Hyrule Warriors Nintendo Direct And My Hyrule Warriors Impressions

Written By: Tyler

Watch here: http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct/08-04-2014/#/video-ndirect

Today Nintendo hit us up with another Nintendo Direct. If you know me in person or follow this blog, you may be aware that while the Playstation has been my primary system since the first one, I'm a Nintendo fanboy in my heart and always treat their systems as my secondary console. Nintendo gives us games that no other platform will -- quite literally because they own and develop their most legendary IPs -- and they're just damn good. I also respect the fact that Nintendo goes off and does their own thing, even if it isn't always for the best. I actually love the Wii U and love the Gamepad.

They may be horribly out of touch in some aspects of their business model and plan, but in others they innovate. I always look forward to Nintendo Directs -- they're an event for me. They're usually about half an hour of showcasing new footage and breaking news. The only problem with the Directs is that they quite often disappoint. I, like many others, hope for certain things that we never get. Some of it is our own fault, but some of the blame rests on Nintendo.

This one focuses on Hyrule Warriors, which is a game I am looking forward to but it's not one of the big games of the year for me. I quite enjoy Dynasty Warriors but don't follow it religiously and I'm not a fan of Zelda at all outside of a few games that I mildly enjoy. So how did the Hyrule Warriors Direct fare? Read on for the news that matters.

Hyrule Warriors is looking like a good time with just enough change on the Dynasty Warriors formula to make it fresh. Don't get confused though, because this is still more of a Dynasty Warriors game with a Zelda skin than the other way around, but I'm okay with it.

The boss battles should be of interest in this. Though it will lack the legendary Lu Bu, it will have bosses from other Zelda games, and it will require the items that you find throughout the maps in order to defeat them. This should keep battles relatively unique and inject some strategy into the button mashing formula that Destiny Warriors is known for.

You will also need to use the items to open up different areas much like in Zelda. 

There are tons of things from the Zelda series brought in, such as the Cucco. They will come after you if you hit them and you'll see them mingling with the enemies on occasion. However, in some situations you can actually make them your allies. Other characters such as the Bombchu or even the Moon from Majora's Mask will also be included. It's safe to say that there will be plenty of fan service involved but it's interesting how they incorporate some of these. For example, you can hookshot the Moon to have it fall on enemies.

You'll have things like grass cutting, which seems silly, but it is part of the Zelda charm. Apparently they were going to have a stage that consisted solely of grass cutting but they didn't include it. I think that might be a good thing because I can't really see that being enjoyable. Sometimes Nintendo makes a bigger deal out of certain aspects of their IPs than they deserve, and I reckon the grass cutting is one of them.

These are the characters that they talked about in the Direct: Link, Zelda, Impa, Sheik, Ruto, Darunia, Midna, Agitha, Zant, Fi, Ghirahim, plus some new characters like Lana. They will all have their own attributes and weapons, such as a sword, a giant hammer, etc. This is typical Dynasty Warriors fare.

This isn't really news, but expect to see a bunch of stages based on places that you know and love within the Zelda universe, such as Skyloft, Lake Hylia and Twilight Field.

You can fill a bar by defeating enemies that will power-up your character when used. It is called "Focus Spirit."

In terms of character progression, it's light but it exists. Your characters level up as you slaughter your foes, and some materials drop in battle that you can use to craft badges that enhance your stats. You can also acquire weapons that enemies drop... some of these also have skills in them or if they have an empty slot you can fuse your own skills in it, such as more attack damage or a better chance of finding hearts.

There's a mode called "Adventure Mode," which basically slaps you on a NES-inspired map and you can move around to the different stages and play them. Each stage will have its own victory conditions and once you achieve them the level will end and more spaces on the grid will open up around you so you can progress to the next stage. It's not mind-blowing, but it's something.

Like any Destiny Warriors game, the core gameplay consists of spamming attacks until hundreds of enemies fall to your might. You can take over bases in the middle of combat to help turn the tides of battle, but mostly it'll just involve you laying waste to enemies yourself.

One sore spot for me is the lack of online co-op, and how they handle the local co-op. I don't know why but for as forward thinking as Nintendo is in a lot of ways, they have some problems with minor issues. Instead of playing on the same screen, which is completely acceptable in local co-op, especially since most people have bigger TVs these days, one person will use the Gamepad screen and the other will use the TV and Wiimotes. Not only that, but the screen resolution will go down when playing in local co-op. I don't know why they felt the need to do this to use, but it's a bit of a downer. I normally play Dynasty Warriors with a friend but I'll be playing this one solo.

As the Direct ends, we are shown Ganondorf. Of course he is badass, and of course you will want to play as him. If you're a Nintendo Club member then you can get the Demon King costume set, and like most games, there are pre-order bonuses from select retailers.


I think the variety and whatnot of the enemies, mixed with the Zelda characters and atmosphere, will make it a little more exciting than just a normal Dynasty Warriors. I enjoy this idea as a one-off, but if it became a series I think the novelty would wear off. After seeing the Hyrule Warriors direct, I don't know if I'm more excited for it or not, but most of my fears have been put to rest, and the problems I had with the game I already knew (such as the co-op).

E3 Day 3: This Is The End, My Friend

Written By: Tyler

It's the third, and final day of E3, so like the previous days, I will be giving my impressions and reporting news -- that I ripped from other sites of course -- about the games that I see today. I try my best not to repeat games, but at this point, after so many hours, it's hard to remember what exactly I've already seen. If I see new footage of games though, I will be sure to let you all know, because I know you all flock to an obscure blog for your E3 information.


Final Fantasy Explorers Is Coming Out For 3DS
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/12/final-fantasy-explorers-announced-for-3ds

Final Fantasy Explorers is a multiplayer Final Fantasy where players search for Crystals while murdering Summons. You can choose from a variety of job classes. It sounds a little bit like Crystal Chronicles, and that's not bad because I played the first one and enjoyed it, despite the fact I never got to play it multiplayer because I didn't have a Game Boy (Advance, I think?) and it required that.



Fantasy Life -- Fantasy Life is the new Action-RPG/Life Simulator for the 3DS and it looks charming. There seems to be a bunch of choice in this game, as there are a bunch of different classes you can choose such as Paladin or Woodcutter, along with the numerous quests. You get a house eventually, and customization seems like a big deal... it seems like you can customize a lot of things, such as what you wear, to your house, to upgrading your bag so you can carry more stuff. For those who are really into co-op, they're saying that you can fully explore the world with a friend, which is a huge bonus for me. I already had this pre-ordered before I actually saw it, but after seeing some video and hearing more about it, I am definitely excited for this.


Road Not Taken --  A puzzle-Roguelike, where you play as a Ranger who has to rescue kids in the forest. Oh good, there's finally a game about my life. The Ranger can only pick up things and throw said things, and the limitation is... interesting. As you carry things, you lose energy so throwing them instantly is the most efficient way of doing things. Enemies react in different ways, such as a wolf who won't harm you unless you corner it, and enemies move when you do. Even though everything is procedural, they do have custom rooms that are littered throughout the thing that are more complex puzzles to solve. I'm not in love with Roguelikes, though there are certainly some I love, but Road Not Taken looks like a pretty refreshing take on it.


Codename S.T.E.A.M. -- It's a combination of American comic books, Steampunk, shooter and turn-based RPG. Instead of a top-down view, it is a third-person view so exploration on the battlefield is important since you can't just see everything. You have multiple characters with you, and the game operates on steam. With each action your steam reduces until your turn ends, or if you manage your steam and don't use it all, you can attack an enemy during their turn if they come into view. It looks extremely promising.


Not A Hero -- Not A Hero is a side-scrolling cover-based shooter with a ridiculous story that they literally only put in there because they felt they needed so so they made it silly. You basically just pick one of a few different characters and move from room to room, shooting things, but each level has a primary challenge and three optional challenges. Some levels involve you being in a building and it gets assaulted and you have to escape, to go along with the levels where you're doing the assaulting. You have a slide mechanic that when used allows you to take cover. I think Not A Hero could be fun, and if there's a lull in games when it comes out in January or February of next year I will give it a whirl, but it's not a must-play.


 Hyrule Warriors -- There's something really cool about being on a battlefield with massive hordes of enemies and beating them down as the Zelda theme plays. The gameplay will probably get criticized if it's like Dynasty Warriors -- it certainly looks like it -- because button-mashing gets frowned upon these days, but I dig it once in a while. They put elements of Zelda in there like treasure chests, and the co-op is local: one person uses the screen on the Gamepad and one person uses the TV screen. As the game progresses you can open up new combos and whatnot, and there are huge boss battles, where the bosses just appear and "go crazy," and you will have to find their weak points. Basically, the game looks pretty awesome for fans of Dynasty Warriors. Fans of Zelda will also flock to it I'm sure, but since the core gameplay is Dynasty Warriors I reckon it's more for them.


EA UFC -- Okay, I already have this pre-ordered and I was going to get it regardless because I love MMA and every so often I just like to binge game combat sports games. I've played the demo, and I have to say this: I'm a little worried about this game and I'm really hoping for a good career mode. The moves are way too flashy for everybody that they've shown, which comes off as more of a "what non-MMA fans think it is" opposed to what it really is. The game looks gorgeous, and there are elements of it that are beautiful, but the AI in all the videos is terrible, and I'm not sure if I'm sold on the ground yet. I guess I really just have to get it, put hours upon hours into it, and then do a review. I do enjoy the free roster update idea, though. I'm extremely cautious with this one.


#IDARB -- #IDARB is an interactive sports game. Basically, two teams try to shoot on the opposing goal in a side-scrolling environment. Sounds simple? Yeah, in theory, but this game allows players to manipulate the playing area by hashtagging certain things. They can Rick Roll you, turn out the lights, get rid of all the white platforms and a bunch of other things. The only thing that I saw that pisses me off is the monster because a monster flashes up on screen and that's all you see for a split second, and that's more annoying than amusing. From what I am understanding, the players that you play as are actually created by people like you and they make it in the game. #IDARB makes me forget about my dislike of hashtags, and I'm really excited for this.


Project Spark -- I enjoy that we're at the point now in gaming where developers can give us these game creation tools and they actually look pretty sweet. I remember playing RPG Maker on Playstation 1 and while it amazed me at the time, it was a really bad version of a game that was fairly deep on PC. Project Spark looks great: so great in fact, that I was going to go get the beta for PC but then realized that it's only for Windows 8. 


Hitman: Sniper -- The free mobile Hitman game comes out in Fall of this year. I'm conflicted about it,  because this really isn't what I want from a Hitman game, but at the same time, it's free and there does appear to be different ways to kill someone... within the context of you being a sniper. I might get it since it's free and I can pick it up and play at work or something, but I don't really care about this at all.


Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham -- When the video started, all I could think is Resogun. They seem to be doing interesting things with the next incarnation of the hit series. I haven't played a Lego game in quite some time, so it's nice seeing where it was and where it is now.


The Crew -- What makes The Crew interesting to me is the focus on teamwork. As the developer said countless times during the presentation I saw, it's less about individual performance and more about working together. You don't often see that in a racing game, and it's a welcome diversion from the usual same ol' same ol'. Another example of this is, if you are playing alone, the game will send out invites to everybody who is playing the area you're in, and they can choose to accept. After the race, the game will ask if you want to make friends with the people. The game looks pretty and the driving mechanics are fine as well so it's another racing game to look forward to. Look for it November 11 of this year.


Habitat -- Want to know what everything is going to be like in 11000? Forget 2050 or something in the near future like most games, we're moving ahead milleniums and Robbie Williams ain't coming. In the future, we will be floating through space, using "space junk" to build space habitats. You choose want to want to add to your habitat, and then it's there. But watch out because there are exterior threats like enemy habitats and the nanomachines that pop up (I guess Solid Snake failed). You have to be smart about what you build though, because survival isn't easy in the vast universe. It's a fun premise, and it looks like it has a sense of humour as well, so I look forward to it. The guy representing the game also was one of the more lively developers that showcased their game, so he probably pumped me up more than I would originally have been. Seriously, I enjoyed listening to him talk.

P.S. There's a space dog who is, and I quote, "a real dog, he's just out for a walk right now."


Aztez - This is a game I was curious about and I saw a little bit of the combat in action and the beat 'em up aspects look like they function well. You can jump through the air and do some crazy moves, and it all seems fluid, even now. The art style is black and white but the blood is red, which works quite well. There's a strategy aspect to the game but I don't entirely understand it right now but it's a game to keep your eye on.


Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime -- It's a co-op game where you have to run to different stations and defend your ship. I'm always all for co-op, and it appears that it's truly co-op in the sense that you're always going to be something. It looks like you don't die individually, but you die as a team. I love that mechanic. Like Aztez, this is an indie game for ID@Xbox that is definitely worth paying attention to.


Elegy For A Dead World -- You are a writer, and you explore a bunch of worlds inspired by British romantic poets and you... write about it?  At first you just fill in the blanks, but you can actually just delete everything and write whatever the hell you want. There is also a mode apparently where there are no prompts to write and you just scribble notes down wherever you want. Your notes are visible to other players. It's a pretty game with a neat synopsis and gameplay concept, but even as a (wannabe) writer myself, I'm not sure if I want to play it, which is really strange because the game is literally blending together the two things I'm most into -- games and writing. I think it's a novel exercise and I can see how it'd encourage creativity though, so I'm going to keep an eye on it and see how this unfolds.


Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain -- First of all, I love listening to Japanese people talk Japanese when discussing Metal Gear because it's funny hearing "Snake-uh" in the middle of it. Aside from that, I wasn't really told much else today and I didn't see anymore gameplay. This is my most anticipated game because I'm a huge Metal Gear fan, so I felt it necessary to at least mention it on the final day of E3. It looks awesome and it will be awesome.



E3 is over now. The wrap-up shows have commenced, the Nintendo Tree House is over, and I am going to click the pretty publish button and be on my way... to write one more post about E3. Yes, that's right. Check back in a while if you're reading this as soon as it was published, because I'm going to do an awards post for E3.

E3 Day 1 (Part 1): The Nintendo Digital Event

Written By: Tyler

Image from http://e3expo.com

I'm not going to lie to you people, but the Nintendo Digital Event is what I was most forward to seeing. Partially because in my heart, I'm a Nintendo guy (despite the Playstation being my primary system) and partially because I need to see them do something great. I'm writing this thing live, so it may not be the best writing I've ever done because I'm going for pure reactions.


Nintendo claymation is a thing, and the Digital Event starts with it. It brings the trademark Nintendo creativity. Fight scene.

Then Super Smash Bros. shows up and we watch Smash Bros. versions of Iwata and Reggie duke it out. Then Mario gets brought into the fight via figurine and beats up Reggie Fils-Aime. Mario wins again!

Super Smash Bros. will allow you to use your Mii as a fighter. You can choose any of the three varieties of Miifighters... the brawler, swordfighter and gunner. You can also choose your moves. It's an interesting idea in a game that is already going to be awesome. 

There are also going to be a bunch of different modes in Smash Bros.

Amiibo is coming this year. You will be able to put your figurine on the Gamepad and the statistics of the character will be put into the game you're playing and you can use it, if I'm understanding correctly. Super Smash Bros. will be the first game to use this feature, but it will show up for games like Mario Kart 8 as well.

Then they talk about yarn and Yoshi's Woolly World. It looks like it could be fun with interesting ways of manipulating the world with your yarn, and two-player mode is always welcome but this isn't really what I want from the Digital Event.

Don't call it a comeback. It also looks like the little Toad mini-game in Super Mario World 3D is coming back. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker. 

Then we have another claymation skit where Bowser apologizes to Princess Peach for kidnapping her so much. This is a... strange lead-up to none other than the new Legend of Zelda game for Wii U!

It turns out they're really going for making the world of the new Zelda vast and open. After a little bit of it in action, it says 2015 and then we cut to a real-world boy wandering in a forest. This leads to some footage of the new Pokemon remakes.

The next game we see is Bayonetta 2, a game that I am personally looking forward to. It looks as crazy as the first one, and that's definitely a good thing. If there's one thing Platinum Games is good at, it's making intense action games that are absolutely nuts. It's awesome that they're packaging the first game with the second.

Hyrule Warriors gets the spotlight next. Yup, still looks like Dynasty Warriors meets Zelda. I'm completely okay with that, and I'm not even a big Zelda fan. Every so often I'll play a new Dynasty Warriors because it's nice sometimes to just button mash and kill hordes of enemies. Hyrule Warriors gets released at the end of September, 2014.

Next there is some footage of Kirby. Kirby and the Rainbow curse hits in 2015, and it looks just like a Kirby game. Like the Yoshi game, it should be fun but it's hardly a system seller.

However, right after that, we get some more footage of Monolith Soft's X (apparently called Xenoblade Chronicles X now)... my most anticipated Wii U game and a game I'm already calling one of the best RPGs of all-time. It looks awesome, even if it isn't more actual gameplay.

Next is the game that got leaked, where you design your own Mario levels. It's called Mario Maker and I definitely think it's a cool concept, and one that we should have had before, but again, it's not a system seller. I still dig the idea a lot though and will probably pick it up. It will be out in 2015 and it also reminds me that we really need a new Mario Paint.

Splatoon shows up next. It's an eight player 4 on 4 online multiplayer action game where people fight for territory. Yeah, gang warfare! It's colourful and family friendly, but definitely has a charming creativity to it, such as being able to shoot ink up walls and travel up those walls really fast. You use your ink to claim your territory.

Then we get an animated video of Link fighting Kid Icarus. But then Palutena shows up and gets rid of him. Guess we got a new character for Smash Bros. Then of course we see some footage of her in action.

Next Miyamoto talks about the gamepad and new experiences and it's over. I'm really disappointed that they chose to end the digital event this way.

Closing Statement: What I like about Nintendo is that they spend more time showing actual gameplay than just pretty cinematics. Say what you want about their games, but their way of announcing things in that regard is better than everyone else. I can't help but feel disappointed as a whole though. I'm one of those guys who eagerly anticipates each Nintendo Direct, only to be disappointed. I feel the same way. It was a good, entertaining, humorous presentation, and Zelda is big news (even if people already knew it was going to be announced), but they did not come out and kill it like they should. No Metroid, Star Fox, F-Zero, no new IPs that we don't know about outside of something like Splatoon (which does look fun, don't get me wrong). They really had to go for broke here and they didn't.


Edit: Wow I'm an idiot. I completely missed the Star Fox tease. I also feel like I was a little hard on the presentation, even though I enjoyed it. Nintendo did a good job.