Tag Archives: Nintendo Switch

Oct 4 2017

Sonic Mania (Switch eShop) Review

Title Screen

Title: Sonic Mania
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Christian Whitehead/Headcannon/Pagoda Games/Tantalus Media (Switch version)
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: August 15th, 2017 (NA)

Review copy provided by Sega

So here it is, the first true new 16-bit style 2D Classic Sonic game since Knuckles Chaotix. People were hyped through the roof when this was unveiled by Sega at the infamous 25th anniversary party a year ago in July. When you finally get the buzzing out of your ears, we’ll begin the review!

Continue reading →

Aug 2 2017

Virtuos porting a AAA title to Nintendo Switch

Virtuos_Logo

This discovery comes from a user named Doctre81 who made a video on YouTube detailing his findings that Virtuos, the team behind recent remasters such as Final Fantasy X and X-2, Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection, and Batman: Return to Arkham, are underway with a AAA port to Nintendo Switch.

This news comes from the Linkedin profile of employee Xiaoyu Zhang, who showed the following information about the project:

WIP: Porting a AAA title to Nintendo Switch™
– Re-implement the renderer with Nintendo’s native graphics API(nvn)
– Design and implement the low level mechanism of graphics resource management and threading
– Exploit the performance advantages of the Vulkan-like API (UMA, explicit management of graphics memory, complete control over CPU/GPU synchronization, etc)

This follows a tweet made by Virtuos all the way back during the Nintendo Switch Presentation in January where they confirmed that they were underway with Switch development.

What game are you hoping, or at least think might be this mysterious AAA title on Switch? Let me know in the comments below!

Apr 27 2017

Nintendo Switch Lifetime Japanese Sales Data Compilation (Media Create)

Nintendo Switch Banner

Update: (October 9th, 2018 4:18M EST) Week 34-39’s Media Create Top 50, Famitsu Top 30, and Dengeki’s Top 50 are FINALLY up!

I also decided to finally split the three trackers into their own articles due to the sheer size of the article now. This will be repurposed as the Media Create article and the central hub with all updates. Find the trackers linked to below!

Links to each tracker:

Media Create/Famitsu/Dengeki

This will be the complete database of all up-to-date Nintendo Switch sales data in Japan. I will update this post multiple times a week as new data comes in! I will include data from all three trackers; Media Create, Famitsu, AND Dengeki!

Each entry will now show their most recent week. This helps know how old the numbers are, and helps me do the math when any shows up weeks later to determine their amount of weeks absent.

Note: Famitsu throughout 2017 would have their week show as one later (example; Media Create would be Week 9, 2017, where as Famitsu would be Week 10, 2017). Also, Famitsu had a Week 53 in the same week that Media Create had its Week 52, after that, both started at Week 1, 2018, matching each other.

All the data will be after the jump.

Continue reading →

Oct 20 2016

PR: Nintendo Switch World Premiere Demonstrates New Entertainment Experiences from a Home Gaming System

Detachable Controllers Reinvent Gaming

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 20, 2016 – In an introductory video released today (http://www.nintendo.com/switch), Nintendo provided the first glimpse of its new home gaming system and revealed that it is called Nintendo Switch. In addition to providing single and multiplayer thrills at home, the Nintendo Switch system also enables gamers to play the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose. The mobility of a handheld is now added to the power of a home gaming system to enable unprecedented new video game play styles.

At home, Nintendo Switch rests in the Nintendo Switch Dock that connects the system to the TV and lets you play with family and friends in the comfort of your living room. By simply lifting Nintendo Switch from the dock, the system will instantly transition to portable mode, and the same great gaming experience that was being enjoyed at home now travels with you. The portability of Nintendo Switch is enhanced by its bright high-definition display. It brings the full home gaming system experience with you to the park, on an airplane, in a car, or to a friend’s apartment.

Gaming springs into action by removing detachable Joy-Con controllers from either side of Nintendo Switch. One player can use a Joy-Con controller in each hand; two players can each take one; or multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options. They can easily click back into place or be slipped into a Joy-Con Grip accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller. Or, if preferred, the gamer can select an optional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to use instead of the Joy-Con controllers. Furthermore, it is possible for numerous people to bring their Nintendo Switch systems together to enjoy local multiplayer face-to-face competition.

“Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO, Nintendo of America. “It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.”

Developers can design their games supporting a variety of play styles, which gives gamers the freedom to choose an experience that best suits them. Some of the publishers, developers and middleware partners announcing support for Nintendo Switch are as follows:

  • 505 Games
  • Activision Publishing, Inc.
  • ARC SYSTEM WORKS Co., Ltd.
  • ATLUS CO., LTD.
  • Audiokinetic Inc.
  • Autodesk, Inc.
  • BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
  • Bethesda
  • CAPCOM CO., LTD.
  • Codemasters®
  • CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.
  • DeNA Co., Ltd.
  • Electronic Arts
  • Epic Games Inc.
  • Firelight Technologies
  • FromSoftware, Inc.
  • Frozenbyte
  • GameTrust
  • GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC．
  • Gungho Online Entertainment, Inc.
  • HAMSTER Corporation
  • Havok
  • INTI CREATES CO., LTD.
  • KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
  • Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
  • LEVEL-5 Inc.
  • Marvelous Inc.
  • Maximum Games, LLC
  • Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.
  • Parity Bit Inc.
  • PlatinumGames Inc.
  • RAD Game Tools, Inc.
  • RecoChoku Co., Ltd.
  • SEGA Games Co., Ltd.
  • Silicon Studio Corporation
  • Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
  • SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
  • Starbreeze Studios
  • Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
  • Telltale Games
  • THQ Nordic
  • Tokyo RPG Factory Co., Ltd.
  • TT Games
  • UBISOFT
  • Ubitus Inc.
  • Unity Technologies, Inc.
  • Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
  • Web Technology Corp

Today’s video incorporated short glimpses of representative gameplay to demonstrate the liberating nature of the Nintendo Switch home gaming system. Full game demonstrations, the list of launch window titles, as well as launch date, price, product configuration and related specifics, will be shown and announced prior to the March launch.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 693 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.