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Tag: Switch

  • Team Solo Has Swept the Splatoon 3 Frosty Fest Splatfest

    Team Solo Has Swept the Splatoon 3 Frosty Fest Splatfest

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    After a weekend of matches, the Frosty Fest holiday Splatfest in Splatoon 3 has come to a close. Players competed in order to decide who is best to spend the holidays with: friends, family or solo. Team Solo was declared the winner after 48 hours of Turf War matches.

    The five categories that decided the winner of the Splatfest were a sneak peak round, popularity, open battles, pro battles, and tricolor battles.

    Team Solo won all five of those five categories, giving it enough points to take the lead. The final score of the Splatfest was 57-0-0. Here is a full breakdown of each category and how many points each team was awarded:

    • Sneak Peak – Solo (7 points)
    • Popularity – Solo (8 points)
    • Open Battles – Solo (12 points)
    • Pro Battles – Solo (12 points)
    • Tricolor Battles – Solo (18 points)

    The Splatfest started on Friday evening and lasted the entire weekend through Sunday evening. After the first half ended on Saturday night, Team Solo was the leading team, and Tricolor matches began. The Tricolor Turf War stage changes each Splatfest, and this time the featured stage was Crableg Capital.

    This was the twelfth official Splatoon 3 Splatfest since the game released over a year ago in September 2022. In the last Splatfest, which took place in November, Team Handshake beat Team Fistbump and Team Hug to decide which greeting is most superior.

    Each of the Splatfest participants will receive a number of Super Sea Snails depending on the rank they reached. These snails add sub ability slots on gear and reroll gear abilities. The higher rank you earned while battling during the Splatfest the more Super Sea Snails you’ll receive, with Team Solo participants earning a bonus number.

    About the author

    Rebecca Stone

    Rebecca is a Staff Writer at Twinfinite. She has been with the site and in the games media industry for 4 years, and she has a college degree in psychology and writing. Rebecca typically covers Nintendo for the site, and she especially loves the Legend of Zelda series. Outside of gaming, Rebecca is an avid Swiftie and enjoys playing with her cat Frisk.

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  • All Nintendo Switch Exclusives Releasing in 2024

    All Nintendo Switch Exclusives Releasing in 2024

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    It’s looking like a good year for Nintendo! While rumors of a new console launching this year continue to bubble onwards, all we know so far is that more Switch exclusive games will continue to release for the time being.

    Even though 2024 is no doubt a quieter year for the console than 2023, there are still plenty of first-party titles on the horizon. Let’s take a look at all Nintendo Switch exclusives releasing in 2024!

    Another Code: Recollection

    Release Date: January 19, 2024

    Image Source: Nintendo

    The first Switch exclusive of 2024 is Another Code: Recollection. This is a set of two remakes from the Another Code adventure game series. It collates revamped versions of the first two entries in the franchise, Another Code: Two Memories and Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories.

    Most excitingly of all, this collection marks the first time that the latter game releases in North America. As such, this is a huge deal for fans of the series.

    The first game originally released on Nintendo DS back in 2005. It’s a point-and-click adventure harnessing the dual screen format, as you use the touch-screen to solve puzzles while the main character, Ashley, investigates her missing father.

    If you’ve never played Another Code before, this polished new collection is the ideal starting point. Boasting brand-new voice acting, visuals, and even more puzzles than in the original versions, this is the definitive way to experience both Another Code games.

    Mario vs. Donkey Kong

    Release Date: February 16, 2024

    Mario climbing up a ladder in Mario vs. Donkey Kong
    Image Source: Nintendo

    Just a few months after the staggering highs of Super Mario Bros. Wonder the plumber returns, albeit in a lesser role, in Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

    This is a remake of the 2004 Game Boy Advance title. You play through side-scrolling platforming levels in Mario’s toy factory, which has been overrun by Donkey Kong.

    It’s an incredibly faithful remake to boot, retaining the original game’s puzzle focus. In some levels you’ll need to find a hidden key before you can complete it. In others, doors will be locked until you collect a fixed number of items, or bypass environmental puzzles. It’s bound to be somewhat more challenging than Wonder, even if it doesn’t boast as varied a range of abilities.

    Even more significantly, Mario vs. Donkey Kong could well be the final mainline Mario game to release on the Switch, outside of RPGs. If that’s the case, then the game will take on a legacy entirely separate from its source material: harkening back to the simplistic platforming mechanics but endearing charm that make the character so beloved.

    Princess Peach: Showtime!

    Release Date: March 22, 2024

    Peach casting a spell in Princess Peach: Showtime!
    Image Source: Nintendo

    The next Nintendo Switch exclusive releasing this year is, as it stands, the final brand-new first party game slated for the console. Even more significantly, it’s the first time the beloved Princess Peach has had her own game since Super Princess Peach in 2005.

    We still don’t know loads about Princess Peach: Showtime! other than it being a side-scrolling platform where a plethora of new abilities formulate the gameplay loop. In the reveal trailer we saw Peach casting spells to banish bushes blocking her way, wielding a sword, and transforming into an old-timey detective.

    If Super Mario Bros. Wonder gave Mario a whole new host of abilities, then Princess Peach: Showtime! looks set to do exactly the same thing. If you’ve been yearning for a new solo Peach game for the past two decades, it isn’t too long until your prayers will be answered!

    Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD

    Release Window: Summer 2024

    Luigi fleeing from a plant monster in Luigi's Mansion 2 HD.
    Image Source: Nintendo

    Announced in the Nintendo Direct from September 2023, this full-fledged remake of the 3DS Luigi’s Mansion game is the first time we’ve seen Mario’s brother in a solo release since the third entry of the Mansion franchise back in 2019.

    The teaser trailer shown was incredibly brief. That said, did show a much more polished graphical style that revamps the 3DS visuals for the Switch. The spooky atmosphere is still here, alongside Luigi’s reliable ghost-busting tool, the Poltergust.

    If you first sampled the Luigi’s Mansion series with the third game, this is a great chance to head back in time to see how we got to this stage. Even better, it brings back the four-player co-op mode. You can put an end to these paranormal pests with friends!

    Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

    Release Window: 2024

    Mario and Yoshi jumping onto a rooftop in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
    Image Source: Nintendo

    The last officially confirmed Switch exclusive for 2024 is a remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. This is the second entry in the series of turn-based Paper Mario RPGs. That means a total of three games from that sub-franchise are now playable on Switch.

    It’s one of the most coveted remakes ever from Nintendo. The original GameCube game is not only inaccessible on modern hardware, but hugely expensive to buy used. It’s hard to see how Nintendo can make the game look any more polished due to its timeless 2D visual design, but with new animations promised, we’re excited to see how it turns out.

    Metroid Prime 4

    Release Window: TBA

    Samus firing at an enemy in Metroid Prime Remastered.
    Image Source: Nintendo

    The last entry on our list is a bit of a speculative one, and a game that all Nintendo fans have hoped would release with the turn of each year. We first heard about Metroid Prime 4 way back in 2017 following the Switch’s launch, but it has been little more than an urban legend in the years since.

    If 2024 is the final year of major support for the Switch, it would be fitting for Metroid Prime 4 to act as its last hurrah: the final tentpole exclusive before the successor console releases. There’s some precedent for it, too, with the Metroid Prime remaster landing in 2023 to widespread acclaim.

    We wouldn’t be surprised if Metroid Prime 4 goes down the Breath of the Wild route, releasing on both the Switch and whichever console succeeds it. Either way, we hope 2024 is finally the year where this long-shelved game finally sees the light of day.

    Those are all the Nintendo Switch exclusives confirmed (or rumored) to launch in 2024. If any upcoming Nintendo Direct presentations add even more titles to this list, we’re sure to be in for an incredible final year for the Switch!

    About the author

    Luke Hinton

    Luke Hinton is a video games journalist currently working as Senior Guides Writer and Associate Editor at Twinfinite. He has undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Journalism, Media, and Culture, and previously specialised in entertainment writing.

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  • 10 Most Anticipated Remasters & Remakes of 2024

    10 Most Anticipated Remasters & Remakes of 2024

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    The trend of cranking out tons of remakes and remasters of old games continues in 2024; this year might take the crown as one of the most prolific. In fact, some of the most anticipated games in general for 2024 are remakes, such as the TGA award-winner Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

    Whether you’re annoyed at incessant re-releases like The Last of Us, or hyped for long-dormant games to finally get a fresh coat of paint, 2024 has you covered. Here are the 10 most anticipated remasters & remakes of 2024.

    Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

    Image Source: Square Enix

    As the award winner for TGA “Most Anticipated Game” it’s impossible not to put Final Fantasy VII Rebirth high on this list. But awards aren’t the sole reason it’s here. The recent gameplay demonstrations at the 2023 Tokyo Game Show have shown tremendous potential for the game-of-the year-candidate.

    Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is the sequel to the Remake from 2020. The game takes place outside of the steampunk city of Midgar, finally exploring the wider world of Gaia. Rebirth features an open-world map and has a ton of exploration and mini-games to try out. The fields outside the city of Kalm are home to Chocobo Farms and more nooks and crannies than you can shake a chunk of Materia at. And let’s not forget that Rebirth is the chapter featuring the fan-favorite theme park chock full of minigames, the Golden Saucer.

    We can’t wait to play the action RPG remake of Final Fantasy VII’s second chapter when it finally launches on February 29th.

    Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

    thousand year door title logo
    Image Source: Nintendo

    Word is still out whether or not the best Paper Mario game will end up being a remaster or a remake built from the ground up, but we’re beyond thrilled no matter the result. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is easily my favorite game on the Nintendo GameCube, and it’s been console-locked ever since its release. Add to that the frustration of rarity and high resell prices for physical copies of the game and you have a cult classic that few modern gamers have the opportunity to experience.

    The console-locked status of The Thousand-Year Door ends in 2024. Word is still out when the concrete release date will be, but the recent ESRB rating for the game points to it coming very soon. Seriously, you’re gonna want to play this, if for any reason just to see Rock Hawk in the arena sequence or where the Vivian sensation originated from.

    Persona 3 Reload

    New Persona Games Announcement
    Image Source: Atlus

    Persona 3 Reload is a full remake of the PS2 turn-based RPG that kicked off the Persona craze. This remake includes several new features such as gardening and new Junpei social links. There’s also a lot of new voice acting that will cover the large amounts of unspoken text the original had.

    But what really has us excited is the graphical overhaul. Persona 3 Reload uses a modified engine that Atlus used for Persona 5, and we all know how mind-bendingly stylish Persona 5 is. The menus for Persona 3 now have transition animations and full HD swank, and the characters themselves even move their mouths when speaking. Battles are going to be fully redesigned with the modern engine to be fast-paced and masterfully animated as well. What we’ve seen of Persona 3 Reload from trailers and presentations has us confident the remake of Persona 3 will burn our bread more than it ever has before (come on, you get that reference, right?)

    Tomb Raider I-III Remastered

    lara croft platforming
    Image Source: Aspyr

    The original Tomb Raider games are classics, yes, but they’re also rough to go back to. Tank controls and janky PS1 graphics render these games difficult to recommend to new players. But that all changes with Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. With improved controls and HD clarity, these remasters of the three first Tomb Raider games may just become classics all over again in 2024.

    One of the big reasons this is so high on this list is because it’s been a LONG time since we’ve had a classic Tomb Raider experience. Lara Croft’s adventures in the rebooted series from 2013 don’t feature the same platforming emphasis and general action gameplay the originals did. Fans of classic action games and platformer-puzzlers shouldn’t sleep on Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. I know I’ll want to revisit the glory days of Lara Croft in HD splendor come February 14th.

    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake

    Two brothers looking over a horizon
    Image Source: Hazelight Studios

    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was one of the breakaway indie hits of the early 2010s. It helped propel the trend of indie co-op story games such as A Way Out and TGA winner It Takes Two. There are several new features this remake is bringing to the table that make it one of 2024’s most anticipated. First, there’s the addition of full co-op, which the original didn’t have. Even though Brothers is focused on two siblings overcoming puzzles on an emotional journey, the game was originally strictly single-player.

    We’re really excited to grab a partner this time around, especially since we’ll be journeying in full 4K glory. The Brothers remake is made in Unreal Engine 4 and has a much higher budget than the original. This is a ground-up remake that we’re looking forward to playing when it releases on February 28th.

    Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy

    Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Collection is Coming
    Image via Capcom

    The original trilogy of Ace Attorney games got a lovingly made remaster a while back, so the next trilogy in the series was a sure bet. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy contains the fourth, fifth, and sixth main games of the series in one remastered bundle. Several noteworthy additions earn this package a worthy spot on this list.

    First, the translation from 3DS to console and PC. The original games featured a dual-screen interface and was locked on handheld systems, so this remaster is very welcome in that respect. There’s a new animation studio feature that puts custom scenes at the players’ fingertips with movable props and backgrounds. The orchestra hall and art library features provide full soundtracks and images to peruse in detailed menus. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is the definitive way to play these games and it releases on January 25th.

    Gothic Remake

    forest in gothic with enhanced graphics
    Image Source: THQ Nordic

    Okay, I’ll be real with you, the Gothic Remake isn’t set in stone for a 2024 release, but it’s still projected for 2024, so we’ll let it fly. Gothic was a fascinating alternative to games like Morrowind and The Witcher when it was released in 2001. The complex mechanics and interconnected storytelling were ahead of their time and paved the way for all-time greats like The Witcher 3.

    Gothic Remake is going to be built from the ground up with triple-A graphics and polished gameplay. The screenshots we’ve seen look mouth-watering, especially if you’re a fan of Western RPGs. While the exact release date is unknown at this time, the developers’ transparency through the development process has been refreshing and positive. Check out the latest Gothic Remake developer podcast from THQ Nordic to see how passionate they are about bringing the classic German RPG to a modern audience.

    Braid: Anniversary Edition

    braid anniversary art
    Image Source: Thekla

    I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t initially over the moon when I first heard about a Braid remaster, but then I read what it’ll include and now I’m sold. Braid Anniversary Edition is an updated remaster of the 2008 indie puzzle platformer Braid. Braid kinda started the indie game boom back in the day, and now it’s getting a fancy remaster on modern systems.

    But it’s not just a straight port. Updated visuals, redone music, developer commentary, and all-new puzzles are featured in this remaster. Braid was known for its brilliant time reversal level design, so having new ones to play has me stoked. Braid Anniversary Edition releases on April 30th on all modern systems.

    The Last of Us Part II Remastered

    last of us part ii remastered
    Image Credit: Naughty Dog

    Hear me out, I don’t actually hate The Last of Us Part II; the only reason it’s this low on the list is because a remaster of a three-year-old game is just plain silly. I know Sony wants that The Last of Us cash, but come on.

    This remastered version includes various enhancements catered specifically for the PS5 such as full DualSense functionality and visual upgrades. The biggest addition to this remaster is a new roguelike survival mode called No Return. Little is known about the new mode, but we don’t have to wait long since The Last of Us Part II Remastered comes out on January 19th.

    Clock Tower

    sprite visuals showcasing original clock tower gameplay
    Image Source: WayForward

    Horror game fans rejoice, the classic Clock Tower is finally releasing outside of Japan! What’s that? The first Clock Tower already came out on Playstation back in 1997? Well, no, that was actually Clock Tower 2. 1995’s Clock Tower 1 is getting a spruced-up remaster for the first time in the West. Clock Tower has you running away from the deadly Scissorman while navigating a dark mansion. It’s a point-and-click horror game that has you hiding, solving puzzles, and screaming in equal measure. Look forward to this updated Super Famicom horror game when it releases sometime in 2024.

    That’s our list of 10 most anticipated remakes & remasters of 2024. There are obviously some games we didn’t add to this list, so let us know which ones you felt got snubbed. For all your reviews and guides for games in 2024 and beyond, check back here on Twinfinite!

    About the author

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    Matthew Carmosino

    Matthew Carmosino is a freelance writer for Twinfinite. He started gaming in the mid-90s where his love for SquareSoft RPGs like Chrono Trigger changed him forever. Matthew has been working in the game industry for two years covering everything from story-rich RPGs to puzzle-platformers.
    Listening to piano music on a rainy day is his idea of a really good time, which probably explains his unnatural tolerance for level-grinding.

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    Matthew Carmosino

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  • 12 Super Mario RPG Side-By-Side Screenshots on Switch & SNES that Show How Far It’s Come

    12 Super Mario RPG Side-By-Side Screenshots on Switch & SNES that Show How Far It’s Come

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    Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars first captivated players with its release in 1996 on the SNES, blending Square’s classic RPG elements with the beloved Mario universe. Now, 27 years later, the game has been reimagined through a remake on the Nintendo Switch, simply titled Super Mario RPG.

    We can experience the transformation that the game has gone through with side-by-side screenshots, where each pair of images contrasts the original game’s charm with the Switch’s modern visuals.

    This comparison takes us through the evolution of the game’s art, from pixelated sprites to crisp, contemporary graphics. It highlights the technological leaps since the release of the original game while still managing to capture the nostalgia for those who played it way back then.

    Here are 12 side-by-side screenshots to show you just how much the game has changed. Special thanks to our Reviews Editor Zhiqing Wan for providing the screenshots for the Switch version of the game.

    super mario rpg title screen new

    The first thing players see when they boot up the game is the title screen. Back then on the SNES, it had the subtitle “Legend of the Seven Stars.” Now, on the Switch, the game is titled “Super Mario RPG” with no subtitle.

    Just like in the original, we get our first look at Bowser’s Keep, with the iconic sword Exor impaling it. This time, it is much more detailed, and we can see the night sky with shooting stars behind it.

    super mario rpg toad house originalsuper mario rpg toad house new

    The Toads’ houses in the Mushroom Kingdom have quite the upgrade. Everything is placed exactly the same way, but now they have red curtains instead of green as well as fancy red rugs.

    The remake does a great job with placing even the most mundane items and decorations in the exact same spots, of course with beautifully detailed texture upgrades.

    super mario rpg world map forest maze originalsuper mario rpg world map forest maze new

    The world map is one of the nicest upgrades in the remake. You can actually see the entire island instead of the land being in a black void like in the original game.

    The layout stays true to the SNES game, though. Everything is laid out in the right spot, and there’s more room to see details on the map that we couldn’t before.

    super mario rpg forest maze originalsuper mario rpg forest maze new

    Enemy battles look mostly similar, but the UI information looks a bit differently in the remake. We now have HP bars to give a better visualization of the party members’ health. You can also see how many Flower Points are available to use.

    Again, just like in the world map, the battles no longer take place on land in a void. You can see the surrounding areas on the sides of the screen this time.

    super mario rpg geno originalsuper mario rpg geno new

    Dialogue boxes look drastically different in the remake. Instead of on a parchment paper-like design with a unique font, the dialogue boxes in the remake look a lot more plain. The text is smaller but in an easier-to-read font. Also, the box doesn’t stretch across the entire screen. This means we can see more of what’s going on in the scene than we could before.

    super mario rpg bowyer originalsuper mario rpg bowyer new

    Here’s another look at a battle, this time during a boss fight. It’s impressive how the developers were able to capture the look of Bowyer exactly how he was in the original game just based off of his sprite.

    As you can see, the aesthetic from the SNES version of the game has been totally preserved in every way,. This time, though, it has better details and high graphical fidelity.

    super mario rpg star originalsuper mario rpg star new

    One of the more surprising changes involves the scenes in which Mario and his friends earn a star. Instead of remaining in the scene that it takes place, the character enter a dedicated screen where you can see them much closer up as they receive the star.

    This gives us a much better look at their character models in a way that we wouldn’t normally get to see.

    super mario rpg mine cart originalsuper mario rpg mine cart new

    Those who played the original game surely remember the mine cart mini game in the Mole Mines. While much of it looks quite familiar, it has undergone some quality of life changes in the remake.

    For example, you can see in the righthand corner a speedometer, which is helpful for knowing when to break. The lefthand corner shows the mini game’s controls, which the original did not have.

    A detail you might have missed is that you can see Dyna the mole sitting in the cart with Mario. In the original, she was supposed to be there with him, but she isn’t actually visible.

    super mario rpg mine cart outside originalsuper mario rpg mine cart outside new

    Here’s a look of the mine cart mini game towards the end when the cart goes outside. We can see that the sky has gotten a beautiful touch-up here.

    super mario rpg snifit originalsuper mario rpg snifit new

    Here is another example of the dialogue boxes, this time also showing the exterior of houses in Moleville. Interestingly, Snifits have a new name in the remake. They are now “Snifsters.”

    As you can see, nearly everything sits exactly where it did in the original. Even the patterns in the patches of grass are the same.

    super mario rpg booster tower originalsuper mario rpg booster tower new

    Here’s one more look at the world map, this time showcasing the area around Booster Tower. Everything is much easier to see, with details down to paths and windows.

    super mario rpg vista hill originalsuper mario rpg vista hill new

    Finally, we have one more look of Bowser’s Keep. This time it is directly during gameplay and from the perspective of Vista Hill. Mario can visit this at any point in the game starting from the very beginning since it is just east of his pad.

    Will this be your first time playing Super Mario RPG? Or will you be returning to this classic after having played the original release? If you are still on the fence about buying it, you can read our official review right here to help you decide.

    About the author

    Rebecca Stone

    Rebecca is a Staff Writer at Twinfinite. She has been with the site and in the games media industry for 4 years, and she has a college degree in psychology and writing. Rebecca typically covers Nintendo for the site, and she especially loves the Legend of Zelda series. Outside of gaming, Rebecca is an avid Swiftie and enjoys playing with her cat Frisk.

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  • It’s still wild that Nintendo signed off on Super Mario RPG

    It’s still wild that Nintendo signed off on Super Mario RPG

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    Nearly three decades after it was first released on Super Nintendo — and despite a handsome remake for Switch, with completely redone visuals and rerecorded music — there’s still something strangely, but not unpleasantly, off about Super Mario RPG.

    Mario looks all squat and cross-eyed; in fact, the whole Mushroom Kingdom and all its denizens have a sort of squashed, funhouse-mirror look, as if folding them into an isometric perspective has flattened them all out. Early in the game, Bowser’s castle gets run through by a giant, skyscraper-sized talking sword; when did you ever see a sword in a Mario game? Not long after, a Toad makes a joke about forgetting his bazooka at home. His what? Mario’s house is a wobbly, clapboard shack. Mario has a house. It’s all kinds of wrong.

    This adventure, first released in 1996 as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, was a collaboration between Nintendo and Square (now Square Enix) when both were in their mid-’90s pomp. Nintendo was winding down the SNES after an unbeatable run of in-house classics, from Super Mario World to Yoshi’s Island, while Square was months away from unleashing Final Fantasy 7 on the world. It was a meeting of near equals, and while the characters were Nintendo’s, the turf — turn-based role-playing games — was very much Square’s. The developer had the confidence to make its own tastes and personality felt in Mario RPG, in much the same way it later would with the Disney-crossover Kingdom Hearts games, and in a way few external developers working with Mario ever would again (with the recent exception of Ubisoft’s zany-but-cunning Mario + Rabbids games).

    Image: Nintendo

    So Mario RPG features many elements that feel like foreign bodies, even within the hallucinatory, anything-goes world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Square was allowed to create its own characters for the game — including Mallow, Mario’s first companion on his quest, who claims to be a frog but looks like a cross between a cloud and a cauliflower with stripy pants and a purple quiff. There’s a lovely score by the legendary Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts, Street Fighter 2) that has a lush, nostalgic quality that’s subtly but profoundly different from original Mario composer Koji Kondo’s folksy melodic playfulness.

    It all adds up to a curio: a game that has long felt like it belongs in a parallel dimension. Released just months before the Nintendo 64’s debut, original SNES copies of Super Mario RPG command high prices on the used market, and it has had only basic and sparing reissues from Nintendo since (it didn’t come to Europe at all until the Wii Virtual Console version in 2008). But it was also influential, laying the foundations for Nintendo’s later (and more tonally controlled) Mario RPG series, Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi. It has the same streamlined RPG systems as those games, the rhythmic inputs that add immediacy to the turn-based combat, and a similar, mildly meta sense of humor.

    Mario is squished flat by a Thwomp on some stairs in Super Mario RPG

    Image: Nintendo

    For whatever reason — perhaps a hunger for any and all Mario content in the wake of the Super Mario Bros. Movie phenomenon, perhaps a newfound willingness to take risks with its mascot — Nintendo is now finally ready to give Super Mario RPG its due and integrate it properly with the Mario catalog, via this full Switch remake. It’s strange to encounter this game (for the first time, in my case) in 2023 on Switch, and it’s great that Nintendo, Square Enix, and whoever developed the remake (which remains unclear, but I’ve asked Nintendo for clarification) have so carefully kept its wayward spirit alive.

    The full 3D graphical overhaul retains the original’s bizarre rendered look, wisely refusing to homogenize or standardize the designs, and retaining its off-kilter character even as it smooths out the animations. Shimomura has completely reorchestrated her score, but you can switch to the chiptune originals, if you like. There are some modern creature comforts, like a frequent autosave, but most of Mario RPG’s archaic, 27-year-old design quirks remain intact. That said, on early evidence, Square’s expert simplification of traditional RPG mechanics seems bulletproof — and the game plays very swiftly, considering its age.

    As smart as the new version is, playing Super Mario RPG feels like a portal to another time — or another timeline, perhaps. A timeline where Mario lives in a shack. I’m still not over it.

    Super Mario RPG will be released on Nov. 17.

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    Oli Welsh

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  • Mario Party 3 Is Finally Coming to Nintendo Switch Online This Week

    Mario Party 3 Is Finally Coming to Nintendo Switch Online This Week

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    Over a year after it was announced to be coming to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, Mario Party 3 will finally arrive this week. Nintendo just announced that it will arrive on the N64 library of classic games on Friday, October 27.

    Originally released in 2000, Mario Party 3 serves as the third installment in the popular Mario Party series. Known for its engaging mix of board game mechanics and mini-games, this title allowed up to four players to compete against each other or computer-controlled characters.

    Mario Party 3 features 70 new mini-games to the series and six boards to play on. The game also features a unique mechanic called “duel boards,” in which two players fight each other. Furthermore, it is the Mario Party game in which Daisy and Waluigi debut as playable characters.

    You’ll need the Expansion Pack upgrade to the base online membership in order to play Mario Party 3 and other Nintendo 64 games on the Switch. This upgraded membership costs $49.99 per year for an individual membership. It costs $79.99 for a family plan of up to eight people.

    The first two Mario Party games are already available to play on the N64 library of Nintendo Switch Online. Like those two, you’ll be able to connect with friends online or locally to compete against each other.

    This game is the second-to-last addition to its N64 library (that we know about) based on what Nintendo announced last September. The final addition, 1080° Snowboarding, will probably arrive in November or December. You can see everything that has come to N64 over the past year right here. It is unknown if more N64 games will be added after this time.

    If you want to get a feel for what to expect in Mario Party 3, you can watch the official announcement trailer below. Otherwise, start gearing up for when it arrives on October 27.

    In other Mario news, check out our official review for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the latest game in the Mario series.

    About the author

    Rebecca Stone

    Rebecca is a Staff Writer at Twinfinite. She has been with the site and in the games media industry for 4 years, and she has a college degree in psychology and writing. Rebecca typically covers Nintendo for the site, and she especially loves the Legend of Zelda series. Outside of gaming, Rebecca is an avid Swiftie and enjoys playing with her cat Frisk.

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    Rebecca Stone

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