Splatoon x Tower Records – Apparel, Glassware and More

Posted on Jun 9, 2016 by ollie

Music and fashion are a big part of what makes up the particularly fresh stylings of Nintendo’s Splatoon, so a collaboration with Tower Records (the former US music retail powerhouse who are still going strong in Japan) seems rather fitting.

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Teased earlier this month, Tower Records will be running a special Splatoon-themed sale from June 24th to July 24th. During this period, a number of special collaboration items will be available, including everything from t-shirts and apparel to mugs, stickers, pins and confectionery. In-game versions of the collaboration shirts also appear to be coming at some point, so you can even model your Inkling’s look after your real life wardrobe.

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The promotion also provides the opportunity to win some limited edition items such as a backpack and water bottle through scratch cards distributed in store, with only 50 and 1,500 of each item available respectively. On top of all of this, a special Tower Records edition of Splatune, the official Splatoon soundtrack release, will be available to purchase, with free Squid Sisters-inspired stickers available on a limited basis. Most of the items available throughout this promotion are likely to be highly sought-after as the Splatoon craze continues to sweep Japan, so if you’re near a Tower Records store, why not try your luck at winning some fresh goodies.

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Summer re-prints from THE KING OF GAMES

Posted on Jun 6, 2016 by ollie

Fans of tasteful gaming apparel will be pleased to know that THE KING OF GAMES have re-printed some of their most popular designs, for sale this month on the EDITMODE online store. This is the second wave of re-prints in 2016 (some designs from the first wave are still available to purchase). A whole host of classic Nintendo titles are featured in the designs – KOG’s designs are all officially licensed by Nintendo themselves, so you can be sure they make up the cream of the crop when it comes to apparel.

These shirts have a tendency to sell out pretty quickly, so go and check out the selection and see if any of them take your fancy.

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Minus World Reading List – May 2016

Posted on May 31, 2016 by ollie

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This month, SourceGaming‘s on-going translations of the Super Smash Bros. Melee website have provided insight into a whole host of aspects from the design process of what has come to be one of the most beloved fighting games of all time, straight from the mouth of director Masahiro Sakurai and his co-workers. In particular, their eight part translation of a developer roundtable focusing on Melee‘s soundtrack, which touches on everything from music recording to song selection, provides some great insight into one of the game’s most iconic elements. The roundtable’s translation is approaching its completion – I recommend checking out the first part of the series and working your way through, although the most recent entry, which focuses on the recording of the DK Rap, is worth a look for the bizarre tale of Sakurai’s encounter with a very tall man who puts a lot of milk in his coffee alone.

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Japanese gaming history chat and more with John Szczepaniak – SourceCast #14

Posted on May 27, 2016 by ollie

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I was kindly invited by our friends over at SourceGaming to appear alongside veteran games journalist and author of The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers, John Szczepaniak, on the latest episode of their podcast, the SourceCast.

Some incredibly compelling and insightful discussion was had pertaining to a variety of subjects, including John’s experiences as both an author and journalist, our writing experiences and games preservation. The CD-i Zelda games even get a mention!

You can listen to the podcast over on SourceGaming, or subscribe to the SourceCast on iTunes and Android to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

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Bring some freshness into your amiibo collection with Splatoon dioramas

Posted on May 25, 2016 by ollie

Joining Nintendo’s lineup of amiibo diorama kits are these two Splatoon-themed setups ideal for showcasing your Inkling boys and girls, as well as the upcoming Callie and Marie amiibo, in the freshest possible manner.

Inspired by both the Inkopolis plaza stage where the Squid Sisters give their performances and the Kelp Dome battle stage, both dioramas display an impressive attention to detail, making them perhaps the most immersive way to display amiibo in the Splatoon line – the concert stage display even includes the ability to slot in your 3DS, allowing the top screen to act as a background to whatever show you plan on putting on.

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These two stands serve as a continuation of Nintendo’s Splatoon merchandising efforts in Japan, which so far has seen a wide range of items from official replica clothing to playing cards – these items showcase just how much of a smash hit Nintendo’s brand new IP has been, and it doesn’t seem like the squid fever will be slowing down any time soon.

The dioramas go on sale on the 7th of July for the very affordable price of 1,080 yen each – as with the rest of Nintendo’s amiibo diorama range, there has been no confirmation of a western release as of yet, so if you want to get your hands on these as soon as possible, keep an eye out for import options.

 

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You’ve Probably Never Played… Last Ranker

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Peter Grant

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Last Ranker
Developer(s): Imageepoch, Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform(s): PSP
Release Date: July 15th 2010 (Japan exclusive)

There are countless Japanese RPGs where a youth loses all he holds dear, hearth and home lost in one brief moment. This results in him embarking on a globe trotting journey to right wrongs and fight evil while developing a jolly band of friends. But, what happens if that isn’t the case? What if the youth willingly abandons what he holds dear, without any real fanfare, and he only cares for himself? What happens is that you get Last Ranker.

Developed for the PSP in 2010 by both Capcom and Imageepoch, Last Ranker did unfortunately not see the light of day outside of Japan. There was some demand for it, partly due to the pedigree of the team behind it, however it was not considered for release in other territories. Last Ranker tells the story of Zig, a villager from a small tribe of people. One night, he simply ups and leaves, journeying to a nearby city where tournaments are hosted to decide who is the strongest. Those at the top of the rankings act as the government. Along the way, he encounters those who seek to rise up to support their own causes, those too weak to do it themselves and keen to manipulate others, and even one from his own tribe. No matter what, only the strongest survive.

Progression is incredibly linear, with Zig having to scour the city and surrounding areas for people of a rank close to him. As he progresses through the ranks, the plot is steadily revealed. Interestingly, for a game where the whole point is to be the strongest, a central question is whether or not it is appropriate to have the “strongest” people remain in control. It’s also a question the game never really answers. It’s much more about the individuals and their reasons for wanting to be on top than anything.

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Kira Kira Star Night DX – The second Famicom game to release in 2016

Posted on May 24, 2016 by ollie

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Perhaps back in 1983, these are words that nobody thought could possibly be uttered – a brand-new Famicom game is releasing in 2016, and it isn’t even the first one.

Following the success of homebrew Famicom chiptune album 8-BIT MUSIC POWER, artist and programmer RIKI has teamed up with Columbus Circle once again to bring us a second homebrew Famicom project in physical cartridge form. The game in question is Kira Kira Star Night DX, a side-scrolling action platformer set in a vivid and colourful world.

The game’s trailer shows off some very impressive use of the Famicom hardware, including detailed, fluid animation and parallax scrolling backgrounds that will no doubt prove to be a real treat on the eyes – it’s also set up to be an audio treat too, with the likes of Yuzo Koshiro and Manami Matsumae contributing music to the game.

This project seems like a very fitting announcement after the recent opening of the 2016 My Famicase Exhibition, which showcases a large selection of make-believe Famicom cartridges designed by artists from around the world. The only difference here is that you’ll be able to actually slot this into your Famicom console and play it later this year.

You can check out more details about the game, as well as pre-order a copy, over on Amazon Japan, where placing an order will net you a limited edition wallpaper for your computer or smartphone.

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Programmable Series – Presentation

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Chemical Taint

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When you begin designing games you will quickly find that there are 3 significant elements that make a video game.

The arguably most important element is the gameplay; if a game has solid controls, an intuitive camera and has enjoyable objectives then the game will truly be worth a player’s time. The next element is the story of the game; this does not specifically adhere to the game’s plot or providing the player with a reason to be playing the game but also the game’s setting. The environments, the enemies and the objects are all part of the story that help to shape the experience the player will have in the world that the game presents. This also ties directly into the final element – Presentation. Take note that this is not worded as “graphics” which is an important distinction. Graphics are the topic of many discussions between modern game players and often go into the categories of resolutions and frame rates. If you are working for a large publisher then you likely have the money and resources to focus on those components of game. If you’re a small indie developer or you’re focused on retro-styled games then you’re probably going to want to focus more on the presentation.

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A snack you can grind with – Dragon Quest Slime cookies

Posted on May 20, 2016 by ollie

Square Enix’s heavy offensive on the Dragon Quest 30th anniversary merchandising front continues with these cute tins of Slime-shaped sablés (which, for those who don’t consider themselves baking connoisseurs/don’t eat enough biscuits, are a type of French shortbread cookies, and are positively delicious).

Preorders are open for the tins, coloured after both Gold and Metal slimes, on the Square Enix eStore until the 23rd of July, although they don’t actually ship until November. Hopefully they’ll be worth the wait, both in taste and the amount of EXP you’ll gain from eating them.

UPDATE: 

It turns out the Gold and Metal tins are in fact variants of regular coloured Slimes released back in 2014. Twitter user Pologoccha tweeted at us with a picture of both of the tins – thanks for the tip!

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Space Harrier model kits let you enter the Fantasy Zone, store your stationary

Posted on May 20, 2016 by ollie

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It’s a known fact that the only way to truly keep your desk tidy is by storing your pens and pencils inside the hollowed out head of an Ida, the imposing stone head enemies from Sega’s surreal sci-fi rail shooter Space Harrier, and now you can make this a reality with this new ‘Video Game Heroes’ line of model kits from R.C. Berg.

The kits, which serve as a perfect accompaniment to GEEK LIFE’s vinyl Mammoth sofubi, will be available to reserve from May 25th to June 25th from Yamakichiya. This is likely to be a highly sought-after release, so if you want to guarantee that ‘many more battle scenes will soon be available’, then get on it fast!

You can check out some more images of both kits after the break.

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