Slipped through the net.
Oh, hello there. You must be here for our bi-annual Games We Missed callout.
It’s a familiar story. Loads of Switch games — too many, perhaps — and while the majority of the eShop deliveries each week are a load of old AI-generated pap, there’s also a load of great games which, unfortunately, we just aren’t able to cover with a review.
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Is there an echo in here? in here..? in here……?
Well folks, another week and come and (almost) gone, and it’s been another fun-filled one in the world of Nintendo.
First up, our preview for Super Mario Party Jamboree went live and we think it’s looking absolutely fabulous so far. We also got a look at a rather fetching Zelda Switch Lite which had been modded to include an OLED screen, hall effect joysticks, and a bigger battery.
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Out this November.
Last month during Sony’s State of Play broadcast, a new trailer was released for LEGO Horizon Adventures alongside the release date.
Nintendo of America has now shared the official Switch version of this trailer ahead of the game’s 14th November 2024 release date. It still looks quite stunning on the Switch, but we don’t know what the performance will be like on the hybrid platform.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Another blast from the past returns.
In June, the talented team at Nightdive Studios announced it would be teaming up with Ziggurat Interactive to release Killing Time: Resurrected – a remaster of the classic comedy horror first-person shooter dating back to the ’90s.
Now, in an official update, it’s been revealed this title will be revived later this month on 17th October 2024 across all platforms including the Nintendo Switch. Just in time for Halloween!
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
In some major (and pretty surprising) news for Halo fans, Halo: Infinite is finally getting a third-person mode this November.
343 Industries announced the news on Friday during a Forge panel at the 2024 Halo World Championship. For those who aren’t at the event, the announcement was also posted on X/Twitter, including a bit of work-in-progress footage of third-person mode in action:
Experience a new way to play!
3rd Person Mode is coming to Halo Infinite this November 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WkDkGLx8fF
— Halo (@Halo) October 4, 2024
As fans will know, this marks the first time a third-person mode has ever been officially offered in a Halo game. Senior community manager John “Unyshek” Junyszek and Skybox Labs senior software engineer Colin Cove offered a bit more information at the Halo World Championship panel, saying they’ll be starting with third-person Firefight mode in a future update, “but we also have the ability to do in PvP and control it in Forge,” per Cove.
They clarified that third-person will be supported at the mode level and that, with Forge controls, modes can switch individual players (or all players) between first- and third-person perspective whenever desired. It’s currently unclear if it will be available in campaign mode or restricted to multiplayer.
While this is the first time third-person mode has been available on an official level, a number of mods have added it to the game over the years and have been largely well-received by the community.
Halo Infinite first launched in 2021, receiving a number of new maps, modes, quality-of-life improvements, and other additions over the years. Some fans, however, had started to note a general lack of developer-made additional content for this year. With the Halo World Championship well underway, we wouldn’t be surprised if more Halo-related announcements were made through the weekend.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Now that The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is out, more and more players are fully exploring its top-down, toy-like, open world. And they’ve gradually been discovering a pretty cool secret about its map: it “links” up almost perfectly with the map from A Link to the Past.
More and more players have been sharing posts on social media comparing the maps of Echoes of Wisdom and A Link to the Past, and have figured out that Echoes of Wisdom basically uses the same map from A Link to the Past… just expanded. A number of major landmarks can still be found in the same spots as in Link to the Past, though they’ve changed or aged seemingly with the passage of time.
What’s more, most of Echoes of Wisdom’s brand new locations exist outside the boundaries where Link to the Past’s map stopped, implying that civilizations like the Goron and Gerudo could have always existed in Link to the Past, they just weren’t accessible in that particular game.
It’s truly amazing how Grezzo made the Echoes of Wisdom map with such care. It lines up with A Link to the Past’s Hyrule in a way that maybe the Gorons, Gerudo, Zora, and Dekus DID live there, just outside where we could explore. And it explains why they don’t know Zelda/Hyrule. https://t.co/MANVHl5S97
— Rebecca Stone (Taylor’s Version) (@forestminish) October 4, 2024
We chatted with our own reviewer, Tom Marks, about this phenomenon, who agreed with the parallels. He pointed out to us that landmarks especially around Hyrule Castle will be familiar to Zelda veterans. The graveyard and church are in the right spots, and the hill where Link’s house was in Link to the Past is still there too, even though the Echoes of Wisdom Link lives in Suthorn Village.
There are other comparison points fans are finding. Eastern Palace, for instance, is still present in the same spot and even includes a sidequest. Where Kakariko Village used to be, Echoes of Wisdom has ruins, implying it was moved at some point. There are also Desert Palace ruins, Swamp Ruins is in the right place, and so much more.
There’s A Link to the Past DNA scattered throughout the overworld in Echoes of Wisdom and it makes me feel warm inside. Let’s take a quick tour, starting with the destroyed ruins of the Desert Palace. pic.twitter.com/CCP1eifuRF
— Metroid Mike 64 (@MetroidMike64) October 4, 2024
Echoes of Wisdom is far from the first Zelda game that’s involved clever, if subtle, map tricks. A Link to the Past itself famously included both a Light and Dark variation on the same world. And when Tears of the Kingdom came out, we wrote about how its Depths was essentially an underground mirror of the surface.
What’s most curious for Zelda lore buffs will be whether or not this answers meaningful questions about Echoes of Wisdom’s place on the Zelda timeline. Could this in fact put Echoes of Wisdom in the timeline post-Link to the Past and Link Between Worlds? Or is this some alternate universe situation? We’ll need Zelda scholars to sort this one out.
As you look for these parallels in your own playthrough, check out our wiki guides and our own interactive map whether you’re exploring the similarities yourself, or just looking for more heart containers.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Natural selection.
We’ve been playing The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom pretty consistently over the past week and it’s safe to say we’re really rather fond of it. Sure, the frame rate could be improved (not that it bothers everybody) and the lock-on can be a little fiddly, but overall it’s a jolly good time and a fine return for top-down Zelda.
There is, however, one issue that we’ve come up against time and time again. A single thorn amongst the roses that makes every piece of adventuring feel more like a chore than it really should. We’re talking about that darn Echo selection menu.
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New entries of both the Sword Art Online anime and the games have consistently been released for more than ten years now. On October 4th, both the newest anime season, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II, and the newest game, Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream were released.
SAO: FD is already quite different from the previous in the video game series, but we had to ask: What’s next for the Sword Art Online video games? Here’s what SAO: FD producer Shoehei Mogami and SAO game series producer Yosuke Futami had to say about the possibility of a more mature SAO game and the MMORPG-style SAO game they know fans want.
“Sword Art Online itself, the anime and the game, will keep going into the future,” Futami said. “We do want to bring SAO to the next level, maybe even to a higher-performing console.”
Futami also explained that while Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream is more character-based, they maybe also want to try to do something around the concept of SAO that if you die in game, you die in real life. That’s something they want to explore in the future, but Futami clarified they likely wouldn’t implement a permadeath mechanic because “the current SAO game fans might be angry and just might break their keyboard or something.”
“We want to try to have more for those SAO fans who are adults and experience an SAO which is more mature,” Futami explained.
The future of SAO probably also wouldn’t be something like a Souls-like, and because of the difficulty behind development, neither an MMORPG.
“MMORPGs are very difficult to make,” Futami said, joking that in Japan it’s said to take 70 years to make one. “While we know the IP [Sword Art Online] would be great for it, and many of our fans and player community are interested in it, it’s something we would only pursue once we know we have a strong concept and could do it right. Maybe, if all the stars aligned, we would be able to start making it.”
Though it isn’t an MMORPG, Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream seeks to emulate raids found in MMORPGs with 20-person dungeons and raid bosses, complete with boss-specific, rare loot that not everyone can pick up at the end of the fight. It’s also a standalone title, so anyone familiar with just some of the anime would be able to get into and understand SAO: FD, no previous SAO game knowledge required.
“There’s a barrier to entry after ten years of [SAO] games,” Mogami said. “We want people who haven’t played the games to be able to enjoy SAO games.”
The team also wanted to challenge themselves by implementing cross-play in SAO: FD, so friends aren’t barred from playing with each other, Mogami explained.
There is one more thing we know about the future of SAO games, too: Though the chance is not entirely zero, don’t expect an SAO game without Kirito or Asuna. Having an SAO game without Kirito and Asuna, Futami said, “is like having a Dragon Ball without Son Goku.”
Casey DeFreitas is IGN’s Deputy Guides Editor.
Windblown is an action roguelite much like Dead Cells, the previous game from developer Motion Twin, but it trades sidescrolling ‘vania vibes for a 3D and more colourful world, and adds co-op for up to three pals. That sounds plenty appealing, and it now has a release date: October 24th.
Better still, on October 14th, it’s getting a singleplayer demo as part of the Steam Next Fest.
The new trailer for Ghost of Yotei is here and in three minutes, Sucker Punch has managed to tease a ton of cool details from Japanese history. Placed 300 years after the story of Jin and Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei takes us to a time of turmoil in the Hokkaido region, which was known as Ezo in 1603 and not really considered part of Japan. It was the perfect destination for fleeing Ronin and Wokou (aka pirates), who were escaping the newly appointed Tokugawa shogunate. Since the trailer released I’ve been poring over the details it contains, translating the text, brushing up on Japanese history, finding out about the Matsumae clan, and learning all about the indigenous people called Ainu, because I’m incredibly hyped for Ghost of Yotei. Here’s why.
Let’s talk about that opening quote because knowing a bit of history helps set the stage as to why it’s important. In 1600 the well-known Battle of Sekigahara took place, which was fought and won by famed warrior Tokugawa Ieyasu. Following his victory he hunted down and executed those who stood against him and folded many into his shogunate if they accepted. By 1603 clans like the Takeda clan – who may have their crest or one like it represented in the trailer – would have either joined Tokugawa or been left to their own fate.
In March of 1603, Ieyasu was made Shogun and guess which region was deemed important around that same time? That’s right, Ezo, which would explain the scene of Ronin and Pirates trying to burn down what we think might be a Tokugawa building or one teased to be like it.
In addition to that turmoil, the Matsumae clan was defending the southern region of Ezo from the Ainu. Since Ezo wasn’t really considered part of Japan and the Ainu were local to the area there was friction between the two factions, which came to a head when the Ainu and Matsumae faced off in 1669 during the revolt of Shakushain over control of the land. The Ainu are a very spiritual people believing that everything from flora and fauna to animals had a spirit. In fact they believe they were born from a union of a wolflike creature and a goddess. They also have a ritual involving bears who they consider to be gods, but more on that later.
In 1603 the conflict between the Ainu and Japanese was coming to a bit of a head. The Matsumae clan established a base on Ezo near the southern edge of the island, and would eventually build the Matsumae Castle in 1606. Ezo was seen as an important point of defense from Russia, but it wasn’t until the Castle was built that trade was more well-established with the Ainu in 1606.
Also a fun fact about Mount Yotei. It’s referred to as the female mountain by the Ainu people but let’s not forget about the nearby Mt. Shiribetsu, known as the male mountain is nearby and I believe it’s teased as a location a bit earlier.
So how does our new protagonist Atsu fit into all of this? There’s a lot of Wolf iconography in the trailer, which is interesting because the now-extinct Ezo Wolf, also known as the Ezo Okami, are known as a god who had the power to dispel evil. They also symbolize mountain worship, which ties in nicely with Yotei’s setting. Atsu also has Wolf iconography on her hilt, which makes me wonder if she has ties to the Ainu, given their belief that many animals were gods roaming the earth, and the Wolf god’s importance I noted earlier is particularly important in Ainu culture.
The Ainu loved animals, but despite this had ceremonies that by modern standards could be seen as somewhat violent. For example, the Ainu believed Bears were gods waiting to be set free, so they would take bear cubs, raise them like they were their own children until they were about two years old, and then sacrifice them and drink their blood in a ritual they believed sent the god back to where they came from. It’s also interesting that Atsu has what appears to be a bearskin cloak for warmth. While this may not have been from the ritual itself, it could have been traded or acquired from the Ainu in some other manner related to the ritual. Sucker Punch has teased an upcoming video about the other animals we can expect in Ghost of Yotei so I’m intrigued to know more about the blood sacrifice… or maybe the Ural Owls of Ezo which would be a bit more my speed.
But beyond the bear cloak, Atsu also has several interesting traits that could paint her as having a Japanese background. Besides her stances, weapons, and attire which we’ll discuss in just a moment, her instrument, the Tsugaru Shamisen, is an interesting choice. The Shamisen was popular in the pleasure districts, highbrow theater, and even with folk music of Japan which have led some fans to wonder if Atsu may use subterfuge as a Geisha in Yotei. Her well-kept nails also lend to this theory as they looked pretty nice for a roaming Ronin who’s just committed a brutal murder. Regardless, the Shamisen is an interesting choice because while it has been depicted as a weapon in some Japanese cinema, chances are it’ll instead be a replacement for Jin’s Shakuhachi (flute).
Japanese attire included a ghost mask that had been repaired with a technique known as Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the practice of fixing a break using a lacquer mixed with gold, and it was a very popular repair method of the time. The gold repair hints at the history of the item and was seen as beautiful by collectors. All this makes me wonder what story the mask seen in the trailer is hiding.
That question leaves us wondering how Atsu became a wandering Onna-musha warrior, which were basically the female version of a Ronin. Of course, there have been many well-documented Onna-musha throughout history, as it was common to train women to defend their homes and children during time of unrest. Tomoe Gozen one of the most feared Onna-musha warriors of all time has been well documented, and while she is more of a legend who’s authenticity is debated, there are still plenty of documents about women going to battle in Feudal Japan. I imagine Atsu would be inspired by one of those stories.
For this time period, Yodo-dono stands out to me as she has often been portrayed as fighting against the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yodo-dono was a concubine for Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and gave him two children. When Hideyoshi died in 1598, she was very powerful as the mother of Hideyoshi only heir. She declined meetings with the Tokugawa clan. Rebuilt Osaka Castle with a bell that read “Toyotomi’s force will rise again” and let’s just say that was not received well by Ieyasu. It’s said that she resisted Tokugawa until she met her end in Osaka castle by committing suicide with her son. She’s an interesting character of the time period, who could make good inspiration for Atsu and has been portrayed many times in Japanese films, but I digress.
The bigger question for Atsu is why is she wanted? The sign we see in the trailer reads: “Wanted List. We have 100 Ryo rewards for this woman’s head. There are rumors that she was witnessed on Mount Yoteizan. 28 or 29 years old.” Ryo isn’t the modern currency for Japan, but, let’s just say that’s a large bounty by today’s standards.
Why does she have a list of names on her waist? The list reads Demon, Fox, Dragon, Spider, Snake, and Saito. Snake is crossed off with blood near the end of the trailer. Does that mean she has eliminated whomever Snake is? And who sent her and why is she on this quest?
“Still think your the hunter?” is the final quote we hear before Atsu defeats her enemy, and it leaves me wondering… where did she get those toys? Atsu uses the niten’ichi, or two sword style, Miyamoto Musashi popularized and which roughly translates as two heavens as one. It appears that she has a Katana in one hand and a Wakizashi in the other. She also wields an Arquebus Tanegashima rifle with a Serpentine matchlock and is shown with a Kusarigama twirling around the chain. Other weapons spotted in the trailer include the Odachi teaser, indicating there will be even more to master in Ghost of Yotei.
Of course, we have other questions about the game, like if hot springs will make a return, or if the crest that we see slashed will wind up being an homage to the Toyotomi clan that was wiped out. Time will tell. For now, the history, turmoil, and drama surrounding Ezo, the Ainu and the Tokugawa Shogunate has me hyped for Ghost of Yotei. Let’s see what you’ve got, Sucker Punch!
A special thanks to… IGN Japan & my friend Hanako for helping translate, YouTube reactions from Shohei Kondo | Gaijin Goombah | The Shogunate | Tales of Dawn and Dusk for historical context and details that helped guide my research!
