Posted by: xSicKxBot - 02-03-2019, 01:05 AM - Forum: Lounge
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One Of 2016's Best Anime Movies Is Finally Getting A Home Release (US)
Eleven Arts has announced that A Silent Voice is finally getting a physical disc set release in North America. The anime movie is releasing in a deluxe package that includes the Blu-ray, DVD, and digital versions.
First premiering in Japanese theaters in 2016, the home release of A Silent Voice will be available for purchase in North America on April 2, according to Crunchyroll. The disc set includes both the original Japanese version of the film and the English dubbed version.
A Silent Voice rapidly gained popularity in Japan when it first released, and its emotional story captured American audiences when the film released internationally the following year. The movie is a condensed version of the story told in the seven volume manga of the same name--titled Koe no Katachi in Japan--that was created by Yoshitoki Oima. A Silent Voice follows the changing relationship between Shoko and Shoya, a girl who's deaf and the male peer who used to cruelly bully her in elementary school. Shoya reaches out to Shoko when the two are in high school in an effort to make amends, as well as come to terms with his own guilt, and the two eventually spark an unlikely friendship that begins to grow into something more.
While you wait for A Silent Voice to come out, there are plenty of other options for anime you can watch. If you're looking for something new, we've put together a guide of series to both watch and keep an eye on during the current Winter 2019 season. For older titles, consider looking at our guide for anime series from the Fall 2018 season or a list of our favorite anime from 2018. Sentai Filmworks also released several new home release disc sets in January 2019, including a cool-looking special steelbook collection for Land of the Lustrous--one of 2017's best anime.
Talking Point: What Do You Want From A Switch Mini?
Earlier today, we reported on a rumour from Japanese outlet Nikkei that suggests what many of us have been expecting for quite some time now: Nintendo is working on a smaller, cheaper Switch console and it may even be coming early this year.
This isn’t exactly groundbreaking news; Nintendo has a solid track record for updating and refreshing its hardware, especially its portable systems. We’ve had multiple Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, DS and 3DS consoles over the years, and only a fool would have bet against Nintendo performing the same trick with the Switch; hardware refreshes are a reliable way of maintaining sales momentum.
The Nikkei report hints that this new model will reduce costs by removing elements from the design, but what could that mean? Will we lose the dock – one of the big selling points of the platform – in an effort to slash the price? It might seem odd to remove this aspect of the package when Nintendo has done so much to push the ‘Play anywhere with anyone’ angle, but then again, this is the company that took 3D out of the 3DS, so all bets are probably off. And just because a dock isn’t in the base package, that doesn’t mean the hybrid nature of the console would need to be totally absent – the Switch Mini could still interface with your TV via a cable.
Another way Nintendo could reduce the complexity of the system – and thereby bring down production costs – is by making the Joy-Con controllers part of the console itself, rather than devices which slide off the sides. Again, this rather goes against the ethos of the system, but you’d still be able to use Joy-Con with the Switch Mini – you’d just have to purchase a separate pair. Another bonus with fusing the controllers to the main body is improved sturdiness; given that a Switch Mini would presumably be aimed at younger players, this would be a considerable benefit.
As you can see from the mock-ups we’ve created above, such changes would deliver obvious benefits. By streamlining the console and reducing those bezels, the screen size could be maintained while achieving a more compact and portable system. But perhaps we’re totally off the mark, and this cheaper Switch console might maintain the dock, Joy-Con and other features, with Nintendo finding other means of bringing the cost down elsewhere.
All of this is, of course, complete speculation on our part. What do you personally want to see from a Switch Mini? Leave a comment to tell us.
Blizzard has announced the next set of balance changes coming to Hearthstone, and they'll have a big impact on the mainstays of multiple classes. This update is aimed almost entirely at the Basic and Classic sets--that is, the cards that never go out of Standard play rotation--and the company says it's because they've just proven too persistent over multiple expansions.
"We're changing these particular cards because each one has been highly prevalent, regardless of what strategies have been popular or what other cards have existed around them," the note on the Hearthstone blog states. "When Basic and Classic cards become this ubiquitous, they take away some of the flexibility players have when building decks, ultimately stifling the diversity of decks we see when playing Hearthstone."
These sweeping changes impact four class cards: the Rogue's Cold Blood, Shaman's Flametongue Totem, Paladin's Equality, and the Hunter card Hunter's Mark. Each one is having its mana cost raised by one, except for Equality, which is being raised by two. The actual card effects are going unchanged in each instance, but Blizzard hopes that by raising the mana cost they'll be less "auto-include" cards and encourage more diversity in those decks.
Finally, one more change was announced, this one hitting a non-Basic/Classic card. The Hunter's Emerald Spellstone, from the Kobolds & Catacombs set, will go from five mana to six. The Spellstone cards change their effect throughout a match as certain conditions are met, and this one had a big reward for fulfilling relatively easy conditions. Blizzard says it's raising the cost to make it more of a mid-to-late game threat rather than an aggressive early one.
Blizzard tends to announce changes like these, impacting Basic and Classic cards, in anticipation for a new Standard rotation. When the first expansion of 2019 comes out, the three released in 2017--Journey to Un'Goro, Knights of the Frozen Throne, and Kobolds and Catacombs--will all rotation out of Standard play. That also makes the change to Emerald Spellstone more forward-facing for Wild play, where it will still be playable after the changeover.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth has been confirmed for a western release, heading to the US and Europe on June 4, 2019. The 3DS exclusive will cost $40 at launch, and like its predecessor, it crosses over the casts of various Persona games.
Persona Q2 is a spin-off featuring the Phantom Thieves of Persona 5. The heroes have to battle their way out of dungeons, each themed after a movie genre with its own set of tropes. They'll join up with both original characters and notable names from the Persona series along the way. Those will include characters from Persona 3, Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4, and Persona 5. Clever team-ups between characters will grant special rewards through a new "Unison" battle system. It will be Japanese-only with subtitles.
Atlus paired the announcement with word of a special "Showtime Premium Edition" for $70. That will include a Koromaru plush, art book, four buttons featuring the four protagonists, and a deck of playing cards with characters across the Persona series. Pre-orders also include the buttons set.
"It's an ambitious crossover that unites my favorite games, characters, and soundtracks in one place," wrote Michael Higham. "It's as if I had different groups of dearly beloved friends somehow meet each other, get along, and band together in a stylish fight for what's right. This might be the 3DS's swan song, and it'd be a hell of way for the storied handheld to end its tenure when it comes to the West on June 4, 2019."
Video: Messing Around With Piranha Plant In Smash Bros. Ultimate, For Science
Piranha Plant has arrived in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and it’s utterly, undeniably, unashamedly glorious.
Yep, earlier this week, Piranha Plant joined the Smash Bros. roster as the first DLC character released for the Switch’s biggest fightathon. The release has been an interesting one; the arrival has generated a heartwarming amount of love for the character online (if you’re in our social circles, at least), but has brought with it some pretty alarming issues, too. If you missed the news, playing with Piranha Plant in All-Star mode has been known to wipe players’ save files.
Still, we’re completely enamoured of its bitey, leafy ways and our resident YouTube overlord Alex jumped at the chance to make a video all about it – you know, for science. To make sure the video was useful for you, and to make sure the bosses were actually on board, Alex takes you through some of the character’s most interesting battle techniques – its special moves are particularly interesting and could make it a serious contender at a competitive level.
Make sure to give it a watch and let us know how you’ve been getting on with the character in the comments below.
Video: 7 Things You May Not Know About Wargroove On Switch
Damien has over a decade of professional writing experience under his belt, as well as a repulsively hairy belly. Rumours that he turned down a role in The Hobbit to work on Nintendo Life are, to the best of our knowledge, completely and utterly unfounded.
Start from scratch with a small plot, and end with a huge farm that extends further than the eye can see. Grow crops, plant trees, take care of the animals, and much more. Then spend your hard-earned money in new buildings and facilities for your farm and earn experience to unlock hundreds of new items.
The cooperative puzzle-platformer game that will equally
charm and challenge your friends and family. Communication and coordination are the key to success in the Melbits mission.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 02-02-2019, 05:47 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Final Fantasy VII Coming To Switch "Soon"
Nintendo has indicated that we may not have long to wait before beloved RPG Final Fantasy VII is available on the Switch. In a new, rather short commercial, the game is shown on the handheld hybrid console, with the video's description reading: "Final Fantasy VII coming soon!"
Final Fantasy developer and publisher Square Enix originally revealed its intention to bring the game to the Switch in September 2018, when it was announced for the platform alongside Final Fantasy IX, the X and X-2 remaster, and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. However, they only gave a vague "2019" release window. While "coming soon" doesn't exactly give us a specific release date, at least we know we won't be waiting until the end of the year for it.
Square Enix previously confirmed that these versions of the Final Fantasy games will be based on recent ports either to other consoles or PC--obviously, this is not the in-development Final Fantasy VII remake. Final Fantasy VII was released for PC in 2013, with the game also available on the PlayStation Store digitally. Along with the Switch release, these games will also be making the jump to Xbox One, which is a first for a number of them.
Other Final Fantasy games on their way to Switch include the compilation game World of Final Fantasy and an updated version of GameCube title Crystal Chronicles.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 02-02-2019, 05:47 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Nintendo delays Mario Kart Tour mobile game to ramp up quality
Newsbrief: Nintendo’s next big-name smartphone offering, Mario Kart Tour, has been delayed.
The mobile title was scheduled to release during the current fiscal year ending in March, but will now launch a few months later in the summer of 2019.
Writing in its latest fiscal report, Nintendo claims it wants to improve the quality of the application and expand its post-launch content line-up.
In the meantime, it will continue to focus on supporting its existing mobile roster, which includes familiar names like Dragalia Lost, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Super Mario Run.
