, lighthearted platformer, support an indie developer with a solid product and enjoy.

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The Splatoon 2 Splatfest Experience Retold In Screenshots

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Splatfests were one of the many highlights from the first Splatoon and I was really happy to hear that they’d be making their return for the sequel. This past weekend Splatoon 2’s first [thing] vs. [another thing0] competition took place – asking players to chose sides based upon their favorite condiment, either Ketchup or Mayo.

Upon logging into the game your lobby is instantly transformed into neon infused night variant complete with a performance by brand new Squid idols – Marina and Pearl. The aesthetics aren’t the only thing that changes in the lobby as the background music gets bumped up a notch to celebrate the coming condiment combat.

My first couple of matches pitted me against Team Mayo (I chose Ketchup, naturally, as it goes on everything from fries to burgers) but then the matchmaker started to get a little wonky.  Suddenly I found myself getting matched against a lot more Ketchup players than Mayo ones and for the majority of the remainder of the Splatfest this is how things stayed. I’m not sure if this is because of a population disparity – with more Inklings choosing to side for the internet favorite, Maria – or things simply being broken on Nintendo’s end.

The actual combat of the two days I spent playing Splatfest were pretty solid. Matchmaking issues and matchmaking disconnections aside I spent most of the time dying or covering enemy space in Turf War. Combat in Splatoon 2 is fast paced and since the rounds are only three minutes each time has to cover as much space with ink as possible. My weapons of choice? Ink Roller if I’m going for coverage or the brand new Splat Dualies if I want to play Splatoon 2 more like a modern shooter – complete with dodge. My absolute favorite part of combat during the Splatfest had to have been using the new Jetpack power-up. I don’t know what it is but there is something deeply satisfying about hovering in the air and dropping ink bombs on the opposing team.

Each side in the condiment conflict tried to win over undecided kids & skids with some really excellent drawings. Some featured Pearl and Marina representing their respective sides while others used characters from other games, like Sans from Undertale, to push their topping choice to victory. Perhaps the strangest batch of player made art are the occasional Fury rooting for either side – although that while thing is another story.

At the end of it all Mayo came out on top, even if during my several hours of play I saw more Ketchup players (and Ketchup vs. Ketchup match-ups) than members of Team Mayo. Here’s hoping Nintendo works on the backend stability and is able to reduce the same side match-ups and disconnections that can occur while the matchmaker is looking for available players.

The last Splatfest was two weeks ago on July 15th and the original game had a tendency to hold at least two Splatfests a month for the first year and a half of that title’s life. We’ve got a lot more team base rivalries to settle on the streets of Inkopolis – Perhaps Nintendo could rekindled the friendly rivalries between themselves and SEGA before Splatfests in the sequel go dry?

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Soldam: Drop, Connect, Erase Coming To Switch This Fall

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Les Major

Soldam Coming To Switch

Dispatch Games, a new publisher based out of California announced today that they will be bringing Soldam to North America. It looks like the game is potentially an import of Soldam 2: Blooming Declaration which is available on the Japanese Switch eShop. The art seems to match up so if you’d like to see some gameplay, check out the video below. Just remember that it’s what we assume the game is.

Here’s what Dispatch has to say about Soldam:

Play one of the original tile-matching games from the 90’s. Dispatch Games brings back the Jaleco arcade classic with, Soldam: Drop, Connect, Erase. The game has been refreshed with updated graphics and gameplay, but retains its arcade charm with its catchy music and unique style that have been fan favorites for many years.

Players rotate and drop the Soldam fruits to match colors. Keep connecting the same colored Soldam to form an entire row and erase. Use flanking methods to change the colors of previously dropped Soldam to your advantage. Strategize your next move and maximize that score.

Looks interesting! Like if Othello and Puyo Puyo had a baby. The game will be available at E3 and is coming to the Nintendo Switch eShop this Fall!

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Sonic Mania Confirmed For Release on August 15th For PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Sonic Mania finally has a release date after being delayed earlier this spring. Fans of rolling around at the speed of sound can pre-order Sonic Mania for PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch or PS4 through their system’s digital store for a suggested retail price of $25.99 Canadian (prices vary depending on region).

Originally revealed during the Sonic The Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Stream last winter, Sonic Mania is the first original 2D Sonic title since 2009’s Sonic Colors for the DS. Co-developed by Sonic Classics port master Christian Whitehead, HeadCannon, and PagodaWest Games, Sonic Mania reimagines classic zones while introducing powerful bosses and pixel perfect physics.

To celebrate the reveal of Mania’s release date SEGA has released a special animatic short featuring the three playable characters – Sonic, Tales and Knuckles. This short has quite a few hidden easter eggs: my favorite being the numbers/letters on the elevator. Is this SEGA acknowledging that Sonic 4 Episodes I & II are no longer considered canon?

Sonic Mania is available for digital pre-order right now but the game will release in a limited physical Collector’s Edition as well.

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Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star Coming To Nintendo Switch

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Les Major

Marvelous and XSeed Games latest entry in the Dynasty Warriors like combat Fate series is coming to Nintendo Switch this Summer! This version of the game even includes 35 previously released DLC costumes. Fate/EXTELLA is already available on PS4 and Vita. Take a look below for the trailer and here are a few press details.

Developed by Marvelous Inc. and expanding upon the extensive Fate universe with an original story from acclaimed series writer Kinoko Nasu (of Fate/stay night fame), Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star features a diverse cast of 16 playable “Servants” – ancient warriors of legend and imagination, always at the beck and call of their Masters – who survived the Holy Grail War that took place on the Moon. In a future watched over by the all-powerful lunar super computer, “Moon Cell Automaton,” these champions now battle for dominance over this digital realm, known as “SE.RA.PH.” This story takes place after the events described in Fate/EXTRA, and depicts the world as it appears following that previous Holy Grail War.

Players will experience the story of Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star from the independent perspectives of the three factions wrestling for control over SE.RA.PH. and face off against foes from a variety of Fate productions, including characters from Fate/EXTRA, Fate/stay night, Fate/Zero, Fate/Apocrypha and Fate/Grand Order, in fast-paced combat. A new form change battle mechanic called Moon Crux debuts in this entry to match its series-first gameplay style, transforming the player-controlled Servants and granting them considerable powers that allow them to devastate enemies and take formidable challenges head-on. The game will contain the original Japanese voices, with the Nintendo Switch version featuring game text in English, Japanese, Chinese (Traditional), and Korean.

Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star is developed by Marvelous Inc. and is published in North America by XSEED Games. In addition to standard retail and digital formats for the Nintendo Switch version, the game is available on the PlayStation®4 and “PSVita” systems in a limited Noble Phantasm Edition bundle, which contains a 7.5″ by 6.3″ hardcover art book featuring over 100 pages of high-quality artwork and backstory from the Fate/EXTELLA universe, a pack of sixteen collectible 3″ by 5″ cards depicting each of the game’s Servants, and a 24″ by 17″ cloth poster, all housed in a custom collectible box. The PlayStation®4 and “PSVita” system versions of this title have been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB, while the Nintendo Switch version has not yet been rated. Further details will be revealed in the coming months.

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North America Needs This Seiken Densetsu Collection

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Les Major

Growing up in the 90s, I had some amazing experiences on the SNES. Watching Terra pilot her MagiTek armor across the snowy plains toward Narshe. Traveling through time with a talking frog, a prehistoric warrior woman, and a robot from the future. Then there was that time I drew a sword from a waterfall and doomed an entire planet. Now that, that was a good time!

The first two games I’m referring to are Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger. The latter is Secret of Mana. One of my favorite games from my youth. What’s this? In Japan there’s going to be a Seiken Densetsu Collection featuring Final Fantasy Adventure for the Gameboy, Secret of Mana, and Seiken Densetsu 3 for the SNES on one cart for the Nintendo Switch?

News of this title was teased on Twitter yesterday:

This would be a wonderful addition to the Switch. Especially being able to play with both JoyCons like that? Make it happen SquareEnix! It would also be the first time Seiken Densetsu 3 was released in North America! Look at this beautiful box art.

There’s even a trailer available. Enjoy! Hopefully we’ll get this one in our markets as well.

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“Arms” Surprises As One Of The Best Games At Switch Press Event

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Les Major

We’ve all seen the footage from the Nintendo Switch Reveal. Gamers have questioned just what was going to be worthwhile with this new console. Was it going to be the big new thing? Then there’s all that footage of that wacky game “Arms” with various boxing fighters with extendable arms! What in the WORLD is going on?

So today I got to check out the Nintendo Switch at a press event in downtown Toronto. Of course I was skeptical of Arms but I wanted to give it a go. If nothing else to have some video footage of myself flailing around while trying to play the game. Instead, I walked away thinking it was one of the two top games I enjoyed at the event!

No joke! I’m not being paid to say this. This isn’t some sort of ploy, it’s my personal opinion. I enjoyed Arms and it controls surprisingly well with very relaxed motions by the player. You don’t need to swing around wildly, though you can if you like. Otherwise you can play the game calm, cool, and in control of the bout.

First off, holding both the JoyCon controllers separately and attached with wrist straps is very comfortable! They’re incredibly light and comfortable. I think my wife put it best that they clearly seem to be made of plastic or the like, but they almost feel easier on your hands than you’d expect. In Arms you hold the controllers upright with the joysticks facing each other. This leaves your thumbs on top for surprisingly fitting control of the triggers and L/R buttons. These are actually used in the game to control your fighter along with motion controls.

JoyCon Controllers

Across the games I played, I experienced the rumble of these JoyCon controllers. As I’m sure you’ve seen, Nintendo is making a push to encourage gamers to take note of how they feel. I can’t recall if Arms did indeed use them, but I’m pretty sure it did. In general, it does oddly have that feeling of the “ice cubes in a glass” sort of expression that was mentioned in the Nintendo Switch reveal trailer. It’s like there are more rumble points or what not in the controllers. With how light they are too, it makes the feeling more noticeable. The best way I can describe it is different. It’s more of a unique experience.

Arms itself is controlled by leaning the JoyCon’s in the direction you want your fighter to move. You tilt them forward, backward, or to the sides to move. Combining that with jumping by clicking the R button at the top I do believe, and the L button to dash, it gives you a good range of moment. Also by tilting the JoyCon’s at each other you can block. The best part about this is, you feel in control. Wii Boxing was fun, but at times you sort of felt out of rhythm and like you were just flailing and the game was responding to you doing something, but wasn’t always sure what. When you move in Arms, your character moves. Really, I want more games with the controls Arms uses. I could see piloting a mech with the JoyCons like this and I really liked the feeling!

Mechanica I believe was the girl I first played as, which probably helped me get that mecha feel. Punching, much like the movement controls, just feels good! You jab or twist your punch in and your character reacts. Considering your long extendable arms in the game, they sort of track the other character to land each blow, especially across the arena. I’d need more hands on time to see just how you time your punches to beat down your opponent, but things got pretty neat. At times I missed, others my punches arced around and landed right on! I don’t blame the controls for this, I blame getting used to playing the game. However, I had some pretty sweet moments. One stage I was moving to position a pillar between my fighter and their opponent. Then from there I was arcing punches AROUND that pillar to still smack at them! Of course to keep things fair after a few volleys of punches, the pillar collapsed.

Arms Mechanica

But wait, there’s more! Punching with both fists at the same time performs a grab move on your opponent. If not blocked, you pull them in and deliver a devastating wallop! A barrage of punches that land is probably just as effective, and the game does show damage numbers to indicate just how much you’re hurting your foe. However, with a grab you get in all that damage all at once if they don’t move out of your way and just let your gangly arms miss them. On top of all that you can build up a super move and unleash that with the triggers held at the same time. During this phase you can unleash a barrage of devastating punches in a row as fast as you can. Your opponent has super moves as well, so you’ll need to learn to dodge out of the way of their attacks.

Of course everyone at the event was there to make sure we had fun and the staff gave us lots of encouragement as we played our games. By the time I was making my rounds it was late in the day and everyone was pretty tired out. When I made it to the Arms display, the attendant that we got set up with was happy to show me how the game worked but was quite thrilled when we got into it. Sure, everyone wants to try out the games and just get a taste of it. It was near the end and no one was lining up so I got right into Arms. By the end our attendant was cheering me on as as struggled against Master Mummy who seemed to have two hands that almost resembled Bullet Bill’s for fists! As I tracked around the arena and managed to put some distance between us with those pillars I mentioned earlier, we were down to landing just one hit to win. My right hook went wide! Out in the open I was concerned this was game over. Then he faltered just for a moment and my left jab won the match!

Arms Mummy

It really was satisfying. Both the quality of the game and controls, as well as genuinely seeing our attendant getting so into the game. Our experience with Arms showed me there is more to it than flailing your arms madly at the TV. Instead you really are able to come up with some plan of attack and make your fighting style your own. Want to hop in the air constantly and pummel your opponent from above? Go for it. Is staying distant so you can time their punches and scoot to the side to avoid getting hit while landing well placed jabs? You can do that too! Want to just click dash and run in, punching like mad while hoping for a good outcome? Do that too! The game really is more than just Wii Boxing for the Switch with extendable arms. Let along the charm of the characters really drew me in. I knew nothing of the robot suit piloting Mechanica but I adored her.

The big take away from all this is that I want Arms. I want to own the game. It’s a game I would play and enjoy. Sure, I don’t know much about it yet and haven’t even begun to research the title, but I enjoy the gameplay! Playing Arms on the Switch feels good, and I want to experience that again. Sure, I want games like Zelda that I can plunk my butt down on the couch and explore hours upon hours of shrines throughout Hyrule. I also want to just get into Arms and do those over exaggerated movements that aren’t needed but just feel so good because the game reacts so well to my motions. It’s cool to see the evolution of motion controls, the comfort of the Nintendo Switch JoyCons, and most of all another new IP from Nintendo that I genuinely want to play!

Arms Fighters

Nintendo gave me a ton of options today to play anything I wanted. I’m glad I decided to give that silly stretchy arms title a chance. It made a lasting impression and showed off the Nintendo Switch very well!

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