The NXpress Nintendo Podcast
2021-04
Episodes
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 229: Ask Iwata Impressions and Shantae Review
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, the next generation of hosts, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill gear up for another retro-themed indie extravaganza. The gang starts out by reviewing the recently-released Ask Iwata, a semi-autobiography that chronicles the career and wisdom of the beloved Nintendo executive. By turns enlightening and entertaining, Cameron praises the book as a new look into one of Nintendo’s most familiar faces. After that, the hosts take a detour to recognize a major unspoken Nintendo holiday and acknowledge the 15th anniversary of the infamous Mother 3. Of course, this leads to the usual questions: Will Western Nintendo fans ever get to play this elusive epic on Switch? Will Reggie ever release his hidden English localization of the game? The answer to both questions is probably no, but even then, it’s worth celebrating this seminal title in Nintendo’s release history.
Things take a magical turn in the Main Event as Campbell reviews the Switch re-release of the indie adventure that started it all, the original 2002 Shantae from the Game Boy Color. It might show its age in some respects, but this debut adventure of WayForward’s mascot half-genie is more than worth replaying today – especially if you love a bit of silly puns and humor every now and again. It’s an impressive game today, and considering that it managed to pack so much personality into such limited hardware, it’s a highly impressive title. Lastly, Campbell closes the show by sharing some early impressions of the recently-released The Longing, an anti-game that tasks the player with waiting 400 days (in real time!) to wait for a king to wake from a deep slumber. It might not sound like much of a game on paper, but in practice, it might just be worth sticking with for a year and a half – especially if you want to catch up on reading some fine literature.
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Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro00:40 – Nintendosage: Ask Iwata, Mother 3 Anniversary“Onett” – EarthBound20:30 – Main Event: Shantae Review“We Love Burning Town” – Shantae and The Pirate’s Curse43:00 – Indie Spotlight: The Longing“Fourside (Melee)” – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, the next generation of hosts, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill discuss all things indie after Nintendo’s most recent Indie World Showcase, reviewing a newly-released indie gem, and then discussing a new remaster of a classic RPG for good measure. The gang starts by going over all the exciting announcements from the presentation, celebrating the diversity of the games and developers shown off in this latest indie event. Maybe Hollow Knight: Silksong didn’t make its much-requested appearance, but there was still plenty to love. From the fantastical action of Aztech Forbidden Gods to the rampant style of Aerial_Knights Never Yield to the bodacious action of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Nintendo once again brought the goods when it came to spotlighting its smaller development partners.
After breaking down all those new announcements, the gang goes for a blast from the past as Cameron reviews the recently-released SaGa Frontier Remastered, a refreshed version of Square’s classic experimental RPG from 1997. With a fresh coat of paint and plenty of quality-of-life improvements to make the game easier to play in the 21st century, Cameron praises the game for its unorthodox story structure and complex but rewarding gameplay. It might not be the most beginner-friendly game in the world, but for anyone who loves old-school RPGs, there’s never been a better time to get into the cult classic that inspired RPGs for decades after its release. Closing things out with a return to the indie spotlight, Campbell reluctantly says yes to reviewing Say No! More, a lighthearted on-rails story game that’s all about knowing your limits and saying no to overwork. Not only does it offer a valuable message, but it also gives pun-lovers some much-needed representation in games.
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro00:55 – Nintendosage: Indie World Discussion“Go! Getsu Fuma” – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate33:10 – Main Event: Saga Frontier Remastered Review“Trick” – SaGa Frontier1:07:05 – Indie Spotlight: Say No! More“Main Title Theme” – SaGa Frontier
Thursday Apr 08, 2021
Thursday Apr 08, 2021
This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, the next generation of hosts, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill try out Nintendo’s latest battle royale extravaganza, review a cult classic Star Wars title getting new life on Switch, and chat about a wide range of artful and impactful indies on Switch.
The gang kicks off the show by sharing their very early impressions of Pac-Man 99, released mere minutes before the time of the show’s recording. The hosts discuss the game’s incredible potential and celebrate this latest development in Nintendo’s retro-infused battle royale. One might say that developer Bandai Namco really “pac”-ed in plenty to love! Next, Marc and Cameron review Star Wars: Republic Commando, Aspyr’s latest faithful port of a legacy Star Wars game. The hosts lead the way in breaking down this title’s interesting role in the overall Star Wars canon, praising its uniquely exhilarating tactical first-person gameplay, and emphasizing that even those who aren’t especially engaged in the franchise (ahem, Campbell) will find plenty to enjoy.
Lastly, the hosts close the show with a substantial indie spotlight on a few promising titles, starting with the stunningly stylish Genesis Noir, a beautiful game that blends a striking art direction with a beautiful jazz soundtrack to make a gorgeous, if technically unstable experience. Cameron then shares his experience with Lost Words: Beyond the Page after last week’s spotlight, confirming the game’s emotional impact and sharing his personal reactions to some of its most touching moments of grief and loss. Ending things off, Marc finally joins Cameron and Campbell in riding the Hades hype train thanks to its recent physical release, offering his glowing impressions of the game’s first hour.
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro00:50 – Nintendosage: Pac-Man 99 Impressions“Pac-Man Fever” – Buckner & Garcia14:14 – Main Event: Star Wars: Republic Commando Review“The Arena” – Star Wars Episode II: Attack of The Clones38:10 – Indie Spotlight: Genesis Noir, Lost Words: Beyond the Page, and Hades“Finale” – Star Wars Episode II: Attack of The Clones
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Goomba Stomp Anime Editor Matthew Ponthier joins the next generation of hosts, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill to discuss Capcom’s record-smashing, monster-murdering hit Switch exclusive, Monster Hunter Rise. But before the gang set out on their hunt, they take some time to bemoan a recent slew of Nintendo disappointments. They mourn the death of Mario on March 31st, complain about the perpetual problem of Joy-Con drift, and lastly, break down Yuji Naka’s fantastically failed comeback, Balan Wonderworld. Cameron shares his experience of losing precious hours of his life trudging through this dismal attempt at revitalizing the 3D platformer – even an accompanying novel adaptation can’t redeem this mess.
Moving onto the main event, Matt takes the stage to tell the gang everything there is to know about Monster Hunter Rise. Touching on everything from its lineup of new and returning monsters to its innovative wirebug mechanics, Matt breaks down how Rise is a worthy entry in this long-running series that does its legacy justice. While it still might not be the most intuitive game for newcomers to get into, it offers more dynamic and exciting gameplay than ever when it comes to taking down these massive foes. Ending things out with the usual Indie Spotlight, Campbell says some words about Lost Words: Beyond the Page, a former Google Stadia exclusive that has now come to Switch. Praising its emotional storytelling and poignantly relatable depiction of childhood grief, Lost Words is a touching platformer whose lackluster gameplay is compensated by its gut-punching emotional storytelling.
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro00:42 – Nintendosage: Nintendo Disappointments with Mario 35, Joy-Con Drift, Balan Wonderworld“Hurry Up! – Overworld” – Super Mario 3D Land15:35 – Main Event: Monster Hunter Rise Impressions“Brave Hunters” – Monster Hunter Rise55:50 – Indie Spotlight: Lost Words: Beyond the Page“Meowcenaries” – Monster Hunter Rise