It’s that time again, time for this weeks roundup of the news around the world of handheld video games that stood out to us. This week it’s about Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town release date, Harvest Moon One World confirmed for Switch, Paper Mario: the Origami King, New Wallpapers to download, Kickstarter Colors Live funded in a day!, Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass, Kickstarter We Should Talk and Skully, a skulls second chance at life.
Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town release date
The remake of the original Friends of Mineral Town has a date: it’s available on the Nintendo Switch in July 14 in digital and physical form. If you pre-order the game at these retailers, you will er the lovely pink cow plush as a gift.
Harvest Moon One World confirmed for Switch
Mind you, not the original series anymore (that’s now called Story of Seasons) but a new Harvest Moon title on Switch! It’s announced for 2020 and what’s even more interesting: built on a new engine and with new graphics. You see, although I liked the first one The Lost Valley with it’s ability to terraform (my thoughts on that 3DS game here) the graphics of the series were always a bit awkward for me. Plus, the game felt a bit confined without a village to visit and interact with.
In later games they amended that, by adding a town, but it still didn’t feel like the SoS series. Now, key is the expansion from the hometown focus to an experience that plays out across a much wider world, enabling players to explore varied locations ranging from sunny beaches to snowy mountains in the quest. You see, you start out in a world without any vegetables! You find an old book that tells you how it used to be when people were growing things, and you have to take it from there.
It will be interesting to see where they take it next.
Paper Mario: the Origami King
A new Paper Mario title is coming to the Switch on July 17 and you can already pre-order it in the eShop! The RPG will feature the flat version of Mario as he attempts to free Princess Peach’s castle from the evil King Olly alongside a new partner named Olivia. Solve puzzles and battle Folded Soldiers on a new ring-based battle system with the help of classic characters and Mario’s new 1,000-Fold Arms ability. This ability allows him to peel back certain parts of his paper environment.
I’ve been told many of the fans haven’t been overjoyed at the new entries of the series since The Thousand Year Door but it will be interesting to see if this is a worthy sequel.
New Wallpapers to download
Nintendo of America have tweeted about new downloadable wallpapers for you to enjoy. There are several to choose from: for Animal Crossing New Horizons, Arms, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Kirby Star Allies, Pokémon Sword and Shield and many more. Check them out here.
Kickstarter Colors Live funded in a day!
Remember Colors! on the DS, 13 years ago? It was a nifty app that allowed you to make very cool paintings followed later on by another instalment, Colors! 3D on the 3DS. Now, a Kickstarter went live to bring the game to the Switch, including a pressure-sensitive pen. It’s gonna be colled Collars L!ve.
Within a day, the goal of € 14.056 was reached, and more funding keeps streaming in. And it’s not only because of the painting to be done, but also because of the promise of the new gaming mode. Colors Quest is a single-player game-mode, where you paint something new every day, using a set theme and various rules. By using crowd-sourcing, They’ve managed to create something that works for every skill-level and that rewards you for improving over time.
Wanna join in too? Check out the Kickstarter here.
Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass
Civilization VI gets a New Frontier Pass! The first part of this DLC launches on May 21. That’ll be the Maya & Gran Columbia Pack. All in all, the New Frontier Pass offers eight new civilizations, nine new leaders and a variety of new gameplay content, including six new game modes. You can expect a new pack every two months, this is the list from their website:
- Pack #1: Maya & Gran Colombia Pack. Adds two new civilizations and leaders, one new game mode*, new City-States, Resources, and Natural Wonders. Available May 2020.
- Pack #2: Ethiopia Pack. Adds one new civilization and leader, one new game mode**, one new District and two new Buildings. Available July 2020.
- Pack #3: Adds two new civilizations and leaders, one new game mode**, new World Wonders, and one new map. Available September 2020.
- Pack #4: Adds one new civilization and leader, one new game mode, new City-States, and numerous new Great People. Available November 2020.
- Pack #5: Adds one new civilization and two new leaders***, one new game mode, a new District, and two new Buildings. Available January 2021.
- Pack #6: Adds one new civilization and leader, one new game mode, new World Wonders, and one new map. Available March 2021.
*New game mode requires the Gathering Storm expansion to play.
**New game mode requires either the Rise and Fall or Gathering Storm expansions to play.
***New leader requires Rise and Fall expansion to play.
On top of this, there are going to be six additional free updates for all Civilization VI players. These updates will include balance changes and free content, among other surprises, so look out for those in-between DLC releases.
Kickstarter We Should Talk
A couple of days ago, Kickstarter We Should Talk went live, and now, four days later, the goal is already more then reached. In this short-form narrative game it’s not about what you say, but how you say it.
“In We should talk, you’ll use the sentence spinner to piece together modular sentences in response to the in-game characters. Choose your words carefully to express yourself as you discuss ongoing problems about life and romance with Sam, your in-game partner, over text messages, while also chatting with friends and strangers at your favorite local bar.
The combination of words you choose impacts the conversations you have, how genuinely you can connect with your partner, and whether your relationship can survive the night. It’s up to you how to respond—depending on how you communicate, you’ll see one of 9 possible endings.”
If you are interested in this pledge for funding, check it our here on Kickstarter. The game is expected to reach Steam, PS4 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch this Summer!
Skully, a skulls second chance at life
Expected to roll onto the Switch (and other platforms) on August 4, 2020, this action-adventure platformer sees Skully on a quest to stop a simmering war between feuding siblings.
Summoned by a local deity desperate for peace among his kin, Skully can sculpt new abilities from pools of magical clay found throughout the lush island he has washed up on. Gameplay in Skully’s debut trailer shows just a few ways the headstrong hero’s clay-boosted forms can open up new areas of the unpredictable landscape. Sounds like your kinda game? Check out the announcement trailer.
Ooh I am SO pre-ordering SoS to get that cute, strawberry cow.
That new Harvest Moon sounds epic. Can’t wait to see more info.
Me neither, on both accounts! I never played Friends of Mineral Town, looking forward to it