Thursday, 4 September 2014
Nintendo's Amiibo Figures Given UK Recommended Retail Price...
A UK retail price for Nintendo's first wave of Amiibo NFC figurines, has been announced today! Nintendo's official online store lists the figures for £10.99 each, which makes than an average of three to four pounds more expensive than the first wave of Skylanders figures when they were first released. There are currently twelve figurines available for pre-order, including Mario, Yoshi and Donkey Kong, but no actual release date for the figurines has been given yet.
The interactive figures can be used to save stats and other data from various compatible games. Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and 3DS will be he first game to make use of them. Keep checking in with Mini Gamers for more news about the Amiibo figurines as it occurs!
Labels:
Amiibo,
Amiibo UK prices,
Collectible Fgures.,
NFC games,
Nintendo,
Skylanders
Friday, 29 August 2014
Introducing the NEW 3DS...
Nintendo have today officially announced a new handheld console in its 3DS range via a Japanese-exclusive Nintendo Direct broadcast. The console, which so far has the working title of 'New 3DS', boasts a SNES style colour-scheme for its four main buttons, and is expected to come with several new features, including a small circular analog stick, called a C-stick, and in-built Near-Field Communication, which will be used in conjunction with Nintendo's Amiibo range.
However, for those of you who were expecting an NFC peripheral to adapt your existing 3DS console for use with Amiibo, Nintendo are still planning on releasing a 3DS NFC adapter some time in 2015, but the advantage of the new 3DS is that this technology will already be available within the console itself.
There have been two models of New 3DS announced today: The standard model and a new XL model, which has been called New 3DS LL. both models will be slightly larger than their current 3DS counterparts. This all sounds very appealing, but rather controversially, the console features a whole new CPU and therefore, the new 3DS titles will not be compatible with the older 3DS systems. This means that gamers who wish to play the new titles will be forced to upgrade to the new system.
One of the titles which has been announced for the system is a new Xenoblade Chronicles game, although details of how the game will use the features of the New 3DS console are unknown at this present time.
The New 3DS will launch in Japan on the 11th of October this year and is expected to launch in Europe and the US some time in 2015. The news of a new 3DS is a slight 'mixed bag' for those fans who have already invested in a 3DS or 3DS XL, but the New 3DS will be much more advanced than its predecessor, and thus may well tempt gamers to either trade in their old consoles, or splash the cash on the New 3DS when it becomes available.
So, what do you think of the New 3DS? Are you tempted to buy one? If you have any thoughts about the new console and wish to share them with us, then please feel free to get in touch via our comments link at the bottom of this post.
It looks as though 2015 is already shaping up to be an exciting year in the world of handheld gaming. Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news about this console as it develops.
Sunday, 24 August 2014
PSN Down After DDoS Attack?
Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) is reportedly down for maintenance today after a DDoS attack. DDos stands for Distributed Denial of Service, whereby hackers make several computers on their network all contact a specific website or server repeatedly. The unexpected and sudden increase in traffic can make the website load very slowly for genuine users, or in extreme cases, can shut the site down completely for a while, which seems to have been the case here.
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©2007 HowStuffWorks
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The attacks are reportedly the work of a group of hackers who are calling themselves Lizard Squad. The group have posted several Tweets over the last few days taking responsibility for the attacks. The situation is ongoing as all of the affected servers attempt to get their services running again.
There was a routine maintenance already scheduled for Monday the 25th of August 2014, but now the server and its relevant services could be down for even longer than Sony had originally planned.
Labels:
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Path of Exile,
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Sony,
What is DDos,
WoW
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Sony Announces Adventure Mega Pack Bundle For PS Vita...
The SCEE (Sony Corporate Entertainment Europe) have today announced a new Adventure Mega pack bundle for the PS Vita, which is expected to be released some time in Autumn this year. The bundle will feature five popular PS Vita adventure games:
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Join Nathan Drake on his only PS Vita adventure so far, and help him to uncover the dark secret behind the massacre of a Spanish expedition to Central America around four hundred years ago.
- Tearaway
The vibrant papery world of Tearaway unfolds in your hands, allowing you to reach into the game with your godlike powers and help your new messenger friend, iota or atoi, complete a very special delivery.
- Gravity Rush
Take part in an epic adventure with abilities that use the PlayStation Vita system’s unique control methods.
- Escape Plan
Help Lil and Laarg escape from a dangerous factory by tapping the rear touch pad, blowing into the microphone and much more to confuse enemies.
- TxK
Play through 100 levels of colourful and vibrant blasting action, complemented by a stunning music soundtrack.
As with other Mega Pack bundles, The PS Vita Adventure Mega Pack comes in two forms:
1) The PS Vita Adventure Mega Pack: This comes with an 8GB Memory card and a voucher with download codes for each of the five games. This is perfect for gamers who already own a PS Vita and who just wish to add some new titles to their game collection.
2) The PS Vita + PS Vita Adventure Mega Pack: This comes with everything listed above, but also contains a Wi-Fi enabled PS Vita console to play the new games on!
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| Tearaway is just one of five full games included in the Adventure Mega Pack |
Both packs are very good value for money. The solo Adventure Mega Pack is expected to cost around £39.99, which is about the average price of a singular full-priced PS Vita title, whilst the PS Vita + Adventure Mega Pack version is only £199.00, which is the average cost of a PS Vita console, so users are essentially getting five free games.
If you like adventure games but couldn't afford to purchase them from the PS Store, or you are new to the PS Vita and are looking for a good starter collection of games, then this is one deal that you simply cannot afford to miss out on.
Still not sure if a PS Vita Adventure Mega Pack Bundle is right for you? Check out some of the other 'Mega Pack' bundles in this series that might appeal to you:
PS Vita Action Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 18+]
PS Vita Sports and Racing Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]
PS Vita Kids Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]
PS Vita LEGO Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]
PS Vita Disney Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]
PS Vita Indie Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]
Friday, 15 August 2014
Super Smash Bros Wins Most Wanted Consumer Award at Gamescom 2014!
It's official: Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and 3DS are the gaming community's most anticipated games of 2014. Both versions of the game have been awarded the prestigious 'Most Wanted Consumer Game' award at Gamescom 2014.
Voting opened on the 9th of August 2014 via the Gamescom Facebook page and the voting booths available live at the event itself, which kicked off on the 13th of August.
It's an impressive win for the games, especially as Gamescom is the biggest gaming expo event in Europe and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Super Smash Bros is set to debut on the 3DS in October, with its Wii U counterpart being released in December this year.
Super Smash Bros 3DS was also awarded the title of 'Best Mobile Game', whilst the Wii U version was nominated for 'Best Action Game' by the Gamescom Judging panel. A full list of Gamescom panel-voted awards along with the winners is available HERE.
The public and panel Gamescom awards have already proven that Super Smash Bros 3DS is a hit with fans ahead of its release, which will no doubt be reflected in the sales figures when the game finally hits the shelves. Well done, Nintendo!
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Game Of The Week: The Swapper [PS Vita]
The Swapper is a 2D side-scrolling sci-fi platform game, which was originally developed for PC, Linux and Mac operating systems, but which has been recently adapted for the PS Vita and PS3 by Curve Studios.
The game essentially explores the issue of human cloning. Players take on the role of a person stranded on a damaged space station from which they are desperately trying to escape. Players must explore the station and find orbs that are used to activate certain doors, allowing them to progress further into the game.
Players will be given a handheld cloning device early in the game. This eponymous device is called 'The Swapper', which has two main functions: firstly, using the device will allow the player to create up to four simultaneous clones of the original playable character, and secondly, the device gives players the ability to swap control to any of these clones as long as they are within the original character's direct field of vision.
Clones will mirror the original character's movements exactly throughout the game unless they are blocked by the various coloured lights that can be found throughout the environment. Each coloured light has a different affect on the clones:
Blue Light - Prevents players from creating any new clones, but clones who were created before the blue light area can walk through the blue areas without any difficulty.
Red Light - This prevents clones from being able to jump, which can be especially tricky in certain sections of the game.
Purple Light - This light causes a combination of the red and blue light effects upon the clones. Thus, new clones cannot be created whilst in a purple area, and already created clones will be unable to jump whilst in the area of purple light as well. Successfully navigating the coloured lights and other environmental obstacles such as gravitational reversal is a player's primary concern within the game and it is not an easy task to achieve.
As well as the lights, there are a number of puzzles which will have to be solved. Each puzzle is difficult enough to make players think, but not so brain-taxing that the game feels boring or impossible to complete.
The game does allow players to go back and forth between already explored areas of the game. This is useful as it does allow players the chance to solve all of the game's puzzles in whichever order they choose to do so, which means that they can apply the knowledge gained in latter portions of the game to any of the earlier puzzles that they have not yet completed.
In conclusion, the game has a visually atmospheric graphic style and a simple but pseudo-philosophical narrative, which will keep most players adequately entertained. The only disappointing factor about the game is that it does seem a little too short, but on the other hand, the game never seems to lag or get boring either.
The game is available to download now from the PS Store. If you are looking for a nice new sci-fi game that will not leave you badly out of pocket, then this may just be the game for you. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.
Labels:
2014,
2D,
August,
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orbs,
Platformer,
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purple lights,
puzzles,
Red lights,
Review,
The Swapper
Friday, 8 August 2014
New Japanese Joystick Peripheral Unveiled For 3DS XL Consoles.
Nintendo's 3DS XL console has certainly been no stranger to peripheral enhancements, with the Circle Pad Pro launching just last year and the new Amiibo Peripheral expected to launch some time in 2015, but now Japanese gaming peripheral designers, Cyber Gadget, have announced their plans for a new joystick attachment for the console as well.
The joystick, which is known as the Cyber Arcade Stick, is designed to make it easier for 3DS XL users to play their favourite arcade-style games, without having to resort to some tricky D-pad controls. The joystick is expected to cost around 3,002 yen (approximately £17.24), and is set to launch throughout Japan on the 31st of October 2014.
Unfortunately, those of you who were hoping to get your hands on the Cyber Arcade Stick before the European release of the new Super Smash Bros game look set to be disappointed, as no Western release date has been announced at present. Watch this space!
Monday, 4 August 2014
Thai Ban On 'Tropico 5' Video Game Amid Fears To National Security...
A new city-building game called Tropico 5, which was due to be released in Thailand has now been banned by the country's Ministry Of Culture, because it is felt that the game may "impinge upon national security. " [sourced from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/04/thai-government-bans-military-rule-computer-game-tropico-5]
The game allows players to take on a Presidential role on a fictional tropical island, player can colonise new lands, draft political rules for their new colony, and, if they so wish, they can also choose to declare military rule and create their own dictatorship.
It is not yet clear why the fifth installment of this franchise has been banned when previous games in the series such as Tropico 3 and 4 were considered appropriate for public viewing, However, there are rumours that the game may hit just a little too close to home for some people's liking.
Thailand's military has been ruling the country since General Prayuth Chan-ocha staged a millitary coup in May 2014 – the country's eighteenth coup in eighty years – effectively overthrowing the democratically-elected government and taking control of the country as head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
According to New Era, Thailand's marketing manager, Nonglak Sahavattanapong, censors at the Ministry Of Culture banned sales of Tropico 5 as they believed it would "impinge upon Thailand's national security, and deeming it a public threat to peace and order...We've had licences to distribute Tropico 3 and 4 before, but in the fifth instalment, the storyline has developed further and there might be some part of it that's not appropriate in the current situation."
[sourced from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/04/thai-government-bans-military-rule-computer-game-tropico-5]
Sunday, 20 July 2014
One To Watch: MouseCraft [PS Vita]
Here's a quick question: What do Schrödinger's Cat, Mice, and some tricky Tetris-style shapes all have in common? Well, they are all part of a new wacky puzzle game called MouseCraft, which has been developed by Polish indie studio, Crunching Koalas, for the PS3, PS4 and PS Vita.
The game is a kind of hybrid of two great gaming franchises - Tetris and Lemmings. Players must help the main character - a cat named Schrödinger - to fulfill his scientific experiments by guiding a trio of mice along a platform from A to B. This may sound simple, but it is a lot more complicated than it sounds.
Players must use a set of Tetris-style blocks, which can be picked up, rotated and arranged in a way that creates a safe pathway for the mice. The game only requires players to get one of their three rodent charges all the way to the goal for a new level to be unlocked. Along the way, the trio of mice have to collect several blue crystals and other items which Schrödinger sells to fund his experiments.
Any mouse who makes it to the end of the level without dying will receive a cheese-based reward, but there are a tricky selection of obstacles and hazards which must be overcome if the mice are to get their paws on the coveted cheese prize.
There are eighty different levels to complete, which are split across four different stages, but each of these stages contains many obstacles, including enemy rats, pools of water and/or acid, and various forms of electrocution to contend with.
Don't worry though, players can unlock several special blocks as they successfully complete each level. For example, Bomb blocks will explode in order to clear the pathway ahead of difficult or wrongly-placed blocks, Jelly blocks will cushion the mice's landing if they should fall and Crumbling blocks slowly disintegrate when placed, to allow the mice to get past an area more easily.
Some block shapes can also be rotated in such a way to create steps or stairs leading to higher platforms, which can help the mice to locate blue crystals that would otherwise be unreachable. Nevertheless, all blocks must be placed carefully if your rodents are going to cheat death. Mice can jump off a singular block without harm, but will fall to their death from a platform that is any higher than three blocks.
The different types of blocks and the way the shapes can be rotated to intersect each other is brilliant, and seriously adds to the replay value of the game, and there is even a fun and easy-to-use Level Editor mode, so that creative players can attempt to construct their own challenging levels once the game's core stages have all been completed.
Unfortunately though, the Level Editor mode has one slight flaw: There is no online sharing features in this game, which is a bit of a disappointment, as none of these player-created levels can be shared amongst fellow PS Vita users.
In conclusion, MouseCraft is a very fun game, which will provide an adequate number of gaming hours for most people. The colourful cartoon graphics and witty style help to make the game very entertaining.
Furthermore, the game is subject to Sony's Cross-Buy policy, which means that if you purchase the game in one format, it becomes automatically available for download on any other formats that the player might own as well. Thus a PS3 and PS Vita owner only needs to purchase the game once in order to play the game on both consoles, making MouseCraft very good value for money.
If you like zany gameplay, brain-bending puzzles and cute cartoon characters, then this is most definitely a worthwhile game for your collection. Overall Mini Gamers Rating: 8/10.
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Club Nintendo Members Left Disappointed By Lack Of Limited-Edition Merchandise...
This year's rewards for members of Nintendo's loyalty program, Club Nintendo, have been announced today, and those who accumulated enough virtual coins during the past year can select from a handful of free downloadable games.
However, unlike in years past, there are no special limited-edition items being offered to members, and the rewards are nothing that can't be easily purchased by non-Club Nintendo members, which has left some members feeling extremely disappointed.
To reach the Gold or Platinum status, you needed to earn a certain number of coins between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. Coins are earned by registering game and console purchases on Club Nintendo, as well as completing surveys.
In the past, Club Nintendo members have been offered special merchandise such as calendars, soundtracks, carrying cases, commemorative pins, and posters, and even a real-life duplicate of Mario's red hat in 2009.
The full list of this year's rewards for Club Nintendo members follows below.
Platinum Status rewards:
•Game & Wario (Wii U)•NES Remix (Wii U)
•EarthBound (Wii U)
•Dr. Luigi (Wii U)
•Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (3DS)
•Fluidity: Spin Cycle (3DS)
•Dillon's Rolling Western (3DS)
•Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (3DS)
Platinum and Gold Status rewards:
•Ice Climber (Wii U)•Kid Icarus (Wii U)
•Super Mario Bros. (Wii U)
•Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Wii U)
•Donkey Kong 3 (3DS)
•Wario Land II (3DS)
•Metroid (3DS)
•Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (3DS)
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
Ratchet & Clank Trilogy Review [PS Vita]
Those intrepid intergalactic explorers, Ratchet and Clank are back! The Ratchet &Clank Trilogy is set to bring three of Ratchet and Clank's first three space adventures to the PS Vita for the very first time!
This special collection features Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked & Loaded, and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. which were first developed for the PlayStation 2 between 2002-2004, all of which received very popular reviews at the time.
So how do the three games shape-up on the PS Vita?
Well, the games look beautifully remastered. The touchpad is now used for Ratchet's trademark Strafing move, which does take a little bit of getting used to, but the rest of the controls use the D-pad and buttons, and thus will be extremely familiar to fans of both the original PS2 and PS3 titles, as well as the PSP Ratchet & Clank titles.
The actual games remain unchanged from the originals, and still feature all the hilarious cutscenes, witty dialogue, dramatic battles and special in-game events that fans experienced with the home console versions, but this time fans of the series can take their games on the move if they wish.
Overall, this is an extremely good port of the games, unfortunately though, the cutscenes also remain unchanged from the original PS2 versions, so they look extremely blurry at times, but the interactive portions with each game do look stunning on the Vita's OLED screen.
If you are a fan of Ratchet & Clank but have never had the chance to play the PS2 games before, or if you simply want a way of taking your favourite Ratchet & Clank games out of the house for a while, then this is definitely a good collection to have. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.
Labels:
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Locked and Loaded,
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Up your Arsenal,
Wrench
Saturday, 5 July 2014
England Lose World Cup Yet Again... The PlayStation World Cup, that is!
England faced another crushing defeat last night at the 2014 World Cup. Not the actual World Cup, of course, but a virtual one. The FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) saw Englishman, David Bytheway take on eighteen year old, August Rosenmeier, from Denmark.
The two finalists reportedly played a very good game, with Blytheway choosing to play as Germany and Rosenmeier playing as the host nation of Brazil, but utimately, Blytheway was unable to get ahead in the tense PlayStation battle, which finally saw Rosenmeier beat his English rival 3-1.
Now in its tenth year, this was the first time the FIWC Grand Final took place at the same time and in the same country as the FIFA World Cup. Unlike the real World Cup, however, the FIWC started with almost two million entrants who were gradually whittled down to just twenty competitors that were then invitedto Rio where they battled it out in several rounds of FIFA 14. Footballers such as Dwight Yorke and Ronaldo were also present to offer encouragement to the competitors.
This was the third Grand Final for August Rosenmeier, who, as well as winning the FIWC trophy, will receive $20,000 (approximately £10,500), and will even get to meet some of the real football teams taking part in this year's World Cup competition.
The 18 year-old expressed his utter delight at winning the Grand Final: "I can’t describe how it feels to be champion. Denmark isn’t here at the World Cup but we showed them we can play football on the virtual pitch. It was amazing to receive the trophy from Ronaldo.” [Sourced from: http://www.fifa.com/interactiveworldcup/news/newsid=2398364/]
The online tournament takes place on the PlayStation Network and can be accessed through the latest version of FIFA 14 on the PS3. For more information on the FIWC, go to: www.fifa.com/fiwc, www.twitter.com/fiwc, or www.facebook.com/fiwc
Labels:
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Tuesday, 1 July 2014
New TMNT 'Movie Tie-in' Game Announced [3DS]
Activision have today announced that they are developing a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) game for the 3DS. The game, simply titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set to tie into a new movie about the crime-fighting amphibians, which is reportedly due for release in cinemas in August 2014.
In the game, Shredder's Foot Clan Army have chosen to team up with mad genius, Baxter Stockman, whose own robotic mutants are terrorizing New York City, and only Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello can protect the innocent public from this devastating evil.
Players can choose to play as any of the four main characters. Each turtle has a unique fighting style and set of abilities, which means that the game has tons of replay value. Players can also swap between the characters. For example, Raphael uses brute strength, whereas Michelangelo has super speed instead,which can be handy when dealing with different aspects of the game. Unfortunately the game does not feature a co-op mode though, which is a bit of a shame.
The game has been developed by Magic Pockets, the developer behind the previous TMNT 3DS game, and this game promises to be just as fun and exciting as its predecessor. Players will start with low abilities, regardless of which character they choose to play first, but new abilities and power-ups will be acquired as players progress through each level in turn.
If you are a fan of the TMNT franchise, or if you want a new fast-paced, hack-and-slash type game to play, then this is likely to be the game you were looking for. Watch this space!
Monday, 30 June 2014
Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition Review [PS Vita]
If you are old enough to remember those now 'ancient' computer systems like the the Amiga and the Atari ST, then you may well be old enough to remember a quirky game called Another World. The game first launched in Japan in 1991, where it quickly became noted for its cinematic cutscenes and in-game style, which eventually helped to make it a popular title in other countries too.
The game was designed by French-born video game designer, Éric Chahi, and tells a story of Lester, a young scientist who, as a result of a failed experiment, finds himself transported to a mysterious and foreboding alien world. It is a dangerous and unknown environment full of deadly creatures, hard to cross chasms and unfriendly aliens, and the only way for Lester to make it through alive is if he fights for his survival.
Now, twenty-three years after the game was first released, Another World is set to make its debut on the PS Vita. So what can users really expect from this game? Well, the game has tried its best to stay as close to the original version as possible, both in its controls and in its visual style, so it is likely to be a game that will appeal to many traditional retro gaming enthusiasts. The game's original graphics have been rendered in High Definition, but pressing triangle will return them to their former graphic style.
Another World is a traditional Platformer and uses two buttons: X and Square, and the D-pad for movement. Holding down the X button allows Lester to sprint, shoot, charge a shield, unleash a power shot or kick, whereas a press of Square will allow you to jump.
However, this unusual and restrictive choice of controls felt quite difficult to master, which often made the game feel unresponsive and slow at times. The uneven use of the X button for many of the in-game actions felt very odd indeed, as the X button felt like the more natural choice for the 'jump' control instead.
The game also features some quite tricky puzzles that will need to be solved in order to progress to the next level. The game demands a high level of observation and accuracy, as failing to correctly shoot a dangerous item or locating a particular hidden switch in one area of the game could mean a very quick 'Game Over' scenario in subsequent levels.
Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE
Depending on what kind of a gamer you are, you are likely to find the process of watching Lester die and having to reload your last saved checkpoint, either immensely challenging and engaging, or very tedious and difficult. We here at Mini Gamers HQ found it to be a bit of a mixture at different times in the game.
Nevertheless, for those of you who are not put off by seeing the 'Game Over' screen flash up several times in a row (and believe us, it will happen over and over again), or those of you who do enjoy a unique and challenging gameplay format, then this game is definitely worth a look, as the story is very interesting and entertaining despite its distinct lack of dialogue, which is quite hard to achieve.
This is a game where the adage: "practice makes perfect" constantly springs to mind, because reloading checkpoints is a good way of learning where you went wrong, and eventually you will be able to complete all the levels with a relative amount of ease, assuming that you haven't given up playing the game entirely by that point, of course!
In conclusion, Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition is not a game that will appeal to everyone. Its retro button controls and difficult puzzles may prove a bit frustrating to some gamers. Nevertheless, the game does have a good plot and will definitely appeal to fans of the original game or to retro gamers in general. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 5/10.
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Love Is In The Air...Or Is It? How to make Miis Into Sweethearts Or Get Married In Tomodachi Life.
Mini Gamers has noticed that a few of you have been inquiring about how to get your Miis to fall in love and become sweethearts in Tomodachi Life. Well, as in real life, the game contains an element of chance, so there is no sure-fire way to be certain that the two Miis you wish to match up will actually fall for each other, as it all depends on their compatibility and personality traits, but there are certain elements that will make it easier for your chosen Miis to get together:
- Friends first, Sweethearts later:
Having your two chosen Miis become friends and start hanging around together a lot, eventually leading to them becoming 'best friends,' will no doubt increase the relationship scores of your two chosen Miis, and may make one of them think about asking the other one out.
When the relationship reaches a certain level, one of your chosen Miis will say something like: "I think [Mii name] likes me. What do you think?" You can then encourage your Mii to pursue the desired relationship.
- Compatibility Rating:
It might be worth checking your Miis compatibility rating before deciding to let them become a couple. The compatibility rating is based on things such as your Miis likes and dislikes and their individual personalities.
Nevertheless, the compatibility rating is merely a guide, and it is possible to have Miis with low compatibility form relationships with each other over time, just as it is equally possible to have Miis with a high compatibility rating suddenly wish to break-up after being in a relationship for only a short time. It is part of the quirky nature that is Tomodachi Life, and there does not seem to be a specific rhyme or reason to it.
- Mii Matchmakers:
Other Miis on the island may also have a suggestion about who would make a good couple and may prompt you by saying something like: "I think [Person A] and [Person B] should get together, what should I do?"
You should encourage the matchmaking Mii to get their suggested couple on some dates and see what happens. If the two Miis have compatible personalities, then cupid's arrow just might hit its intended target once they have both agreed to a date.
- It's All Hearts And Orange Balloons:
A good way of telling whether a potential romance is about to blossom is to watch the various thought balloons that surround your Tomodachi Islanders. Hearts often mean that romance is close at hand, while orange thought balloons with the face of another Mii in it can mean that the Mii who thought it has romantic feelings for the person whose face is being displayed.
Failure To Prepare Is To Prepare To Fail etc.:
Once your Mii has decided to ask another Mii out, you can choose to help them by selecting the manner in which the Mii asks out his/her chosen date (e.g. sing a song, give a present, etc), as well as the setting where the Miis should meet, and what clothing the Mii should wear in order to make a good impression on their intended sweetheart.
Again, there is no way of knowing whether the combination of all these elements will actually result in a successful romantic coupling, as this will all depend on whether the object of your Mii's affections has a compatible personality, and his or her individual likes or dislikes and general mood.
If the object of your Mii's affections also happens to have a high compatibility with another potential suitor on the island, then that rival Mii may well show up on your Mii's date and also declare their affections for your Mii's intended sweetheart.
It will then be up to the Mii who is the object of those desires to make a choice between his or her available suitors, so even after planning the perfect date, your Mii may still find themselves being spurned by the one they love. Thus, (Tomodachi) life can sure seem unfair at times, can't it?
Proposing Marriage:
Once your chosen Miis have become sweethearts, they may wish to marry. Oddly, the process of getting your Mii to propose to his or her sweetheart depends on a quirky little mini-game in which a series of Tomodachi Mii faces will appear to flash through your Mii's mind. Only one of these Miis will be your Mii's intended fiance(e).
The object of the mini-game is to tap on the heart symbol every time your Mii's sweetheart is displayed, but you will have to be quick, as it will only be on screen for about one second before another face appears.
If you correctly select your Mii's sweetheart three times in quick succession, then the proposal will be accepted and your Miis will be free to enjoy married bliss and unlock new portions of the game that can only be accessed by married characters.
Don't worry if you fail the mini-game, there will always be another chance for your Mii to propose again, but it may not happen straightaway, so you will have to be patient.
In conclusion, the nature of Tomodachi Life means that the game is subject to a lot of random (and sometimes unwanted) gameplay. The player's role is much more voyeuristic than in other games of this type and thus although the player can guide their Miis in certain directions during the game, they ultimately are unable to force their Miis to do things that the Miis themselves do not want to do.
Thus in the case of romance within Tomodachi Life, it is a lot of luck, some compatibility and some player-led decisions that will make the chosen Miis fall in love, but hopefully the above steps will help you to know where to start when it comes to leading your chosen Mii down the rocky path to romance and all the chaos and drama that unfolds along with it. Good luck!
Labels:
2014,
babies,
How to make sweethearts,
marriage,
Miis,
Proposal mini game,
romance,
Tomodachi life,
voyeuristic
Thursday, 12 June 2014
E3 2014: Nintendo Mystery 3DS Game Revealed As Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
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 at Mini Gamers look forward to bringing you more news about the game as it develops.
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
E3 2014: Nintendo Digital Event: Super Smash Bros 3DS Delayed... Hundreds of 3DS eShop Titles Heading Your Way, And More...
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 Summer release 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.
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.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
E3 2014: Nintendo Digital Event: Introducing Amiibo NFC Figurines...
Nintendo has exclusively unveiled its special range of Near-Field Communication Figurines, 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
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!
Labels:
3DS,
Amiibo,
E3 2014,
NFC games,
Nintendo Digital Event,
Nintendo figurines,
Super Smash Bros,
Wii U
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