In a move anticipated since Nintendo’s earlier announcement, the company has now restricted new users from accessing online features on both the 3DS and Wii U gaming consoles. Originally slated for “early April” 2024, this decision was seemingly implemented quietly in late December 2023, as reported in a comprehensive blog post on Pretendo.

As of late December 2023, new users attempting to engage in online play on the 3DS or Wii U are met with error codes ‘006-0303’ and ‘106-0303,’ respectively. These codes signify a disconnection from the servers, indicating that new accounts are no longer synchronized with Nintendo’s online infrastructure. This move is part of Nintendo’s broader strategy to conclude “online play and other functionality” dependent on online communication for these legacy consoles.

The gaming community was taken aback in early December when Super Mario Maker players began experiencing a disruptive ‘Error Code 106-0502’ while attempting to engage with the game’s servers. This unexpected development raised concerns among enthusiasts, prompting a closer examination of the situation and its potential implications.

The specific nature of the ‘Error Code 106-0502’ remained a point of curiosity and frustration for Super Mario Maker players, as it hindered their ability to seamlessly connect to the game’s servers. Users, both new and existing, found themselves grappling with this issue, leading to a collective sense of uncertainty and inquiry within the gaming community.

While these changes mark a significant step towards the planned shutdown of online services for 3DS and Wii U in April 2024, existing users are currently unaffected. The upcoming cessation of these services has prompted discussions within the gaming community about the evolving landscape of Nintendo’s online ecosystem and the implications for players who still engage with these classic platforms. As the gaming industry embraces newer technologies and platforms, Nintendo’s decision reflects the company’s focus on shaping the future of its online gaming infrastructure.

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, an acclaimed masterpiece that has already accumulated a trove of awards and accolades, solidifying its status as one of the greatest games ever created, has achieved yet another remarkable milestone.

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Edge Magazine conducted an extensive and unprecedented poll. This poll encompassed the collective input of readers, both past and present staff members, and notable figures from the video game industry. The objective was to discern the “100 greatest games” from the past three decades.

In this resounding verdict, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild emerged as the uncontested victor, occupying the prestigious first place. Edge Magazine aptly summarized the title’s triumph by hailing it as “the ultimate amalgamation of creativity and technology, a creation that borders on the realm of magic.”

The esteemed top ten list featured other illustrious titles, with Dark Souls securing the second position, followed by Super Mario 64 in third place. Ocarina of Time, which had a tendency of ranking first in “greatest games” lists such as this one, claimed a well-deserved fourth spot, while Resident Evil 4 seized fifth place. Halo: Combat Evolved commanded the sixth position, with Half-Life 2 trailing closely behind in seventh place. The innovative Portal game claimed the eighth spot, while Elden Ring and DOOM wrapped up the top ten in ninth and tenth positions, respectively.

For those curious about The Legend of Zelda’s latest installment, “Tears of the Kingdom,” it earned the respectable 20th rank on this comprehensive list. To delve further into the details and discover precisely who contributed to this esteemed ranking, one can peruse the comprehensive list of the top 100 games and the identities of the voters, which can be found on ResetEra.

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In a significant announcement, Nintendo confirmed the cessation of online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in early April 2024. This encompasses online play, functionality, and communication, impacting both legacy systems and the New Nintendo 3DS, including the Xenoblade Chronicles 3D port.

Once the online support vanishes, online co-op play, internet rankings, and data distribution will become relics of the past. Nintendo plans to unveil the precise shutdown date at a later juncture. It’s worth noting that any unforeseen events hindering service continuation could prompt an earlier closure.

An exception amidst this shutdown is Pokemon Bank, which will persist. However, Nintendo has cautioned that its support may eventually meet the same fate. Nevertheless, post-shutdown, players can still enjoy features and game modes reliant on local communication, such as StreetPass.

Regrettably, SpotPass, dependent on online services, will become inaccessible. On a brighter note, the ability to download updated data and redownload purchased software and DLC from the eShop will remain intact.

This year has witnessed a series of closures, with Nintendo shutting down the 3DS and Wii U eShops earlier, and Microsoft announcing the impending closure of the Xbox 360 Marketplace in July 2024. As the gaming landscape evolves, these transitions are a reminder of the ever-changing digital realm.

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Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is considered to be the pinnacle of the AC series. It came out at the height of Assassin’s Creed popularity, refined the gameplay, and captured the exact right setting that fans wanted at the time. While the series has forward to new games, Ubisoft is returning to Black Flag one more time.

In a slew of gaming announcements today from Ubisoft, they also announced Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple. This limited series will be a digital comic made by Webtoon and serve as a sequel to Black Flag, taking place immediately after the base game ends.

When we last left Edward Kenway, at the end of Assassin’s Creed IV, he had just sailed off with his young daughter after securing the Observatory for the Assassins. Later, he returned to London, married, and had a son named Haytham, who would go on to join the Templar Order. Before Haytham turned, Edward became a Master Assassin of the British Brotherhood. He was killed by Templar mercenaries.

Forgotten Temple takes place after Edward returns to London and joins the Brotherhood. In this series, he will travel the seas of Southeast Asia in search of other Pieces of Eden. In the present day, a Korean descendant of Edward Kenway named Noa Kim researches his Assassin heritage.

The first five installments of the series will be released exclusively on Webtoon on April 24th. Following that date, a new episode will be released every week. There are three seasons planned for this series.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch.

Would you like to see more of Edward Kenway’s story? Let us know in the comments below.

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Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is the newest title to be part of the growing library of classic games with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass. Unfortunately, many of its players have already complained about some issues less than 24 hours after its launch.

Apparently, Kirby 64 players got stun-locked so badly in some underwater areas of the game. According to their reports, they had to reset the game. They can only progress and finish through the area with some stealthy attempts.

“Kirby 64 has a game-breaking bug in underwater levels on NSO,” a fan complained. “Getting hit by certain damage sources under water causes you to enter hit stun forever and you need to quit the level to fix it.”

Fortunately, Nintendo has confirmed that they are going to roll out a patch some time in the next few days. “A bug has been found in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards for Nintendo 64, Nintendo Switch Online that can prevent players from progressing under a certain condition,” NoA wrote on social media. “A patch will be released early next week to fix this.”

It looks like Kirby 64 players will have to stay off the level until devs finally roll out the patch. It is that or they can keep trying until they get through it without taking any damage. “We apologize for the inconvenience,” devs continued.

This is actually not the first time that Switch Online + Expansion Pack’s N64 offerings received criticism. Multiple players have taken to social media to complain about input lag and control issues shortly after the launch of the subscription service. In addition to that, they also talked about some emulator peculiarities that are related to certain games. Thankfully, Nintendo has revealed that they are hard at work at addressing the emulation concerns.

Are you playing the game? Let us know in the comments below.

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There are award shows and annual debates over which game is the best. While there are often overlapping opinions in those camps, what game is “best” is often very subjective. Some institutions like the Strong National Museum of Play try to make things more official with the World Video Game Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Alongside Ocarina of Time, they also inducted Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution, Sid Meier’s Civilization. The first Legend of Zelda game had also be added to this Hall of Fame several years ago, among other iconic titles, such as GTA III, Pong, The Sims, Space Invaders, and many others.

The debate of the best LoZ game is an ever-waging war. Whether you are a backer of Breath of the Wild, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, or Majora’s Mask, Ocarina of Time is always up there.

The Strong National Museum of Play says, in part, “Released in 1998 for Nintendo 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the first of the series to feature 3D graphics. Led by Shigeru Miyamoto, Ocarina of Time set a new standard for games with its freedom of movement in a three-dimensional world that felt expansive and vast, laying the foundation not just for the action games that would follow it, but for the gaming industry as a whole.”

So many gamers have such personal memories of this game. The fact that Nintendo keeps releasing it on nearly all of its platforms is a testament to its timelessness… and I bet it makes a lot of money. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is available on N64, Game Cube, Wii U, 3DS, and Nintendo Switch Online.

Which is you favorite Zelda game? Let us know in the comments below.

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This current situation with Nintendo is a bit of a mystery. For the past few days, there’s been a service that has been down: the Wii, and DSi shop channels.

Currently, this appears to be a global situation. As in, this has occurred not only in the North American regions but also within places such as Europe as well. There are no error messages given when access is attempted, which is the most baffling part- all that happens is a blank screen.

It’s a fairly odd situation, as no warning was given by Nintendo, and currently, there has been no word if the shops will even come back. As Eurogamer pointed out, this has been going on since March 16, 2022, making it four days as of this writing since this situation has arisen.

Though, it is worth noting that no one has been able to buy anything from the Wii store since 2019, and the DSi store since 2017. Still, there was no announcement or warning. This means that those that still use the service have not had the time to download difficult-to-find games from the server, or otherwise ensure there was access to their past purchases.

Funny enough though, if looking through the help pages, there does seem to be some indication of plans for both shop channels to go down at some point. For example, it reads this on the DSi store page: “The ability to re-download purchased content or transfer content to a Nintendo 3DS family system will continue after the Nintendo DSi Shop closure for an as-yet-unspecified amount of time. If you are thinking of transferring your DSiWare content to a Nintendo 3DS family system, we encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience while the service is still available.”

And on the Wii shop channel help page, it reads as: “However, for the time being you may continue to re-download content you have purchased or transfer that content from a Wii system to a Wii U system. Be aware that these features will eventually end at a future date.”

So, we did know that there would be a closure, but not that it would be at this time. Still, there have been reports from players using third-party tools that they have been able to access and even download games. This indicates that the servers are not down completely, just the storefronts. Whether this means the two stores are down for good though, is currently unknown.

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Nintendo, earlier this week, has announced that 3DS and Wii U eShop stores will be slowly closing down. The online stores should be closed by 23rd May 2022, and funds will be slowly phased out by March 2023. It’s been confirmed that, in total, there will be a thousand titles that are digital-only, and will vanish permanently.

And there are a lot of people who are unhappy with the lack of accessibility to past games. And, interestingly enough, so are some video game archivists. The Video Game History Foundation, which takes a non-profit organization that preserves games and hardware, is very upset about this move. In particular, they are unhappy with Nintendo because they “actively funds lobbying that prevents even libraries from being able to provide legal access to these games”. The foundation continued on Twitter, with their statement:

“While it is unfortunate that people won’t be able to purchase digital 3DS or Wii U games anymore, we understand the business reality that went into this decision. What we don’t understand is what path Nintendo expects its fans to take, should they wish to play these games in the future. As a paying member of the Entertainment Software Association, Nintendo actively funds lobbying that prevents even libraries from being able to provide legal access to these games. Not providing commercial access is understandable, but preventing institutional work to preserve these titles on top of that is actively destructive to video game history. We encourage ESA members like Nintendo to rethink their position on this issue and work with existing institutions to find a solution.”

The Video Game History Foundation actively goes out of its way to ensure the history of video games and advocates for historical preservation. Their stance is to keep what video game history we have, as there has already been much of it lost.

Perhaps, they may be able to point out that Nintendo may be able to make a profit off of its games in the distant future- as some have done with previously unreleased games. But we will have to see what Nintendo plans to do, especially in the face of this backlash.

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Nintendo is putting an end to the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShops. Sometime in “late March,” any digital-only games will basically stop existing on those platforms. Seeing any storefront go down is genuinely terrible as there is a host of games many will never have access to again.

The shutdown is a multi-step process that goes like this:

• May 23, 2022: It will no longer be possible to add funds using a credit card to a 3DS/Wii U eShop account.
• August 29, 2022: It will no longer be possible to use an eShop card to add funds. However, it will still be possible to redeem download codes.
• Late March 2023: It will no longer be possible to make purchases, download demos or themes, redeem a download code, or add funds.

At least we are getting a notice, and those interested can act accordingly.

Thankfully, users will still be able to download and play content they already own. They will just be unable to purchase new content.

A now-deleted statement from Nintendo about how Nintendo Online is good enough for classic games read like this:

“We think this is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a broad range of players. Within these libraries, new and longtime players can not only find games they remember or have heard about, but other fun games they might not have thought to see out otherwise.”

I can’t say I agree with Nintendo here. Them dropping random games every few months is not a replacement for being able to purchase a seemingly endless amount of classic games.

What do you think of eShops shutting down? Do you think Nintendo Online is good enough for classic games? Let us know in the comments below!

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Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, is now available for game trial for the week of January 15, 2022, to January 20th, 2022. For those who haven’t tried the game, Captain Toad has been out on the Nintendo Switch since 2014 and is based on the original game that came out on the Wii U. It’s full of puzzles, fun boss levels, and best of all, not forcing a timer or anything that would make the game less enjoyable.

For those who end up enjoying the game and want a copy for themselves, Nintendo has also said that people may purchase it at 30% off in the Nintendo store until January 16th, 2022, at midnight PST time. While this sounds like it’s only good for those who currently have Nintendo Switch Online subscription- don’t worry. It turns out that it is also possible at this time to give the Nintendo Switch Online subscription a shot for a week.

Even if you have taken advantage of similar offerings before, it turns out that it is possible to still redeem a subscription offering, and give the possible two-person multiplayer a try.

This isn’t the first time that Nintendo has offered game trials, as in offering the full game to play for free, not just demos. Previously, Nintendo has released The World Ends with you: Final Remix as a game trial and Mario Tennis Aces for fans to test out and play for themselves.

But this is the first game trial of the year.

Join Captain Toad’s quest in #CaptainToad: Treasure Tracker! #NintendoSwitchOnline members can try the full version of the game until 1/20, 11:59pm PT!

This title is available to purchase on the #NintendoSwitch #eShop for 30% off until 1/16, 11:59 PM PT!https://t.co/ME3NMJQ51b pic.twitter.com/dX1YjYKfYP

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 13, 2022

It may be due to the fact that Captain Toad is currently $27.99 USD in the Nintendo online store; it may be that it’s one of their older and less popular titles. But, it could be worth a try if you have a Switch and a little time to play.

At least this way, being able to play without paying first means you won’t have buyer regrets.

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Kirby has been a beloved character for a good long while. What comes as a surprise though is that one of the Kirby musical tracks has been nominated for a Grammy this year, for best arrangement. Well, not quite Kirby. Let us explain.

Those who are familiar with YouTube may have already seen remixes and recreation of beloved fan-favorite tracks for various games in the past, everything from having songs played on a harp, to having them recreated on such things as rubber chickens or vacuum cleaners. This has been done with Kirby songs in the past, as well as other Nintendo games, such as The Legend of Zelda. There have even been music arrangements for titles such as Assassin’s Creed, Final Fantasy, and Skyrim.

The big deal though is that this is the third time that video game music, much less an arrangement, has been nominated for the Grammy Awards. The first video game nominated was for  Best Instrumental Arrangement with Vocalist in 2010, for Baba Yetu in Civilisation IV, which won. The second was for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media with Journey in 2013, which sadly lost to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Currently, this cover of the Meta Knight’s Revenge has been nominated for the ‘Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella’ category, and was arranged by Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman, and the track was performed by The 8-Bit Big Band featuring Button Masher. And honestly, even listening to the song thirty seconds in, it’s a great thing that this track from Kirby Super Star was acknowledged for all to see, and hear. It’s catchy and fun, with a great jazz twist.

Game music isn’t often acknowledged in the Grammy sphere, so it is a pleasant surprise when it is acknowledged. And, too, it’s been a while since there was a video game track nominated in the Grammys, despite some beautiful music tracks that players know and love. Music, as well as sound, can make or break the experience, and even if Kirby’s track doesn’t win, maybe people will remember that game music, even if they are recreated by fans, is not to be underestimated.

The full list of Grammy nominations can be found on the Grammy Website, while the music nominated is in the YouTube link above. For those who want to play Kirby Super Star, that can currently be found in the Nintendo Online Store.

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SEGA has announced that they will be working together with Steve Aoki, the world-class EDM artist, DJ, and producer to host a virtual concert event celebrating Sonic’s 30th birthday. The concert will premiere on November 30th, 2021, which will also be on Aoki’s birthday, funny enough.

The digital concert will be set in the classic Sonic universe with iconic environments that players will know and love, such as Green Hill Zone, the Chemical Plant, and so much more as they listen to EDM-style Sonic tunes. This sixty-minute concert will not only feature original songs from Aoki himself but remixed versions of fan-favorite Sonic tunes from the SEGA Genesis 16-bit era, all the way to Sonic games of today.

This is not the first time that Steve Aoki has done a collaboration within the video gaming industry. Aoki has also done the music (and been a non-playable character in) for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, and has also, surprisingly, become a playable character for Speedy Ninja, an endless runner mobile game that challenged players as they ran through perilous forests and went over bizarre objects. Aoki has also been in the ranks of the top 50 of the top 100 DJs of the world, and he currently owns a portion of the esports organization, Rogue which has players competing across several different titles, including League of Legends.

For those wanting to tune into the concert, Sonic fans and music lovers alike can tune in either on YouTube or on Twitch. This is said to be only the start of Sonic’s 30th-anniversary celebrations, so who knows what else may be in the wings? If we’re lucky, there may be 30th-anniversary editions of the original game remastered, but it does seem unlikely. At least for now, there are a variety of Sonic games on the Nintendo Switch, Playstation, Xbox, and even on Steam that fans can enjoy.

What Sonic songs are your favorite? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook or Twitter!

SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE

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The first entry in the Fatal Frame series came out in North America for the PS2 in 2002, and was heavily inspired by the then trend of Japanese horror films that followed the original Ring movie. Two sequels, also for the PS2, followed in 2003 and 2005. There was a fourth game in the series for the Nintendo Wii, but it didn’t leave Japan. The fifth game in the series, was originally released for the Wii U in 2015, and has now been remastered with updated controls for all modern consoles. The big questions I had about this release were: how will the game control, since the original version used the Wii U gamepad in some pretty unique ways, and how will a 20-year-old style of horror hold up in 2021? The scare factor of Maiden of Black Water will heavily depend on if pale young Japanese women with too much long hair can still be terrifying.

I would argue that what is genuinely frightening is heavily subjective though, and I find a lot of negative reviews of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water focus on the fact that it wasn’t frightening enough. To be honest, I rarely get freaked out while playing horror games or watching horror movies; that’s not where my enjoyment of them comes from. I don’t care if Fatal Frame doesn’t scare me, as long as it’s fun to play, interesting to look at, unique with some of its ideas and/or a world I find interesting.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is dripping with intriguing horror atmosphere. The story follows three different protagonists as they investigate the supernatural happenings involving deaths of shrine maidens at Hikami Mountain. It’s a good enough narrative, and I really enjoyed its episodic nature and multiple perspectives. But where Maiden of Black Water shines is in its presentation of the story. The game begins with the player controlling a woman in a subterranean lake, surrounded by weirdly attractive ghosts. Instead of following her story, we are quickly treated to her demise, and told that our story will take place where these events unfolded. It was a really nice narrative punch to the gut, and one that hooked me immediately.

Horror so Dated it Feels Fresh

And I really didn’t find the horror imagery to be dated. It was actually a pretty refreshing horror experience to see something this Japanese today. There are elements of the gameplay that are very typical survival horror, but the imagery felt more “refreshing throwback” than dated. It reminded me of the weirder PS2 survival horror games, like Clock Tower 3, Rule of Rose, Haunting Ground, and, of course, Fatal Frame. These survival horror games were all fairly unique in their atmosphere, and tried to play with the established Resident Evil/ Silent Hill formula. There are stiff controls, linear paths, and awkward moments, but captivating ideas that overshadow these shortcomings.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water’s unique gameplay hook is its camera mechanic. It is brought up with the press of a button, and switches the perspective from third to first person. The direction is changed with a combination of the right joystick and motion controls. Certain apparitions can only be seen through the camera’s lens, and ghosts are damaged when the camera flashes. Taking pictures uses up film, and there are different kinds of film and lenses that can be switched between. The camera controls are a very fun and unique gameplay mechanic. It took some getting used to, but I admired how Maiden of Black Water took the Wii U controls and kept them interesting through use of motion controls. The game also features a lot of situations where pictures need to be taken quickly, and the game has some replayability where capitalizing on these moments yields cosmetic unlockables.

New additions to this 2021 edition include improved resolution, new outfits and accessories, Snap Mode (press L + Y to rearrange everything on screen to create aesthetically pleasing photos – this feature is just for fun and doesn’t impact the regular game in any way), an updated ghost list, and updated controls. The mostly notable aspect of these are the controls, but this is a 15-20 hour game, with some replayability, and a budget price. The new additions won’t justify a re-purchase for anyone who has the Wii U version, but for anyone who doesn’t, these do the job nicely.

The graphics are very good PS3 caliber, and suit the game perfectly well. It won’t be a system showcase, but the genre and style are well-served. The framerate hiccups from time to time, but nothing that ruined my experience. The music and sound effects are fantastic though. Although the game isn’t packed with jump scares (which I find cheap anyways), the soundscape provides an excellent sense of dread. While I was never frightened while playing, there was always a heightened sense of urgency. I was never sitting back and boredly going through the motions of playing. The sounds kept me completely engaged.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a very good throwback to the weirder survival horror games found on the PS2. It features a looming horror atmosphere I really enjoyed, and a unique gameplay hook with its motion controlled first person camera. While it’s not going to win any game of the year awards, I would think that Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water should be a must play for all survival horror fans, especially with its budget price.

***Switch code provided by publisher***

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Star Fox Zero devs, PlatinumGames, have just confirmed that they are open to the idea of making a Nintendo Switch port for the Wii U title. The game was first released to the Wii U gaming market in 2016, and was co-developed by Platinum and Nintendo’s own team led by Shigeru Miyamoto—the creator of Mario himself.

“It is not cool that people are not able to play older games because they are locked out of the platform,” said Studio Head Atsushi Inaba. “So, of course, if anything was possible, we would like to bring over any of those older titles to the newer platforms.”

“It kind of depends on what is in the realm of actual possibility,” he added. “But, yeah, if the chance came up, it is definitely something we would like to think about.”

It has been five years since Star Fox Zero officially launched, and it remains to be one of the major Wii U games that still have not made it over to Nintendo’s newest handheld console. Being one of the more divisive games that Nintendo has ever released, Star Fox Zero fans strongly believe that it can definitely benefit more than most from a new-gen remaster.

Star Fox Zero got some flak for its complicated scheme, dividing the player’s attention between the Gamepad and the TV. If and when the game is finally ported to the Switch, it will have to work in Portable mode on a single screen, essentially getting rid of the aforementioned controversial element. However, Inaba has confirmed that all changes related to design must be led by Nintendo.

“The important thing to remember there is that because it is Nintendo’s IP, the ideas are coming from Miyamoto-san himself,” he said. “If the opportunity came up to bring Star Fox Zero to the Switch, again, it would be more of a question of what he would like to do in that opportunity. And, of course, we would respect that again.”

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Nintendo fans around the world rejoiced when Metroid Dread was announced, marking the first new 2D adventure for Samus in 19 years! As we edge closer to its release date, I look back at other forgotten franchises which Nintendo needs to revive.

Diddy Kong Racing

Released in 1997, Diddy Kong Racing is an unsung hero of the kart racing genre. Featuring a hub world, littered with secrets and three different vehicles that felt unique, the game pushed the genre forward, influencing future titles. Although a sequel was in the works before Microsoft scooped up Rare, the IP has been dormant for years. With Mario Kart’s continued success, will Nintendo ever revisit Diddy Kong Racing? I hope so.

F-Zero

A personal favorite of mine is the futuristic racer which last graced home consoles in 2004 with F-Zero GX. Separating itself from other Nintendo titles, the high-octane racer strips away the patented bright color scheme, opting for a more chromatic style, creating a distinct aesthetic. Although there are many games that have followed the trail blazed by F-Zero, none have managed to meet the standard set by Captain Falcon. With his continued success as a mainstay character in Smash Bros. is it time to put the Captain back in his vehicle?

Mother/EarthBound

The first time I saw Ness was in Smash Bros. and It was only later when I learned about the EarthBound/Mother series. Although the franchise has a hardcore following, there are many players who missed out on the games. With Nintendo’s focus on recreating and re-releasing older games, it seems odd that EarthBound hasn’t had a look in. Are they planning something big for the baseball cap sporting kid or is he doomed to spend the rest of his days as the character no one picks on Smash Bros.? 

Mario Strikers

The mustachioed plumber has hit the courts and teed up on the Switch but it’s been 14-years since he laced up his football boots. Whilst FIFA has dominated the soccer sim for years, there have been no arcade iterations to speak of. Due to this, there is a clear gap in the market that is screaming for Mario and his crew to fill.

Wario Land

I love the WarioWare games and I’m excited to check out Get it Together! when it drops in September, however, I miss his platforming escapades. Playing as the villain puts an interesting spin on the genre, creating some fun and humorous moments. Not many child-centric games use this perspective which gives the game a unique identity. His mischievous and selfish demeanor sets him apart from other leading characters. Sadly, due to the success of WarioWare, it’s very likely that 2008’s lackluster Wario Land: Shake It! is his last adventure. 

Punch-Out!!

Where are the boxing games? It’s been years since I played a good iteration of the sport, which is depressing. Fight Night has been replaced by UFC and seems like ARMS has taken the mantle over Punch-Out!! Last released on the Wii in 2009, the game perfectly suited the motion control-based system, however, with a lack of titles based in the squared circle is it time for a comeback? You’re damn right it is! With Little Mac soaring in popularity due to Smash Bros. Nintendo needs to tape up those knuckles and deliver a knockout blow.

Pilotwings

Combining a range of aerial activities, Pilotwings has always appealed to a niche audience. With three releases in the franchise, Nintendo has never been able to replicate the success and charm of its debut, resulting in a 10-year hiatus. Due to the success of Microsoft Flight Simulator, more gamers are now looking to the sky. With the fantasy of taking the pilot seat at the forefront of many minds, is now the perfect time to relaunch the series? 

Kid Icarus

Pit’s appearance is iconic. Debuting in 1986, the winged Grecian character looked to lead Nintendo into the future. 35 years later, there have only been three Kid Icarus games, none of which have been able to capture the possibilities that engulf the character. I believe that now is the time to hand complete control over to a different developer. Similar to how Retro Studios revamped the Metroid series, a talented company should look at a way to reimagine Kid Icarus, placing Pit amongst the great mascots of Nintendo.

Star Fox

What the hell happened with Star Fox Zero? With one of my favorite developers, Platinum Games, at the helm and Miyamoto personally overseeing the project, everything about the game indicated that it would be the triumphant return of Fox McCloud. Unfortunately, the result of this incredible collaboration was a bunch of half-baked ideas, badly implemented controls and generic levels. With Ratchet and Clank leading the next generation and on-the-rails shooters dipping in popularity, should Nintendo begin work on a Star Fox Adventures sequel? 

Providing Metroid Dread does well, will Nintendo bring back other franchises that are gathering dust in the basement of Nintendo HQ? Are there any other series that you’d like the Japanese giants to revisit? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for some great video game content.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

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The post Now That Metroid Is Back, Nintendo Needs to Revive These Franchises appeared first on COGconnected.

If you are a gamer and a holder of a Netflix account or have access to one, you probably have more devices that can access Netflix than you know what to do with. Let’s see, you might have Netflix on your TV, PC, phone, tablet, and pretty much any console from the past 10 years. Unfortunately, you will have to scratch a couple of those devices off that list now. As of June 30th, Netflix is no longer supported on any Nintendo 3DS or Wii U model.

The 3DS first came out in 2011 and was finally discontinued in 2020. The Wii U, on the other hand, had a much shorter lifespan, lasting from 2012 to 2017.

On December 31st, 2020, the Netflix app was removed from the Nintendo eShop for those consoles and six months later, service had ceased. This affects all models of both consoles, including the 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS, New 3DS XL, New 2DS XL, Wii U Basic, and Wii U Deluxe. If any of these devices was your primary platform for watching Netflix, you may have to join the rest of us in 2021, or 2014 at the very least.

Though this may be sad news for owners of Wii U and 3DS, there is a silver lining. There’s this other Nintendo product called the Switch. I can be a handheld console AND a TV console! AND it supports Netflix! There are also some pretty good games on it, if you want to use it like that. RIP 3DS. You will be missed. RIP Wii U. We hardly used ye.

Did you watch Netflix on either of these devices? Let us know in the comments below.

SOURCE

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Today on COG Considers, let’s talk about video game movie adaptations. Yes, really. I know that video game movies usually suck, but after the success of Sonic the Hedgehog and The King of Fighters: Destiny actually being pretty awesome, it’s time to talk seriously about what other classic games really, really deserve to be adapted properly. Number one on my list used to be KOF, but that wish has been granted, so I’m falling back on my number two: Tekken, the dark and dramatic tale of the Mishima family and their inability to go five minutes without trying to murder each other. The intergenerational war between Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya Mishima, and Jin Kazama over control of the Mishima Zaibatsu–and the terrible power of the Devil Gene–is just begging to be turned into a movie or TV series. Horrific plot twists, compelling heroes turned equally compelling villains, a cycle of violence that threatens to drown the whole in bloodshed–these games have everything a good movie needs. So why don’t we have a good Tekken movie yet?

It’s not like nobody’s tried adapting the games to the screen, but all the existing Tekken films are pretty bad. The 1998 OVA Tekken: The Motion Picture tried adapting Tekken 1 and 2 and ended up with a poorly-paced, poorly-animated, and poorly-voice acted mess. Not only did it leave all the self-destructive charisma of the series’ first protagonist, Kazuya Mishima, at the door, it also changed the first game’s iconic twist ending to have Kazuya redeem himself after Heihachi’s defeat. Come on, guys, the entire series relies on Kazuya succumbing to his inner demons literally and figuratively. Where’s Tekken 3 supposed to come from if Kazuya doesn’t sink down to Heihachi’s level and become a villain in his own right? The 2009 Tekken live-action film is even worse, having basically no relation to the original games in terms of plot, theme, or aesthetic. The 2011 CGI film Tekken: Blood Vengeance is at least watchable, though it also has the least to do with the franchise’s central conflict–you know, until the surprisingly nice story of two superhuman schoolgirls investigating the Mishima Zaibatsu’s evil deeds gets thrown out the window in favor of a big, dumb fight scene that wrecks everything the first two-thirds of the movie built. At least Devil Jin looks cool.

Most fighting games run into problems during adaptation because they don’t have a clear protagonist or don’t have a clear plot (looking at you, Street Fighter), but Tekken is different. Not only do the games have enough story to fill an HBO series, they have a surprisingly heavy tone filled with murder, corporate corruption, and the scars of abuse. The result is a tale that shows how a hero can fall from grace, how good intentions can lead straight to hell, and how love and friendship can’t necessarily save anyone.

Also, giant international corporations are evil, but we already knew that.

The post We Desperately Need a Good Tekken Adaptation appeared first on COGconnected.

Both Bandai Namco and NetherRealm Studios have announced that they will no longer be working with controversial esports organization WePlay. WePlay recently hosted big-budget events for Tekken 7, Soulcalibur VI, and Mortal Kombat 11, so this is quite the turnaround. The two companies made separate statements–that were published at the exact same time and sound suspiciously similar–citing vague differences in vision and professional standards as the reason for their decisions. Okay, so that’s a little odd, but the context surrounding WePlay puts this choice in a different light.

pic.twitter.com/QmLZgn2piO

— Bandai Namco Esports (@BNEesports) April 30, 2021

pic.twitter.com/ckWZZ2fZuC

— NetherRealm (@NetherRealm) April 30, 2021

WePlay began making waves in the fighting game community last year when it started handing out huge payouts to top players and ingratiating itself with talent. It also offered some of the first in-person competitions since the beginning of the pandemic. The organization;s most recent venture, the Ukraine-based Ultimate Fighting League, marketed itself as offering a prize pool that totaled $150,000 and promised to be an ongoing competitive venue. If that sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is. The controversy began earlier this month when WePlay’s connections to controversial gambling site 1xBet were revealed on Twitter by competitor and community organizer Josh “Icege” McWhorter. Long story short, 1xBet is banned from operating in the United Kingdom for a variety of offences. According to Kotaku, they include: “facilitating gambling on children’s sports in Kenya, advertising on illegal streaming sites, and promoting a so-called “pornhub casino” with topless female dealers.”

Yikes. As if that weren’t enough, 1xBet’s three alleged owners are apparently wanted by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation as of August 2020. No wonder Bandai Namco and NetherRealm Studios decided to get out when this came to light. As of writing, WePlay has Tweeted a reply to Bandai Namco and NetherRealm Studios claiming the whole thing took it by surprise, but it will continue to move forward.

#SupportWUFL – Our response to NRS & Bandai pic.twitter.com/pmoUkdWTGN

— WUFL | #WePlayUFL (@WePlayUFL) April 30, 2021

What are your thoughts on the WePlay controversy? Let us know down in the comments, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.

SOURCE

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Earth Day is coming up, but how are you supposed to celebrate when we’re all supposed to stay indoors? The pandemic means that large gatherings outside are frowned upon, if not outright banned, and that means the big tree-planting efforts are hard to participate in. Though let’s be honest, most of us gamers were just going to donate money from the safety of our own homes anyway. Whatever the case, Shaw chose the perfect time to unveil a new Earth Day initiative: the Tree Spree Challenge. All you have to do is plant a tree in a game of your choice, screenshot it, and post the pic on social media with #ShawTreeSpree, and the internet giant will match it with a real tree.

Gamers, this is our moment! If you’ve ever wanted to give back to the planet, prove that you’re better at planting trees than anyone else, or just an excuse to decorate your Animal Crossing island, Minecraft homes, or Stardew Valley farmsteads, now is the time to do it. Flood Twitter with the evidence. Let’s get as many trees out there as possible. Last time, the challenge ended with a total of 4,000 trees, but we think you guys can leave that number in the dust.

The event’s call to action states that: “People can post a screenshot of their in-game tree on social using the hashtag #ShawTreeSpree, and Shaw will plant a tree in real life for them, too. The initiative will run until the end of Earth Month(April 30th) and is open to any game where you can plant a tree.”

How many games can you plant trees in, we wonder? Now is an excellent time to find out.

The Shaw Tree Spree Challenge will run from April 22nd (Earth Day) to April 30th, 2021.

How many trees did you plant? Let us know down in the comments, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.

SOURCE: Press Release

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Now that the Legend of Zelda franchise is old enough to have at least one persistent body ache, let’s rank all the games! For the full story behind these rankings, check out the latest episode of Press X to Podcast! Fair warning, it’s a flurry of Strong Opinions from here on out.

18/17: Four Swords / Four Swords Adventures

The bottom two slots are basically interchangeable. They’re both only Zelda games in the strictest sense of the word. Link is there (several times!) and there are enemies to slay, along with lots of puzzles to solve. For absolute diehards and completionists only.

16: Triforce Heroes

Triforce Heroes has pretty much the same problem as Four Swords. It’s an online multiplayer version of an extremely single player experience, and it shows. I’m not even sure you can still finish this game anymore. Without a robust player count, you’d just be touring a ghost town, marveling at all the locked doors and boarded windows.

15/14: Spirit Tracks / Phantom Hourglass

Spirit Tracks is only technically worse than Phantom Hourglass due to its lack of originality. Both games use the stylus for any and all controls, both games feature exhausting progression mechanisms, and both games aged rather badly. But, hey! At least Spirit Tracks has trains! Fun fact: I almost split my copy of Phantom Hourglass in half with an axe, only to be stopped by a friend who offered to buy it off me. That final dungeon is no joke.

13: Skyward Sword

Skyward Sword just brims with wasted potential. The music? Haunting and powerful! The graphics? Absolutely lovely! The narrative? Touching! And yet, the gameplay is an exhausting slog from beginning to end. Everything annoying about Zelda games is shined up and set on display in this title. It makes perfect sense that the home console follow-up was such a massive departure in every way. Thankfully, the upcoming Switch port is ditching the motion controls at least. Executing a complicated series of sword strikes and blocks with a wiimote is just as frustrating as you’d imagine it to be.

12: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

The second Zelda game ever made suffers from serious Sequel Syndrome. It’s crammed full of ideas, many of which don’t work as intended. Multiple gameplay perspectives, complex combat, an experience point system, and an open world should have been amazing. Instead, it’s just sort of… obtuse? Also pretty frustrating. If you don’t have a walkthrough open, The Adventure of Link is a convoluted mess. On the other hand, there are moves introduced here that persist to this day. Who else was rocking a solid downward stab this early on? No one, that’s who.

11: The Oracle of Ages / The Oracle of Seasons

The Oracle games also suffer from non-intuitive design, albeit to a lesser degree. They’re also better balanced, more accessible, properly translated, and anchored by unique ideas. Travelling through seasons and time is a great way to subtly alter the landscape, which is an essential element of so many Zelda games. Solving a small problem by changing the entire weather system or travelling through time is a brilliant way of making a tiny world feel big.

10: The Legend of Zelda

The original, the progenitor, the start of something tremendous. Wheels were set in motion with this game that continue to spin over thirty years later. So many of the games on this list are built from the bones of the original release. And yet, it’s a bit tough to go back to. Not as hard as you would think! Which is a tremendous hat tip to Zelda prime, all things considered. From this point onward, things get quite granular. After number ten, the differences between these titles are utterly miniscule. Each one is an absolute banger by any other, non-Zelda metric. The list continues on page 2!

The post Let’s Rank All The Legend of Zelda Games, From Worst to First appeared first on COGconnected.

Happy birthday Zelda! The Legend of Zelda franchise celebrated its 35th anniversary yesterday! Though you wouldn’t know it, according to Nintendo’s social media accounts. Everyone else spent the day fondly remembering their happiest Zelda moments, while Nintendo dropped a single tweet about Part Time UFO. So… no presents then?

Though it’s not the biggest franchise Nintendo has, it’s comfortably in the top four. Hell, Nintendo announced some special edition Joy-Cons a few days ago, and they sold out in minutes. As a matter of fact, there was SOME Zelda news just before the anniversary. It’s Skyward Sword again! So, they celebrated the 35th and the 25th with the exact same game. But, there’s still hope!

After all, The Legend of Zelda is 35 for a whole year. So as long as some cool Zelda stuff happens in the next 364 days it still counts, right? It seems like Nintendo is really hoping we think so. There is the possibility that we get Breath of The Wild 2 news or some other anniversary celebrations in the next little while. Until then, at least the fans remembered this one. Here’s hoping this article ages quite badly in the next couple of weeks.

SOURCE

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Nintendo held their first full-length Direct in over a year and a half this week and the internet at large seems pretty disappointed. Many fans were expecting the Direct to focus on the imminent 35th anniversary of the iconic Legend of Zelda franchise, a milestone the company is currently celebrating for the Mario franchise. After sitting through 40 minutes of ports and a handful of interesting new titles, Eiji Aonuma appeared to reveal an HD Remaster of the controversial and often maligned The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword alongside a gorgeous new pair of Zelda-themed Joy-Cons. A handful of DLC for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was revealed, before Aonuma appeared to mention that there wouldn’t be any new information released regarding the Breath of the Wild sequel during that direct. Sufficient to say, this is not the Direct that many Switch owners were looking for.

The expectations of a slew of Zelda content weren’t set by Nintendo themselves. Those expectations grew from fan and media discourse, and this pattern is familiar to anyone who follows the industry on a regular basis. While these predictions are often wishful thinking, they also come from industry experts discussing what they think would be the best business moves for Nintendo when it comes to releasing products for consumer purchase. From an outside perspective, there really is a ton of absolute no-brainer, guaranteed-mountains-of-money moves that Nintendo could make. Fans aren’t shy about what they’d like to play next, so you can find them in just about any Nintendo-related Twitter thread or fan forum. When Nintendo releases a Direct that doesn’t include almost any of those things, you get social media timelines full of disappointment, while others take a defensive posture on behalf of a multibillion-dollar company.

Hello, Anybody Home?

The reason for such widespread disappointment is that it shows Nintendo isn’t listening to their community. And why would they? More often than not, discourse around Nintendo and their products is devoid of even the gentlest criticism, as their fans are some of the most die-hard the industry bears witness to. Additionally, the Switch was the best-selling console of 2020 by a long shot, partially due to people trying to keep themselves entertained or socialize with friends during the ongoing lockdowns and quarantining. Three of the top ten best-selling games of 2020 were Nintendo first-party titles – Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

All of this makes perfect sense given that Nintendo has the widest appeal of any game developer or console manufacturer. Their name is synonymous with video games, and Mario is essentially the face of the medium. Their games are ingrained in the memories of older gamers and continue to appeal to today’s youth simply by being safe and colorful family-friendly games. The vocal die-hards of the internet make up such a small portion of Nintendo’s sales, why would the developer bother listening to them when doing whatever they want continues to reward them handsomely?

Something else to take into consideration is the long-rumored and much-desired 4K Switch hardware upgrade. This is an interesting and bizarre piece of the Nintendo business plan puzzle because they continue to shoot down these rumors, instead of embracing the market that wants games with higher graphical fidelity. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have been selling out in seconds consistently since their launch back in November (for better or worse), and the PC gaming crowd continues to grow with players hellbent on staying on the bleeding edge of gaming technology. All of that hardware is marketed on their ability to produce incredible 4K resolution and higher frame rates that often do affect the gameplay and presentation in a tangible way.

Time for a Shake-up

I recently started up the Bowser’s Fury portion of the Super Mario 3D World re-release, and immediately noticed the massive visual difference compared to other recent titles. I could see the jagged edges of every model and the smudgy blurs of every mesh. The map looked huge until I finished the first area and more of the playable area revealed itself to be spares bits of land spread out over a stretch of water that actually wasn’t very big at all. Finally, when Bowser sprung out of the sludgy oil and I grab the Giga Bell to transform into Kitty Kaiju Mario, the game interrupted this exciting and climactic moment to display a loading screen that brought the momentum to a screeching halt.

Of course, these aren’t deal-breakers, and I’m in the minority crowd that will actually notice these things as unpleasant or hindrances to the experience. But compared to the seamless dual-world gameplay of The Medium on Xbox Series X/PC, or better yet, the exceptionally impressive real-time world-changing of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on the PS5 – the Switch is definitely showing its age.

Despite Nintendo’s insistence that they don’t have plans for an upgraded hardware version of the Switch, fans and media alike are still pretty confident that one will be announced or released by the end of 2021. That same crowd is similarly confident that Nintendo will release Switch ports of the Wii U remasters of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess later in the year as part of Zelda’s 35th anniversary.

If all of these things do come to fruition then it’ll be a great year for Nintendo fans, but I just don’t know if I can count on Nintendo to pull it off correctly. Not because I don’t believe they can, but because I don’t really trust them to. Between releasing games for arbitrarily limited windows of time, selling literal cardboard to people, and adding uninteresting titles to the Switch Online Virtual Console (which is a whole mess on its own), I just don’t trust Nintendo to give fans what they openly want instead of cooking up some monkey’s paw version of a good idea. And honestly, I haven’t hoped or been this eager to be proven wrong in quite some time.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

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More often than not, Switch versions of first-party Nintendo Games will feel like straight up ports. No serious frills, no big changes. On the other hand, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury sets a different standard. This revival of the celebrated Wii U game comes with an expansion, a meaty DLC that deftly blends multiple eras of 3D Mario titles. Even if you’ve played a ton of the original game, there’s still some fresh content to be explored. 

Bowser’s Fury, the expansion in question, takes place on a chain of tiny islands. Bowser has been afflicted by a Mario Sunshine style curse, making him Godzilla-sized and quite angry. Your task is to team up with Bowser Jr. and knock his dad down to size once more. Beyond the Sunshine narrative connection, there are also 3d World mechanics to play with, as well as some Odyssey-style exploration to indulge in. The end result is a bite-sized adventure that feels like several 3D Mario games at once. While most Mario games take inspiration from the franchise’s complete history, Bowser’s Fury feels like more of an explicit compilation of sorts. Thankfully, the game is also pretty fun!

Playing All The Hits

It’s impossible to talk about Bowser’s Fury without mentioning Bowser himself. He’s a constant presence during your playthrough, and he’s not a passive presence, either. Before long, the rain kicks up, and the storm that is Bowser begins. You can’t fight even fight back unless you’ve collected enough Cat Shines to match him in size. The boss fights themselves are simple enough. The real challenge lies in getting enough Cat Shines to start one of them. Even then, the game’s not too tough for most of its runtime. Like most 3D Mario games, you can get through a significant portion of it before things get really spicy.

Unlike 3D Mario World, there’s no life system to speak of. You just lose 50 coins (if you’ve got them) when you’re killed. On the flip side, acquiring 100 coins merely adds a power-up to your inventory. You can bank a pretty healthy amount of items, which can then be accessed at any time whatsoever. This takes the teeth out of boss fights, but it also frees you from any frantic hunts for a cat bell or fire flower when you desperately need one. The entire game takes place within a single massive map, so there’s no ‘stages’ like there are in 3D World. Certain chunks of the map are unlocked as you go, but otherwise, you’re free to explore how you wish.

The Bowser boss fights can get a bit repetitive, but they never fully wore out their welcome for me. This might have had more to do with the length of the game than anything else. You don’t go through the standard list of biomes, opting instead to fully explore this strange, scattered island chain. The overall difficulty level is a bit low, with all the tough bits isolated in a series of separate challenges. Even the fights with Bowser himself feel like foregone conclusions. Although the game is all about him, the real meat of the gameplay is in the regular stage challenges.

As Good As It Was In 2013

And if you need a break from Bowser’s Fury, there’s a complete second game to get through! I missed Super Mario 3D World back in 2013, much like I missed every game for the Wii U. If this is your first time digging into the game, you’re in luck! This is an excellent 3D adventure. Every character plays differently, each stage feels fresh, and the Nintendo polish on display is just breathtaking. As far as Mario games go, this one is a proper knockout. On the other hand, there isn’t anything new here. If you actually played the original version, you’ll find precious little in the way of surprises.

For those players unfamiliar with the original 3D World, it goes like this: Bowser is capturing fairies in order to use them as a power source? Or maybe he’s just preventing them from doing their essential fairy work. Also, there are cat powers involved, and most of the plumbing is transparent. To be honest, the narrative in 3D World is pretty thin. But that’s not the major draw for a good Mario game. No, you’re here for the action, of which there’s plenty. If you’ve got enough people in your household for multiplayer, then 3D World blossoms into a difference experience altogether. Whereas Bowser’s Fury is a laid-back island-hopping tour, multiplayer 3D World is a frantic mish-mash of stolen items and falling deaths. It’s terrific, if you’re into that sort of thing.

These two titles offer distinct, yet familiar, Mario experiences. Especially if you’re new to 3D World, this double feature is an absolute steal of a deal. A massive stage-based 3D platformer AND a blissful Odyssey-style toybox? Say no more! On the other hand, anyone who played this back in 2013 has a more nuanced decision to make. While 3D World is still amazing, it’s exactly what you remember from the Wii U days. Whether or not Bowser’s Fury is enough of a draw to pull you back in depends on what sort of Mario game you’re hungry for. If it’s more 3D World, you might be left wanting. Alternately, if you’re open to something slightly unlike anything that’s come before, maybe Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury will be a perfect fit.

***A Nintendo Switch code was provided by the publisher***

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

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While everyone has more or less agreed that the Wii U is a black mark on Nintendo’s console history, that’s not the same thing as a confirmation. Even the sales figures only seem to tell part of the story. In light of this incomplete truth, Reggie Fils-Aime. former head of Nintendo of America, discussed the ill-fated console on a recent Twitch stream. Like the rest of us, his prognosis of the console was pretty bleak.

You know, Nintendo has done so many innovations in the space. I think what Nintendo did with the Switch, after the poor performance of Wii U, I think to me and what I was part of, that’s my lasting memory. People forget, when the Wii U launched, the performance over that life cycle was so poor, I mean it was the worst-selling platform, I think maybe Virtual Boy was a little bit worse, but Wii U underperformed pretty radically in the marketplace. And when your only business is video games that next had to be successful and the Switch continues to be a dynamic platform – selling exceptionally well. And the ability for the company to come up with the concept, to bring it to life, to bring it to the marketplace, to have not only great first-party content but great third party and independent developer content – that is going to be something I will always be proud of. Along with so many of the other things I was part of, but the Switch really was a make or break product for the company and luckily it was a hit.

It’s one thing to speculate, to perform armchair analysis of a failed product. It’s another thing altogether to hear a former company head do the same thing. But what does all this mean, really? Were we really so close to Nintendo following in Sega’s footsteps? Would Nintendo have dropped out of the console game for good? Thankfully, we don’t have to ponder such things. For now, the Switch has ensured that Nintendo’s market share is a healthy one.

SOURCE

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When it comes to long-standing characters, it isn’t uncommon to see multiple voice actors don the role. This has been the case for many characters over the decade including Sonic the Hedgehog, who for the last 10 years has been voiced by Roger Craig Smith.

Smith first took over the role in 2010 for the Xbox 360 Kinect exclusive, Sonic Free Riders, and the Wii exclusive, Sonic Colors. Since then Smith has been the voice of the speedy blue hedgehog in Sonic Generations, Sonic Lost World, Sonic Forces, the Sonic & Mario at the Olympic Games series, the Sonic Boom series, Super Smash Brothers 4 and Ultimate, and more. He even voiced the character for its little cameo in Wreck-It Ralph. Basically, if you’re heard Sonic speak over the past 10 years, it was almost certainly the work of Roger Craig Smith.

Now, after over a decade with the blue bur, Smith has seemingly announced his departure from the role on his Twitter account.

“Welp, 10 years was an amazing run. Onward to new zones! Much love to the fans who’ve been so kind. It’s been an honor.”

Welp, 10 years was an amazing run.
Onward to new zones!

Much love to the fans who've been so kind.?

It's been an honor.
? pic.twitter.com/7Rn9PVA92m

— Roger Craig Smith (@RogerCraigSmith) January 28, 2021

While it isn’t clearly stated that he will no longer be voicing the role, the tweet does suggest his time with the character has come to an end. Details as to whether the change in cast was Smith’s decision or was one made by SEGA in a potential attempt to rebrand the character, is currently unknown.

Smith has received an outpouring of support and admiration for his role in the replies to his tweet. He even received praise from fellow voice actor, Travis Willingham.

Well done, pal. Heckuva ride.

— Travis Willingham (@WillingBlam) January 28, 2021

and from the official ToeJam & Earl Twitter account, amongst many others.

Thank you for all the joy and happiness you brought to me, my friends and family. It may have only been 10 years but your voice will echo throughout the halls of legendary character portrayals for an eternity.

????

— ToeJam & Earl (@toejamandearl) January 28, 2021

Regardless, Smith shouldn’t struggle for roles without his connection to SEGA as the voice actor is extremely prolific with close to 300 acting credits on his IMDB page.

SOURCE

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