I'm running just a tad behind today, but the podcast is definitely still going on. I just need some time to set up all the equipment! I'm going to be doing that right now, and we'll get the show started as soon as possible. My apologies for the delay!
Persona 5: The Royal received a new trailer today, and once again, there was no mention of the Switch. That means all hope is lost for a port, right? Not necessarily, as a Smash Bros. Ultimate datamine detail from last month now makes a lot more sense after today's trailer.
Last month, dataminer Dr. Hyper Cake shared the following discovery from Smash Bros. Ultimate's source code.
There is another reference to "Jack" that I feel should be mentioned: "/Jack6_C06_v01_070925.mb_Jane1_pony_hairSystemShape2.mchp"". @jam1garner was the first to notice it in the string dump. I've seen some interesting theories about what "Jane" could refer to relative to Joker.
This information didn't really draw much attention from fans, but today it makes a ton of sense. The new trailer for Persona 5: The Royal showed off a new character for the game. While we didn't get a name for the character in the trailer, we did see that she has a ponytail, and this is prominently displayed in the trailer.
Could this woman in the new trailer be the Jane with a ponytail referenced in the Smash Bros. Ultimate datamine? It certainly does line up, and would make you think that Jane will be an alternate for Joker, who was named 'Jack' in the source code.
Of course, that's all speculation for right now. We'll just have to hang tight and cross our fingers for an announcement confirming all this. As for now, which side of the fence are you on?
Not really much to speak of as far as Nintendo-related reviews in this month's issue of EDGE. Still, the one Switch-related title they reviewed got a pretty great score, especially by EDGE standards.
Trials Rising - 8
You can bet Nintendo is super proud to have Cuphead on their platform. It's a title many thought would never come over, while still being a perfect game for the Switch. Showcasing the surprise of Cuphead on the latest Switch Nindies Showcase must have been so satisfying for all teams involved.
Nintendo was quick to follow up that reveal with a special interview shared on the Switch News channel. Nintendo sat down with Jared Moldenhauer, the co-creator of Cuphead, to talk about the game in detail. Check out the full interview below.
How would you describe Cuphead in your own words?
Cuphead is a homage back to the arcade era, fast-paced, twitch-gaming kind of experience. Obviously, it has lots of reference points to [games like] Contra and Gunstar Heroes. Then, visually, we wanted to capture the aesthetics of our favorite childhood cartoons. It’s a mix of old school gaming and classic 2D animation.
What was the inspiration behind making the game?
So we always wanted to make a game… but this wasn’t the first time we had tried. [Around the] early 2000s, we were working on a similar type of game, but we could never get traction. We had a skeleton of the game and knew where we wanted to go with it. Time passed and we reached a point where we were more established in life. We could sit down and put our best into it, which we weren’t able to do before. We were like, “Let’s give it one last shot.” It also stems from games being our primary source of entertainment.
What made you guys decide on the 1920s/30s animated art style?
That just happened to be our favorite art style. There used to be VHS bins at grocery stores, and I think [Silly Symphonies] was like 99 cents; our parents just happened to buy them. I don’t know why we gravitated to it, but for some reason they really spoke to us. We liked the silliness and vibrancy that was kind of further away from reality.
Did the gameplay evolve from the art, or did the art evolve based on the gameplay?
We started with the gameplay, and were pretty confident we could utilize any type of art style – we just had to get the gameplay right. When it came down to choosing the visuals, we knew we wanted to do some form of traditional art style, but not necessarily hand-drawn animation. There were a hundred different [art styles] that we’d tried at that time. Then, we started thinking what if it was exactly a cartoon? What would that look like?
At what point did you guys decide that you were going to do hand-drawn animations for the whole thing? Was there ever a point where you felt like maybe it was too risky?
I think it was basically the minute [co-founder, brother Chad] taught himself how to animate and we had a walk cycle done. When we saw it in motion, there was no turning back! As for fear, I think we were just too into it and too focused. We were like, “We will get this done. It’s probably way too much work… we know we’re a little bit silly.” It’s such a crazy thing for your first game. We figured, if we love the visuals, there’s got to be an audience for it. Make the best game that we can, because this could be the one and only game we ever make. SO, why not make it exactly what we want?
What advice would you give someone looking for a career in the video game industry?
Expect failure. That’s really the best advice I could give. A lot of the time people think that their first idea is going to be ‘the one’ that gets them through the door. You’re going to make mistakes and you’re going to be better at making the next game by learning from what you did during your first approach. Try to do smaller projects and see where it goes. Also, make something that you love; it’s a long process, so if you’re not truly into it, after a year, you’re going to be breaking down and thinking how do I finish a game that I never truly enjoyed?
Back when GoldenEye was released on the N64, the world was a very different place. You couldn't get immediate feedback on a game from the public at large. The internet wasn't really a widespread thing by any means. This meant that when devs released a game, they had to sit back and wait for magazine reviews, and word of mouth.
GoldenEye dev David Doak looks back on those days in a Nintendo Life interview, and recalls how apprehensive RARE was about GoldenEye being well-received, because they simply had very little idea what the public would think.
I don't have clear memories of the exact public retail release date. There was definitely a fair amount of apprehension because we really had no idea how well it would be received. By way of context, we knew that the game had been very popular in testing – particularly after feedback from NoA / Treehouse – and with the other teams at Rare (there was even an internal trade in illicit multiplayer ROMs), but the public showing at E3 1997 hadn't set the world on fire. The critical feedback was also not immediate – again, there was a lag, certainly for print reviews, and online was still relatively niche.
In 1997 at Rare, there was one machine with direct internet access (in a locked room!) and I would regularly check to see if reviews had come out, and I particularly remember reading IGN's very positive review by Doug Perry. Later, the UK print review in EDGE magazine was another big sigh of relief, and something that mattered a lot to us on the team because it was so respected.
Cadence of Hyrule is a mash-up that no one saw coming. It was a complete surprise in so many ways, most of which was the game being a collab between Nintendo and an indie studio. It's uncharted territory for the Big N, but definitely shows that the company is embracing some new ideas as far as IP utilization.
One big-name dev who was just as surprised to see this game announced was none other than Yuji Naka. Mr. Naka said that some time ago, he proposed an idea to Nintendo that would have him working with Mario in some way. Nintendo was quick to shoot down the proposal, and that was that. Seeing as how Nintendo is allowing an indie dev to work with the Zelda license goes to prove that the Nintendo of old, at least in some ways, is no longer a thing.
Famitsu has announced that they'll be publishing a guide book for Super Robot Wars T in Japan. The book is called Super Robot Wars T Perfect Bible, and includes the following.
- 512 pages
- details the game’s system, units, and strategies
- download code to redeem the following DLC in Super Robot Wars T:
Present Scenario “Dream Bonus T”
Strength Part “Bionic Armor” (HP+ 1500, Armor +300, Restore up to 10% of HP and EN during your team’s turn)
Capital 50,000
TacP500
Skill Program “Kakutou Up”
Skill Program “Firing Up”
Super Robot Wars T Perfect Bible is scheduled to launch on April 20th, 2019 in Japan.
Dusk Diver doesn't have an official release date yet, but we do have a bit of info pertaining to the game's launch. Automaton Japan has confirmed that the game will hit both the Switch and Steam at the same time, at least when it comes to Japan. That launch is expected sometime in Summer 2019.
Shadow Blade is an action-platformer set in a visually striking world where the ancient teachings of ninjas and samurai clash upon a modern landscape. Sprint through stages littered with traps, slaying enemies along your path without hesitation as Kuro, the blade of shadow!Story
Darkness and chaos are once again creeping into the world of man. The covenant made in a time almost forgotten has failed, the three clans now in a violent struggle for dominance. The medallion is almost made whole again and it falls upon Kuro?s shoulders to restore balance. All his training has led up to this one moment, where the fate of the world will rest in his blood-stained hands.
Key Features
Epic NINJA Platforming: Test your skills in fast-paced platforming, mastering the skills of the ninja to breeze through challenging levels.
Vicious NINJA Combat: Kill your enemies with extreme prejudice through the mastery of the katana, shurikens and kusarigama!
Shadow Ninja: Attack the guards before they see you and alert all other mobs.
Story Campaign: Fully voiced motion comics tell the story of Kuro?s plight to restore balance!
More than 50 Challenging Levels: Environmental hazards, rifle-toting warriors and many more challenges await a hardened warrior.
Level Secrets: Raw speed doesn't guarantee the highest rank. A true ninja is ever vigilant, aware of any possibly hidden areas.
Ninja = Hardcore: Cleared the normal campaign? Prepare for the Hardcore variation and if you dare, the ultimate Master Class version awaiting only the foolhardy.
