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The Video Game Canon: Super Mario 64
Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon with an exploration of all the ways Nintendo tried to teach the world about 3D games with Super Mario 64. Here’s a teaser…
For Mario’s first foray into “The Third Dimension,” Nintendo wanted to ensure that everything was perfect. In fact, the Nintendo 64, its unique three-pronged controller, and the controller’s analog stick designed to better simulate 3D movement were all created with the needs of Super Mario 64 in mind.
Nintendo had good reason to be worried about getting all of the details just right, as most video gamers had never even seen a 3D platformer before Super Mario 64. Aside from a few experimental titles from the late 80s and early 90s, 3D movement was only found in a handful of titles on the market at the time, the most famous of which was probably EA’s Fade To Black. Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot, which included pseudo-3D movement, beat Super Mario 64 to store shelves by about five weeks, but a majority of the game took place on a 2D plane.
So Nintendo used Super Mario 64 as an opportunity to introduce players to what was, in their mind, an entirely new genre. Shigeru Miyamoto’s exacting attention to detail helped mold every part of the game. The first interaction players had with the game was the appearance of an actual cameraman (Lakitu the Cloud), and instructions on how to control the camera’s angle with the diamond-shaped set of C-Buttons on the right side of the Nintendo 64 controller.
Actually, let me back up… the very first thing most players experienced after booting up Super Mario 64 was the interactive Mario face on the Title Screen. Miyamoto saw fit to even offer players a primer on polygons as the squares, rectangles, and rhombi that made up Mario’s face could be grabbed and manipulated in dozens of different ways. In a way, “It’s-a me, Mario! Hello!” was a coded message that encouraged players to jump right into this new 3D world.
Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.
Posted in DS, Features, Retro, Top Story, Video Game Canon, Wii, Wii U
Tagged Super Mario 64
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero update will add Hard Core Mode, PS TV support, more on March 6
XSEED Games has announced that Shante: Half-Genie Hero will be receiving its first update on March 6, 2017. Update 1.01 focuses mostly on fixing bugs and adding PlayStation TV support for the PlayStation Vita version of the game.
But Update 1.01 also offers a host of other changes, most notably among them being Hard Core Mode. Hard Core Mode offers harder hitting enemies, faster scroll speeds, faster enemy patterns, rebalanced magic items, remixed enemy locations, additional enemy locations, new boss stats and patterns, and limited use of healing items.
Matt Bozon, the Creative Director at WayForward and Creator of the Shantae series, wants everyone to play nice with Half-Genie Hero’s first big update:
“Thank you for your ongoing support, and for waiting patiently while we continue production of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. And also thanks to everyone on Twitch, YouTube, and other social media for helping us make the game even better with this update. We hope you’ll enjoy Hard Core Mode while you wait for the bigger DLC packs to arrive. Remember, no throwing controllers, and please keep your hair-whipping in the game where it belongs!”
WayForward has been collecting a list of Half-Genie Hero’s “known issues” on their official forums, so hopefully that means the developer has found solutions for some of the peskier bugs, such as audio corruption and save file issues.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is rated T For Teen and is currently available on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PC, Wii U, and Xbox One.
Nintendo Download: Zelda Breath of the Wild, Shovel Knight, Super Bomberman R, more
The Nintendo Switch is here!
Nintendo’s next gaming machine, a hybrid console/handheld, will go on sale in just a little over three hours. That’s also when Nintendo will swing the doors open on the Switch’s eShop and give early adopters the chance to purchase nearly a dozen different launch titles.
The biggest name in the Switch’s launch lineup, by far, is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Also available to download on the Wii U, Breath of the Wild will offer a wide-open world for Link to explore and new puzzles to solve.
However, if you’re looking to celebrate the system’s launch with a big party, you’ll have several options. There’s 1-2-Switch, a wild minigame collection where players are encouraged to look at each other instead of the screen. There’s also Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together!, a co-op puzzle adventure starring two pieces of paper. And Ubisoft will bring the popular Just Dance series to the Switch with Just Dance 2017.
Prospective Switch players who want to be on the move might want to look into FAST RMX, a new futuristic racer from Shin’en Multimedia.
Finally, retro gaming fans will have plenty of options on the Switch’s first day including Yacht Club’s new platformer, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, as well as the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which includes Specter of Torment and the first two campaigns. Konami’s Super Bomberman R brings the lovable Bombers back for the first time in almost a decade. And I Am Setsuna, from Square Enix, is an original RPG inspired by Chrono Trigger.
If you’re taking a wait and see approach to the Switch, never fear, 3DS owners will still have something new to play this week. Marvelous Entertainment’s Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is the latest entry in the popular farming simulation series and, as you might have guessed, players will be able to visit three towns this time around.
You can learn more about all of these games after the break. (more…)
Video Game History Foundation wants to create a digital record of the industry’s past
Frank Cifaldi is a developer who has worked on Mega Man Legacy Collection and IDARB, but he is also the founder of the Video Game History Foundation, a new non-profit that seeks to preserve and digitize the history of video games.
The Video Game History Foundation launched their first “Digital Collection” yesterday, focusing on The NES Launch in 1985. Cifaldi is also seeking donations to expand the scope of the Foundation, as detailed on their “What We’re Doing” page:
The heart of the Foundation is its digital library, an online repository of artifacts related to the history of video games and video game culture. The ultimate goal is to create a searchable, organized, always-online archive of verified, high-quality material that is accessible to researchers and historians as a public education resource.
All donations to the Video Game History Foundation are tax deductible, and I can’t wait to see what collections they come up with next.
New Retail Releases: Nintendo Switch, Zelda Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, More
It seems like it really snuck up on us, but “Day One” for Nintendo Switch is less than five days away. Nintendo won’t have a ton of games available alongside the launch of their latest console, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (which is also coming to the Wii U this week) will surely keep most early adopters busy for quite a while.
However, a handful of other Switch titles will be available for those looking for a different kind of experience. Ubisoft and Activision will bring ports of Just Dance 2017 and Skylanders Imaginators to the Switch. Meanwhile, Nintendo themselves will also launch 1-2-Switch, a quirky multiplayer party game, and Konami will resurrect the Bomberman series with the SNES-inspired Super Bomberman R.
It’s rare to find new games for rival platforms during a new console’s launch period, but the Nintendo Switch will actually face some stiff competition on store shelves this week. Leading the way is Horizon: Zero Dawn, a visually-striking post-apocalyptic adventure from Guerrilla that’ll be released exclusively for the PS4.
Also available this week will be Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns (3DS), the latest farming sim from Marvelous; Torment: Tides of Numenera (PS4, Xbox One), a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment; The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (PS4, Xbox One), a Season Pass Disc that’ll grant access to every episode of the zombie-themed adventure; and Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 + Arcade Game Series, a retail re-release of the retro reboot.
You can find a complete list of this week’s new retail releases after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged 1-2-Switch, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Just Dance 2017, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, Skylanders Imaginators, Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, Super Bomberman R, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, Torment: Tides of Numenera
BadLand Games will publish a retail edition of Axiom Verge this Summer; Switch re-release is also a possibility
Axiom Verge, Thomas Happ’s retro-tastic Metroid homage, will soon be available on retail store shelves nationwide.
BadLand Games has announced they’ll publish a special Multiverse Edition ($29.99) of Axiom Verge this Summer for the PS4, Vita, and Wii U, as well as a game-only Standard Edition ($19.99) for the PS4. The Multiverse Edition will include a copy of the game, as well as a Deluxe Booklet with developer’s commentary and art, a double-sided poster, and a Making-Of Documentary on DVD.
“Fans have been asking for a physical retail version of Axiom Verge since the game originally launched,” Happ said. “I’m extremely excited that the Multiverse Edition will be coming to retail soon. As a solo developer, it’s always been a dream of mine to see a game that I made end up on the store shelves!”
This is great news for game collectors, especially because Axiom Verge is a favorite here at Warp Zoned. The side-scroller earned a spot on our “Apocalypse List” and took home “Best Game Where an Alien’s Head Pops Like a Grape” at the 2015 Golden Pixel Awards.
In other Axiom Verge news, PR Guru Dan Adelman said on Twitter that he’s currently talking to Nintendo about re-releasing the side-scroller on the Switch. However, any plans to port Axiom Verge to the Switch are currently on hold because he’s “waiting for my old co-workers to return my calls.”
Nintendo Download: Harvest Moon 64, Forma.8, more
Even though Nintendo plans to officially retire the Wii U in a week’s time, the consolemaker is still making classic titles available to download through its Virtual Console. This week, the farming simulation Harvest Moon 64, which was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, is now available to purchase.
Elsewhere on the Wii U eShop, players will be able to download Forma.8, a unique “MetroidVania” with a minimalist visual aesthetic. Players will take control of a small exploration probe known as Forma.8, and they must explore the surface of an alien planet to find a powerful energy source before its too late.
You can learn more about both of these games (and a few other new additions to the Nintendo eShop) after the break. (more…)
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is finished; Coming to Switch in March and other platforms in April
Yacht Club Games has announced (via Twitter) that they’ve completed development on Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, the latest expansion to their NES-inspired platformer, Shovel Knight. The developer expects to launch Specter of Torment first for the Nintendo Switch in March. It’ll later be available as a free update on all other platforms (3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One) in April.
The Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove compilation (as well as the Shovel of Hope and Plague of Shadows standalone campaigns) should also be available for the Switch in March, with additional platforms to follow a month later.
Specter Knight’s campaign will actually take place before the events of Shovel Knight, and will depict how The Enchantress was able to recruit the evil Order of No Quarter. If you’re interested in learning how it all went down, Yacht Club Games will be attending this year’s PAX East expo to give fans a taste of Specter of Torment before it launches. The Boston-based convention kicks off on March 10.
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged PAX East 2017, Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment