Wednesday, July 19, 2017

New for Nintendo This Week (7/16/17-7/22/17): Splatoon 2

All in all, this is a pretty slow week for Nintendo on all fronts. Not a whole lot is coming out on any of the 3 consoles (Switch, Wii U and 3DS). This includes third party, indie, and first party games. With Nintendo’s recent momentum, it’s weird to see such a lax week. Although, I do feel like I may be forgetting something. I just can’t shake the feeling that I have overlooked a game…


Switch
SPLATOON 2! Are you kidding me?! There was no way I was forgetting this game. If there was any way I ever overlooked a major release like this, then I should be banned from both writing and Nintendo products forever. Splatoon 2 is no doubt the game of the summer for the majority of Nintendo fans. The follow up to the 2015 surprise hit third person shooter is sure to surpass its excellent predecessor in every way. Everything that we have seen from Splatoon 2 looks incredible. Improved graphics, new modes, weapons, and customization options have fans clamoring for this game, myself included. Splatoon 2 launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on Friday, July 21st!
·         Splatoon 2: $59.99 USD retail/eshop, third-person shooter (July 21st)

3DS Family
Sadly, there is nothing to mention for the 3DS family of systems this week. Nintendo wisely pulled back on their other major, current system with a major launch coming on the Switch in the form of the aforementioned Splatoon 2. Check back next week for a decent list of releases!

Wii U
Yes, the Wii U still has some games coming out each week. Not many, but a few. These games are mostly coming in the form of Virtual console releases and very small Indie games. This week is still no different.
·         Eba & Egg: A Hatch Trip: $4.99 USD eshop, side-scrolling platformer (July 20th)
o   Eba & Egg is a 2D side-scroller announced way back in 2015, when there was still hope for the Wii U, and good on the developers for seeing this one through. While there currently isn’t a lot of information available for this game, it seems simple enough based on the gameplay trailer I watched. Players are in charge of maneuvering an auto-running bird through a series of obstacles. Meanwhile, as players manipulate the bird, a small egg rolls beneath the bird at all times. It doesn’t seem that the player controls the egg in any way, it just rolls itself along as the bird is manipulated through the environment. It looks simple enough, but hard to explain, so it might be worth looking up the trailer, if this one interests you at all. At just $5, it may be worth taking a look at if you are interested in supporting a small indie developer. Other than that, though, it’s probably a safe pass on this one.
·         Galaxy Blaster: $1.49 USD eshop, classic arcade-style space shooter (July 20th)
o   This one looks pretty bare bones, as it resembles classic, 70s arcade/Atari-style shooters. In fact, Galaxy Blaster looks just like Galaxian (1979). In fact, it is pretty apparent that the developers of this game were either trying to pay of homage to, or rip off of the classic arcade game. For those of you who may not know what Galaxian is, you simply pilot a small ship, located at the bottom of the screen, left and right. Meanwhile, enemies attack you from above, and you must shoot them down before they make contact with you, thus taking a life. It is very straight forward, yet a classic and addictive game. Galaxy Blaster looks to be the exact same game. Therefore, if you are a fan of Galaxian or classic arcade games, then this one might be for you, especially at just $1.49! It should be noted that Galaxy Blaster is also available on 3DS.

Bonus
The Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app is also being released this week alongside Splatoon 2 on July 21st! This app will include exclusive online features for the Switch, including in game voice chat for online games such as Splatoon 2. The App will also launch with SplatNet 2, a companion found within the Switch online app that keeps track of player data from Splatoon 2. Edit: At the time of writing this, Nintendo surprised us all and released the Switch online app early, so go check it out!


That’s it for this week! While there may have not been a lot of games to cover in terms of quantity this week, there is no denying the quality. With Splatoon 2 being launched for the Switch, it can definitely be forgiven that not much else is being released. Enjoy the new games of the week and look forward to next week’s list!

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