It’s that time again, time to bring this week’s handheld gaming news. The news gets made every week with input from various writers. Paula gathers news behind the screens, Sean helped get the news snippets together and some of our readers tip us off too. Thanks, all of you!
This week, we have news about Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Giraffe and Annika’s new trailer, the indefinite delay of Super Nintendo World’s opening, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge coming to Switch, speculation about a Nintendo Switch 2, Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ update 1.3.1, Sega’s blast from the past and Sealed copy of Super Mario Bros sold at highest price.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Nears Completion?
It looks like the news leaked earlier this week regarding a pair of Spanish voice actors finishing work on the new Zelda was incorrect. In a serious case of being “lost in translation”, it turns out the nuances of the Spanish language got the better of many of the mainstream gaming sites.
Sadly, it seems the actors were in fact joking, or at least embellishing at the current state of the Zelda production process. Looks like we will need to wait a little longer to find our way back to Hyrule.
Giraffe and Annika are close: new trailer
Not long left for a game that we have been following for quite some time: Giraffe and Annika are coming on August 25 to the Switch and PlayStation 4. The game includes rhythm-based combat with a colorful cast of bosses and a vivid and enchanting island to explore. Here is what the game is about:
“When a young girl named Annika awakens from a strange dream, she finds herself stranded on the mysterious “Spica Island” with no memory of how she got there. Upon exploring, she meets a boy named Giraffe, who seems to know her, and is tasked with finding three special star fragments on the island in order to unravel the mysteries of her forgotten memories. While searching for the fragments, Annika meets Lily, the Witch of the Mysterious Forest, who challenges her to a battle! Fortunately, Annika emerges victorious, and uncovers a star fragment. She absorbs the fragment and is suddenly granted remarkable visions. What secrets await this unlikely trio of adventurers on the island of Spica?”
Super Nintendo World’s Opening delayed… indefinitely!
Mamma Mia!! In yet another Coronavirus-caused hit to the gaming world, the highly anticipated opening of the Nintendo World Theme Park Tokyo has been indefinitely delayed. Recent images from the new theme park show a tightly packed environment. It comes as little surprise that social distancing measures may have been a little difficult to implement. Let’s hope that Princess Peach will be welcoming us to the Palace soon!
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge coming to Switch
Development studio WayForward announced this week that Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut is headed to Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Priced at $9.99, the game is set to be released digitally this fall.
The game is an upgraded version of the second game in the Shantae series, once again putting players in control of Shantae, the Half-Genie heroine, who’s on a mission to stop her scheming nemesis, the nefarious lady pirate Risky Boots. To do so, Shantae will explore a variety of environments (including deserts, forests, and undersea caverns), transform into creatures with unique abilities, encounter hilarious NPCs, and confront the dastardly Barons of Sequin Land, all accompanied by spectacular multilayered pixel-art graphics and a fantastic soundtrack.
This version will have enhancements over the classic 2010 DSi Ware release, including improved navigation features, HD character portraits, and an unlockable Magic Mode.
Nintendo Switch 2?
In a break from tradition, Nintendo has spoken about its future intentions for a post-switch world. During a recent shareholders meeting, Senior Executive Officer Ko Shiota expanded on his views that allowing gamers to play on both the television and handheld was key to Nintendo’s plans.
It seems likely we may see another iteration of the Switch, or indeed a full-fledged Switch 2 being planned. It may arrive as competition for the upcoming Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 lifecycles.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update 1.3.1
I was surprised on Friday by an update when I fired up my game. I wish we could actually see on our Switch what an update entails…but sadly we don’t. So, if you are curious too, here are the patch notes:
- Addressed issue where players could not properly use a zen bridge or red zen bridge placed on top of a cliff (third tier).
- Addressed issue where a wet suit would not be available for sale within Nook’s Cranny.
- Addressed issue where hermit crabs would appear in places other than the beach.
- Addressed issue where a dialogue bubble would improperly appear after speaking with island residents.
Sega’s blast from the past!
Currently a Japan-exclusive preorder, hopes are high the new Astro City Mini might make its debut in the West. A common sight in Japanese arcades, this mini gaming cabinet comes preloaded with classics such as Altered Beats, Virtua Fighter, and Golden Axe. It’ll also include HDMI USB connections. Japanese gamers should get a decent dose of nostalgia when it launches towards the end of the year.
Sealed copy of Super Mario Bros sold at highest price
Did you hold on to your old video games? Last nights auction at Heritage Auctions showed collecting and not opening your games can lead to profit. The mint copy of the 1985 classic Super Mario Bros sold for a whopping $114,000!
It broke the record of another 1985 Super Mario Bros game in the same condition that sold for $ 100,150.
