Hey guys! I’ve missed you while at PAX West! While I appreciate that Tyler kept the boat sailing while I was gone, now I’m back, and look forward to sharing more gaming goodness with you all. This week there’s a good amount of new titles on the horizon, some fun My Nintendo deals and great new digital games. What there isn’t is a functioning Game Guide (for some reason), but there should be enough to keep things interesting. Let’s see what’s worth playing!
First up, if you enjoy hunting massive beasts, slaying them and making things with their bones and flesh, then you’re in luck. Monster Hunter Stories hits the Nintendo 3DS starting tomorrow, and it might set a precedent and be the very first Monster Hunter title I purchase. Why, you ask? Well, the Monster Hunter series, while cool, lacked the driving plot and lovable characters required to really draw me in. Sure it’s fun to fight monsters, but without a purpose, all that action felt empty, at least to me. The good news for folks like me is that Stories is a different type of Monster Hunter, with a focus on a more robust plot. It also differs from previous games with turn based battles and the ability to ride on top of your dinosaur monsters in battle, as well as joining battle with them! I played the demo a couple weeks back and found it a entertaining mixture of mechanics from games like Pokemon and Xenoblade Chronicles. I hope the full game lives up the potential I saw in the demo, and hope that die hard Monster Hunter fans give this offshoot a chance.
Next up, if you enjoy crazy multiplayer mayhem and platforming, then you might want to check out Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition. This repackaged game is coming to the Nintendo Switch, and is supposed to be everything a Rayman fan could want. Though I did enjoy the original Legends, I much preferred Origins. Hopefully this remastered version will have robust enough content to make me a believer in the limbless Rayman once more. For those interested, it releases on September 12th.
Since the Game Guide is once more being a glitchy brat, we’re gonna skip straight to My Nintendo rewards. From today until late December, you can redeem your points to get discounts on Metroid games and wallpapers. Seems fitting it starts this week, since next Friday the long anticipated remake, Samus Returns, hits the Nintendo 3DS. I will personally be reviewing that one, since I’ve been clamoring for a new 2D Metroid experience for years now. In the meantime, the following games are discounted – for 3DS, Metroid II: Return of Samus (on which Samus Returns is based) is 30% off; on Wii U, the original Metroid is 50% off; also for Wii U you can get the controversial Metroid: Other M for 50% off, and if you haven’t already picked it up, I’d wager it’s worth that price point. Also, below are the Metroid wallpapers you can get with points.
Lastly, there are some interesting digital releases worth checking out this week. First up, if you want some more love for your Wii U, the only real option is Detana Twin Bee for your Virtual Console. It should be a nice reminder of when Konami still made good games! There are far more options for the Switch, starting with the newest ACA NEOGEO release, Blue’s Journey. This 2D platformer reminds me strongly of Little Nemo: The Dream Master, a classic Capcom title. This old game has branching paths as well, so it should have some unexpected replay value. Next up is a game I hear great things about, called The Bridge. Touted as Escher meets Newton, this puzzle game looks highly atmospheric and compelling, and helps reiterate that games can be art. If you want something totally silly, then Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition is on the Switch, and looks like a mix between javelin tossing and crazy spacefaring dramas. Finally, if you enjoy dystopian twin stick shooters, then you need to check out NeuroVoider. I did an impressions piece for the Steam build a while back, and really liked the premise, if not the overall game balance. It should be a blast on the Switch though, and hopefully the latest version fixed some of my complaints.
That’s it for this week! I’m glad to be back into the regular swing of things. Make sure to stay tuned to oprainfall next week for more Nintendo Download, and keep reading our PAX West 2017 articles as they continue to go out!
