All posts by thebrettpiper

Brett Williams, Editorial, Feature, Nintendo, Video Games

Does Nintendo Switch seem rushed? Blame Breath of the Wild

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Impressions of the Nintendo Switch are flooding the internet. While the hardware itself has garnered positive reviews, the thought that it is launching bereft of features has become pervasive. Entertainment apps, a web browser, a robust online experience and a strong launch lineup are but a few of the items missing from the Switch’s March 3rd menu. Kotaku reporter Jason Schreier summed up these feelings in a recent tweet, saying “Switch right now in a word: undercooked.” Many devout followers of the industry are wondering why Nintendo would release a seemingly unfinished console for what amounts to an early-adopter beta test. With the system’s heavy hitters not landing until later this year along with the full version of a new online system, why didn’t Nintendo wait until November and launch with a stacked lineup and a full sampling of features? The answer to this question is simple; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

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Brett Williams, Editorial, Feature, Nintendo, Video Games

Inside the mind of a Switch early adopter

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The Nintendo Switch is less than two weeks away from launch, and the flexible new machine has been a divisive topic of discussion that has dominated the community. While many, myself included, are incredibly excited for March 3rd, there is a massive contingent of gamers that do not agree, and are not afraid to share their opinions. In fact, given what we know, or rather, what we do not, many could not possibly understand why anyone would be excited about the Switch. The future early-adopters and I have been called morons, fanboys, Nintendorks, Nintentards and a number of other clever names and Nintendo puns. Despite these assaults on our intelligence, there is a passionate community who couldn’t be more thrilled for the console.

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Brett Williams, Editorial, Feature, Video Games

Like them or not, Season Passes are here to stay

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Season passes are the black sheep of the gaming community. They deviously pry into our collective wallets in search of our precious cash, often in exchange for content we don’t fully understand. This earns them a spot atop our hit lists, and whenever a new pass is announced we grab our torches and pitchforks and set out to pillage the internet with angry comments across the datascape. The only thing that rivals the ire that season passes draw is, arguably, Nintendo. And luckily for us, these two juggernauts of vitriol crossed paths when Nintendo announced a season pass for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

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Brett Williams, Feature, Nintendo, Review, Video Games

Fire Emblem Heroes Review

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I Need a Hero

When Nintendo first announced their partnership with mobile developer DeNA, Fire Emblem was one of the series that immediately jumped to mind as a fit for iOS and Android devices. Cue Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo’s third foray into the mobile market and a bite-sized version of the hardcore strategy-RPG series. Wrapped in a shell of free-to-play (F2P), Gacha-style mechanics based on the franchise’s likeable cast of warriors, Nintendo has succeeded in creating an entertaining game that is true to the spirit of Fire Emblem while being accessible for franchise rookies.

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Brett Williams, Feature, Nintendo, Staff, Video Games

MONG’s 10 Most Wanted for the Switch Virtual Console

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The Nintendo Switch is less than a month away, and while we have been treated to a slow trickle of information and a Super Bowl commercial, there is still plenty we don’t know about Nintendo’s newest console. Of these unknowns, the questions surrounding the Switch’s Virtual Console iteration are the most tantalizing. Rumors of GameCube releases on the platform have sent the industry buzzing and the motion-capable Joy-Con leave the door open for a possible Wii renaissance. There is no argument about the potential of Nintendo’s classic games service, but will Nintendo capitalize on the monumental opportunity at hand?

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Brett Williams, PlayStation, Review, Video Games

Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Review

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Kingdom Come

While most of the Kingdom Hearts series’ gibberish names are of little consequence, the franchise’s third HD collection is perfectly described by its title. Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is the perfect introduction to Kingdom Hearts 3, featuring two games and an HD movie that flow directly into the anticipated sequel. The collection is aimed squarely at longtime fans of the series, featuring Dream Drop Distance, 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage (0.2) and X Back Cover. Without the necessary background knowledge, however, newcomers with find themselves lost in the convoluted tangle of narrative surrounding some of gaming’s finest action-RPG gameplay.  
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Brett Williams, Editorial, Feature, Nintendo, PlayStation, Video Games, Xbox

Unpacking our iterative future

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The gaming industry is simultaneously enabled and limited by what is under the hood of our favorite game machines. Consoles are essentially mass-produced computers designed with gaming in mind and they set a benchmark by which developers can exert their programming panache. However, just as new hardware allows the proverbial stretching of legs, aging hardware transforms that freedom into confines by which ever-growing ambition is stymied. This ongoing dilemma in gaming has perplexed console-makers since home consoles became a standard in 1985, but the recent strategy employed to combat rapidly advancing technology has been iterative hardware.

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Brett Williams, Editorial, Feature, Video Games

Lack of competitive fire is slowly killing Nintendo

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Nintendo’s Switch presentation on Thursday was truly baffling. The missteps of the event have dominated the conversation that followed, but there was a lot to be excited about if you are interested in the Switch. Nintendo gave a glimpse into its first-party lineup, detailed the interesting features of the console and blew us away with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. However, despite my status as an enduring Nintendo fan who is sold on the Switch, I was left with an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach.

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Brett Williams, Editorial, Feature, Video Games

The Spoiler-Addict’s guide to the Nintendo Switch presentation

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As we finally approach the end of the dark, twisted and maleficent tunnel that has been the Wii U era, the topic on everyone’s minds is the Nintendo Switch. While our mouths froth in advance of tomorrow’s livestream and following press events, it is only natural to scour the internet for any nugget of information to slowly peel back the veil of secrecy.

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Brett Williams, Editorial, Feature, Video Games

Final Fantasy XV and the power of friendship

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From its opening moments, Final Fantasy XV is a game that is completely built upon the bond of its four protagonists. The game drops players into a relationship that has been seasoned and seared over many years and experiences. While supplemental material, namely the Brotherhood anime, fleshes out the individual characters and their relationships with player character Prince Noctis, the game is designed in a way that even those with no prior knowledge can sense their deep connections through mechanics and acting. The result is the most real friendship that I have ever seen in gaming.

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