Author: Trafficblast

You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

This video has an invalid file format.

Sorry, but you can’t access this content!

Super Mario Maker 2 introduces a variety of new tools and features for players to tinker around with, but one of the biggest additions is online and local multiplayer–albeit with a caveat. Initially, the game wouldn’t allow you to play online with friends; it would only match you up with strangers, much to the disappointment of fans. However, that option is thankfully coming after all.

During a Treehouse livestream following Nintendo’s E3 2019 Direct, game producer Takashi Tezuka revealed that Nintendo will implement the ability to play online with friends. Following the stream, the Nintendo of America Twitter account confirmed this will be added to the game through a post-launch update, although it didn’t share when that is expected to arrive.

Mario Maker 2 features two online multiplayer modes: Versus and Co-Op. As their names suggest, Versus is a more competitive mode that has players racing to reach the goal first; Co-Op, on the other hand, has players working together to clear the level. You can also pass a second controller to a nearby player and build levels together. Mario Maker 2 introduces a Story mode and makes some other welcome changes as well, such as giving you access to almost all of its tools right from the start.

Super Mario Maker 2 launches for Nintendo Switch on June 28. You’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription in order to play and share levels online, but Nintendo is offering a bundle that includes the game and a 12-month NSO subscription for a discount. You can read more in our Super Mario Maker 2 pre-order guide.

Nintendo’s E3 2019 Direct brought a ton of news and reveals. We got a closer look at Luigi’s Mansion 3 and The Legend of Zelda; Link’s Awakening. We also saw two new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC characters: Dragon Quest’s Hero and Banjo-Kazooie. The biggest announcement, however, was a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel.

More E3 news:

You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

This video has an invalid file format.

Sorry, but you can’t access this content!

You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

This video has an invalid file format.

Sorry, but you can’t access this content!

Final Fantasy VII Remake has a release date–March 3, 2020–but that game won’t be the complete story of Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, Aerith, and Sephiroth. Square Enix confirmed during E3 2019 that what releases in 2020 will only cover the first part of the 1997 original’s tale, with more episodes coming later.

That messaging got a bit confused when Square Enix also announced that Final Fantasy VII Remake will cover two Blu-ray discs. Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase, who directed the original game, explained that there’s so much content in this first episode, it’ll cover those two discs. And he doesn’t know how many episodes it’ll take to complete the story.

“We can’t reveal that many details about this, but just to give you a bit of background on it, before we actually started working on this, we knew obviously it was going to be a large amount of content,” Kitase said through a translator during a preview session with journalists. “To do the whole story was going to be huge. And then when we actually did start planning out the plot for the first game, it hit us again that this is going to be a huge amount of content.

“At that point, we decided we’re going to focus this game on Midgar and what happened in Midgar,” he continued. “And unfortunately, we can’t say anything more about the future games after that, because we don’t know ourselves, really. We really are still fleshing out that process and fleshing out what we’re going to do for the second game in the project, and what kind of story is going to be in that, so we really can’t tell you.”

Kitase also said he wasn’t sure how much the work already done on the game would speed up development of future Final Fantasy VII episodes. While a lot of work with characters and the underlying technology of the game is complete, future episodes will take place in settings beyond Midgar, which are going to take a lot of time to create in their own right.

All of that suggests that while fans have been waiting a long time for the Final Fantasy VII Remake, they won’t be finished waiting when March 3 rolls around. The question of how huge and sprawling Square Enix’s return to Final Fantasy VII will eventually be is one that likely won’t be answered for some time either.

Everyone had their breath taken away when prolific action star Keanu Reeves revealed Cyberpunk 2077’s release date on Microsoft’s E3 2019 stage. We know Reeves will play the “legendary rockerboy” Johnny Silverhand, but how CD Projekt Red got the Canadian-American actor to be involved with the upcoming first-person shooter has remained a mystery–until now. We sat down with senior level designer Miles Tost to talk about how the Polish developer recruited Reeves.

Reeves is a new addition to the game, only being approached about a year ago or so. When asked why Reeves and not some other action star, Tost said Reeves was the perfect fit. Tost mentions his “rich background [in] cyberpunky stores”–titles like Johnny Mnemonic and The Matrix come to mind–and says “the roles he’s been playing really fit” the team’s vision for the game, calling it “a very natural match made in heaven.”

When asked about Reeves’ reaction to CD Projekt Red’s inquiry, Tost said Reeves is a “super cool guy” who “seems really into this and very passionate about the project and the role he’s playing.” Tost recalls a vivid moment during the pitch process where Reeves was “really getting into the role,” enacting mannerisms Johnny Silverhand might actually have.

It’s worth noting that, while Cyberpunk 2077 is Reeves’ most recent video game casting, he’s appeared in a handful of titles before, including action-adventure game Enter the Matrix, cooperative first-person shooter Payday 2, and big-name battle royale game Fortnite.

While the game won’t come out until next year, Tost says he’s confident the team will pull the project together and ship it when it’s ready. “Our studio is one that really puts quality above everything, and it’s also reassuring for me as a developer. I know we will not ship this game if it isn’t ready by the time we decide to ship it. With that, I think gamers will be able to expect the kind of quality that we had with The Witcher 3 and then some.”

Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on April 16, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. CD Projekt Red previously announced a North American-only PC version but swiftly changed its mind amid fan outcry.

More E3 news:

The folks at Nintendo always seems to save the best surprises for last, don’t they? Although Nintendo filled its E3 2019 Direct with several surprise announcements–like Dragon Quest’s The Hero and Banjo & Kazooie joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as playable fighters–the biggest reveal was right at the end. Nintendo reiterated that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s sequel is already in development and revealed a brand-new trailer that teased further details for the spooky follow-up to the 2017 title.

When it comes to Breath of the Wild’s sequel, we know very little. Nintendo does a very good job of keeping its games under wraps, so the sequel’s name, story, setting, and characters are all still relatively unknown. Really, the only thing we know for sure is that the game is being made. This new trailer did give us a few new details though, and from there we can make some educated speculations as to what to expect.

Trailer Breakdown

The trailer begins with Link and Zelda exploring a dungeon-looking cave. Although Link’s rocking the same look he did in Breath of the Wild, Zelda has changed her wardrobe. Although her Breath of the Wild pants and blouse are still there, she’s adopted a cape and hood that’s similar to the one Link wears in his Hylian Armour Set. She’s also cut her hair, adopting a haircut that’s a lot closer to the one Link has.

What’s far more noticeable is the music that’s playing. The use of synth creates a much spookier atmosphere in comparison to Breath of the Wild’s soft strings. The sound, although slightly different, has been used for a Legend of Zelda game before: Twilight Princess. The comparisons to Twilight Princess continue throughout the trailer, as Link and Zelda delve deeper into the dungeon.

The duo encounters a dark energy that seems to almost be infecting the area and creatures around it and it’s coming from what appears to be the mummified corpse of Calamity Ganon (at the very least, it looks like a male Gerudo). The energy itself is only being channeled through Ganon though. It’s actually coming from a glowing arm clutching the mummy’s chest. The arm is wrapped in golden jewelry, with designs that closely resemble the twisting symbols of the Twili–a race of individuals who are trapped in the Twilight Realm after their ancestors (powerful sorcerers) arrogantly challenged the gods of Hyrule.

We then see a succession of quickly cutting scenes. The first shows Link’s seemingly attempting to channel and utilize the energy that is causing the glowing arm to glow. The next sees the dark energy careening into the ceiling. It’s followed by a shot of Link and Zelda reaching for each other before cutting to the opening of a crypt. We then see Zelda’s hand grabbed by the glowing arm and (perhaps) a flashback to Calamity Ganon first encountering the shadowy being that belongs to that arm. Link and Zelda’s presence then seems to awaken something in the tomb, as the floor begins to crumble and the mummified corpse turns to look at them and open its eyes with vehement hatred. The trailer ends with Hyrule Castle rising from the ground and a shot of glowing blue energy–which again looks a lot like the magic that the Twili (specifically Midna, Zant, and the other powerful leaders) uses.

What It Could Mean

Of course, all the comparisons to Twilight Princess could mean nothing. Some folks complained that Breath of the Wild simply wasn’t dark enough story-wise. A similar complaint was directed at The Wind Waker and Nintendo responded with Twilight Princess. Breath of the Wild’s sequel might simply look like Twilight Princess because Nintendo is just making an adjustment similar to what it did back in the mid-2000s.

That said, it’s a relatively plausible theory to speculate that the Twili and the Twilight Realm will be included in Breath of the Wild’s sequel. Early drafts of Breath of the Wild’s original story referenced alien involvement. Obviously, this was cut. However, the Twili are a sort of alien to the people of Hyrule. The dimension they live in might as well be on a different planet, and the last time they came to Hyrule (the events of Twilight Princess) it was as an invasive force.

The events of Twilight Princess are also directly referenced in Breath of the Wild. When Link is being knighted as the next Hero of Hyrule and being gifted the Master Sword, Zelda makes reference to the land’s previous heroes. “[Link, you] have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess of Hylia,” Zelda says. “Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight…The sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero.” If Twilight Princess, canonically, takes place prior to the events of Breath of the Wild, then the Twilight Realm exists in this Zelda’s game’s timeline.

A connection to Twilight Princess isn’t all the new trailer possibly implies, though. Zelda’s decision to adopt Link’s look, and decision to join him on his next adventure might imply a co-op element. If not co-op, then at least Zelda will be playable this time around. It would be pretty cool to finally play as the princess who’s in the title of the franchise.

Nintendo revealed a ton of new details about Pokemon Sword and Shield last week, but we also learned some new tidbits about the upcoming games during the Treehouse livestream that followed Nintendo’s E3 2019 Direct. In particular, we learned more about how the recently announced Pokemon Home service will work with the Switch titles, and it appears there will be some limitations.

During the Treehouse livestream, game producer Junichi Masuda revealed that not every previous Pokemon will be transferable to Sword and Shield. “Players will be able to transfer their Pokemon from Pokemon Home only if they appear in the Galar region Pokedex,” Masuda said through an interpreter. What that means is that if a Pokemon isn’t already obtainable within Sword and Shield, you won’t be able to transfer it over from Pokemon Home.

Masuda acknowledged this is a change from how the previous Pokemon cloud service, Pokemon Bank, worked and explained the rationale behind this controversial decision:

“In previous games that worked with the Pokemon Bank service, you were able to–for example, in Sun and Moon–bring over any Pokemon, even if they weren’t in the Alola Pokedex,” Masuda said. “But with the transition to the Nintendo Switch hardware, being much more powerful [and] allowing us to be much more expressive with each of the individual Pokemon … at Game Freak we really spent a lot of time thinking about what the best way to move forward was, really preserving the quality of all the different Pokemon while also taking into account the battle balance, having so many different Pokemon available, all within a limited development time so we don’t keep fans waiting too long for every new entry in the series. And after a lot of discussion, we decided to come to a new direction.”

One of the new features in Sword and Shield that undoubtedly proved to be a hurdle in this regard was Dynamaxing, which can supersize a Pokemon for a limited time during battle. Given that there are more than 800 Pokemon in the series, Game Freak would have had to make new assets for hundreds of different monsters to account for this feature. We also don’t yet know how many Pokemon will be available in Sword and Shield; we’ve only gotten a glimpse at a handful of them thus far, but we’ve already seen a number of fan-favorites among them.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. The games will be compatible with the Poke Ball Plus accessory. We also learned some new details about Raid Battles during the Treehouse segment, which you can watch in its entirety above. For more on the titles, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.

More E3 news: