Featured Games

The first featured title in Nintendo’s press release this week is Rocket League. The sports/racing game first released in late 2017. It is now free-to-play on the Nintendo Switch. Dive into the mayhem. “Unlock items in Rocket Pass, climb the Competitive Ranks, compete in Competitive Tournaments, complete Challenges, enjoy cross-platform progression and more!”

Fortnite – Winterfest 2021 unleashes special quests, presents, and Spider-Man: No Way Home outfits. The Winterfest activities will close on January 6th, 2022.

The third featured title this week is Garden Story. Take on the role of the Guardian of the Grove. Help the residents take back their grove by combating the spreading rot that threatens to consume it. You’ll need the help of your fruit-shaped friends to help you in this adventure. Check out our review for a deeper dive.

The last entry in the featured section this week is Cozy Grove. The game’s winter update just launched. Along with it comes a new snowy winter festival with new outfits, decorations, and snowball fights.

Current Sales

This time around, the sales scene is much busier for this Nintendo Download than it was last week, as you may have guessed. First of all, Nintendo has another double gold points offer running until January 5th. The offer nets you double the normal gold points when you buy certain games. They include:

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons
• Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser Fury
• Miitopia
• Luigi’s Mansion 3
• Both Luigi’s Mansion 3 DLCs

Moving on, this week’s holiday sales include the following:

• Indie World Holiday Sale (30 games up to 75% off – ends Dec. 31st.)
• Serenity Forge Winter Holiday Extravaganza (8 games up to 80% off – ends Dec. 31st)
• The Quantum Astrophysics Guild Indie World Holiday Publisher Sale (12 games up to 85% off – Ends Dec 31st)
• Annapurna Interactive Indie World Holiday Sale (12 games up to 70% off – ends Dec. 31st)
• Humble Games Winter Sale (17 games up to 75% off – ends Dec. 31st)
• Finji Indi World Holiday Sale (3 games up to 60% off – ends Dec. 31st)

As always, check out Nintendo’s sales page for full details on all current sales.

New eShop Titles

This week’s new games section is a busier one than other recent Nintendo Download collections:

We have one really unusual game this week, Captain U, which just launched on the Wii U. Moving on, here are the new Switch games that joined the eShop this week:

Adventure:

• Escape from Mirrorland～The Adventures of Nyanzou&Kumakichi: Escape Game Series～
• Teratopia
• Twelve Minutes

Arcade:

• Pixel Game Maker Series Biggerman.io

Crafting/Farming:

• Beastie Bay DX
• Tunnel of Doom

Puzzle:

• Lynn, The Girl Drawn On Puzzles
• Match Three Pirates II

Retro:

• Arcade Archives MIRAI NINJA
• FILMECHANISM
• Gardener’s Path
•  Pixel Game Maker Series CHAM THE CAT ADVENTURE
• Pixel Game Maker Series JEWELiNX
• Pixel Game Maker Series OUMUAMUA

Simulation:

• Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship

Sports:

• Horatio Goes Snowboarding

Upcoming Games

The upcoming games section is a bit bigger in this week’s Nintendo Download, too:

Launching December 24th:

• 8 & 9 Ball Pocket
• Crazy Zen Codeword
• Horror & Sports Pinball
• Madness Beverage
• Merry Christmas Snowball Bubble
• Pure Chase 80’s

Launching December 25th:

• American Man
• My Universe – Interior Designer
• Planet Quiz: Learn & Discover

Launching December 26th:

• Cold Silence

Launching December 27th:

• Menseki: Area Maze puzzles
• Unstrong: Space Calamity

Launching December 28th:

• Lacuna

That wraps up the last Nintendo Download before Christmas. Happy Holidays everyone!

The post Nintendo Download For 12/23/2021 appeared first on oprainfall.

Title	Chrono Trigger
Developer	Square
Publisher	Square
Original Release Date	JP: Mar 11, 1995 US: Aug 11, 1995
Genre	RPG
Platform	SNES, PlayStation, Nintendo DS, Mobile, PC (Steam)

Chrono Trigger, just reading the name or saying it out loud causes within me a flood of wonderful memories and emotions. For so many of us, Chrono Trigger is the epitome of games. And calling it the greatest of all time, masterpiece, or similar are all completely founded. With its epic story, excellent gameplay, unforgettable soundtrack, and endearing cast of characters, this masterwork of Square is still outperforming and outshining modern releases in and outside the RPG genre.

The year is 1000 A.D and the Millennial Fair is in full swing. Our hero, Crono, and Marle, a young girl he unassumingly runs into, participate in the unveiling of his friend Lucca’s newest invention, a teleporter. As Marle tries it for herself, the machine reacts with her unique heirloom pendant, causing a portal in time to open and flinging her 400 years into the past. Without a moment’s hesitation, Crono takes the pendant and has Lucca send him back to rescue Marle. Little do any of them know that these events are the trigger to a cascade of many more happenings that will ultimately bring about the end of the world. With past, present, and future all in jeopardy, Crono and his friends set out on a journey through time, filled with fateful meetings, perilous struggles, and dire consequences, all in the hopes of ultimately saving humanity from its catastrophic fate.

The story of Chrono Trigger is still one of the most engaging I’ve ever experienced, impressively standing strong and even outshining competition for 25 years and counting. The overarching conflict of preventing the end of the world is full of depth and is only further strengthened by the subplots and individual struggles specific to certain times and particular characters. As for its theme of time travel, though it’s a familiar one, what continues to impress me is the aspect of its manipulation, something we as players get to participate in through our direct actions in the altering of history and events. That, to me, makes the experience truly immersive, as the triggering of said events is mostly done by player actions rather than narrative exposition. The story in its entirety is full of depth and detail, tying together plot, subplots, and character-driven conflicts to produce a thoroughly intriguing, utterly satisfying adventure from start to its ultimate end.

As for its characters, Chrono Trigger truly has one of the most memorable casts in gaming. Though they share certain traits and behaviors at times, each has their own distinct personality which shines through their dialogue, reasoning, and actions. Crono’s courage and will are always on display, and Marle’s outgoing, energetic style makes her incredibly charming. Lucca’s inquisitiveness and compassion; Frog’s drive and sense of loyalty; Ayla’s pure energy and fearlessness; Robo’s ability to encompass and convey the best of human traits and emotions; I could easily write a paragraph or two for each of them. And yet, the opportunity to interact and immerse ourselves into their lives is the real gift. It has been reason alone for my repeated plays over the years. Lastly, it’s always a treat to discover or rediscover a unique conversation or interaction based on the active party you have at the time. Those little details truly take the experience over the top. With its vivid, charismatic characters and the sheer depth and detail of its story, Chrono Trigger delivers a narrative of legendary proportions.

In addition to its fantastic story and its wonderful cast, Chrono Trigger features solid, engaging gameplay. The extensive main campaign and the numerous subquests that add depth, backstory, and the occasional combat advantage, all come together to create a genuinely captivating experience from start to finish. As for its main component, gameplay features turn-based combat with a unique technique system. Each character will learn a set of techniques similar to skills and spells, yet further depth comes in the form of paired and group techniques that can unleash serious damage to enemies. As each character possesses an elemental affinity, as well as a specific attack style, the sheer number of combinations is not only staggering, but incredibly imaginative. I always find myself awed by how the dual techs are inspired by their character’s style and, sometimes, even their personalities. Ayla’s dual techs in particular come to mind, as her straightforwardness and her brute strength are the typical factors of how her techs look and hit. The clever variety in techs, the elemental aspects of them, and the different ways they can hit groups of enemies all keep combat fresh and immersive.

Outside of combat, the RPG elements, such as leveling, keep fairly consistent with enemy growth for a well-balanced outcome. I find the degree of challenge optimal, never requiring excessive grinding, which results in a flowing play pace. The bosses, in particular, provide enough difficulty to require a proper strategy to defeat and, upon said defeat, I always feel that sense of satisfaction you want from a respectable challenge. And of course, using the variety of techs and discovering what works best only adds to the fun. Taken in its entirety, Chrono Trigger’s gameplay is timelessly superb. An amazing main campaign, a set of subquests that offer legitimate backstory, subplot, and purpose to them, and combat that offers a good bit of variation all harmonize for an incredibly fun, fully satisfying experience.

Finally, what ties all of this brilliance in story and gameplay together into one complete masterpiece are Chrono Trigger’s spectacular aesthetics. Visually, Chrono Trigger impresses with its bold styles, dramatic use of color, and its attention to detail, capturing and expressing the fantasy and magic of its diverse characters and time periods. The sprite work is incredible, with its details that bring life to heroes and enemies alike. Through animations, poses, and the like, the strength of Crono and Ayla, the enthusiasm of Marle, or the compassion of Lucca and Robo is palpable. It all further adds to their memorable personalities. The detail that went into the environments is also impressive, and I’m especially awed with the plays on light and dark coloring to convey the tones of the time periods and their locales, as well as events unfolding within. The brightness and large color palette of 1000 A.D pairs with the lively atmosphere of the Millennial Fair. Contrast that with the muted colors of 600 A.D., that speak of a kingdom in turmoil. As for boldness, I love the striking designs of 12000 B.C that overflow with imagination and mystique, telling of an existence both fantastic and fleeting. Or, the lush green, pristine world of 65,000,000 B.C. and how its saturated colors and untouched nature speak of a time before calamity. The bold designs of enemies, too, shine in their ability to instill ferocity and power. Lastly, I love the animations and the greater usage of Akira Toriyama’s designs and artwork in later versions of the game. His artistry takes the visuals to another level, further exalting the already impressive aesthetics.

As for the audio, the soundtrack of Chrono Trigger is nothing short of masterful. Every score is a pleasure to listen to all on its own, and each fits the person, place, and event they represent perfectly. They contribute to the tones and moods of the events onscreen so well that they allow for a degree of immersion rarely achieved. It’s amazing how well the themes for crucial fights and turning points instill such emotion. I still get hyped every time I hear Frog’s theme and get goose bumps when listening to Magus’ theme. Joy, sorrow, fear, danger, from devastation and loss to love and heartfelt reunions, the soundtrack perfectly encapsulates it all, stirring our emotions in the most profound of ways. The aesthetics are wonderful as visuals and audio together bring greater vividness to an already spectacular game.

Chrono Trigger is a timeless masterpiece. To overpraise it, an impossibility; to undervalue, a sin. With its fabled story of epic proportions, its delightfully memorable cast, its strong gameplay, and its remarkable aesthetics, Chrono Trigger will stand as the quintessential RPG and remain in the hearts of all it has touched. Crono, Marle, Lucca; how could I ever forget you.

Review Score
Overall

Review copy provided by author

The post TBT REVIEW: Chrono Trigger appeared first on oprainfall.

In Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut, half genie, Shantae, must save not just her uncle and Scuttle Town, but the entirety of Sequin Land. They are all imperiled by the pirate, Risky Boots’, evil plot! This quest will see her embark on an adventure to collect the three magic seals that Risky Boots needs to enact her diabolical plans. Along the way, Shantae will explore a number of vibrant locales, but can you help her save the day?

The gameplay in Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut will be familiar to those who like Metroidvanias, though also unique. Shantae starts off able to move around and attack with her hair. Defeated foes drop gems which can be used to buy things at the town shop, such as new magic spells and perks. They include things like a better fire spell that can shoot in three directions at once, and perks such as having items drawn to you, or making your magic gauge refill by itself. However, the most consequential abilities in this adventure will be found while exploring the world. The most important ones allow Shantae to transform into three different alternate forms using her dance move. One of them is the monkey form, which allows her to jump higher and climb walls. Watch out though! If you stay in one place on a wall for much time at all, Shantae will begin to slip down the wall. This can be rather precarious if you’re above a deadly pit. There is also the elephant, which can smash stone blocks. Each of Shantae’s alternate forms also has a sub-ability to acquire such as Monkey Bullet, which allows Shantae to launch horizontally off of the wall she is climbing on. Shantae’s three special forms are a unique twist on the idea of power-ups / upgrades.

In her journey, Shantae will find items called Magic Jams. These are a secondary currency of sorts. You’ll need some of these along with gems to buy certain items and spells in the shop. Each type of spell has three variants. For example, fire magic has the basic spell and two better versions. One fires in three directions at once for a spread attack, while the other is a flamethrower. Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut is a Metroidvania, so Shantae will need to gain new abilities and put them to the test to access new areas.

On a few occasions, Shantae will find herself sidetracked looking for silly things like a broken coffee maker and some coffee beans to help out other characters. In exchange, they help her advance in her adventure. For example, you’ll need to get a meal to access the first dungeon. Of course, when Shantae mentions the first magic seal as payment, the Squid Baron stiffs her, because there is no reason to trust her. As you move deeper into the adventure, stronger enemies begin to appear in areas you’ve previously visited, keeping Shantae on her toes a bit. Periodically, you’ll encounter special statues that you can activate, which act as warp points. You can talk to one you’ve activated to warp to any of the others that you’ve already examined.

The game is also light and fun, never taking itself too seriously. You can see that in the previously mentioned coffee maker or meal quests. The dialog is pretty well done, and the important characters all have plenty of personality, as opposed to flat dialog that doesn’t add to the experience or the world.

Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut is definitely a fun little game, but it is of course not perfect. Its issues are mostly just that it is beginning to show its age to a degree. As it is a port of an older handheld game, the graphics are very pixelated when stretched onto a TV screen. There is nothing wrong with this, unless of course you’d prefer fully remastered visuals. It doesn’t bother me at all, but then I grew up with beautiful pixel art graphics. There are several different view options and as you can see, I chose the one with the nice looking borders on the sides. One of the other options stretches the game to fill the entire screen. The map system is certainly interesting, but unfortunately not as helpful as it should be. Probably its worst flaw is that when you are in one of the game’s dungeons, there is no map at all. One other minor issue is that jumping on moving platforms feels a bit finnicky at times. The best example of this is in the coastal area when you head west from the back of Scuttle Town. This path leads out to the Mayor’s retreat.

The game’s music is pretty good and breathes a lot of extra life into the world of Sequin Land. It has a lot of flair to it, and never really gets old. The sound effects also do their job pretty well.

Overall, I quite enjoyed my time with Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut. It was a fun little Metroidvania-style adventure that took me the majority of 10 hours to complete. I collected all of the Magic Jams and got all of the abilities and perks from the shop. I had a lot of fun with the game, and it still holds up pretty well by today’s standards for the most part. The biggest flaw is probably just that it could use a better map system. You can download a copy from the Nintendo Switch eShop for $9.99. Can you put a stop to Risky Boots’ evil plot in order to save Sequin Land, Scuttle Town, and your uncle?

Review Score
Overall

Review copy provided by publisher.

The post REVIEW: Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut on Switch appeared first on oprainfall.

Nintendo of Japan today confirmed that around 160,000 Nintendo accounts have been hacked. In response, they have disabled the ability to log into your Nintendo account using your older Nintendo Network ID. These IDs were used on the older 3DS and Wii U gaming systems. Users have the option to link them to their newer Nintendo Account on the Switch. If you have done so, you may be affected by this event. Nintendo says the data that may have been seen by the responsible party is that which is registered to each user’s Nintendo Network ID, which includes:

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Country / Region
• and Email Address

This also goes for the same pieces of information in a user’s Nintendo account. Nintendo says this does not include users’ credit card information. The hacks have hit users in a number of countries. However, Nintendo is assuring their users that none of their databases, servers, or services have been breached. Nintendo is continuing to investigate the situation. Disabling the ability to log in using a Nintendo Network ID is a precautionary measure. They think the hackers have used Nintendo Network IDs to get illegal access to some users’ accounts. Some affected users have reported unauthorized purchases of things like in-game currencies for games such as Fortnite appearing on their Nintendo accounts.

Please read important information regarding the discontinuation of Nintendo Account sign-ins using a Nintendo Network ID: https://t.co/u3KRfj5TxK

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 24, 2020

The Nintendo of America support website has also posted an update on the situation. It says that all other ways of logging in are still available. Nintendo is also resetting the passwords on affected accounts and emailing those users to notify them. In this case, you’ll need to set a new password. Additionally, all users are now being encouraged to enable 2-step authentication on their Nintendo account for added protection if they haven’t already done so. If you discover unauthorized activity in your Nintendo account, they advise you to follow their Nintendo Account recovery process.

Overall, 160,000 may be a small fraction of the total user base, but it is still a lot of no doubt unhappy people! Nintendo has apologized for any inconvenience this has caused to its users. In the future they plan to make efforts to further strengthen their security and keep everyone’s accounts safe.

Source

The post Nintendo Disables Option to Log in With a Nintendo Network ID appeared first on oprainfall.

As Link later walked through the ruined Temple of Time, he told everyone that hopefully the one non-spawning object would be the barrier between where Link was standing and the end of the game at Hyrule Castle. In other words, the long-sought-after Barrier Skip would come to life before all of Twitch and the present audience. As Linkus7 finally got to where Hyrule Castle could be seen, the hated barrier was still there on the bridge. The room remained silent as Linkus7 continually rezoned back and forth between the Temple of Time and the pathway to Hyrule Castle while he explained that this part of a speedrun is always luck based and this is how people lose time during a run. Then, 54:23.5 minutes into the run, the barrier was gone and the live crowd deafeningly cheered and the oppressive tension that had been present from the very beginning when Linkus7 booted up this GameCube classic was released all at once.

This video starts from the beginning of Linus7’s run for AGDQ 2020. You really should down to watch the entire thing, as it is mesmerizing.

The post AGDQ Is an Event that Must be Experienced in Person appeared first on oprainfall.

Shovel Knight: Showdown is one of the last expansions to Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, and this one stands out as being a multiplayer focused fighting game rather than a 2D platformer. It still feels very similar and familiar since it’s also 2D, has mild platforming, controls basically the same, but the point of the game is of course very different.

The story takes a backseat in a game like this, but there still is one. A magic mirror sucks the various Shovel Knight characters into its weird dimension, they fight it out for one reason or another, and then defeat the mirror and go back to the regular world with the events of this game essentially never having occurred. Even though it doesn’t affect anything in series canon, its still an enjoyable story with the same fun writing that exists in Shovel Knight and its expansions.

One would not be entirely inaccurate to compare this game to Super Smash Bros. There’s a story mode where you take a character through various fights, occasionally with different themes. These can be 4 player free for alls, 2 vs 2 team matches, 1 vs 3 matches, matches against a horde of opponents that die in one hit, among other things. There’s even a mini-game where you have to destroy targets using your character’s unique moveset. The normal versus mode is probably where you’ll spend the most time if you’re playing this with friends, and you can customize game types to your exact preference.

To be totally accurate with this game, I think its better to say it’s much more Shovel Knight with a versus mode twist, rather than a fighting game in the style of Shovel Knight. Most of the mechanics work exactly how they did in Shovel Knight, but with some tweaks here and there. Each character has a life bar of only 4 pips. Every attack in the game does exactly one pip of damage, and after taking damage, you’re impervious to further damage for a couple seconds. This means you can’t just go to town on someone. Combos are definitely not a thing in this game, you’re basically just trying to land a single hit at a time, which is often harder than it sounds.

Characters only have a handful of attacks, what with there being only two attack buttons. Some attacks require holding the button to charge it up first, some attacks have directional inputs, but its a very simple system. You can come to grips with how a character plays in seconds. There’s no complicated inputs or executions to master here. As fighting games go, the barrier of entry here is very low. Your movesets are smaller even than your full movesets in the other expansions.

Unique to this game is a parry move, which negates any attack. The parry isn’t too good however, as it doesn’t give you a free hit. Your opponent can still move out of the way, or do their own parry. This is why its often hard to land an attack. Rushing in with no game plan means you’ll often just be shut down with the parry. The best way of attacking is to punish attacks that have a long recovery in which your opponent can’t parry. Many characters can also set up situations in which it’s difficult to parry attacks. With the game having basically no execution barrier, its entirely about outsmarting your opponent.

The two main game types are simply beating your opponent until they run out of lives, or stocks, if you’re used to Super Smash Bros. The other involves collecting gems that spawn around the map, and whoever has the most at the end of the round wins. Functionally these two aren’t too dissimilar, as defeating your opponent causes them to drop some of their gems. There’s plenty of ways to customize your matches too, the time limit, how many lives you have, you can even turn off items and stage hazards if you want a more pure versus experience. There’s also “cheat” options for fun things like making all attacks a one hit kill, making players giant, increasing jump height and run speed, among other things.

Speaking of items, most of them are just small little assists rather than anything that changes your moveset. The game being very simple, items just do their own thing, like a laser that automatically shoots periodically, or a pet that follows you and attacks others.

The story mode is where you’ll be spending probably most of your time if you want to unlock the full roster of characters and stages. Each character has their own story, though it basically just consists of a few cutscenes. Still, it has some charming dialogue. The story ends with, obviously, a boss fight. However given the boss fights in the rest of Shovel Knight and its expansions, I found this end boss fight to be pretty lacking. I won’t spoil what it is, but after the first time fighting it, I was pretty unimpressed. Especially because given the random nature of the fights in the story mode, it can generate fights that are more challenging. Though, I suppose not many people will play through this expecting fantastic boss fights.

If you don’t want to bother unlocking characters and just want the full roster immediately, there are some cheat codes you can enter to assist you. There’s a cheat that unlocks all characters temporarily, and won’t save your game after entering it. That way if you want to unlock everything the traditional way, you can still do that, and have everything for if you want to play with your friends. Or you can just unlock everything permanently. I don’t know if there will be Shovel Knight: Showdown tournaments, but if there are, then there’s no worries about having everything available.

It should be mentioned that there’s no online multiplayer here. Running multiplayer servers is probably beyond the scope of a small developer like Yacht Club, unfortunately. I wonder about the future of this game. I just don’t see a lot of folks playing this in the future, though I suppose I could be wrong.

Evaluating this game is pretty tricky. I certainly had fun with what I played. As far as being a versus mode of a much larger game, its a neat little novelty that some folks might play around with for a couple hours. As its own game? Hard to recommend, unless you maybe have a friend group of passionate Shovel Knight fans. Though in that case, I’d assume they would have Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove already, and thus this is just a free update. It’s $10 on its own, which certainly is a fair price. However, I’d say Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove at $40 is a better deal. With that you get Shovel Knight and three additional full campaigns, as well as Showdown. At that price, you’re basically getting Showdown as a free bonus.

Review Score
Overall

Review copy was provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW: Shovel Knight: Showdown appeared first on oprainfall.

Operation Rainfall was founded June 22, 2011 in order to push for the localization of a trilogy of Wii RPGs: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower. Since successfully achieving our campaign goals, we have moved to covering the latest and greatest in video game and anime news. In celebration of the 2010 to 2019 decade ending, the staff put together a list of the top thirty-one best games that you simply cannot miss. In order to qualify for this list, the game had to:

1. Be released between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 in North America.
2. Obtain at least a plurality of votes from our staff.
3. Re-releases from this decade were allowed for consideration, if the new release was a substantive increase of content over the original. For example, 2012 Persona 4: Golden would qualify due to the heavy amount of substantive new content included in that re-release versus 2008’s original release, but the HD re-release of 2008’s God of War: Chains of Olympus as part of the 2011 God of War: Origins Collection would not due to the minimal increase of new content.

Our writers then came together, and each picked up several games that they have played and loved, and talked about why each of those games are one of the thirty-one best video games from this past decade in each of the pieces to follow. Furthermore, a special thank you to Brandon Rose for the featured logo image.

Before reading on, feel free to check out choices for 2010/2011, 2012/2013 , 2014/2015, and 2016/2017 first!

Our final list will be published over five days in order of release date, covering two years per article. Today’s article covers the decade’s final best five games that were released between the years 2018 and 2019.

2018

27) Celeste

Publisher: Matt Makes Games
Platform(s): Linux / macOS / PC / Nintendo Switch / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One
Release Date: January 25, 2018

Josh Speer says:

Celeste is one of those games you really have to experience for yourself. I remember being captivated by the old school art style when I first saw the Switch trailer, but didn’t really put much stock in the game at that point. Much, much later, I finally picked up Celeste, and was completely blown away. Not only was this a great indie game, it was one of the best of the decade.

Celeste is a very challenging platformer that still finds a way to feel fair. You play a young girl scaling a formidable mountain while dealing with her own emotional turmoil. Both narrative and gameplay are intricately intertwined, and by the time you make it to the top of the mountain, you’ll feel a rush of strong emotions. Or at least I did. This is a game that really spoke to me, and unlike most platformers, it’s packed with content. That is, assuming you’re willing to take life or death chances to find all Celeste has hidden away. A wonderful game, and one of my favorite indies of all time.

28) Mega Man 11

Publisher: Capcom
Platform(s): PC / PS4 / Nintendo Switch / Xbox One
Release Date: October 2, 2018

Justin Guillou says:

After the release of Mega Man 10 back in 2010, fans of Capcom’s long running series have waited for almost an entire decade for the next greatest adventure in the Mega Man universe, and Capcom finally delivered with Mega Man 11.

This game was everything a Mega Man fan could ask for and more. It had clever level design, fun weapons, memorable bosses and a distinct and unique graphical style that is sure to stand the test of time. There were even some new and welcome additions such as the Double Gear which could not only be very helpful to new players but added a whole new layer and depth to the gameplay that more advanced players can take advantage of. Despite the new additions, it still felt very retro. This was very much the same kind of side scrolling Mega Man game that many of us grew up playing. And there are plenty of bonus modes, challenges, difficulties and unlockables and even an alternate arranged soundtrack to keep you coming back for more. If you’ve never played a Mega Man game before but had even a passing interest in the series, I can’t think of a better entry point than Mega Man 11.

29) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: December 6, 2018

Marisa Alexander says:

One of gaming’s biggest crossovers is back and bigger than ever, especially how all characters returned. Super Smash Bros Ultimate saw the series hop from one generation to the next once more, this time with the ability to play at home or in portable mode thanks to the Switch. With brand new stages, Mii customization, new modes, and some help by Bandai Namco themselves to oversee balance for competitive fighting, the series was at its peak. It was both a great time to be a Smash fan and to get into the series.

Both fighter and stage presentation was absolutely marvelous, with a strange chaotic beauty amongst the fighting. Most characters were also exceptionally fun, allowing a niche for most people to settle on. With its abundance of rewards, the game had a wonderful staying power to its name, only further enhanced by DLC. Needless to say, this generation of Smash will be fondly remembered for a long time.

See our final two entries, from 2019- the final year in this decade- on the next page —->

The post Oprainfall’s Best Games of the Decade- Part Five: 2018-2019 appeared first on oprainfall.

I’ve been a fan of Shovel Knight since the very beginning, so it’s somewhat bittersweet covering the final DLC for the first game, King of Cards. Though I didn’t personally cover Plague of Shadows for the site, I did cover Specter of Torment, and it goes without saying I’ve played through every major update to the game in my limited free time. The first DLC adventure was a tale of villainous romance, the second was a tale of loss and vengeance, and King of Cards is a tale of ascension. King Knight might seem the least interesting of the other playable members of the Order of No Quarter, but Yacht Club did a good job of making his adventure lively and varied. Put simply, King of Cards is huge, and though you don’t have to play through every level to beat it, even racing through the game as I did, it is a longer than average Shovel Knight game. The real question for me was – is this the best DLC adventure for Shovel Knight?

Though this won’t be news to any fan of the series, King Knight is a bit of an odd choice for his own story. He’s a bit of a narcissistic buffoon, and you never get the impression there’s much brain hidden behind that golden helm. However, I do applaud the way his story was woven. The tale is told with a mix of the offbeat humor from Plague of Shadows and combat that is a mix of elements from that campaign as well as Specter of Torment. The cards in the title refer to an up and coming card game in the realm called Joustus. Not only is it a hit, but it’s drawn people together to compete for the title of champion. King Knight is all about being recognized as the best, and sets out to win the tournament, defeat the 3 Joustus Judges and get the recognition he feels is long overdue. Along the way he’ll acquire a quirky entourage of allies, and their personalities were a highlight. There doesn’t initially seem to be much more to the plot than that, but I promise the wrinkle eventually reveals itself later in the game, and though not entirely unexpected, it did a good job of keeping things entertaining.

I will say now, if you came to King of Cards expecting the level of storytelling and nuance from Specter of Torment, you’ll be disappointed. This is a very different story, and to be fair, each of the DLC campaigns is quite distinct stylistically. With that said, I did hope that there’d be a bit more backstory to King Knight than we got. You do learn that he’s very immature, and possibly young as well. His mother plays a large role in the story, and his reactions to her indicate he’s a teenager or young adult. To put it simply, King Knight is a bit of an ass, though thankfully that ties into the humor I mentioned earlier. I just wish we knew a bit more about him, such as whether he found or made that golden armor, and how he trained rats to work for him. At the end of each stage, you’ll grab a golden hoop suspended by your flying rat minions, and they’ll carry you away. That’s far from typical rat behavior, and more than anything, I’m really curious how someone that lacks intellectual curiosity like King Knight had the patience and knowledge to teach such advanced skills to animals. Or how he built those tiny propeller harnesses. Having said all that, overall I did enjoy the story in King of Cards, even if it was more shallow than Specter Knight’s tale.

Though I’ve been (rightfully) talking some shit about King Knight, I will say that he has certain things going for him. For one, he’s quite powerful in that golden armor, and can move surprisingly fast. His main attack is a powerful shoulder bash, and when he connects with something, be it foe or wall, he’ll do a fancy aerial spin. This is actually another attack, and by landing on anything except flat ground, you’ll continue bouncing and damage any foes you stomp. As if that wasn’t enough, when you land on proper terrain while spinning, such as swinging lanterns, you’ll reset your bash, and be able to do it again. This makes King Knight quite powerful and very versatile in how he fights and platforms. Most stages make use of this mechanic to force you to smash into things just to get aerial, and then use your spin to maneuver around. Sure, he’s not as nimble as Specter Knight or as tricky as Plague Knight, but he is really comfortable in a sort of middle lane between the two. I grew to really enjoy how he played, and found he was especially effective against many of the games bosses. You encounter Specter Knight as a boss early in the game, and I literally beat him in less than a minute. Now, that’s not to say the bosses in King of Cards are all pushovers, they aren’t. It’s just a good indication of how powerful King Knight can be once you learn his mechanics.

One way King of Cards is different from the other DLC adventures is the overall number of stages. I beat the game as fast as I could, and only got through about half of them. Quite frankly, there’s a plethora of stages, though to compensate, most are quite a bit smaller. Many stages only have one checkpoint, and only a rare few have two. That’s not to say that this game is super easy. Yes, the stages are shorter, but given how aggressive King Knight’s controls are, and how easy it can be to fall into a pit or damage yourself charging into foes, it evens out pretty well. I did appreciate how foes give up a heart after taking enough damage, as this really helped keep me from dying more. And though these are shorter stages, you’re given incentive to take your time playing them with Merit Medals. There’s typically 3 in every stage, and these are your primary currency with which to acquire Heirlooms (powerful artifacts that provide new abilities). There’s tons of Heirlooms in the game, though my favorite was probably the Turn Coat, which lets you deflect projectiles back at foes.

You might be wondering what you spend your money on, and the simple answer is Joustus. Though you get a free starter deck pretty early, you’ll want to buy new cards, as well as buy back those you lost. See, every time you lose a match, your opponent gets one of your cards. Which might seem unfair, except that you can buy back duplicates, or win them back by beating them again. Additionally, if you need the help, you can buy Cheats that provide powerful effects during Joustus matches. I’m not ashamed to admit I ended up needing these Cheats regularly, and the reason is simple – I’m terrible at Joustus.

More Joustus on Page 2 ->

The post REVIEW: Shovel Knight: King of Cards appeared first on oprainfall.

Operation Rainfall was founded June 22, 2011 in order to push for the localization of a trilogy of Wii RPGs: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower. Since successfully achieving our campaign goals, we have moved to covering the latest and greatest in video game and anime news. In celebration of the 2010 to 2019 decade ending, the staff put together a list of the top thirty-one best games that you simply cannot miss. In order to qualify for this list, the game had to:

1. Be released between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 in North America.
2. Obtain at least a plurality of votes from our staff.
3. Re-releases from this decade were allowed for consideration, if the new release was a substantive increase of content over the original. For example, 2012 Persona 4: Golden would qualify due to the heavy amount of substantive new content included in that re-release versus 2008’s original release, but the HD re-release of 2008’s God of War: Chains of Olympus as part of the 2011 God of War: Origins Collection would not due to the minimal increase of new content.

Our writers then came together, and each picked up several games that they have played and loved, and talked about why each of those games are one of the thirty-one best video games from this past decade in each of the pieces to follow. Furthermore, a special thank you to Brandon Rose for the featured logo image.

Before reading on, feel free to check out choices for 2010/2011, 2012/2013 , and 2014/2015 first!

Our final list will be published over five days in order of release date, covering two years per article. Today’s article covers the decade’s best seven games that were released between the years 2016 and 2017.

2016

20) Persona 5

Publisher: Atlus USA
Platform(s): PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4
Release Date: September 15, 2016

Patrick Aguda says:

Persona 5 takes place in Tokyo and follows the protagonist when he transfers to Shujin Academy after an event in his hometown changes his life drastically. The protagonist starts out as an outcast at the school, but after strange and supernatural events start to occur, he gets dragged into another dimension known as the Metaverse. Here, he discovers the power of Personas and learns of the work he can do with this newfound power. As time goes on, he gathers friends who share a similar goal in wanting to help change society, or change the hearts of those they find to be corrupt. The protagonist dons the codename ‘Joker’ and becomes the leader of these group of individuals known as the Phantom Thieves.

This game is the Persona series’ long-awaited entry on the PS4 and it was worth the wait. The game features beautiful cel-shaded graphics, an eye-catching UI and a nice recreation of Tokyo. It keeps the popular social simulation aspects introduced in Persona 3 and introduces a plethora of characters the protagonist can interact with and get to know. These confidants can offer the protagonist and his team special bonuses depending on their relationship rank. These bonuses can range from EXP sharing, to increased money gains, or even the ability to access new shops. The turn-based battle system returns and is still as solid as it was in previous entries. The music in the game is influenced heavily by jazz and sounds incredible. All the party members in the game are interesting and their confidant stories add much more depth to their characters. Persona 5 has excellent music, beautiful graphics, great characters, and solid turn-based gameplay. It is one of the best JRPG’s released this decade, and you’re doing yourself a great disservice if you haven’t tried it yet.

21) Titanfall 2

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms(s): PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One
Release Date: October 28, 2016

Walter P. says:

Released two years after its multiplayer focused predecessor, Titanfall 2 expanded on the setting from the original game. It focuses on Jack Cooper, a member of the Frontier Militia who participates in a failed attack on the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC). He comes across the Titan BT-7274 and the two learn to rely on each other as they face IMC forces including the Apex Predator mercenary group.

Titanfall 2 is gone of the best shooters from the last decade for the tweaks made to its multiplayer, but also for the campaign which shows more of the conflict between the Militia and IMC. Fighting while on foot is quick and when piloting a Titan you can feel their power. One of the highlights of the single player is the interactions between the Titan BT and Cooper which is said to have been inspired by buddy cop movies, along with some anime. One of the biggest downsides to the game is that the campaign is a bit short and it wouldn’t have hurt to see some more Cooper and BT working together. That being said, the adventure between the pilot and Titan is something worth experiencing.

See our 2017 winners on page 2 ->

The post Oprainfall’s Best Games of the Decade- Part Four: 2016-2017 appeared first on oprainfall.

Operation Rainfall was founded June 22, 2011 in order to push for the localization of a trilogy of Wii RPGs: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower. Since successfully achieving our campaign goals, we have moved to covering the latest and greatest in video game and anime news. In celebration of the 2010 to 2019 decade ending, the staff put together a list of the top thirty-one best games that you simply cannot miss. In order to qualify for this list, the game had to:

1. Be released between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 in North America.
2. Obtain at least a plurality of votes from our staff.
3. Re-releases from this decade were allowed for consideration, if the new release was a substantive increase of content over the original. For example, 2012 Persona 4: Golden would qualify due to the heavy amount of substantive new content included in that re-release versus 2008’s original release, but the HD re-release of 2008’s God of War: Chains of Olympus as part of the 2011 God of War: Origins Collection would not due to the minimal increase of new content.

Our writers then came together, and each picked up several games that they have played and loved, and talked about why each of those games are one of the thirty-one best video games from this past decade in each of the pieces to follow. Furthermore, a special thank you to Brandon Rose for the featured logo image.

Before reading on, feel free to check out choices for 2010/2011 or our choices for 2012/2013 first!

Our final list will be published over five days in order of release date, covering two years per article. Today’s article covers the decade’s best five games that were released between the years 2014 and 2015.

2014

15) Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo Wii U / Nintendo Switch
Release Date(s): May 30, 2014 / April 28, 2017

Quentin H. says:

Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have up to twelve (12) players competing at once across forty-eight (48) tracks in twelve (12) cups and across four (4) cc modes. In Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U, there were thirty-six (36) characters to play as in total, and that total increased by five more in the 2017 Nintendo Switch release. In addition to all these racing cups and characters and modes, there was also a Battle Mode where people would fight each other online to see who can last the longest. While Mario Kart 8‘s Battle Mode was fairly lackluster, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s Battle Mode gave players eight (8) areas to battle and destroy/collect coins/escape from jail (just go with it) in. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a re-release of Mario Kart 8 with all of the DLC from the first entry thrown in alongside some new surprises.

Both of these games are some of the best multiplayer experiences that you are going to have across any platform at any time in gaming history. Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have an ease of accessibility so that anyone, from ages 8 to 88 can sit down, play a few races, and go anywhere from last place to first place (or vice versa!) in just a few moments with a well-timed Blue Shell. The courses themselves are varied, the graphics are beautiful, and it is easy to say “just one more race” to your friends while playing together on a rooftop or at a skateboard rink on the Nintendo Switch. The Battle Mode in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is also the best in the entire series, and the modes are varied enough and short enough in length that no one feels frustrated from not being in first for long. I honestly think that these joint titles are well-worth being some of the best multiplayer of this past decade.

16) Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS

Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: October 3, 2014

Marisa Alexander says:

During 2014, Nintendo released its new entry for Super Smash Bros. after massive amounts of hype, or dare we say, two new entries. Yes, even Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS gets some love. There was something marvelous back then about bringing one of the best games to play with friends on the go. It even had unique stages and an entire game mode all to itself. All in all, the 3DS version actually is able to stand toe to toe with its console counterpart.

Even on a lower resolution and weaker hardware, the models for the characters looked wonderful, fluid and easy to keep track of the action. Not to mention the game’s unique mode, Smash Run, was by far one of the most genius modes in a game to date. Running around a gigantic maze opening chests, finishing challenges, and defeating enemies to collect stat boosts to prepare for a grand final battle was a fantastic treat. Not to mention this version’s take on Classic mode just so happens to be one of the best Classic modes to date, granting this game practically immortal replay value.

Go to 2015 on Page 2 ->

The post Oprainfall’s Best Games of the Decade- Part Three: 2014-2015 appeared first on oprainfall.

Operation Rainfall was founded June 22, 2011 in order to push for the localization of a trilogy of Wii RPGS: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower. Since successfully achieving our campaign goals, we have moved to covering the latest and greatest in video game and anime news. In celebration of the 2010 to 2019 decade ending, the staff put together a list of the top thirty-one best games that you simply cannot miss. In order to qualify for this list, the game had to:

1. Be released between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 in North America.
2. Obtain at least a plurality of votes from our staff.
3. Re-releases from this decade were allowed for consideration, if the new release was a substantive increase of content over the original. For example, 2012 Persona 4: Golden would qualify due to the heavy amount of substantive new content included in that re-release versus 2008’s original release, but the HD re-release of 2008’s God of War: Chains of Olympus as part of the 2011 God of War: Origins Collection would not due to the minimal increase of new content.

Our writers then came together, and each picked up several games that they have played and loved, and talked about why each of those games are one of the thirty-one best video games from the past decade in each of the pieces to follow. Furthermore, a special thank you to Brandon Rose for the featured logo image.

You can check out yesterday’s best games-of-the-decade piece, covering the years 2010 and 2011, here. 

Our final list will be published over five days in order of release date, covering two years per article. Today’s article covers nine games that were released between the years 2012 and 2013.

2012

6) Kid Icarus Uprising

Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: March 22, 2012

Josh Speer says:

In retrospect, 2012 was a fantastic year for the Nintendo 3DS. Not only did we get totally new series like Bravely Default, we got returns to classics like Kid Icarus in Kid Icarus Uprising. Now, I freely admit I was not a fan of the original series Uprising is based off. And yet, Project Sora Co. Ltd. did such a phenomenal job of breathing new life into it, I couldn’t help but become a fan.

Split into aerial and land based chapters, Kid Icarus Uprising is a bombastic and experimental game that was totally unafraid to take chances. It featured lush 3D graphics, fantastic characters, better banter and very complex controls. This is a game that would hurt to play for too long, and actually came equipped with a stand to ease the burden on players’ hands. Despite all this, the varied stew of all the game’s influences made for a really unique experience. The only shame about Kid Icarus Uprising is that it didn’t get followed up with a sequel, or hell, even a remake on a large console. But even then, Kid Icarus Uprising is indisputably a one of a kind that amassed a cult following on the 3DS. Here’s hoping it’s not the last adventure of the decade involving Pit and company.

7) Xenoblade Chronicles

Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo Wii / New Nintendo 3DS
Release Date(s): April 6, 2012

Drew D. says:

Xenoblade Chronicles holds a very special place in the hearts of all of us here at Operation Rainfall. 2011 saw opainfall’s inception as a localization campaign. JRPG fans in the West sounded off and in 2012, Nintendo responded with Xenoblade’s Western release.

Xenoblade Chronicles tells the story of Shulk, a seemingly mild-mannered teen, who is thrust into the endless conflict between his people, the Homs, and the Machina. After the Machina attack his home and murder his childhood friend, Fiora, Shulk takes possession of the Monado, the only weapon capable of defeating the Machina, and vows to end the Machina threat once and for all. What begins as a personal quest for vengeance soon evolves into a journey of discovery, as Shulk unravels the mysteries of the world, their existences, and their own personal meanings of life.

Xenoblade Chronicles stands out as one of the most remarkably complete games of the past decade and, arguably, of all time. Xenoblade’s accolades include a fantastic story, rich history, well developed characters, solid gameplay and battle system, loads of side-quests, a beautifully detailed world teeming with creativity and awe, and one of the most perfectly complementary soundtracks that flawlessly ties story, action, and visuals together. Xenoblade Chronicles is truly a gem, one that will remain at the top of our favorites list forever.

8) Journey

Publisher(s): Sony Interactive Entertainment / Annapurna Interactive
Platform(s): PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4 / iOS / Windows
Release Date: March 13, 2012

Leah McDonald says:

Journey takes place in a vast desert and tasks the player with one simple goal: Reach the top of a distant mountain. That journey covers vast stretches of desert, subterranean ruins and snow-swept peaks as players advance using elegant gliding techniques, short bursts of flight, and simple communication between a random partner.

As thatgamecompany’s third game, Journey leans heavily into the company’s signature minimalist design, telling its story through environmental queues and sparse cutscenes depicting the history of the world in mural form. It’s up to the player to decide what story is being told, and what their journey to the mountain ultimately means. There is no dialogue or written text, and even player communication is done through abstract pings to one another. It’s a fantastic use of video games’ unique ability to tell stories through immersive and emergent gameplay, and showcases how interactive media can touch people and spark discussion in ways books and movies cannot. It’s obvious why this is one of our games of the decade.

9) Bravely Default: Flying Fairy

Publisher(s): Nintendo / SQUARE ENIX
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: October 11, 2012

Josh Speer says:

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy could have easily been a giant flop on SQUARE ENIX’s part. For one thing, it was them taking a chance on a new game with mechanics very much inspired by classic RPGs. Given SQUARE ENIX’s preference to make big, bold and new games, this was definitely a crapshoot. They also took a chance on a new studio, Silicon Studio. Yet despite all that, this 3DS exclusive was not only a massive success, it proved to gamers worldwide and SQUARE ENIX that people still have a yearning for classic RPGs.

That success was in large part due to how fresh Silicon Studio’s approach to storytelling was. Bravely Default did use old school mechanics, but in ways that were very novel. The give and take to the combat system encouraged players to take chances, and get rewarded accordingly. Plus there were tons of side quests to accomplish, classes to discover and lore to experience. And like any great RPG, Bravely Default had a great cast of memorable characters, perhaps none so much so as Edea. A wonderful and noteworthy adventure, and a definite contender for a best game of the decade.

10) Persona 4: Golden

Publisher: Atlus USA
Platform: PlayStation Vita
Release Date: November 20th, 2012

Jenae R. says:

Persona 4 Golden is the enhanced version of Persona 4. It’s still Persona 4 though, the overall story hasn’t changed. In this Persona title, the main character has moved to Inaba, a rural town where he will temporarily live with his uncle and young cousin. But not long after he arrives, people start turning up dead. He, along with his new friends, awaken their Personas and form their own investigation team to figure out what’s going on and try to save the citizens of their small town.

The go-to recommendation that gamers mention to new Vita owners is Persona 4 Golden. It is always stated as the best reason to own one and therefore, definitely deserves its spot on this list. When Persona 4 originally released on PlayStation 2, it wasn’t quite as packed with content as Persona 3 FES. Inaba is very much a small rural town and there’s only so much to do. This new re-release added a ton of content to the game. There’s a new character, a new town area to explore, a new dungeon, new music tracks and even an additional month to complete social links and sidequests. Plus, there’s obviously more story content to go with it too. Not only that, but there’s an extras section in the main menu with stuff added such as art slideshows and a music player to listen to the game’s soundtrack. Persona 4 Golden took what was a sort of empty and not as grand Persona game and made it so much better. Some of us who initially played it on PS2 came to love Persona 4 a lot more after playing Golden. Which is why it’s one of oprainfall’s games of the decade.

Head to 2013 on Page 2 ->

The post Oprainfall’s Best Games of the Decade- Part Two: 2012-2013 appeared first on oprainfall.

You all know what day it is, it’s time for a new Nintendo Download! This is the first one of the holiday season, so hopefully that means there’s lots of presents for all of us. Though I personally doubt there’s any deals quite as good as those mentioned in recent weeks. I know I took full advantage of the Cyber Deals to get several games for less than $30. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing worthwhile today. There’s some great featured titles, a new event, the typical sales and lots of digital goodies. So let’s start this Nintendo Download off with the final DLC to my favorite crowdfunded game thus far.

If you’ve been paying attention, it’s no surprise that I love Shovel Knight. Not only was it the very first game I Kickstarted, but it’s arguably also the best. The folks at Yacht Club have put their heart, sweat, blood and tears into the original game, as well as every subsequent DLC adventure. I have yet to play any Shovel Knight game that’s not amazing, and I’m extremely excited for the latest one, King of Cards. In it, we’ll finally be ably to play the golden dandy himself, King Knight, in what is apparently the largest expansion for Shovel Knight yet. I’m very happy that time is nigh, especially since I’m privileged to review it for the oprainfall site. So stay tuned for that in the coming days. But that’s not the only featured title in today’s Nintendo Download. Another good one is STAR OCEAN First Departure R. While I’ve never really gotten into the series, I’ve heard lots of good things, and this entry looks colorful and complex. Finally, if you’re a fan of popular series on other consoles getting ported to Switch, you might also enjoy Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection. It has two games in one, along with some DLC. Now let’s check out an event that’s happening.

• Don’t Worry About Your Character Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road – For its next limited-time event – now live! – the Mario Kart Tour game hits the streets of London. The London tour includes a course based on the city itself, and features spotlight drivers Daisy (Holiday Cheer) and Waluigi (Bus Driver). Race through London decked out in festive trees for the holiday. Plus, Mario (Santa) will still be in the Pipe until Dec. 31. You might get to see him if you are super lucky!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the massive feast of sales last week, cause it’s been cut down to the bone this week. Instead of nearly 1000 games on sale, now there’s a little more than 100 courtesy of the Game Guide, but I’ll do my best to ferret out the best deals. If you like adventure games, you might wanna check out Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Switch) for $15.99; for something cute, try Spirit Roots (Switch) for $3.49; to face your nightmares, try Mary Skelter 2 (Switch) for $29.99; to get your Viking on, try Rimelands: Hammer of Thor (Switch) for $4.99; or to get lost, try LOST ORBIT: Terminal Velocity (Switch) for $4.99; for fun with Nep, try Super Neptunia RPG (Switch) for $24.99; or for waifu dungeon crawling, try Moero Chronicle Hyper (Switch) for $9.99; or for a dark fantasy, try Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force (Switch) for $19.99; if you want a great discount on a colorful fighter, try Brawlout (Switch) for $5.99; for portable fun, try Digger Dan DX (3DS) for $0.99; and finally, for more Norse fun, try Jotun: Valhalla Edition (Wii U) for $4.94. To see the other discounted games, just click here.

For the next Nintendo Download, you can check out these digital games. Play a feline detective in Blacksad: Under the Skin, based on a lush graphic novel. Or if you want to shoot some vatos, try Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. And finally, for a colorful multiplayer experience with unique art, there’s Riverbond!

The next group of digital games are all going to be available this week of the Nintendo Download. For your retro needs, this week there are two options – Arcade Archives HYPER SPORTS and TwinBee. For a little horror, try Breathing Fear. If you want to shoot ships in space, try Defenders of Ekron: Definitive Edition and Space Blaze. To play cooperatively, try Tick Tock: A Tale for Two. Fans of tactical games might enjoy Immortal Planet and Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. And finally, for double the waifu fun, try NekoMiko.

Overall, a pretty great first Nintendo Download for December! Thanks as always for joining us here at oprainfall, and be sure to tune in next week for more Download, as well as many upcoming reviews!

The post Nintendo Download for 12/5/19 appeared first on oprainfall.

This Nintendo Download is pretty short on new releases, but there is one cool featured title I have some experience with. It’s called EarthNight, and it’s a beautiful game all about running and jumping on the backs of giant dragons! It’s post apocalyptic, and has a bit of rogue DNA thrown in for good measure. I was originally drawn to EarthNight cause of the lush visual style, but I think it has the chops to draw in other gamers as well. If that sounds interesting, you’ll be able to pick it up in just a few short days. But if you’re not convinced, stay tuned for oprainfall’s upcoming review of EarthNight.

It wouldn’t be a Nintendo Download without some sales, so let’s go and see what the Game Guide has to offer. There’s actually a lot of great deals, cause of the Cyber Deals and Black Friday discounts. So I’m gonna try and wrap all those into the main write up as a cohesive discussion. BANDAI NAMCO and Devolver Digital have some sales. There’s also SEGA and ATLUS. And I’d be remiss not to mention some Capcom sales. Below I’ll list what I feel are the best games to check out from each.

First off, for BANDAI NAMCO, I’d check out the following games – Katamari Damacy REROLL, Little Nightmares: Complete Edition, Namco Museum, RAD and Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! For Devolver, check out Ape Out, Broforce, Gato Roboto, Hotline Miami Collection, Mother Russia Bleeds, My Friend Pedro and NOT A HERO: SUPER SNAZZY EDITION. For SEGA and ATLUS, there’s a ton of SEGA AGES titles discounted, including the following – Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Columns II, Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar, Sonic the Hedgehog and Wonder Boy. They also have the following worth a look – Citizens of Space, Rock of Ages 2, Shining Resonance Refrain, Sonic Mania and Valkyria Chronicles 4. And for Capcom, there’s some great bargains including these – Mega Man 11, both Mega Man X Legacy Collections, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, all the Resident Evil ports and the 3DS Monster Hunter games.

Whew, that’s already a lot of Nintendo Download sales, but there’s more, so keep reading! Super Mario Aces (Switch) is a bit discounted at $41.99; not to be outdone, you can also pick up Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) for $41.99; for fun with spirits, try Ghost Parade (Switch) for $31.99; or to monkey around, try Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD (Switch) for $29.99; for puzzling fun, try Day and Night (Switch) for $14.39; to face terrifying spirits, try Spirit Hunter: NG (Switch) for $39.99; for three games in one, try Old School RPG Bundle (Switch) for $22.49; for Metroidvania fun, check out Mable &  the Wood (Switch) for $7.49; for immature fun, try Freedom Finger (Switch) for $14.99; or for an emotional quest, try Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (Switch) for $13.99; for fun with Adepts, try Luminous Avenger iX (Switch) for $13.49; or to take a chance on mayhem, get CONTRA: ROGUE CORPS (Switch) for $29.99; for fun in the apocalypse, try Overland (Switch) for $19.99; or for a simple yet compelling puzzle game, get Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns (Switch) for $7.49; if you’re a hardcore gamer, try Never Give Up (Switch) for $11.24; for retro mayhem, try Contra Anniversary Collection (Switch) for $9.99 or Castlevania Anniversary Collection (Switch), also for $9.99; to try a one of a kind, get Cuphead (Switch) for $14.99; for a great discount, get Unravel Two (Switch) for $4.99; or get Degrees of Separation (Switch) at the low price of $1.99; for a bunch of punches, try the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle (Switch) for $9.99; and for musical wonder, try Old School Musical (Switch) for $6.49. But wait, there’s still more sales.

This time of year the old systems get great discounts, so check out the following worthy 3DS Game Guide sales. Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn is only $19.99; Persona Q2 is half off at $19.99, along with Etrian Odyssey Nexus; Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is only $4.99; and SteamWorld Dig 2 is cheap at $9.99; the complex Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is affordable at $19.99; River City: Rival Showdown is now $14.99; for complex fun, there’s Culdcept Revolt for $12.99; MIGHTY GUNVOLT BURST is very cheap at $4.99; Blaster Master Zero is only $4.99; Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is $7.49; 7th Dragon III Code: VFD is $14.99; the tremendous SteamWorld Heist is $4.49; SMT Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker is pretty good for $9.99; and lastly, MIGHTY GUNVOLT is worth getting at $1.99. Though that’s all the sales I’m gonna list today, there’s a TON more, and I tried to stick with more relevant titles. So if there’s something niche or indie that you don’t see here, it’s probably available on the full list. Just get ready to scroll, since there’s more than 1000 sales happening. You can see them all by clicking here.

Since this Nintendo Download is already running long, and since we’ve covered so much already, I’m only gonna tackle the digital games out this week. Retro fans can enjoy Arcade Archives IN THE HUNT, Electronic Super Joy and FoxyLand. For games with some strategy, try Deathtrap Dungeon Trilogy, Decay of Logos, Strike Force Kitty and Where the Water Tastes Like Wine. For 3 quirky indies, try the Indie Gems Bundle. And lastly, for something truly weird, check out Trover Saves the Universe.

That’s it, folks! Thanks if you checked out our Nintendo Download on Thanksgiving, and be sure to tune in next week for your regularly scheduled dose of Nintendo goodness!

The post Nintendo Download for 11/28/19 appeared first on oprainfall.

Every once in a while I’m totally perplexed by a reveal in a Nintendo Direct, and this game is one of those. It’s called The Touryst, and odd spelling aside, it looks unlike anything I’m familiar with. Is it a puzzle game? And action adventure? I really don’t know, and the game doesn’t help to clarify things. All I know is you’re exploring ancient ruins in a beach side locale, and there’s creepy artifacts and dangerous creatures. Wish I could explain it better, but that’s all I got. The other featured title is one I have more familiarity with and more appreciation for. It’s called Black Future ’88, and it’s a rogue action game where you’re fighting against a diabolical machine intelligence. It also has wonderfully edgy art and cool mechanics, and tons of procedural goodness. This is not a game I expected on Switch, but I’m glad it made its way there. Now let’s continue today’s Nintendo Download with some events.

• ’Tis the Season to Put Your Keys in the Ignition – A beautiful blanket of snow has descended in the Mario Kart Tour game* during the special Winter Tour event, which runs until Dec. 3. Mario looks quite jolly in his Santa suit while staying warm with a Fire Flower. Meanwhile, Pink Gold Peach spreads some wintertime joy as she speeds past sparkling decorations. Additionally, with a new update, players can now drive with a dedicated “Drift” button now added in Automatic Drift mode, and a “Steer” button added in Manual Drift mode, there’s never been a better time to join the race!
• Happy Second Anniversary, Animal Crossing Campers – Mail call! Your special invitation to Pocket Camp Club has arrived, a new optional paid subscription service exclusive to the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp game*. Have you ever wanted your own personal assistant to help around the campsite? With the Happy Helper Plan, priced at $2.99 a month, you’ll be able to set your favorite animal friend as your camp caretaker to help with animal requests and events like Scavenger Hunts, Fishing Tourneys and Garden Events. Or, with the Cookie & Depot Plan, priced at $7.99 a month, you’ll receive access to the members-only Cookie Shop where you can choose five fortune cookies each month. Plus, with the Cookie & Depot Plan, you’ll also be able to indulge all your furniture and clothing collecting instincts with a large upgrade to your storage capacity.

It wouldn’t truly be a proper Nintendo Download without some sales, so let’s see what the Game Guide has for us this week. If you enjoy puzzle games with style, you might enjoy Anthill (Switch) for $4.99; for a moody adventure, check out Neo Cab (Switch) for $15.99; for a retro SHMUP, try Inferno 2 (Switch) for $3.99; horror enthusiasts might prefer Ellen (Switch) for $5.59; fans of stealth multiplayer mayhem might enjoy Invisigun Reloaded (Switch) for $9.99; for survival horror, check out Distrust (Switch) for $5.87; for a good discount, try Skulls of the Shogun: Bon-A-Fide Edition (Switch) for $4.99; or for a cute and simple platformer, try Furwind (Switch) for $6.99; for some mayhem, try Dusty Raging Fist (Switch) for $5.99; or for a flawed platformer at a great price, try V.O.I.D. (Switch) for $0.99; for another bargain, check out Mana Spark (Switch) also for $0.99; for portable fun, try Alphadia (3DS) for $4.99; and lastly, to breathe some life back into your old console, try Gunman Clive HD Collection (Wii U) for only $3.39. To see the other sales, just click here.

Now time for my favorite part of the Nintendo Download, the digital goodies! The following are all out next week, for those interested. If you like a dollop of anime flavor in your puzzle game, try Chameleon. Or for something a bit more violent, try Story of a Gladiator. To make some mischief, try Widget Satchel. And for a robust adventure in a magical world, try Pine.

Sadly, there’s not many digital offerings worth mention this week either, but there’s still a scant few. Retro fans might enjoy the latest Arcade Archives title, Yie Ar KUNG-FU. Or for something exceptionally weird, try Baobabs Mausoleum Ep.3: Un Pato en Muertoburgo. Fans of horror might enjoy Fractured Minds. If you always wanted to play sports to save the world, then there’s SoccerDie: Cosmic Cup. If you want a mix of RPG and fighting game, try Tiny Gladiators. And last but not least, for a promising looking game with a generic title, try GREEN VIDEO GAME.

Well, this Nintendo Download may not have been the smorgasbord I was hoping for, but there’s still next week. And yes, the Nintendo Download is still happening on Thanksgiving. Just expect it a bit earlier in the day. Thanks as always for joining us at oprainfall for your weekly dose of Nintendo goodness, and be sure to tune in before you stuff yourselves silly next week!

The post Nintendo Download for 11/21/19 appeared first on oprainfall.

Well folks, I hope you enjoyed last week’s jam packed Nintendo Download, cause this one is a bit slimmer by comparison. We’re not at full Thanksgiving stuffing levels yet, but there’s still some good morsels to enjoy. For one thing, this particular Nintendo Download highlights the upcoming Pokémon games, and despite some of the negative buzz online, I’m still very much looking forward to the latest adventure. There’s also another featured title I’m rather excited about, the usual sales and a good number of digital games. So let’s get started by racing to the Galar region!

Pokémon Sword and Shield have been on my radar since they were first announced. And just like when I first heard about the new games, I’m still very excited. After all, this is the first console Pokémon on Switch, and technically the first ever. Not including fantastic offshoots like Gale of Darkness and the Colosseum fun. And even though GAME FREAK is playing it close to the vest this time, and doling out new reveals very slowly, I’m eager to start discovering the secrets of the Galar region starting tomorrow. But that’s not the only featured title today. There’s also a great rogue multiplayer friendly adventure called Children of Morta. This tale of darkness and family has lush pixel art and 6 totally different and very customizable characters. I played it a couple years back at PAX West, and have been eager for a Switch release date ever since. Now that we’ve mentioned those games, let’s continue with some sales!

For this week’s Nintendo Download, we’ll start with some sales of very newly released games. A couple were just released last week, in fact. First up, if you like folk lore in your gaming, Yaga (Switch) is more affordable at $19.99; or if you like classic RPGs that never made it stateside, try Romancing SaGa 3 (Switch) for $23.19; for some hacking fun, try Cyber Protocol (Switch) for $4.99; or if you prefer blowing things up, try Inferno 2 (Switch) for $3.99; to take advantage of a good discount, try Solo: Islands of the Heart (Switch) for only $7.99; to take a chance on what may be a fun retro game, check out AGARTHA-S (Switch) for $2.39; for a really good deal, try Toby: The Secret Mine (Switch) for only $0.99; or for a deal on dancing, try Crypt of the NecroDancer (Switch) for only $3.99; and for a rogue survival horror, try Vaccine (Switch) for $2.50. That’s pretty much it for this week’s savings. Sadly no noteworthy 3DS or Wii U titles to mention, though you can check out more games by clicking here.

Next up, it’s time for digital games for the following Nintendo Download. There’s only a few worth mention. First, if you like retro, you might want to try Bloo Kid 2. If you prefer crazy puzzles, try Bouncy Bob 2 (no relation to Bloo Kid, despite the numbers). For something psychological, try Still There. And lastly, for a party with friends, try Munchkin: Quacked Quest.

Now it’s time digital fun for this week’s Nintendo Download. If you love new games inspired visually by old ones, check these out – Balthazar’s Dream, Perils of Baking, Raining Blobs and Rocket Wars. For titles with a bit of puzzling, try Mars Power Industries and Tactical Mind 2. If you like RPGs, the only option this week is Labyrinth of the Witch. If you love charming games with a twist, check out Woven. Or if you have a need for speed, try Overlanders. Adventure fans should check out Scarlett Mysteries: Cursed Child and Some Distant Memory. And lastly, if like me you’ve always secretly wanted a never-ending Zelda, try Sparklite.

All in all, not a half bad Nintendo Download. Thanks as always for joining oprainfall for your weekly dose of Nintendo goodness. Hope you all enjoy this batch of games. Now if you’ll all excuse me, I have to finish counting the hours until I can pick up my copy of Pokémon Sword!

The post Nintendo Download for 11/14/19 appeared first on oprainfall.

Our first featured title this seek is a game I’ve been interested in since it was first announced as an Xbox exclusive. Then it was called Super Lucky’s Tale, and I rather enjoyed demoing it. This past E3 I got the chance to play the new Switch version, called New Super Lucky’s Tale, and while it played much like I remembered, that’s far from a complaint. Regardless of the version, this is pure platforming fun, with charm to spare. But if you don’t believe me, wait a week or so for my upcoming review of New Super Lucky’s Tale. Next up is an adorable entry from Disney, called Disney TSUM TSUM FESTIVAL. Featuring multiplayer and tons of minigames to enjoy, this is the perfect all ages sort of game. And lastly, if you love playing detective, you might enjoy LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy – Deluxe Edition. Originally for the 3DS, I found the source game entertaining, though perhaps less so than the games that inspired it. And while I’m bothered that there’s no dual screen antics, they make up for it with new puzzles, DLC and outfits to keep you playing. But that’s far from everything this week. Let’s move on with a couple events.

• Take in the Sights at the City of Lights with Mario Kart Tour – Blast through the scenic streets of grand Paris during the Paris Tour event, which runs exclusively in the Mario Kart Tour game** until Nov. 19. Racers can zoom past the Eiffel Tower while playing as Shy Guy dressed as a pastry chef, or as Peach, looking positively resplendent in her stylish vacation outfit as she explores Paris.
• Don’t Miss Your Last Chance to Enter the My Nintendo Luigi’s Mansion 3 Sweepstakes! – Celebrate the spookiest game of the year with the My Nintendo Luigi’s Mansion 3 Sweepstakes***, exclusively for My Nintendo members. Redeem your My Nintendo Platinum Points for a chance to win fun prizes, including a Luigi’s Mansion 3 PVC Statue. These statues are incredibly detailed – seriously, check out the design of the Poltergust G-00 in all its ghost-slamming glory.

Next up in this week’s Nintendo Download, let’s check out some savings. First up, XSEED Games still has a sale going that you can snag a couple savings on, and it ends today. Some of the highlights are BurgerTime Party!, a couple FATE/EXTELLA games, Freedom Planet, Gal Metal, Senran Kagura, Unchained Blades and more. To see those titles, just click here.

But that’s not all. The following are some other sales to check out this week. These gems are also worth checking out in this Nintendo Download. For something unique, check out Spirit Roots (Switch) for $3.49; for cute puzzles, try Lanternium (Switch) for $3.99; to thwack some aliens, try Jet Kave Adventure (Switch) for $14.99; or for a surprisingly fun retro adventure, try Sydney Hunter and the Curse of the Mayan (Switch) for $9.99; for some violent mayhem, try Hotline Miami Collection (Switch) for $12.49; for something monochromatic, try Bear With Me: The Lost Robots (Switch) for $2.49; for a nice discount, try Phantom Doctrine (Switch) for $6.79; for an incredible discount, more than 80% off, try Selma and the Wisp (Switch) for $0.99; for stealth assassin fun, try Katana ZERO (Switch) for $10.04; to fight some robots, try Oniken: Unstoppable Edition (Switch) for $4.99; to save your child from Hell, try Pinstripe (Switch) for $4.49; for a crazy title, try Super Blackjack Battle 2 Turbo Edition – The Card Warriors (Switch) for $1.79; to try something relaxing, try Link-a-Pix Color (3DS) for $3.99; and lastly, for something creative, take a whirl with PONCHO (Wii U) for $4.99. To see everything else, just click here.

The following digital titles are all out for next week’s Nintendo Download. For something indescribably weird, check out DRAW CHILLY. For more simplistic fare, try holedown. To play a classic RPG that never made it to the West before today, try Romancing SaGa 3. And lastly, for a folktale, try Yaga.

And lastly, all these digital titles are available for this week. If you enjoy puzzles, you might like One Person Story and puzzlement. If you like hectic games, try these – Headsnatchers, Juicy Realm, STURMWIND EX and MONKEY BARRELS. To try something emotional, take a look at Incredible Mandy. Or for something darker, there’s ANIMUS: Harbinger and Ritual: Crown of Horns. Or if you want a simple RPG, try Asdivine Kamura. For a strange hybrid, check out Skybolt Zack. Or for a retro throwback, there’s STAY COOL, KOBAYASHI-SAN!: A RIVER CITY RANSOM STORY. And finally, for your adventure game needs, there’s a lot to try – Strange Telephone, THE GRISAIA TRILOGY and Tokyo Dark – Remembrance –.

All in all, a pretty great week for the Nintendo Download. Thanks for joining us here at oprainfall, and be sure to tune in next week for another collection of great Nintendo games.

The post Nintendo Download for 11/7/19 appeared first on oprainfall.

I’ve become more and more of a Luigi fan over the years. Not only is he the underdog, but he’s a goofy, anxious mess. And yet, he still manages to regularly save the day, and do so his way. Which brings us to his latest haunted adventure, Luigi’s Mansion 3! Though I’ve carefully avoided spoilers about this first Switch adventure, I’m very eager to capture some spooky spirits and unveil what’s happening this time. If you don’t want to be spoiled either, then please stay tuned for my upcoming review of my pre-ordered copy of Luigi’s Mansion 3 in the coming weeks. But that’s not the only featured game this Nintendo Download. This next one isn’t spooky at all, unless you have a twisted sense of humor. That game is none other than Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. I personally am not a giant fan of sports related games, but this one got pretty high marks from one of our writers. You’ll be able to read about that in more detail next Tuesday morning. And finally, the most truly terrifying game this week is Just Dance 2020. Like a raving serial killer, this series just won’t die, and keeps reappearing in more horrifying forms. With those out of the way, let’s move on with some sales.

In honor of the holiday season, this time I’m covering the sales slightly differently. Specifically, today I’m only covering games that have horror elements in them, and I’ll probably be covering some games I might not typically discuss. With those guidelines out of the way, here are the spooky sales for this week of the Nintendo Download. If you love Halloween getting a face lift, try Horror Pinball Bundle (Switch) for $4.94; to be a heroic ghoul, try Reaper: Tale of a Pale Swordsman (Switch) for $2.99; to spend some quality time with some nice ladies, try Paper Dolls Original (Switch) for $11.89; for some odd target practice, try Rest in Pieces (Switch) for $4.99; to explore a calm city, try Welcome to Hanwell (Switch) for $11.99; to spend a bit more time with your nerdy friends, try Stranger Things 3: The Game (Switch) for $9.99; fans of nature will get some jogging out of the way with Slender: The Arrival (Switch) for $4.99; for a blast from the past, try The Demon Crystal (Switch) for $1.99; for portable scares, try Horror Stories (3DS) for $1.99; or for dark retro goodness, try Odallus: The Dark Call (Switch) for $5.99; to blast your way through an Lovecraftian abyss, try Blacksea Odyssey (Switch) for $3.24; to shoot up some demonic foes, try Demon’s Crystals (Switch) for $7.49; for fun with mutants, try Freaky Awesome (Switch) for $6.49; or for something strange, try Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle (Switch) for $6.79; to free your son from Hell, try Pinstripe (Switch) for $4.49; to hatch some crazy, try BLACK BIRD (Switch) for $9.99; for something different, try Flipping Death (Switch) for $5.99; to get your violent fix, try Streets of Red – Devil’s Dare Deluxe (Switch) for $7.49; for first person horror, try Infernium (Switch) for $14.97; for creepy history, try Layers of Fear: Legacy (Switch) for $3.99; or to run from your monster, try The Coma: Recut (Switch) for $5.99; and lastly, for a haunting odyssey, try Exile’s End (Wii U) for $3.99. To see everything else, just click here.

Normally I’d cover several games coming out in next week’s Nintendo Download, but this time there’s only one title worth mention. And even that’s a bit of a stretch, but here goes. For next week, fans of card games and fantasy might enjoy The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game. Now let’s move onto the digital games out this week.

There’s plenty of digital goodies out for this week’s Nintendo Download. Fans of retro can go back to the past with Arcade Archives Mr. GOEMON. Platformer fans can check out the following – Ghost Parade, Spirit Roots, The Big Journey and Yuri. If you like a bit more story, try the following titles – Agony, Flan, Perseverance and The Wardrobe: Even Better Edition. And finally, for an action packed game, try Mononoke Slashdown.

So that’s it for this week’s Nintendo Download. I did my best to highlight the spooky stuff for you, even though there was less than I expected. Thanks as always for joining us here at oprainfall, and no matter how you celebrate the holiday, have a happy Halloween!

The post Nintendo Download for 10/31/19 appeared first on oprainfall.

This Nintendo Download has finally done what I’ve been waiting for all October – it got Halloweeny! Which is to be expected, since we’re just a week away from the spooky holiday, as well as the upcoming release of Luigi’s Mansion 3! As such, this Nintendo Download has some cool sweepstakes to check out, a bunch of featured titles, the usual sales and a bag full of digital candy. So let’s get started with some zombies, demons and one little monkey.

Capcom loves re-releasing games, and especially those from popular series like Resident Evil. So this time, we’re getting a twofer – Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, respectively. Despite having heard bad things about both titles, I also never expected them to be able to run on a Nintendo console. So assuming they’re well optimized, both games might be worth a look. As an added bonus, if you’ve bought any of the previously released Resident Evil games already, you can pre-purchase 5 and 6 with a 33% discount. If you prefer more demonic fun, then you will love the antics of Disgaea 4 Complete+! And finally, if you like monkeying around (I’m so sorry), then you might enjoy Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD. But that’s not all this week of the Nintendo Download, not by a long shot. So let’s continue with a special sweepstakes offer.

• Enter the My Nintendo Luigi’s Mansion 3 Sweepstakes! – This year, the spookiest holiday of the year is extra spooky because the Luigi’s Mansion 3 game arrives on Oct. 31. Want to help us celebrate the game’s launch? You can enter the My Nintendo Luigi’s Mansion 3 Sweepstakes, exclusively for My Nintendo members. Redeem your My Nintendo Platinum Points for a chance to win spooky-fun prizes. The statues are incredibly detailed – seriously, check out the design of the ghost-sucking Poltergust G-00. It even matches the design seen in the game’s trailers.

Next up in today’s Nintendo Download, it’s time for some sales. If you want a newly released horror adventure for a slight discount, try Raging Loop (Switch) for $26.99; or to ascend a nightmare, try Mary Skelter 2 (Switch) for $31.99; for a cute looking puzzle game, try Where the Bees Make Honey (Switch) for $6.99; for some violent mayhem, try Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition (Switch) for $23.99; to take a chance on a discount, try Hidden (Switch) for a mere $1.99; for something creepy, try Amnesia: Collection (Switch) for $19.49; fans of masochism should get Blasphemous (Switch) for $19.99; to give in to madness, look no further than Omen Exitio: Plague (Switch) for $6.69; or for something classic, try Raiden V: Director’s Cut (Switch) for $17.99; for a new perspective, try The Child’s Sight (Switch) for $2.49; to help a child escape from horror, try Among the Sleep – Enhanced Edition (Switch) for $12.49; for a new take on the Zelda formula, try The Swords of Ditto: Mormo’s Curse (Switch) for $7.49; or for some voxel scares, try The Padre (Switch) for $9.99; for an amazing discount on a cool game, try Way of the Passive Fist (Switch) for $3.74; to reach your SHMUP quota, try Anger Force: Reloaded (Switch) for $6.49; for some portable scares, try Plasmaphobia: Hall of Specters 3D (3DS) for $0.99; or for something basic, try Halloween Pinball (Switch) for $1.97; for a compelling mystery, try Flood of Light (Switch) for $2.44; to flex those dungeon crawling muscles, try Crawl (Switch) for half off at $7.49; and for an amazing discount, try Mutant Mudds Collection (Switch) for only $1.49. Sadly no Wii U games worth noting this week, though you can see all the games I didn’t mention by clicking here.

There’s never a shortage of digital offerings, so here’s what to look for during next week’s Nintendo Download. If you love retro games, try Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and the Lion King. For some RPG fun, try Dusk Diver. If you prefer management games, try Harvest Moon: Mad Dash. For some multiplayer mayhem, try Door Kickers: Action Squad. In the spirit of the season, I have to mention VAMPYR. Or if you like turn based action, try Spaceland. If you love some alchemy waifu, try Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout. And lastly, for a faithful port of an incredible looking game, try Xeno Crisis.

There may be less digital games this week than last, but there’s still plenty to enjoy. For a duo of strategy games, try Anthill and Deep Space Rush. For a feline adventure, try Cat Quest II. For some platforming fun, try Dark Devotion, The Legend of Dark Witch and Pixel Gladiator. For SHMUP fun, try Ghost Blade HD and Vortex Attack EX. For some Halloween fun, try Dark Veer and HAUNTED: Halloween ’86. And finally, for a spooky boxing game, try Creepy Brawlers.

All in all, a pretty worthy tribute to the holiday season. Thanks for joining us here at oprainfall for your weekly Nintendo Download, and be sure to tune in next time!

The post Nintendo Download for 10/24/19 appeared first on oprainfall.

This Nintendo Download only has one featured title and no additional sales. And yet, it is also surprisingly full of content. A big reason for that is that there’s a metric ton of digital games to check out this week, even if there’s nothing really extra. So let’s start with a spooky looking featured title coming to Nintendo Switch.

I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the gameplay in Papers, Please. Which makes it funny that I’m very fascinated by Return of the Obra Dinn. Perhaps that’s due to the minimalist black and white visual style or the time manipulation mechanic. But there’s something about this mysterious adventure game that really drags me in. If you’re looking for something creepy and different this Halloween season, I think this might be worth checking out starting tomorrow.

It wouldn’t be a proper Nintendo Download without some sales, so let’s see what the Game Guide has cooked up for us this week. I should point out that though there are no new sales that started this week, I’ll be covering some games on sale from Raw Fury and Bandai Namco in the general discussion. If you want some simple yet fun pinball action, check out Family Tree (Switch) for $6.39; or if you prefer violent mayhem, you might enjoy Valfaris (Switch) for $22.49; for old school platforming, try Bubsy: Paws on Fire! (Switch) for $14.99; to wander through the apocalypse, you need to get RAD (Switch) for $14.99; for giant monster mayhem, try GOD EATER 3 (Switch) for $35.99; or if you love insane bananas, check out My Friend Pedro (Switch) for $13.99; to explore the mysteries of space, try Out There: The Alliance (Switch) for $10.49; or for a great discount, there’s The World Next Door (Switch) for more than half off at $2.99; if you need some sci-fi horror, try Observer (Switch) for $10.49; fans of classic styled RPGs should enjoy Legrand Legacy (Switch) for $13.99; for an insane price, try Revenge of the Bird King (Switch) for a mere $0.09; those looking for strategy should try Kingdom Two Crowns (Switch) for $13.99; if you’re a glutton for punishment, try SINNER: Sacrifice for Redemption (Switch) for $11.39; for something colorful and different, there’s always Semblance (Switch) for $4.99; or for something extra crispy, try Bomb Chicken (Switch) for $7.49; to blast some zombies, roll down the Death Road to Canada (Switch) for $8.99; for another great discount, try Saturday Morning RPG (Switch) for $0.99; or for another steep one, try Rogue Aces (Switch) for only $1.99; for ghoulish fun, try Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (Switch) for $4.99; or for portable RPG action, try Mercenaries Saga 3 (3DS) for $3; and for a reason to turn on your old console, try Axiom Verge (Wii U) for $17.99. To see everything else (and there’s still a lot) just click here.

Like usual, I’m dividing the digital games into those out next week and those out this week. So for next week’s Nintendo Download, you can look forward to the following titles. For a silly looking clone of Five Nights at Freddy’s, try The Park. To get your taste of horror, try Mary Skelter 2 and Raging Loop. For something with a distinct style, try Tangle Tower. Or for a fun looking RPG, try Destiny Connect. If you love classic puzzle games, you should check out Day and Night. And lastly, for colorful mayhem on the go, try Skullgirls 2nd Encore. That’s a pretty great list, but keep reading below to see what’s out this week!

Remember when I said this Nintendo Download is both short and full of content? Here’s why. Buckle up for a heaping helping of digital games, all out this week! For the retro inclined, there’s 4 great options this week – Arcade Archives THE LEGEND OF KAGE and VS. CASTLEVANIA, as well as SEGA AGES Ichidant-R and Columns II: A Voyage Through Time. If you love sequels and ports, then pick from the following – AeternoBlade II, A Hat in Time, Corpse Party: Blood Drive, Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition, Rabi-Ribi, Sublevel Zero Redux and Where the Bees Make Honey. For a couple puzzle games, try Kine and Sea Salt. For games with multiplayer, check out Domiverse and Battle Planet – Judgment Day. For an interesting looking Metroidvania, try Alchemist’s Castle. Or for something totally strange, there’s CrunchTime. And lastly, for a couple games with spooky stuff, try Felix the Reaper and Just Ignore Them.

Wow that’s a lot of digital games. Thanks as always for joining us at oprainfall for your weekly Nintendo Download, and be sure to tune in next time. Hopefully we’ll have much more spooky Halloween goodness to share.

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This is the first Nintendo Download that feels like a proper October day. It’s cold outside, there’s a bit of wind and it’s starting to feel like Halloween. Sadly, there’s not many games here that reflect that seasonal change, but there is still a bunch of great stuff to check out. Several featured titles, the usual weekly sales and a whole pillow case full of digital goodies. Let’s start with a couple popular series making the Switch.

I personally could care less about The Witcher series, but I also haven’t played any of them. I know that it’s very popular, featuring hundreds of hours of exploration and battle. Well, if you do like the adventures of Geralt, then you might be hyped for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition. This iteration doesn’t bring much of anything new to the game, other than making it portable on the Nintendo Switch. I care slightly more about this next game, just cause of the art style. Overwatch: Legendary Edition is coming to Switch soon, and brings the frenetic and colorful action to Nintendo’s console. Admittedly I don’t play many FPS style games, but on occasion I like the quirky stuff. So I might try Overwatch. Next up is the latest side project from Game Freak. Though they’re mostly known for the insanely popular Pokémon series, I find that the random stuff Game Freak cooks up on the side is usually fantastic. Their next side project is Little Town Hero, where you protect your small town from the sudden appearance of monsters. You do so with creative and on the fly strategies, and it all is wrapped up in a candy colored coating. Depending on how the combat actually works, Little Town Hero might be fantastic, though I’ll personally do more research before I get on board. Finally, if you enjoy crazy team based mayhem and insects, you should check out Killer Queen Black. Protect your hive as an insect warrior or powerful queen bee and work to destroy the opposing team. It’s simple in premise yet very complex in execution. I can say that since I actually demoed this one a while back. But that’s not all this Nintendo Download, let’s check out some sales next.

The first sale this week is a bit of a head scratcher, since it’s a game that I mentioned last week that seemingly has a new name this week. That game was Aldred – Knight of Honor, now just called Aldred Knight (Switch) for a mere $0.99. Can’t argue with that price, but I always get worried when a game changes its title unexpectedly. But let’s keep going. If you want some rhythm, check out Hexagroove: Tactical DJ (Switch) for $24.99; for some hacking, try Cyber Protocol (Switch) for $7.77; for old school SHMUP fun, try Pacific Wings (Switch) for $3.99; or to explore a post apocalyptic mutant paradise, try RAD (Switch) for $14.99; to try some cute platforming, check out Robbie Swifthand and the Orb of Mysteries (Switch) for $8.99; for rogue mayhem, there’s Super Mutant Alien Assault (Switch) for $4.99; or for a weird SHMUP, try Q-YO Blaster (Switch) for $4.99; to smash a wee robot, try Scrap (Switch) for $2.74; for some zombie hunting, relive the horror in Resident Evil (Switch) and Resident Evil 4 (Switch), for $19.99 each; for fun with a bird steed, try Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! (Switch) for $27.99; for a fun but flawed Metroidvania, try Chasm (Switch) for $12.99; for something Halloweeny, try Little Nightmares: Complete Edition (Switch) for only $10.19; or for fun with friends, try Don’t Starve (Switch) for $7.99; for a steep discount, check out Aperion Cyberstorm (Switch) for $2.99; for more rogue fun, try Spelunker Party! (Switch) for $11.99; for a bunch of classics, try NAMCO MUSEUM (Switch) for $10.19; for an amazing discount, try Spheroids (Wii U) for only $0.99; and for something weird, try Ambition of the Slimes (3DS) for $3. To see everything else on sale, just click here.

The following digital offerings are officially out in next week’s Nintendo Download. I hope you like remakes and ports. First up, for Western RPG action, try Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Editions and Planescape: Torment and Icewind Dale: Enhanced Editions. If you like movie adaptations and want to take a chance, stay tuned for Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip. And lastly, for the return of some classic gaming, you’ll likely enjoy The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors.

And now the rest of these digital games are out this week of the Nintendo Download. In honor of Halloween, there’s 13 worth mentioning. Fans of puzzle games, rejoice with the following – Duped, Family Tree and Little Briar Rose. For a few different types of RPG, try DORAEMON STORY OF SEASONS, MISTOVER, Monochrome Order and A Knight’s Quest. Or if you want 3 for the price of 1, try Old School RPG Bundle. For a duo of platformers, try Mable and the Wood and Valfaris. If you love old school mayhem, check out River City Melee Mach!! Finally, for a couple very different adventure games, try The Bradwell Conspiracy and Spirit Hunter: NG.

Pretty good Nintendo Download, if I say so myself. Thanks for joining us here at oprainfall, and be sure to tune in next week! Hopefully by then we’ll start to get legitimately Halloweeny games…

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