QCF: Kirby Planet Robobot

ne of the more endearing qualities to Nintendo’s fuchsia-hued star warrior is his ability to reinvent himself in a way that’s fresh while maintaining a sense of familiarity that retains the franchise’s charm and appeal. Granted, a lot of the more innovative titles in the Kirby series are the unorthodox offshoots that focus around a certain gimmick, and het spherical hero’s platform ventures generally tend to play it safe, and expand off of what the Big N knows to already work

Kirby’s latest exploit on the 3DS however is an exception to that trend, and is easily the smoothest blend of old and new that I’ve taken in yet. Planet Robobot (trying saying that five times fast) throws the pink copy-cat into a mobile mech-suit, resulting in a twist that may just be just be the one of the most captivating directions that his side-scrolling affairs have taken in years.

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QCF: Super Smash Bros for 3DS

hen a name becomes more and more distinguished over time like Super Smash Bros has, the occasional fumble or two can easily be overlooked, like it never even happened at all; and at the Chagrin of Super Smash Bros Brawl, the expectations for the latest sequels to bear the Smash name have never been higher.

While the 3DS version out of the pair of new games, has quickly gotten the label of being the B-choice release, the experience it has to offer is by no means the case. Everything that’s been jam packed into this port is very much faithful to those very same lofty expectations I mentioned earlier, and dare I say, Super Smash Bros for 3DS went on even further to surpass them.

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Nintendo reveals the new 3DS LL

arlier this morning, Nintendo surprised the world when it unveiled a new model of the 3DS XL, titling it, the Nintendo 3DS LL (I couldn’t tell you what the extra “L” stood for). The newer model will boast an extended battery life than all of its previous incarnations, two additional “ZL” and “ZR” buttons, a tiny right thumb stick camera control, and more.

The new system processor will also allow for HTML 5 to display, and the folks at the big N were thoughtful enough to include Micro SD support for storage this time as well. NFC compatibility is another impressive feature that will allow the handheld to use NFC scanning without the use of an external device required for the utility.

It’s slightly bigger than the XL and does boast a laundry list if improvements, but there wasn’t a whole lot of detail over the new firmware in the revision, which is a pretty big deal considering that the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles port will only work with this new model, and none of the other previous 3DS models.

It’ll be dropping in the Land of the Rising Sun on September 14^th, no news on when it’s coming stateside has been announced so far.

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PPR 83

o I guess we know what LeBron James is doing; ruining our childhoods. Speaking of our childhoods, a time-tested genre has gotten its second wind the last couple of years, involving all that pointing and clicking and what not…

But not to worry! We dive into plenty of Titanfall, Bravely Default, Seal’s Kiss from a Rose, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, The Raven, Blue’s Clues, and so much more; you’re just going to have to listen aren’t you?

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

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QCF: Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds

hile the consensus is more arguable than mainstream, it’s more apparent than ever that one of the most revered franchises in video games is experiencing a wave of disenchantment in the more recent years of the present game climate, and more players have come forward with their fatigue towards the series. You might have heard of it, it’s called The Legend of Zelda.

Ironically the iconic Nintendo property of late, has been more instrumental in inspiring successes in new franchises that liberally imitate it while failing to significantly innovate itself beyond its esteemed but frankly aged conventions—that is until now.

Nintendo and Monolith entered dangerous territory when announcing that they were working a direct sequel to what many consider the greatest video game of all time that could never live up to the legacy it holds to this day; if Link to the Past is Rocky then consider Link Between Worlds Rocky IV.

This 3DS entry is a shining example that the magic of The Legend of Zelda is very much alive, transporting all who play it into a very familiar and yet robust Hyrule, with tons of astonishment and whimsy in store from start to finish.

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QCF: Pokémon X/Y

or the last seventeen years, a series that hinged so much on its formulaic design has not only gone on to endure, but prosper and become one of the most successful properties in media today. The sixth generation of the Pocket Monsters made it’s very first simultaneous debut across the world on the Big N’s new edition of the iconic dual-screened pocket-sized game box, and well, it’s still sort of a big deal.

I’ll be honest with you guys, the previous iteration didn’t impress me in the slightest, it had the exact opposite effect—a sentiment that’s argued even among the most dedicated of fans of its respective community. However, The latest X and Y installment in the Pokémon dynasty is different.

Instead of pandering to systematically compulsory reaction of shoving new monsters and gimmicks to the fold—X and Y tone it down and balance it out with some of the sharpest refinements the formula yet, making it both, the most appealing and the most polished to enter the fold.

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PAX PRIME 2013: The Nintendo Crescendo

egardless of how critical my position on Nintendo may be as of recent, my travels on the floor led me to the familiar brand. I tasked myself with getting the best out of what the Big N had to offer. So after a couple of games later, I can safely say that while my faith is still shaken, it is far from lost—Nintendo is dropping some real winners after all this Holiday.

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Why the Nintendo Holiday is boring, and their future looks scary

hether most of us (myself included) want to admit it or not, Nintendo has been flailing on the scene as of late. The lack of compelling Wii U software have gradually influenced the deflation of units sold throughout 2013, and with only the 3DS to shoulder the weight, it’s been a frustrating waiting game for those who have endorsed in the promise of the Big N into the next generation. Nintendo hasn’t been completely deaf to their situation though, and during a press release yesterday, made several announcements towards release dates, price drops, and their newest revision of the 3DS for the budget-minded consumer, or parent…and one has to ask if Nintendo has thought this all the way through?

The way I see it, it seems like it’s just more pandering in disguise, and pandering is one of the biggest factors that lead them down to this path to begin with.

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