Nintendo Indie World review: these games are worth adding to your wishlist
We've announced a partial path of games for release through next spring, and unlike in the past, we have a large number of games scheduled for release that are planned over a span of even more than five years. This is because the Nintendo Switch launch has gone so well, allowing us to focus all of our development resources on one platform.
Nintendo Indie World is back on May 11, 2022, and this Indie Direct is pretty much a perfect reflection of current Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa's approach to the NS platform at this week's Japanese Investor Q&A. As always, we've selected for your minority consideration the titles at the event that have strong personalities, great gameplay, and might be more suitable for NS.
Ooblets｜Starling Cereal, but Pokemon
The NS in handheld mode is naturally suited to killing time, and 'farming' games have always been one of the most popular game genres on the NS platform since its initial release. In addition to Nintendo's first-party masterpiece, Gathering! Animal Moriya, the simulation-oriented Ranch Story and Stardew Cereal are also standouts in the genre; JRPG lovers also have the plot- and combat-enhanced Rune Studio series to enjoy; and of course, LSPs can check out Liza's swimsuit and thighs in Alchemy Studio.
What makes Ooblets unique in the face of so many strong opponents?
In short, Ooblets changes the rules of the 'grow beans, reap beans' game. Players in traditional farming games typically harvest and gather resources to unlock higher-tier crops and tools to advance the game - but in Ooblets, players grow living, breathing 'Pokémon-like' creatures, which ultimately need to be trained and cultivated to assist in working and exploring areas, as well as battling other trainers trainers to battle against.
At first glance, Ooblets seems to stitch together Stardew Cereal and Pokémon Go through a low-model painting style, but The quality of the presentation is one of the best in the indie genre. Combined with the mobile nature of NS itself, it's possible that Ooblets on NS will be even more popular than the previous versions on other platforms.
Batora: Lost Haven｜Blizzard's bad hype, time for a change
If Diablo represents the pinnacle of top-down action role-playing games, then Batora: Lost Haven will most likely be the next dark horse, if not the next myth.
Batora: Lost Haven is a non-linear flowing 'Diablo-like' game where players take on the role of Avril, a normal girl full of invincible faces, exploring different planets in the universe in order to find a way to save the world. The plot sounds cheesy, but the stunning artwork style and unique gameplay of this game will definitely make a difference.
Unlike traditional RPGs with dialogues, Batora: Lost Haven introduces a lot of well-made CG animations Batora: Lost Haven features a lot of well-made CG animations to tie in the plot, and the American comic style looks great with the gorgeous skill effects. In terms of gameplay, Batora: Lost Haven creates a unique, mental and physical-based character Bulid system that requires players to find the perfect balance between mental and physical aspects, not only in terms of growth and combat, but also throughout the plot choices.
There aren't many top-down ARPGs with a face on the NS platform, and even fewer new titles. If you're tired of Diablo's arrogant face, Batora: Lost Haven could be the first slap in Blizzard's face from the NS platform.
ElecHead｜Big ideas from small minds
While Indie World was indeed an indie launch event, the 24-minute broadcast highlighted some of the biggest names in indie games. Amidst all the beautiful graphics and gameplay, the seemingly 'indie' ElecHead was more of a pure game.
As the name suggests, ElecHead features a "battery man" that the player controls to power up the level's mechanisms in order to solve the puzzles. The interesting design of the game is the battery man. The interesting design of the game is that the battery man's head and torso can be separated and controlled separately, a simple mechanic that provides many novel ideas for level design, and although small in size, the title is likely to be much more playable than it seems.
Soundfall｜Rhythm Dungeon Pro Max Ultra +
Music, action, role-playing, Rouguelike-what kind of amazing sparks come out when these keywords are combined together?In 2018, the answer to that question was called Rhythm Dungeon, and now, Soundfall makes a new twist.
While Rhythm Dungeon pioneered "music + role-playing", Soundfall builds on it with more modern elements, a bright art style and great action feel, and the developers' skillful use of the Unreal 4 engine makes the game look both gorgeous and smooth, even the Hades of sound games.
Even more commendable is the fact that Soundfall incorporates a mature, Rouguelike game's requisite character Build system and level generation algorithms, which will bring players a constant sense of freshness and leave ample room for the game's plot to be laid out and unfold. Developed since 2018 and receiving rave reviews, Soundfall is also one of the few Coming Soon titles at Indie World that is definitely worth checking out.
Wildfrost｜Cards + Rouguelike, this time in the snowy plains
Rouguelike card games aren't exactly a new category, with more iconic titles like Full Moon and Monster Train being critically acclaimed masterpieces. Also playing cards on the go, Wildfrost, which sets the game on top of a snowy plain, is obviously much more masculine in its graphics than Monster Train.
The playability of card games comes from deck building and tactics, and judging from the preview, Wildfrost still has a sizable library of cards of the game. On the other hand, the battle mode is relatively traditional, and the rules and card effects are relatively simple, so players who have not been exposed to this type of game should be able to pick it up quickly.
Total War Simulator｜Believe it or not, it is indeed a "family affair"
Technically, Total War Simulator is not a game for the NS, but it does have the potential to shine as a party game on the big screen in the living room: Total War Simulator has an unusually rich mix of troops, very 'impactful' graphics, and a physics engine that makes Newton "sit up from his deathly illness" hilarious; most importantly, all you need to do to experience this game is line up your troops. The most important thing is that you only need to arrange your troops and there is almost no need for any skill, so even people with no experience in the game can participate.
However, while the low-mode graphics style used in Total War Simulator itself slightly reduces rendering pressure, the game's gameplay is destined to have complex battle scenes only more so. So the answer to the question of whether it will run smoothly on NS is an open question until its official release - up to 100 units on the same screen? We'll have to wait and see for now.
Gunbrella｜Humanoid Gundam Darter with a gun that can fire and an umbrella that can fly
Gunbrella is a "true" action-adventure game that sets the protagonist's weapons as "shotgun + umbrella", a setting reminiscent of the bulletproof umbrella bomb anti-American Günther scene in Kingsman. In the game, the umbrella can be closed and shot to kill the enemy, and the umbrella can be closed and opened to maneuver with the help of platforms and organs, and the timing of the closing and opening will be the most important part of the game experience.
Predictably, Gunbrella's rather novel weapon design adds a lot of action elements to the mix, with "umbrellas" being different from hook and claw Unlike the more intuitive three-dimensional maneuvers such as the hook and claw, the operating space for opening the umbrella and flying is usually limited by the scenario and environment, and many of the actions may even be counter-intuitive, so this game should not be too difficult to get started, and is more suitable for players who like a challenge to experience.
Slit｜In the deep sea, the border of hell
The graphical presentation and puzzle gameplay of Slit is reminiscent of the action-puzzle game Limbo from some years ago, but Slit leans more towards exploration rather than the linear flow through the game that Limbo emphasized. Judging from the trailer, Slit introduces a unique 'possession' mechanic in which the protagonist can control marine creatures to help him or her achieve their goals in a form similar to the hat throwing in Super Mario: Odyssey.
Slit's distinctive art style and just the right amount of environmental rendering amplify the primal fears brought on by the deep sea into psychological horror, and exploring the unknown The curiosity of exploring the unknown and the fear of facing the unknown may be the best tool to 'destroy' the player's sanity. The plot of Slit seems to have some Cthulhu elements, and the choice of this game to be officially released in the coming summer heat might be to bring players a touch of "coolness" with the SAN value dropping wildly.
Cult of the Lamb｜Baa the Lamb may be more of a fighter than you think
Cult of the Lamb is a cute and spooky 'cult' style game that combines strategy simulation and action adventure elements as players take on the role of a lamb rescued by a mysterious creature, building a cult, traveling the lands and growing his army of followers to achieve the goal of unifying the realm.
Although the characters are all cute little creatures, the cult classic is no less visually stunning than a gory R-rated movie. It's also worth noting that Devolver Digital, the publisher of this game, made its debut with the infamous Hotline Miami, so the combat is a definite highlight.
Another Crab's Treasure｜If you can't play with the old man's ring, you can play with the crab's ring
The NS platform does have Dark Souls, but it's a lifetime away to play anything else by Hidetaka Miyazaki. Compared to the pinnacle of the Souls genre, Elden's Ring of Law, Another Crab's Treasure, due out in 2023, counts as the 'useless man simulator' of indie games.
It's often said that one man's trash is another man's treasure. In Another Crab's Treasure, players will take on the role of a hermit crab and defeat crabs that are also equipped with various disposable plastic utensils by arming themselves with various trash from the ocean floor. Interestingly, the trash picked up in the game not only brings a numerical boost, but also the ability to use the original functions of these objects to interact with the environment and even create new attack moves.
The combat system is a highlight, as the attack and defense mechanics of the Souls genre are reflected in almost all of the crab fights in this game, while the microgravity environment provided by the ocean and the biological characteristics of the crabs themselves build on this to provide even more diverse action effects. Another Crab's Treasure may be the most realistic entry on the straightforward conference theme: if you're having fun, don't litter the next time you're at the beach.
conclude
With 2022 marking the fifth year of NS launch, Nintendo says the company sold just over 23 million Switch consoles last fiscal year, down 20 percent from fiscal 2020, and expects sales to dip further this year to 21 million units - but it's not because NS is becoming unpopular, it's because the market is starting to saturate and demand is flattening out. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa also revealed thoughts and concerns about transitioning from NS to next-gen hardware in a recent interview.
Currently, there are about 100 million players on the NS platform. Predictably, even with the legendary new-gen models coming out, Nintendo will still provide long-term support for NS until the majority of gamers make a smooth transition to the new platform.
These are the main points of this direct meeting. What games have been added to your wishlist after reading this? I wonder what other games you're looking forward to at this Indie Direct? Feel free to discuss in the comments section.