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Last year we were Playing With Power, this year we’ll be playing with Super Power!

I awoke this morning to surprising news from the kings of left field. For a while, there were rumors circulating about why Nintendo discontinued the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition, even after it managed to sell 1.5 million units. The biggest rumor was that Nintendo had ceased production of the NES classic to begin producing another line of classic systems, and as of 9:00 a.m. this morning, Nintendo officially confirmed the Super Nintendo Entertainment System: SNES Classic Edition.

The system is confirmed to be packed with 21 games and two controllers this time around. The hefty list of hitters include: Super Mario World, Earthbound, Super Metroid, and never-before-released Star Fox 2. And I’m just scratching the surface here. The console will release on September 29th for the MSRP of $79.99 and is sure to be a hit this fall. If you want one, i’d recommend getting one sooner rather than later, since Nintendo has confirmed to Kotaku that it will only sell the system this year, however, there will be significantly more SNES Classic systems produced than there were NES Classic systems. I really hope this is true…

As you can see, unlike the NES Classic Edition’s line-up of 30 games, the SNES Classic is home to 21 genuine masterpieces that have all conquered the test of time. Nintendo has even managed to include games that use the Super FX Chip, like Star Fox and Yoshi’s Island, both of which have never seen virtual console releases. Also, I love how much love Earthbound has been getting!

Here’s some new official Star Fox 2 art–it looks amazing!

Although it felt inevitable to get an SNES Classic Edition, you just never know with Nintendo, so this was a nice surprise. I just hope enough people get their hands on one of these, since they are already showing signs of immense popularity, and why wouldn’t they? Nintendo can always win our hearts with nostalgia. It’s the advantage of having such a rich history. I wish everyone luck this fall as you prepare to grab one of these guys. I know i’ll be there! Here’s hoping we’ll all be playing with Super Power!

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Five Nintendo Switch Games I’d Like to See Announced at E3 2017

As a gamer, E3 has become a second Christmas. It’s an event lasting a few days where I get to see what new games, or updates on previously announced games, my favorite developers are working on. But, Nintendo is always the focal point of my viewership as I look forward to what new sequel, spin-off, or original titles they’ll reveal. This is the Nintendo Switch’s first E3, and with the date quickly approaching, I thought it’d make a list of five Nintendo Switch games (in no particular order) I’d like to see announced at this year’s E3.

I was first exposed to the fun and frantic gameplay of WarioWare on the GameCube, when WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! was released in 2004. Since then, I’ve tried every iteration of the microgame madness, from GBA to Wii U, the latter being a more scaled down version of the series. The Joy-Con controllers would be a perfect way to experiment with the series, as they could take advantage of HD Rumble, and with the versatility of the Nintendo Switch, portability would add ease of multiplayer on the go. It would be great to allow up to 8 players to sit around and enjoy the absurdity of the mircrogames. Honestly, I’d choose WarioWare over Mario Party, especially with the way Mario Party is going … Here’s to WarioWare: Switch !

The year was 2003. The GameCube had been out for two years, and after begging my parents and working hard in the third grade, I convinced the omnipotent beings to buy me the system. When I saw the green wonder staring right at me, terror-stricken, I knew I had to pick up Luigi’s Mansion. The game is hands down, my favorite video game of all time, it has the charm and lovable aspects of a Nintendo game with an eerie atmosphere that no other Nintendo game has made me feel. Of course I would want a sequel! I know, I know, we had one Four years ago called Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, and trust me, I was very excited when I found out it was coming, but seeing it was for 3DS broke my spirit. I did play the game and i liked it, however, a full-blown HD console version would be a dream come true. Especially if they go back to exploring one big mansion instead of multiple smaller ones. I’d say keep the multiplayer aspect of the 3DS game (again take advantage of the Joy-Con), but give me a bigger mansion and more creative ghosts to catch, like in the original. C’mon, Nintendo, give me Luigi’s Mansion 3! I would be so happy.

Mr. Miyamoto, don’t do this to me. I saw that interview a couple years back. You said Pikmin 4 was almost ready, so where is it? I understand game development takes time, but I know the newly announced Hey! Pikmin can’t be the sequel you teased. It just can’t be! Ok, breathe. Relax. All right I’m back. Pikmin has seen three games in its lifetime as a Nintendo IP, with Hey! Pikmin being the fourth. Pikmin 1 and 2 were released on GameCube in 2001 and 2004 respectively (wow another GameCube game) and about a decade later given New Play Control releases on Wii, and Pikmin 3 was released on Wii U in 2013. I believe there’s room for a true sequel on Nintendo Switch. Pikmin 4 could see a return of Olimar and Louie, maybe even the cast of Pikmin 3–Alph, Brittany, and Charlie–can return. I would love to explore new environments and Pikmin species alone or with a friend. Also, there’s no denying these things are downright cute. Please, more Pikmin!

Masahiro Sakurai. You know him as the creator of Kirby, and the Super Smash Bros. series, but in 2013 his team, Project Sora, released Kid Icarus: Uprising, which served as a reboot for what many thought was a long-forgotten Nintendo IP. The game has some of the funniest and wittiest dialogue in a video game I’ve ever experienced, as well as being the chattiest game Nintendo has to offer. The back and forth playfulness between Pit and Palutena is great, and watching Pit interact with other characters makes for a fun play through. The soundtrack was amazing and offered composition from many video game composers outside Nintendo. Now that development on Super Smash Bros. is far from done, it would be great if Sakurai gathered his team to work on a sequel to this game. I’d be more than glad to take down Hades and his minions once again. I just want to say: I loved Pit’s opening line “Sorry to keep you waiting” it sent chills down my entire body. Sakurai, don’t keep us waiting!

For my final entry, I’d like to show my desire for a console entry in the Mario & Luigi RPG series. I’m a huge Paper Mario fan. I’m also a huge Super Mario RPG fan, and that was the last Mario role playing game we got that didn’t take place in paper-thin worlds. With a total of five Mario and Luigi titles exclusive to handhelds, a console version would be a step in the right direction, since the last two entries on 3DS Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam were a little stale compared to the DS’s Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story or my personal favorite Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. There has been rumors regarding Ubisoft working on a cross-over between Mario & Luigi and their Rabbids franchise, but I, like all of you, am praying it is not true. Another rumor that has surfaced is a remake of Superstar Saga for 3DS, which I would be more in favor of, but until then, let’s hope we get a massive Mario & Luigi RPG for Switch with Co-op, larger worlds to explore, and new interesting characters that aren’t based in the mushroom kingdom. 

So these are five games I’d love to see announced at this year’s E3, and shouldn’t be confused with my predictions. That’s a whole other entry. Here’s hoping Nintendo Switch could keep the momentum it has got going, maybe with one or all of these games being announced. Hey, one can dream. Right?

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Splatoon 2 Global Testfire - First Thoughts

Over the weekend, Nintendo held a global event of six different one-hour time slots to be among the first gamers to test the new Splatoon 2, the sequel to 2015′s Splatoon released for Wii U. For those of you unfamiliar with the game, this is Nintendo’s take on the third-person shooter that stars kid/squid hybrids, who battle it out with ink. This time, however, we’re playing on Nintendo Switch, and I had the chance to try it out for three different sessions. Although it was just a demo, I can honestly say the sequel is feeling fresh. 

The free demo included two maps titled MusselForge Fitness, and The Reef– both of which are new maps coming to Splatoon 2. We were also given the option between four weapons: Splattershot, Splatcharger, Splatroller, and the new Splatdualies, all bundled with new specials including a jetpack, missiles, a super jump, and a powerful ink-spewing hose. Two of the returning weapons, Splatcharger and Splatroller come with new tweaks. For example, the Splatroller can now be used, when jumping, to fling a vertical shot of paint, giving you more precision to splat a foe, or to create a path for you to swim through, and the Splatcharger can now hold its charge when submerged in ink, but only for a short time. The new Splatdualies are the first dual wielding weapons in the series, and they come with the ability to roll and shoot, which is very satisfying to pull-off. 

There are a few game modes known to Splatoon, but I’ll be focusing on the mode available with the demo: Turf War, where the objective is to ink as much turf with your color as possible. That’s not to say you won’t have to splat a few foes along the way, it’s the way to fend off opposing squids to claim your turf. The original game had you taking quick glances at your Wii U Gamepad to see how the map is looking and, with a touch of the screen, you were able to select an ally to super jump to, but now on Switch, with the absence of a second screen in your hands, you press “X” to view your map, then with a cursor you select an ally. This is the only gripe I had with the game as it felt a little tedious, but I wouldn’t know a better way to make this transition more fluid, so it’ll just take some getting used to.

Even though many looked askance at the announcement of the first game, including myself, the series now has a hardcore audience, and inking turf has never felt more enjoyable. It’s a little disappointing that we had such a short time with the game, but I guess it was meant to whet our appetite until the release of the game this summer. Nintendo has confirmed that like the first game, Splatoon 2 will be supported with new maps and new weapons after launch, so there’s definitely more to look forward to. And, with the Switch’s ability to game on the go, a whole different experience is added. It won’t be long until we get the full experience of this sequel. This summer should turn out to be pretty amazink…sorry.