Nintendo has consistently promised its fans that there would be a brand new 3DS title unveiled at E3 2014. Well, that game has finally been announced as Code Name: S.T.E.A.M (originally included in the leaked Nintendo E3 games list as Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace). So, what is this game actually about?
The game has been described as a " one-player, turn-based strategy game with lots of unique elements from action games," according to its designer, Hitoshi Yamagami. The game is being developed by Intelligent Systems, who are best known for their Fire Emblem series of games, which utilise various turn-based tactics and centre on moving units through a map grid in order to defeat the opposition. Thus, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M is expected to function in quite a similar way.
The game will be played from a third person viewpoint rather than a first person viewpoint. This helps players to stay close to the action. There will be no mini-map displayed on screen, so players will have to use their various characters to explore the area in order to gain knowledge of the battlefield terrain.
The game will also feature 'shooter' action type elements during attacking or movements, and touchscreen controls will be used heavily. Movement in the game is powered by steam backpacks, (hence the game's title).
Each of the in-game characters wears a backpack boiler that needs to be used carefully as the steam supply is limited. All backpack boilers, weapons and characters will slowly gain level-ups as the game progresses.
Characters will each have a unique special ability and will also be given the option of equipping themselves with a secondary weapon. Each sub-weapon will only be permitted once per map environment however, so they must be used very tactically.
Although the game is essentially going to be a one-player experience, Online Play has been hinted at for the game, although the exact details of what this might be remain a little bit sketchy at present. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M has been scheduled for general release in 2015, so it will be an agonising wait for those players who are just itching to try the game out for themselves.
More footage of the game is expected to be shown tomorrow, during the final day of Nintendo's Treehouse at E3 2014.We here atMini Gamers look forward to bringing you more news about the game as it develops.
It was a disappointing start to Nintendo's Digital Event at E3 2014 yesterday, with the news that the highly-anticipated 3DS debut of Super Smash Bros. will now miss its planned Summerrelease date and will instead be delayed until the 3rd of October 2014. Nintendo merely said that the delay was important in order to work on 'debugging' issues, but gave no further information.
Nevertheless, the mood brightened somewhat with the announcement that Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright will finally be released in North America in August 2014. The game was released in Europe earlier in March this year, and has proven hugely-popular with 3DS fans.
Furthermore, a Level-5 inc 3DS RPG game called Fantasy Life is set to be released in North America on the 24th October 2014. A European release for Fantasy Life 3DS is expected some time in October 2014 as well, but no specific date has been given as yet.
Fantasy Life allows players to take on a virtual life where they can have different jobs and make a life for their character. In the game, players can set out on adventures to save the world, or take up more leisurely activities like cooking or fishing.
There was more good news for fans of the Nintendo eShop, with an impressive array of new 3DS and Wii titles being announced, including sequels to some already popular games. Among those titles announced for the 3DS were:
Thorium Wars: Attack of the Space Fighter
Shovel Knight
Moon Chronicles: Episode 2
Siesta Fiesta
Tappingo 2
Woah Dave!
Gunman Clive 2
Blast 'em Bunnies
PersonaQ: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal World Duel Carnival
Further details of some of these games and details of the Wii U titles can be found HERE.
As an extra bonus, Nintendo have also declared that they will be offering a massive thirty percent discount off some selected eShop titles in celebration of E3 2014. This offer includes some of the popular Mario and Super Mario games, amongst others.
The discount only lasts for a limited time however, so anyone wishing to take advantage of the discount must purchase their chosen games by the 16th of June 2014. For more information on the discount or to view the selected titles, please CLICK HERE.
Nintendo also added a touch of mystery yesterday when the company announced that it would be revealing a brand new 3DS title, the details of which have been a very closely-guarded secret, but which is expected to be announced later today during one of the developers conferences. Check back with Mini Gamers for more details.
Overall, it seems that Nintendo's Digital Event has been very impressive. Nintendo's announcement of the new Amiibo NFC figurine collection and the news about upcoming releases is most definitely exciting. The future of Nintendo is definitely an interesting one.
HAVE YOUR SAY...
What did you think of the event? Did it meet your expectations? Which Nintendo announcement was your favourite? Please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know.
Nintendo has exclusively unveiled its special range of Near-Field CommunicationFigurines, which are to be known as Amiibo. These special figurines work with the Wii U Gamepad in the same way the Skylanders figures interact with the 'Portal of Power'.
Touching any Amiibo figurine to the Wii U Gamepad will instantly bring your chosen character to life in your games. All Amiibo characters work with Wii U compatible games, so friends and family can add their Amiibo figures to your game and vice versa.
Better still, your Amiibo figure and its game data develops over time, so as your character progresses through a game, the Amiibo figure gains more experience and more skills which will help you to advance through the game.
The Amiibo figurine range will launch alongside the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros, which will be released in America in December 2014. Super Smash Bros. is not the only Wii U software that will have Amiibo compatibility, other 2014-2015 Wii U releases such as Yoshi's Woolly Adventure and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, Mario Kart 8 and Mario Party 10 have also been cited as having Amiibo compatible features.
The figures announced so far include:
◦Mario ◦Peach ◦Samus ◦Yoshi ◦Kirby ◦Wii Fit Trainer ◦Link ◦Donkey Kong ◦Pikachu ◦Animal Crossing Villager
Now, you might well question why we at Mini Gamers HQ seem so excited about a gaming accessory that is only out on the Wii U? However, Nintendo have also announced that they are planning on bringing out a 3DS peripheral that will sync the 3DS handheld with its own range of Amiibo figures.
As you can see from the list above, there are already a lot of Amiibo figures in production, with more planned for the future. It is unclear yet how much the yet-unnamed 3DS peripheral is likely to cost, but Nintendo are apparently aiming to release it some time in 2015, so watch this space!
Unsurprisingly, Sony's PS4 led the way during the company's annual press conference at E3 2014 last night, with many big-named PlayStation games being revealed for the system in 2014-2015, including: Little Big Planet 3, Far Cry 4, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and even Mortal Kombat X, amongst others.
Nevertheless, there was more than a few surprises for fans of Sony's PS Vita handheld as well, with well-loved older titles like Tetris and the ever-popular Minecraft franchisegetting their own PS Vita versions in 2014.
Tetris Ultimate was originally announced for the PlayStation 4 and PC markets, but now the PS Vita version will also be released alongside the other formats some time in Winter 2014.
The game will allow for up to four players to take part in six different gameplaymodes: Marathon, Endless, Ultra, Sprint, Battle and Power-Up Battle. Players will also be able to engage in some exciting co-op play with friends, and even create their own 'battle teams' to compete with others online.
Meanwhile, the first ever Minecraft game for PS Vita consoles is set to make its debut in August 2014. Essentially, Minecraft is a block-building game, but it has been increasingly popular in recent years due to its capacity for independent, creative gameplay.
The PS Vita version of the game is based on the PS3 version, and as a result, the game's developers, Mojang, have announced that Minecraft PS3 Edition and Minecraft PS Vita Edition will be subject to PlayStation's Cross-Buy functionality.
This means that anyone who buys Minecraft: Playstation 3 Edition from the PlayStation Network store will also get to download it on the PS Vita for free. It doesn't matter if players buy the game for PS3 or PS Vita first, they will automatically own the game for both platforms.
Furthermore, all of the game-saves will be directly transferrable between the Playstation 3 and Vita versions of Minecraft. Players can begin their craft at home on their Playstation 3, and then continue to build their creations outside the home by swapping to the PS Vita. Moreover, all of the downloadable content that has be purchased for Minecraft: Playstation 3 Edition will work on the PS Vita edition as well.
Thus, The PS Vita version will include all the features from the most recent Playstation 3 version, including online play. Minecraft: PS Vita Edition is very good value for money and is set to retail for around £12.99, making it one of the most affordable new PS Vita titles to emerge in 2014.
Sony actually announced that more than one hundred PS Vita titles were currently in development, such as Tales from the Borderlands, which is an upcoming adventure game based on the Borderlands series, with a planned release starting in mid-2014 for various platforms including the PS Vita.
The game will follow a similar episodic format that its developers, Telltale Games, have used for their other titles such as The Walking Dead, where player choices and actions will have significant affects on later story elements.
Ubisoft'sChild of Light will also be coming to the PS Vita in July 2014. The game centres around Aurora, a girl from Austria in 1895 who contracts a mysterious sleeping sickness that causes her to fall into a deep slumber.
Aurora awakes to find herself in the mythical world of Lemuria which has had all of its natural sources of light, such as its sun, moon and stars stolen by the Dark Queen, Umbra. Aurora is tasked with recovering the celestial bodies and ultimately reuniting with her father.
Another surprise for PS Vita owners was Grim Fandango, which is an old-style adventure game from LucasArts, made popular by its dark comic humour and neo-noir style. The game was originally designed by Tim Schafer, whose new production studio, Double Fine, will be responsible for bringing a newly-remastered and modernised version of the game to the PS Vita almost fifteen years after the original game was first released.
Another interesting announcement was that the second video game installment of the popular NFC franchise, Disney Infinity, entitled Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Superheroes, would be making its debut on the PS Vita some time in 2015.
It is thought that the game may indeed be released in conjunction with Sony's Playstation TV device, which will enable users to stream their Playstation games (especially PS4 games) from their console to a second TV anywhere in the house, but this is yet to be confirmed.
One of the most exciting announcements of the night was that Sony's Playstation Now streaming service will definitely be coming to the PS Vita in Late 2014.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Playstation Now, The service allows users to pay for access to a selection of original PSOne, PS2, and PS3 titles on either a per-game basis or via an annual subscription. There are plans to offer PS4 titles in the future.
A video of Naughty Dog's The Last Of Us PS3 game being streamed to a PS Vita console via PlayStation Now has been developed byIGN:
(Having trouble viewing this trailer? Please CLICK HERE)
As well as showing new releases for the PS4 and PS Vita consoles, Sony reiterated its commitment to create various Free-To-playtitles across its various platforms. The new CEO of Sony Corporation Entertainment America [SCEA], Shawn Layden said that PlayStation is: "Committed to making Playstation the best destination for Free-To-Play games" Some of the Free-To-Play PS Vita titles that have been announced are Reaper, which is an action-adventure RPG, Big Fest, which is a music festival promotion game and My Singing Monsters, which is a port of an original iOS game for the Apple iPad and iPhones.
In conclusion, although it is clear that the PS4 is set to dominate the majority of the video gaming market over the coming months, Sony has not forgotten about its handheld gaming device, which it yesterday described as: " a key pillar for us."[sourced from: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/sony-over-100-vita-titles-in-development/0133744]
Given the various popular titles, Free-To-Play games and services set to debut on the PS Vita by the end of 2014, it would seem that Sony's handheld fans have a lot to look forward to this year.
There is only three days to go before one of the biggest events in the gaming calendar gets underway in Los Angeles, and already the rumors have been circulating. E3 2014 (AKA The Electronic Entertainment Expo), promises an exciting line-up of games and news of future releases for almost every games console in existence, so what does this mean for the Nintendo 3DS and Sony's PS Vita handheld gaming devices?
As well as the usualE3 conference, which this year takes place at 6pm on Monday the 9th June 2014 Pacific Time (or a very early 2 a.m. BST on Tuesday 10th June 2014 for UK fans who wish to watch the live-stream of the event), Sony has also decided that it will show a total of seventy different games in its gaming booths, including several PS Vita titles such as:
(click on each link for more information about the game or trailers)
Meanwhile, Nintendo has opted for the second year in a row to not participate in an official E3 Press conference. Instead, they have chosen to stream their own special Nintendo Directbroadcast at 9pm on Tuesday the 10th June 2014 Pacific Time (that's 5 p.m. BST for UK fans).
Furthermore, Nintendo have already announced that the presentation will reveal a brand new NFP (AKA Nintendo Figurine Platform/NFC Featured Platform)range of toys. For those of you who have never heard of NFP, these are special figurines that have Near Field Communicationbuilt into them, which allow them to interact within virtual games in the same way that Skylanders or Disney Infinity figurines do.
This year's E3 is shaping up to be quite exciting. If you wish to watch the Press Conferences for yourself, both the Playstation.blog and officialNintendo websites will be streaming the relevant conferences live as they happen in Los Angeles.
Alternatively, PS4 owners may wish to watch the Sony Conference on the PS4's UStream app, or those of you with Youtubeaccounts will be able to gain access to the Ustream website by clicking the link in the E3 trailer video. Please note, that an age restriction does apply to the Ustream site and viewers will be required to give their birthday details before being allowed to view any of the live footage. Lastly, GameSpot will be offering its readers the chance to watch all the E3 conferences live, so there really is no excuse to miss out on the action.
Just a little reminder for UK fans:
The Nintendo broadcast won't be taking place at E3, but will be streamed live from the Nintendo HUB (on the Nintendo website) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday the 10th June 2014, British Standard Time.
Meanwhile, Sony's Press conference will be streamed live on any of the various channels listed above at 2 a.m. (early morning) on Tuesday the 10th June 2014.
HAVE YOUR SAY...
Which shows/announcements are you most looking forward to at this year's E3 conference?
If you have any comments, suggestions or wishlists for the E3 conference, then why not leave a comment in the box below? Mini Gamers loves to hear from you.
Sony has announced its decision to no longer ship PSP units to stores in Japan after almost a decade, with similar halts to shipments in Europe and North America occurring later in the year, which essentially means an end to the production run for the portable gaming unit.
The PSP was first produced in 2004, and was initially exclusive to Japan before being released worldwide in 2005.The device sold steadily throughout its years on the market, and while it never achieved the sort of success enjoyed by Nintendo with its family of Dual-Screen products, it sold over eighty million units during the height of its success.
The decision to suspend production and shipment of the PSP seemingly coincides with the launch of two new software bundles for the PS Vita's Slim model, which has superseded its predecessor in terms of popularity.
Japanese owners have now been offered discounts on the PS Vita and and any downloadable content, but it is not yet confirmed whether PSP owners in Europe or America will be offered similar discounts.
It will be interesting to see whether stopping the shipment of PSP consoles will help to boost sales of the PS Vita, which, despite being popular (especially in Japan), has yet to equal the PSP's sale success.
HAVE YOUR SAY...
Are you a PSP owner? What do you think of Sony's decision? Will it increase PS Vita sales?
If you have any comments to make about the above article, then why not leave us a comment and share your thoughts with other readers out there? Mini Gamers loves to hear from you!
Nintendo have announced that a special Pokemon edition of Art Academy will be released for the 3DS in Japan, North America and Europe throughout 2014.
The game was originally thought of as a Japanese exclusive, (given the popularity of the Pokemon franchise in Japan) but UK fans can now look forward to drawing their favourite Pokemon characters when the game debuts in Europe on the 4th July 2014.
According to the game's specifications, players can take part in forty step-by-step art lessons, which will teach them to paint and draw many different Pokemon, including: Picachu, Oshawott, Charizard, Torchic, Fletchling and Fennekin, amongst others.
As with the other Art Academy games, lessons will gradually increase in skill and difficulty, allowing players the chance to really see their progress. Players will start out by sketching the basic Pokemon cartoon shapes, but will later be taught to add depth, colour, shading and perspective to their drawings.
This special Pokemon edition of Art Academy will also allow players to take pictures using the 3DS camera and use them as a reference when creating their art in the Free Paint mode, which lets players draw their own Pokemon characters from scratch or allows them to use provided images of over 100 Pokemon as reference.
Furthermore, all of the artwork created in the Free Paint mode can be uploaded via the Miiverse application of the 3DS to be shared with other players around the world. A new Japanese trailer shows some of the techniques that will be explored during the game:
We here at Mini Gamers HQ are very excited about the prospect of a new Art Academy game and we look forward to bringing you all a full review of the game when it launches in July.
Nintendo have today issued a further apology to ts fans following the mass outcry about the lack of same-sex couples in their upcoming life simulation game, Tomodachi Life, which is scheduled to be released in America and Europe on the 6th of June 2014.
Nintendo had previously defended its position about the lack of same-sex marriage within the game by claiming that the game was "Not a social commentary" on gay marriage. Today however, Nintendo sought to clarify their position via a message posted on the Nintendo website. The full message can be read below:
We are committed to fun and entertainment for everyone 2014-05-09
We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game’s design, and such a significant development change can’t be accomplished with a post-ship patch. At Nintendo, dedication has always meant going beyond the games to promote a sense of community, and to share a spirit of fun and joy. We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players.
Tomodachi Life'sexclusion of same-sex couples (however unwitting that exclusion might be) has angered many fans and attracted the attention of Gay and Lesbian Rights groups such asGLAAD. A Spokesperson for GLAAD recently criticised Nintendo: "In purposefully limiting players' relationship options, Nintendo is not only sending a hurtful message to many of its fans and consumers by excluding them, but also setting itself way behind the times," [Sourced from: http://venturebeat.com/2014/05/08/glaad-to-nintendo-lack-of-gay-characters-in-new-life-sim-is-hurtful-and-behind-the-times/]
It is yet unclear whether the lack of same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life will definitely have an adverse effect on sales when it is released in Europe next month, but it is a shame that Nintendo did not consider this issue before choosing to release the game to a Western audience. Let's all hope video games producers can learn a lesson from Nintendo's mistake and make games without such inequality in the future.
Yes, the award-winning match-3 game is back with new challenges, new game modes and over ninety different levels in the aptly titled Sparkle 2, which will be available for download from the PS Store soon.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Sparkle series, Sparkle 2 is an addictive indie game where players must score points by matching rows of orbs of the same colour. The gameplay is simple: Tap where you want to shoot an Orb. Match any three Orbs of the same colour to clear them and earn points. Make several matches in a row to earn special power-ups. Try to prevent your orbs from falling into the abyss as you search for amulets that will give you the ability to change the game rules and help you score even bigger matches.
Sparkle 2 is expected to take full advantage of the Vita's touchscreen capabilities and will feature HD graphics, which its predecessor sadly lacked. Little is known about the actual gameplay at present, but this interesting teaser trailer looks very promising:
Sparkle 2 will be heading to the PS Vita and PS3 on the 21st of May 2014, with a PS4 version also debuting later in the year. If you like match-3 games but are still unsure whether the game will appeal to you, a free trial version will be available to download from the PS Store within the next few days. Watch this space!
Nintendo of America has announced that its Tomodachi Life3DS game will NOT be altered to allow same-sex couples to fall in love or get married when the game is released in America and Europe in June. The announcement comes after it was revealed in a Kotaku article last month that the Japanese game had originally contained a 'glitch' that allowed same-sex couples to exist within the game. This was part of a software bug which, as well as allowing same-sex relationships, also allowed Tomodachi Mii characters to be assigned to various already-married Mii households within the game.
Nintendo quickly created a patch code to correct the glitch, which then made it impossible to assign new Mii characters to married households, and furthermore, made it impossible for same-sex characters fall in love, get married or have children. Same-sex couples were never part of the original game as gay marriage is still illegal in Japan.
As the Western release of the game is based on the original Japanese codes, players in America and Europe will also be denied the chance to create same-sex couples, which has angered Nintendo fans who argue that as the game is supposed to be a realistic representation of their own social group of friends and family, they should have the right to choose to have same-sex couples within the game.
Tye Marini,a gay 23-year old Nintendo fan from Arizona, had launched a campaign urging Nintendo to allow same-sex relationships. The Social Media "Miiquality" campaign had been fighting to get Nintendo to change their mind about the marriage equality in Tomodachi Life, as he argued that fans who chose to create same-sex couples within the game would never be able to experience much of the exclusive content that becomes unlocked after characters have fallen in love.
Nintendo has responded to its angry fans by claiming that: "Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of 'Tomodachi Life', the relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that 'Tomodachi Life' was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary." [sourced from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/07/nintendo-miiquality-campaign-gay-tomodachi-life]
Nevertheless, whether the game was intended to provide a social commentary or not, as a game which has marketed itself on allowing players to recreate Mii avatars of their own family and friends and have them interact together in a realistic way, it seems rather remiss of Nintendo not to allow western same-sex couples the chance to interact together in the game when they normally would fall in love and get married etc., in real life.
However, it can also be argued that other Life Simulation games have also suffered from these kinds of prejudices in the past, including the ever-popular The Sims franchise, who (although choosing to feature same-sex couples and marriage,) did not feature any physically-disabled Sims, which upset some players who argued that they could not create a realistic avatar of themselves within the game.
In this enlightened age when equal rights is considered to be a very important issue, it is disappointing to see Nintendo not taking the feelings and wishes of its fans into account. If we are going to have games which feature real-life simulations, then don't the producers owe it to the fans who play the games to make them as prejudice-free and true to real life as possible?
HAVE YOUR SAY...
Is it right for the needs and wishes of different social groups to be omitted from the video games which claim to represent real-life demographics? What are the difficulties in trying to change or modify games to feature various marginalised sections of the community? Should same-sex couples be given equal rights in Tomodachi Life?
If you have something to say about this issue and wish to share it with other readers, then why not leave Mini Gamers a comment and let us know? We love to hear from you.
Sony fans were delighted to discover that all of the classic PSP and PSOne titles were available for download on their PS Vita consoles on Tuesday the 22nd April 2014. These screens from PS Vita users on the NeoGAFforum show some of the games available:
However, it now appears as though the downloads may have been made available in error as they have all since been removed. According to theVG247.comwebsite, it appears as though the games may have been added in error as Sony has now withdrawn all the classic titles. However, the website also claimed that: "some of the titles still work following their removal." [Sourced from: http://www.vg247.com/2014/04/24/sony-removes-recently-added-psone-psp-classic-games-from-vita-store/]
There has been no official explanation from Sony as to why the titles were available for download in the first place, but the most plausible explanation is that there was an error during one of Sony's many software emulation tests, which made the games available briefly, but this has yet to be confirmed.
HAVE YOUR SAY...
Were you lucky enough to get one of the classic games before Sony removed them from the PSN store? If so, why not leave us a comment in the comments box at the end of this post (or by clicking on the 'comments' link under this post in the Home page), and let us know. Mini Gamers is interested to know your thoughts and opinions on this issue.
Join Mario as he competes in his very own golfing world tour! Choose to play as one of several characters from the Mario universe, including Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, Luigi and many more. There are thirteen standard characters and a further four characters will be unlocked throughout the game.
The game starts with an interesting tutorial, which teaches the player all about how to correctly power their shot, alter camera angles and switch between auto shot and manual swing, which all becomes very useful as you progress through the game.
There are also several different courses to choose from including:
The Forest Course
The Seaside Course
Yoshi Lake
Cheep-Cheep Lagoon
Bowser's Castle
DK Island
Wiggler Park
All the courses come with their own colourful environment and different challenges to overcome. For example, Yoshi Lake golf course contains many pools of water, which are difficult to avoid, making it a more difficult course than The Forest Course, which is one of the more realistic type of golf courses in the game.
As with normal golf, the main objective is to get the golf ball onto the Green in the minimum amount of shots. Mario Golf: World Tour allows players to choose whether they play the course using manual swing, or auto shot. Having the auto shot function is great for beginners as it means that the impact timing is preset for them so they only have to work on setting enough power for their shot. Here at Mini Gamers,we found the auto shot to be preferable on some of the more awkward terrains.
Players also have a limited number of Power Shots. Power shots are very useful for when players wish to make the ball travel over long distances. The exact number of power shots available per course will increase over time.
Coins will also be awarded at the end of each game. The higher the player's overall performance, the higher the rewards they will reap. Coins can be used later to purchase upgraded balls, clubs and clothing.
As well as playing a round of golf, more experienced players can attempt several golfing challenges. For example, in the Ring Shot challenge, players must aim to hit the ball through a series of metal rings littered about on the golf course. In order to succeed, the player must hit the ball through every ring without fail. A successful challenge will result in unlockable bonuses and/or coins.
In conclusion, Mario Golf: World Tour is a fun game that will excite Mario fans of all ages. The game is quite similar to other golfing games on the market in terms of its overall format, but the colourful graphics, wacky character animations and inventive challenges make it very appealing to avid sports gamers as well.
The game comes out on the 2nd of May 2014. If you are still unsure whether the game would actually appeal to you, then the demo version is available to try now from the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.
Sony has announced that it will be selling all of its shares in the video game developer,Square Enix, who are best known for creating some of the classic RPG adventure series' such as Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Dragon Age.
The shares will reportedly net Sony an approximate £891,525 million by the end of the fiscal year. This is the latest move by Sony to 'slim down' some of its financial burdens, which has resulted in the company reducing operating costs by closing a number of its retail stores, selling off buildings, cutting ties with some of its less profitable game studios, and reducing its workforce.The company is also reported to be selling its PC business and spinning off its struggling TV division.
These recent changes may seem a little troubling, especially as Sony has not given any particular reason as to why it has suddenly decided to sell its Square Enix shares. Nevertheless, video games is a rapidly changing and fast-paced industry and perhaps Sony is merely trying to claw back some profit from its less successful business assets. No one really knows for sure.
Nevertheless, Sony's latest home console, the PS4 has soared to the top of the home console charts, outselling Xbox One by 7 million units to 5 million units worldwide, which suggests that Sony's popularity is far from dwindling.
Following the surprise announcement from Nintendo Direct, that another Japanese import, Tomodachi Life would receive its European release on the 6th of June 2014, we have been wondering exactly what this quirky game would entail. This is what Mini Gamers has managed to find out so far:
Like Animal Crossing, this game is played in real-time, making it very realistic in some ways.
Unlike other life simulation games to date, you do not directly interact with the in-game world as a playable character. You can put your own Mii into the game, but this Mii will function separately from you as the player. Instead, a players role is more like an external figure. It is your job to watch over the island residents, help them make some pretty life-changing decisions like how to tell their sweetheart that they want to marry them, etc., Take care of basic needs such as getting residents to take a bath or have some food, change their clothes etc, and much, much more!
Miis will sometimes ask you directly to play a selection of mini-games with them.
It is possible to create Miis of real-life celebrity figures by taking a photo of their face (from a poster, the TV or a magazine) and converting it with the 3DS Mii-Maker.
Miis can get married. Married Miis are eligible to move into some exclusive apartments on Chin Island. Married Miis can also have a number of children each. The Japanese reports of the game have listed this number as limited to only three children per couple, but this has yet to be confimed. There have even been some rumours of some baby-related mini-games,
The Island can hold up to a maximum of 100 Mii residents. This includes all children born to married Miis on the Island.
Children born in the game are given the choice of moving into their own apartments once they are fully grown, or they can be sent on a special trip via the 3DS' Streetpass function, where they can visit Tomodachi Islands on other 3DS systems. Any children sent on a trip will send postcards to their parents and will periodically return to visit them at various times.
Players can alter the words that the Miis in Tamodachi Life speak to each other, suggest ways of responding to situations and even rewrite the words to the song lyrics that each Mii sings.
Players can enter the dreams of any Mii on Chin Island - there truly are some weird ones too!
The screenshots and the Nintendo Direct trailer also showed cats and dogs, so it would seem as though pets will also be available in the game, but this has yet to be confirmed.
The game will not feature a multiplayer online mode. Tomodachi Life plays very much like a single player game. Nevertheless, the game will come with social media integration possibilities, so you can take pictures of your Mii and upload it to Facebook to share with friends etc.
It would seem as though there is a lot to do and discover in this game. The subtitled Japanese trailer does seem to show the various marriage and child-rearing elements of the game in much more detail:
Tomodachi Life seems a little hard to define at the moment, but it contains so many varied elements that its humour and quirky style is bound to make it very popular amongst the gaming community. The 6th of June 2014 cannot come soon enough!
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