Gaming
The Developers of Mario + Rabbids on Working with their Childhood Heroes
One of the best moments of E3 wasn’t necessarily a game reveal, though it did come during one. Viewers of the Ubisoft conference will remember a heartwarming moment between Shigeru Miyamoto and Davide Soliani, when the Nintendo legend talked about working with the Ubisoft developer on Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Soliani could barely hold himself together, waving to the camera and holding back tears as he thanked Miyamoto.
This was the end of a mo20-year 20 year long journey Solani took in Miyamoto’s footsteps towards this game. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, he talked about the Nintendo developer’s influence on his career. “Miyamoto-san is the main reason why I do this,” he said. Soliani met Miyamoto after the release of his second game, Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Wild Adventure for the Game Boy:
“I was super proud of it. I remember a review saying that it seemed like a Nintendo game. So the first time I went to E3, I brought my Jungle Book game and I met Miyamoto. But I was so shy, like a little kid, that I just gave him the game and asked him to sign it, without even saying hello, presenting myself and explaining that this was my game. So, Miyamoto-san looked at the box like: ‘Hmmm, this isn’t my game.’ But he signed it anyway because he is such a gentle guy. When he gave me the signed game, which of course I still have, I went out of E3 and cried like a baby.”
In 2002, on a press tour for Wind Waker, Miyamoto came to Milan, where Soliani lives. Soliani called every four and five star hotel to find out where Miyamoto was staying. He waited in the rain for hours until he saw Miyamoto, and he gave him all of Ubisoft Milan’s games. “I’m clearly quite crazy. I am a fan. I recognize that it’s not super rational.”
Soliani was again able to meet his hero in 2014, when he pitched the game to Miyamoto at E3. Miyamoto was impressed with the game, as well as Soliani.
Soliani got to work with another hero, Grant Kirkhope, composer for Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64. It turns out, however, that Kirkhope was just as overwhelmed with the project. He thought he was being brought in to compose for a new Rabbids game, so when he found out Mario was involved, he was shocked into silence. “It struck me… how on earth was I going to write music for Mario after Koji Kondo, who is the greatest games composer in the world?” He continued, “It was super exciting, but it was massively scary. Getting to touch Mario in any capacity… it’s the holy grail.”
Leading up to this past E3, worries of fan reception scared the team. After all, it is a mix between Mario, Rabbids, and XCOM. When a little information on the game leaked, fans were sceptical as to how it would be received by Mario fans like him:
“When the game leaks, no one is happy. Also, let’s be honest, the reaction at the beginning was not ‘sceptical’ – it was a little bit worse than that. It was quite hard on the team morale to read some of those comments.”
Soliani even told his team to “prepare for the worst” at E3. All of that trepidation melted away, however, when Miyamoto walked on stage. The reaction from the audience was strong, and Soliani found himself overwhelmed with emotion. “It took me like two weeks to process what had happened. After the conference, we were walking the streets and people were stopping us and congratulating us.”
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle received 37 E3 award nominations, but that certainly pales in comparison to getting the opportunity to work with your industry heroes and an industry-defining series.
Despite the numerous praises players have showered upon Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, there is one particular aspect of the game that has garnered nothing but criticism: the perplexing wording of its retry screen, which players encounter when facing a Game Over. Fortunately, the developers have discreetly resolved this issue in the game’s latest patch. They have fixed the Platinum Trophy progression, resulting in a slightly less confusing experience for players.
If you don’t possess exceptional combat abilities, chances are you’ve come across the game’s notorious four options: “Retry from Current Battle, Retry from This Battle, Retry from Before Battle, or Resume.”. As an avid gamer, I must admit that I’ve experienced the frustration of losing precious time due to my own foolish mistake. In this particular instance, I found myself engrossed in fine-tuning my matrix and equipping my party, only to have it all go to waste when I encountered a formidable enemy. To compound my error, I made the ill-advised decision to retry the battle, resulting in an hour of agonizing repetition. Lesson learned!
The “Retry from This Battle” option has become a source of frustration for players who are struggling with the game’s final boss encounter, leading to a significant number of rage-quits. Without giving away any surprises, opting for that choice after being defeated would result in players being sent back to the beginning of the final boss encounter, needlessly forcing them to forfeit approximately an hour’s worth of hard-earned progress in battle.
After the update, players now have the option to select “Retry from the Current Phase” instead of “Retry from Before the Current Battle.”. It’s worth noting that this change is only slightly improved. It’s rather disappointing that the screen is overly convoluted, which may lead to players feeling frustrated. While it’s better late than never, we can’t help but wonder if this issue will persist in the future.
Gaming
Baldur’s Gate 3 has received an impressive haul of 5 BAFTA Awards, with the prestigious title of Best Game among them
Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to solidify its position as a standout title, garnering five prestigious BAFTA awards, including the highly coveted Best Game accolade. In addition to the top accolade of the evening, the RPG created by the talented team at Larian Studios also emerged victorious in the categories of narrative, music, players’ choice, and performer in a supporting role.
Several games for the PS5 and PS4 received BAFTA awards. Alan Wake 2 won for Audio Achievement, Cyberpunk 2077 was recognized as an Evolving Game, Viewfinder was named the Best British Game, and Nadji Jeter received the Performer in a Leading Role award for his portrayal of Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Standing on the stage that night, Swen Vincke, the founder of Larian Studios, expressed his disbelief: “It’s truly incredible to be here.” The effort and dedication poured into creating Baldur’s Gate 3 is truly commendable. It’s truly remarkable, and I extend my gratitude to Bafta and everyone involved.
Here are the winners of the BAFTA awards for 2024:
- Debut game: Venba
- Audio achievement: Alan Wake 2
- Multiplayer: Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Evolving game: Cyberpunk 2077
- Game design: Dave the Diver
- British game: Viewfinder
- Artistic achievement: Alan Wake 2
- New intellectual property — Viewfinder
- Narrative: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Performer in a supporting role: Andrew Wincott, Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Family — Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- EE Players’ Choice — Baldur’s Gate 3
- Animation — Hi-Fi Rush
- Music — Baldur’s Gate 3
- Game Beyond Entertainment — Tchia
- Technical achievement: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Performer in a leading role — Nadji Jeter, Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Best game: Baldur’s Gate 3
V Rising, a vampiric RPG, made its debut on PC in 2022 and is set to grace the PS5 in 2024. The game clearly showcased a strong influence from Castlevania. Now, Stunlock Studios is fully embracing the opportunity, officially teaming up with Konami for a captivating DLC with a gothic twist.
Featured in The Triple-i Initiative’s recent digital indie showcase, Legacy of Castlevania offers players the opportunity to immerse themselves in the timeless visuals of hair, cloth, and character design from one of the most beloved vampire franchises in gaming history. The pack is set to be released in May, and it’s possible that we’ll gain further insights into the PS5 port at that time. In the upcoming game, players will have the chance to encounter the renowned vampire hunter Simon Belmont, who will serve as a formidable adversary. Additionally, fans will be delighted to know that they can dress up as the enigmatic Vampire Prince, Alucard, with a special cosplay set.
There will be three distinct shapeshifting variants for players to fully embrace the darkness. Among the options available are the Wolf Form Variant, Soul of the Wolf; the Human Form Variant, Glamour of Maria Renard; and the Toad Form Variant, Guise of The Flea Man. In addition, you’ll have access to luxurious furniture and decorations to adorn your sanctuary, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a gothic masterpiece.
The Legacy of Castlevania Pack is a cosmetic DLC that lets you embrace the iconic majesty of Castlevania!
Behold the details for yourself: https://t.co/2wQ4IWkFgF pic.twitter.com/qWLELFE3oa
— V Rising (@VRisingGame) April 10, 2024
Did V Rising catch your attention? What are your thoughts on the Legacy of Castlevania collaboration? We eagerly await your thoughts in the comments section below.
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