Masahiro Sakurai has revealed on his X account that he has finished recording the final episode for his YouTube channel "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games." However, it will still take quite some time until this episode comes out, as Sakurai still has other regular episodes coming beforehand.

Sakurai's plan to end the video series has been known for quite a while. He first announced it in early January 2024. 2024 will thus be the final year for him to publish new episodes on the channel.

The original Japanese tweet is available to view right below:

And our translation of this tweet is as follows:

I have finished recording the final episode for the channel.
I think it will still take a while until it's published, so until then, please enjoy the regular episodes...

Masahiro Sakurai

Masahiro Sakurai established the YouTube channel in late August 2022. He has since published new episodes simultaneously in Japanese and English. As of June 2024, the channel has a combined total of almost 1.18 million subscribers, with around 580,000 from the English channel and almost 600,000 from the Japanese channel.

The channel has also received acclaim from the gaming industry. In August 2023, Sakurai received two awards at the CEDEC Awards 2023 for running the YouTube channel. The awards in question were the Game Design award and the Visual Arts award.

The "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games" YouTube channel is available in Japanese and English languages, and its final episode will appear sometime in 2024.

The post Masahiro Sakurai Recorded His Final YouTube Channel Episode appeared first on Siliconera.

Vanillaware has been something of an darling among consumers for upwards of a decade now. And who can blame anyone that gravitates towards what this studio puts out? With unique visuals and an interesting catalogue of games, we've created a list of what we think are some of the best Vanillaware has to offer. And feel free to let us know what you think and other titles you'd recommend in the comments!

I am divided between Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Odin Sphere (the Leifthrasir re-release in particular). While both are excellent and unique games, in terms of both gameplay and tone, I have to go with Muramasa. The environments and vistas in that game are especially stunning. It's a real shame that Muramasa is currently trapped on the Wii and PS Vita. Maybe if it appeared on modern platforms and PCs, more people could play it? Hey, Vanillaware? — Daniel

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a work of art, both from the actual classic Vanillaware visual standpoint and the incredible storytelling as well. The massive cast of playable characters are all memorable with some poignant moments and shocks throughout. I will admit the combat is forgettable and the ending was really disappointing for me, but I still think fondly about this game quite often. — Cody

For me, the answer is pretty cut and dry. I loved playing Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow of Mystara, so naturally my favorite Vanillaware game has to be Dragon's Crown. It's a great 80's-esque side scrolling beat'em up, only made better by Vanillaware's signature painterly art style that lends itself so well to the atmosphere of the game. I'm personally a huge fan of the character designs in Dragon's Crown because I'm a big "sword and sorcery" fan, but outside of the impressive visuals I'm a sucker for co-op. So being able to dungeon crawl with friends meant I dedicated around one-hundred or so hours to this simple but exciting title. — Kazuma

Listen, I'm going to come here and be the weird one. I liked Kumatanchi on the DS, and I still die a little inside every time I think about how I let someone borrow it and didn't go full bounty hunter on them to get it back. (It is going for $200 on eBay, last I checked.) It's a fun life sim about a bear-girl hybrid named Kuma-tan. You look after her at the zoo, ensuring she's well cared for so she performs well, while also seeing her interact with the other people-animals there. It's not an artistic achievement like 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, but I consider it one of the best Vanillaware games. -- Jenni

The post Which Vanillaware Games Do You Like Best and Recommend? appeared first on Siliconera.

Innovation has become a key formula for Nintendo when it comes to creating their consoles. From the Super Nintendo to the Wii, the much less successful WiiU console, and the Switch, the developer and publisher has created some of the best and most memorable consoles. We've listed what we feel are the best of the best in Nintendo's history.

While the 3DS takes the cake for my personal favorite Nintendo console, I think the Wii (the original one) was the best console that it put out just for how innovative it was. It really felt like a new era of video games with all the new play styles the built-in motion controls introduced. While it was janky for sure and some of the games that tried way too hard to make use of them sometimes fell flat, the jump from the GameCube to the Wii was something I won't ever forget. It really showcased that creative Nintendo spirit. — Stephanie

I also have to go with the Wii, simply because of its interesting and experimental catalogue. Namely, the Operation Rainfall games, Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower still hold a special place in my heart. But it would be a diservice to the console to ignore other titles like Muramasa: The Demon Blade or Fragile Dreams. All in all, without the Wii we would have never gotten what the Xenoblade Chronicles series is nowadays, and for that it has to be my number 1. — Daniel

If we are only talking about consoles, then I think the Switch is it for me. We're seeing such a wide range of games on it. I love the ability to play at home on a big screen or on the go in handheld mode. It being region-free is also a huge plus. Though at this point, so many games get localized that I don't feel like I need to import as often. — Jenni

The post Which Nintendo Console Is the Best? appeared first on Siliconera.

In Masahiro Sakurai's latest Youtube video, he detailed how story leaks for the Super Smash Bros Brawl Subspace Emissary mode led his team to stop making mid-gameplay story cutscenes for later games. He then detailed how this led to the creation of the fighter reveal trailers for games like SSBU and what went into making them.

Sakurai began by explaining how the character-focused story cutscenes in the Super Smash Bros Brawl Subspace Emissary mode were intended to showcase individual fighters, as well as serve as a reward for story progress. However, due to them being shared online before the game launched, Sakurai's team decided to stop making them, leading to less of a focus on story in later games.

Instead, the team decided to focus on creating introductory movies intended to be shared, rather than ones tied to story progress. This led to the creation of the fighter reveal trailers for games like SSBU. Sakurai detailed the development process for these videos. He also linked to two Nintendo articles showcasing the fighter reveal trailers themselves, along with his own brief comments.

You can watch the full video below:

Some of Sakurai's other videos have shown off some of the rare memorabilia he has collected over his career, as well as detailing the development of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and how it was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Super Smash Bros Brawl is available on the Nintendo Wii.

The post Super Smash Bros Brawl Subspace Emissary Leaks Influenced SSBU appeared first on Siliconera.

We've gotten to spend quite a bit of time with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomnow that it's been around for a week. Granted, given it is a game that could take dozens or hundreds of hours to really master, we might not be sure how we feel about it. Not to mention so many other past installments have offered us all sorts of adventures over the year. So this week, we decided it might be a good idea for us all to share what we like best about some of our favorite The Legend of Zelda games.

One of the greatest things about the The Legend of Zelda series is that there is a game for everyone in it. For me, it also happens to be the first one I ever played as a kid. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a fantastic game, whether you play the original Game Boy version, the Game Boy Color port, or the 2019 Switch remake. There is no wrong way of experiencing one of Link's most interesting adventures. To top it all of, the soundtrack of Link's Awakening is one of the most beautiful ones I've ever heard in a video game. — Daniel

I'd say The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is probably the game I liked best. There are so many silly elements, and it all feels so lighthearted. There can be a lot of darkness in Hyrule, but tempering that with a cap that lets me turn super teeny and see the world from a whole new perspective is pretty great. -- Jenni

I always enjoy The Legend of Zelda games, but there’s only one that has truly stuck with me on a deeper level. The series rarely does much for me narrative-wise, but Majora’s Mask is a huge exception to this. It’s basically a horror game in disguise, with its Groundhog Day premise and angry moon hanging in the sky. The stories of everyone in Clock Town and the surrounding areas of Termina are so simple yet so heart-wrenching. There’s something deeply troubled about that world that makes me desperately want to be its hero. Plus the Song of Healing is one of the best music pieces in the entire series. - Leigh

Before, I would have said one of the Oracle games. Oracle of Ages was the first The Legend of Zelda game I ever played and completed! And I loved it to death. But after the years, there's one game that has grown on me in ways I almost didn't expect, and that's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. With an incredible cast of characters and a gorgeous score, this more low fantasy version of Hyrule embodies the dusk the game itself references within its very title. It's moody, dark, but not without a glimmer of hope lingering on the horizon. Even to this day I'd love for Nintendo make something of a sequel for it, just to see Midna one more time. (Also the Ganondorf design and fight in Twilight Princess is unparalleled.) -- Kazuma

While I have yet to meet a The Legend of Zelda game I don't like, the one I always go back to is Majora's Mask. The darker, more somber tone to quite literally every aspect is both a nice change of pace and incredibly well done. It puts an emphasis on exploring the world and completing side quests that's great for making you want to play more as well as for replay value. And frankly, I'm a big fan of the three-day cycle. It gives the game a sense of urgency while adding to the darker themes. Plus the Fierce Deity is unbelievably cool and I will probably cry like a baby if it's ever brought back. -- Adam

The post Which The Legend of Zelda Game Do You Like Best? appeared first on Siliconera.

Pretty much everyone i stalking about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 2023. After all, it’s a follow-up to a critically acclaimed installment and one of the biggest releases this year. But someone might also wonder if it is really the best The Legend of Zelda game to play at the moment, especially if someone is new to the series and it would be their first one. It’s going to be big and intimidating! Since I’ve been playing entries in the series since the NES, I figured suggesting different sorts of installments could help people pin down the right one to pick up and play.

I want to play the newest The Legend of Zelda game first: Tears of the Kingdom

I figured let’s start this out with an easy one. If you don’t care about history, gameplay, or style of gameplay and just want the newest game, go with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It’s the newest possible entry and you can find it on the Nintendo Switch.

However, since it is a sequel, I’d say you really might want to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild first if you can.

I want to play what may be all-time best The Legend of Zelda game first: A Link to the Past

While the original NES The Legend of Zelda titles lay an incredible foundation, A Link to the Past is perhaps one of the best games ever made. The artistry, game design, dungeons, and premise are all pretty much perfect. It appeared on the SNES, GBA (with Four Swords), 3DS, Wii, and Wii U via Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online.

I want to play one of the all-time greatest 3D The Legend of Zelda games first: The Ocarina of Time

The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time is a formative game. It isn’t just a wonderful The Legend of Zelda title. Both it and A Link to the Past should basically be mandatory playing for anyone who wants to really understand action games with a real sense of adventure. The storyline is great, the dungeons are fantastic, the time travel mechanic is wonderful, and it’s a delight. You can find it on the N64, GameCube, Wii and Wii U via Virtual Console, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, and 3DS.

[caption id="attachment_962574" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

I want to play a bright and colorful The Legend of Zelda game first: The Wind Waker

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is one of the brightest and most vibrant versions of Hyrule people will get to explore. It’s one of the cel-shaded entries, and it also sets itself apart with its sea-faring ways. You can find it on the GameCube and Wii U.

I want to play a more unconventional The Legend of Zelda games first: Majora’s Mask

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is weird in many wonderful ways. It’s a direct follow-up to The Ocarina of Time. It relies upon masks for different abilities and progression. It’s incredibly dark, as we see a moon about to crush everything. Plus there’s a time loop that involves repeating days until you can get everything done to save the day. It’s good! You can find it on the N64, GameCube, Wii and Wii U via Virtual Console, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, and 3DS.

I want to play a darker The Legend of Zelda game first: The Twilight Princess

While it isn’t an open-world game, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a huge game with fantastic dungeons, the glorious gremlin-like assistant Midna, and a version of Link that can transforms into a wolf. It’s a darker title in many ways, both in terms of appearance and knowing Twilight infested Hyrule. It’s definitely worth someone’s time. You can find it on the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U.

I want to play a multiplayer The Legend of Zelda game first: Four Swords Adventures

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is so much fun! You can get together and form a group of four people who all control a “Link” to solve puzzles and progress through the adventure. It’s a wonderful GameCube game. Though also, if you can’t find it, then Four Swords on the GBA (via The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past) or The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition on the DSi or 3DS if you have it is also a lot of fun.

The post Which The Legend of Zelda Game Is a Good Place to Start? appeared first on Siliconera.

The Legend of Zelda timeline is complex. It’s an attempt to connect nearly forty years of games together, many of which were designed as standalone titles. This results in branching timelines, uncertain placements and even an acknowledgement from Nintendo that much of it is open to fan interpretation.

But with Tears of the Kingdom just around the corner, now is a great time to look back on the Legend of Zelda timeline so far. Where does everything fit within the timeline? How essential is it to understand the whole thing?

It’s got a straightforward start. Skyward Sword kicks things off, with its story acting as an origin story for Hyrule itself. The Minish Cap follows this, with Four Swords as its direct follow-up as they both feature the same villain, Vaati. Then Ocarina of Time happens.

Here’s how this timeline looks:

• Skyward Sword
• The Minish Cap
• Four Swords
• Ocarina of Time

Child Timeline

Ocarina of Time complicates everything. Because of the time travel shenanigans central to its story, this game splits the timeline in three.

The first branch of the Legend of Zelda timeline is the Child Timeline, after Link defeats Ganon and is sent back to his childhood. Majora’s Mask is set up as the obvious sequel to this. Twilight Princess follows years later, made explicit in Ganondorf’s backstory in that game.

According to Nintendo, Four Swords Adventures follows this, although it’s not entirely clear why. It's a largely standalone game.

Here is this timeline:

• Majora’s Mask
• Twilight Princess
• Four Swords Adventures

Adult Timeline

Link returning to childhood created a separate Adult Timeline. In this branch, the Hero disappeared, Ganon returned, and Hyrule was flooded. This is the most straightforward branch because The Wind Waker spells these events out in its intro. Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are its obvious sequels. And that’s the entire branch.

Here's this timeline:

• The Wind Waker
• Phantom Hourglass
• Spirit Tracks

Fallen Hero Timeline

Finally, if you ever got a Game Over in Ocarina of Time, you canonically kicked off the Fallen Hero Timeline. Well done.

This one’s a messier one as Nintendo seem to use this as a place to put games created before the timeline concept. It starts with A Link to the Past, which is followed by is direct sequel Link’s Awakening. After this is the duo of Oracle games, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. However, while Nintendo officially place them this way round now, the Hyrule Historia art book originally had them flipped.

A Link Between Worlds is a direct sequel to A Link to the Past, set years later in the same world. Tri Force Heroes is confirmed to be a direct follow-up to that, so these two games logically come next. This branch then ends with the first Legend of Zelda and its direct sequel.

This is how that timeline looks:

• A Link to the Past
• Link’s Awakening
• Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages
• A Link Between Worlds
• Tri Force Heroes
• The Legend of Zelda
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Breath of the Wild

The last time Nintendo published the official Legend of Zelda timeline was the year before Breath of the Wild released. However, series producer Eiji Aonuma has confirmed its placement. It’s set centuries after all the other games, with all those stories fading into myth.

It’s likely this was done to give the series a fresh start, moving away from the complicated split timeline. It’s been left up to player interpretation which of the timelines it follows. Some fans theorize it may somehow be a convergence point for all three.

This brings us up to date. This leaves us with Tears of the Kingdom, which is soon to be released. However, its placement on the timeline is easy. It’s a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, so it logically sits just after it.

However, it isn’t essential to understand the full Legend of Zelda timeline to enjoy the series. You can jump into any entry without needing to understand what happened in any other game. Most of the games don’t directly reference the timeline, especially with earlier entries made without a timeline in mind. It’s just a fun and interesting way of linking all the games together.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases for the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.

The post Here’s the Full Legend of Zelda Timeline appeared first on Siliconera.

Zoid Kirsch, one of the developers of Metroid Prime, shared some behind-the-scenes information on why morph ball doors exist in the game. This is the twelfth entry in Kirsch’s stories in regards to Metroid Prime and its development. All of them honor the game's upcoming anniversary. According to Kirsch, the ball door exists to prevent the player from falling into the void. If players fell, they would have to restart the game.

On occasion in Metroid Prime, a player may move a bit too quickly through a morph ball puzzle or a boost sends them through the tunnel. When this happens, the player has traveled too fast for the game’s load. This means that if they enter the next room, the player would simply fall into the abyss.

As a solution, Kirsch manually went through the game and added little doors to tunnels between rooms. If the next room isn't ready, Samus will bump into it and the door will keep her safe, opening up only when the next room has finished loading. Technically speaking, if you play Metroid Prime at a normal pace, you should never see the doors. This is because the game does its best to finish loading up a room before Samus enters it.

Metroid Prime came out in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube as the first of the Metroid Prime saga of games. Like other Metroid games, the protagonist is Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who battles Space Pirates. The game won multiple awards and sold around 2.8 million units worldwide. Nintendo later released an updated version for the Nintendo Wii in 2009.

Kirsch will continue to tweet about behind-the-scenes stories in regards to Metroid Prime. He announced that he would tweet out a story every day until November 18, 2022, which is the 20th anniversary of the game's initial release.

The post Here is Why Metroid Prime Had Morph Ball Doors appeared first on Siliconera.

The Kirby Character Encyclopedia is now available for purchase. The book is currently only available in the Japanese language. However, people living outside Japan can also purchase and gain access to the book, which is available for 1,650 yen (approximately $11 with Japanese 10% tax included).

Amazon Japan is selling the book in physical and digital formats—the latter is readable via Kindle. It can also ship the book to countries outside Japan. The digital ebook is also available for purchase on the Japanese BookWalker store.

HAL Laboratory and Kadokawa initially revealed the encyclopedia in July 2022. The companies teased that the book contains information about over 1,000 characters that appeared across all 35 Kirby games released to date. Preview pages of the book confirm that it also includes details from the series' latest mainline entry, Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

The encyclopedia groups the enemy characters into categories like regular enemies and bosses. It also lists the Copy Abilities that Kirby can take from them.

The extensive character encyclopedia is one of the numerous celebrations that HAL Laboratory prepared for the Kirby series' 30th anniversary. The company held a music festival with a global online stream in August 2022. It also announced a Blu-ray remastered release of the 2001 anime Right Back At Ya! that will appear in Japan in Winter 2022. Good Smile Company also joins the celebration by releasing a Nendoroid figure of the eponymous protagonist.

The Kirby Character Encyclopedia is now available in physical and digital formats in the Japanese language. Kirby and the Forgotten Land came out on Nintendo Switch worldwide in late March 2022. Nintendo has sold over 4 million units of the new game as of June 2022.

The post Kirby Character Encyclopedia Is Now Available Physically and Digitally appeared first on Siliconera.

The release of Nintendo Switch Sports has us thinking: which Nintendo sports game is the best? There are a lot of ‘em, and many could be a favorite! Here are our choices.

I'm going to make it hard for all of the rest of you by going with Wii Sports Bowling. It's easy to play. You feel good about yourself, because it isn't destined for the gutters like it is in real life. You get to be active, but not "exhausted and sweaty" active. Everyone can play it. There's a great balance to this inviting sport. — Jenni

Do fitness games count as sports games? I hope so, because I really had (and continue to have) a blast with Ring Fit Adventure. One of the longstanding issues with fitness games since the Wii era has been the suspicion that they just can't give an adult a workout that beats a decent selection of exercise videos (or a gym membership) without being as boring as those things.

Even certified classics like Wii Sports and Wii Fit tend to treat the exercise aspect as incidental while paying lip service to the idea that a game can help you stay healthy. Ring Fit finally proved it, though, by actually having challenging, resistance-based exercises using the included resistance ring. It isn't perfect (I still curse the leg strap at least once a week), but it's a great tool for getting you moving in a way that regular walks and stretches don't, while keeping things fun and breezy. — Josh

Nintendo and its development partners have really refined what makes a great sports game, over and over. So the game I want to highlight? It could really use a more substantial shot. Nintendo Pocket Football Club, only released in PAL territories on the 3DS eShop, updated and polished Japanese release Calciobit into a real gem.

Way more approachable than Football Manager, NPFC takes a Kairosoft-like approach to building and training up a soccer team. There are fun players to recruit! There are powerful training combos to find! And hey, there's something about watching your hard work make a difference on the pitch.

If only developer ParityBit would take a breather from Derby Stallion releases and give the partnership another shot. — Graham

What is your favorite Nintendo sports game? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.

The post What’s the Best Nintendo Sports Game? appeared first on Siliconera.

Next week marks the 30th anniversary of the Kirby franchise, so we should be feeling celebratory! Instead, we’re still smarting over the latest game’s biggest snub: Waddle Doo isn’t in it. So let’s talk about Waddle Doo and why they’re the best so that HAL and Nintendo won’t forget next time.

Unparalleled utility

Most Kirby players, when they think of Waddle Doo, probably mostly think of Beam. That makes sense! It's one of the franchise's longest-running power-ups, and one that you never mind having. Beam can hit at a distance. Beam can strike at an angle. Heck, Beam can shoot from the other side of the screen! Individuals may have a favorite power-up that's something else, but getting Beam never elicits a groan or sigh. It'll do what you need, whatever that happens to be. — Graham

Charming design

Waddle Doo is the best Kirby character because their character design is incredible. Waddle Dee? That looks a lot like Kirby or Meta Knight. Awoofy? That's just a dog. (I mean, a cute dog, sure.) Waddle Doos have personality. Their eyes are incredibly expressive. They resemble Kirby and all, but are unique enough to be their own individuals. Also, whether it is a jester hat or a night cap, Waddle Doos pick up some rocking headgear. — Jenni

Despite not being much of a Kirby aficionado, even I can recognize my Waddle Dee and Waddle Doo, and I always think that of the two, Waddle Doo is cuter. Why? As Jenni mentioned, it's the eye. It does all the work of a fully-featured face with but a single orb to ponder. — Josh

Waddle Dee is boring

We've been beating around the bush here, so I'll just get to it: Waddle Dees are not worth all the attention. Why? They're nothing. They're blank slates. To make a Waddle Dee interesting, you have to put a bandana or a mustache on one. Or hand it a parasol or something. An accessory isn't a personality! But Waddle Doo, though? Waddle Doo is shown to be a leader and organizer. Waddle Doo works hard and shows fatigue. And Waddle Doo isn't oblivious to the world and its trials.

That's not to say Waddle Dees should go away entirely! But you're telling me you needed a 300th one before a single Waddle Doo? I don't believe that. — Graham

Do you disagree that Waddle Doo is the best Kirby character? Most certainly don't let us know in the comments or on Twitter! You could read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team, though.

The post Waddle Doo Is The Best Kirby Character appeared first on Siliconera.

According to a listing on Capcom's official Japanese website, Monster Hunter G has been listed for Steam. However, there is currently no indication that this could lead to an announcement regarding a potential PC release. Monster Hunter G originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005, and the title received a re-release for the Nintendo Wii in 2009. Again, an official Steam release for Monster Hunter G has not been confirmed. Update as of 8am CT on November 10, 2021: Capcom removed the note saying it would be released on Steam.

In Capcom's most recent second quarter financial report, it revealed the company achieved record levels of growth. This was partly due to digital sales of Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village. However, Capcom also noted that Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin also contributed to company's current success.

Monster Hunter Rise has continued to solidify the Monster Hunter brand, having sold 7.5 million units worldwide since its release in March 2021. It is currently Capcom's best selling single platform title. Additionally, Capcom will release a paid expansion for Monster Hunter Rise in Summer 2022. The Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak expansion will add new monsters and hunter actions into the game. It will also feature a new player hub. Monster Hunter Rise will also release on PC on January 12, 2021. However, it will not have cross saves or cross play.

The post Monster Hunter G Listed for Steam on Capcom’s Japanese Website (Update) appeared first on Siliconera.

The original Metroid released 35 years ago today! In honor of the milestone, we’re looking back at the franchise and talking about the games that we loved most. Share your thoughts with us in the comments and on Twitter!

I'm going to go ahead and be the champion for Super Metroid. Its story is quite memorable, allowing us to see the connection between Samus and the Metroid. There are so many power-ups that are placed well and make sense. The pacing is fantastic. It's the perfect example of how to properly organize a game and establish ambiance. — Jenni

I'm sure some Siliconera readers who follow our opinions and know my love of the underappreciated might expect me to bust in here and defend the much-maligned Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Nah, not this time! (Though it doesn't deserve all of its reputation.) Instead, let me talk about the actual best Metroid game: Metroid II: Return of Samus!

The remake is fun enough, but there's something about the original's simplicity that resonates with me. It somehow manages to create atmosphere on a monochrome handheld. It uses the Game Boy sound chip in some clever ways to help do that. And the limited environments and move set means it feels much more puzzle-like and less reflex-dependent, which aids its sense that all the successes and failures are yours to claim. — Graham

While I enjoy Super Metroid, as a horror fan, my favorite Metroid has to be Metroid Fusion. SA-X is a genuinely terrifying foe that moves at deeply unsettling speeds, easily mowing poor Samus down if it catches her. While SA-X isn’t around all that often, when it shows up, you’re in for a pulse-pounding chase that belongs up there with the most frightening horror game encounters. Now I know what it feels like to be a Metroid on the receiving end of Samus’ vast arsenal of weapons, I guess. — Joel

What do you think is the best Metroid game? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.

The post Which Is The Best Metroid Game? appeared first on Siliconera.

Titles like the upcoming Relayer have us thinking: what are the best mecha games to play? Here are ours, but share yours in the comments or on Twitter so people can check ‘em out!

I'm a big fan of Japanese mecha games in general. But as a bigger fan of the Gundam franchise, I find myself enjoying single-player or co-op Gundam games a lot! There are two series I enjoy the most. The Dynasty Warriors games feature crossover stories from multiple Gundam titles with a Musou-styled gameplay. The Gundam Breaker series lets me create my own Mobile Suit by combining Gunpla parts.

Unfortunately, the Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series is still completely missing from current-gen platforms, while Gundam Breaker ended up becoming a mobile gacha game after an attempted reboot went awry. I wish Bandai Namco would look back at both series and bring at least either one back to the current generation. If I can choose, though? The thirst for a new crossover Warriors game is very real. — Kite

I have incredibly fond memories of roaming around Prairie with Officer Waffle in Tail Concerto. It was one of those 3D action games back in the early days of the PlayStation. It tells this fanciful tale that gets into heartwarming elements like friendship and deals with issues like racism and prejudice. The Police Robo was pretty easy to use, which was a pro given the time period. I definitely appreciated using it to capture rogue kittens! — Jenni

There are so many good mecha games to choose from, and covering such a wide range of experiences. The mecha game that I'll admit is far from the best — but has my heart anyway — is the PS2 "classic" Robot Alchemic Drive. Created by the galaxy brains at Sandlot (the Earth Defense Force people), RAD was a love letter to the classic era of skyscraper-sized Super Robots and the cheaply-animated TV shows they starred in. Players could control their massive "Meganite" robots by remote control, like in Tetsujin 28. Each button and axis on the DualShock controlled a limb on the robot, which meant puppeting your bot around the city like a soft version of QWOP. It was unwieldy, awkward, and never not hilarious.

The English version made the smart (if divisive) choice to throw in a deliberately terrible (at times borderline racist) English dub, like the bargain-basement voice acting of early '90s localizations. I can't not love it. — Josh

While I do think mecha games are at their best when you get to really enjoy fiddling with the mecha themselves (hi, Gundam Breaker!), sometimes a game's too good to ignore. Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love doesn't have the modern polish of the reboot, but what it does have? Oh, right: compelling tactical combat! The relationship segments feed into your combat strength. The point-based movement and actions make for thoughtful choices. Some other games have tried this stuff (and done it well!), but everything in So Long, My Love just fits together so nicely. If only we'd get localized versions of the first four games, too... — Graham

What do you think are the best mecha games? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.

The post What Are The Best Mecha Games? appeared first on Siliconera.

Hobonichi announced that the Iwata-San book, also known as Ask Iwata, will be released in 10 languages outside of Japan. Other than English, the book is also being translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Russian, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

According to the Japanese press release, the French translation will release earlier than the English version on April 1, 2021. The German edition will be available on April 20, 2021. The Simplified Chinese and Spanish books will be out in Summer and Fall 2021, respectively.

Previously in August 2019, Hobonichi posted a notice confirming that Iwata-San would be translated to various languages. However, it did not specify any languages other than English and Chinese. In January 2021, Viz Media confirmed that it will release English copies of the book on April 13, 2021.

Iwata-san was first published by Hobonichi in Japan in July 2019. The publishing company is run by Shigesato Itoi, who is known for creating the Mother series. It compiled quotes from the late Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, who died of bile duct cancer in July 2015. It also included Iwata's lines from Iwata Asks, a series of interviews with game developers conducted by the late CEO himself. The first three chapters of the original Japanese book are available to read on Hobonichi's 1101.com website.

The English release of Ask Iwata will be available on April 13, 2021.

The post Ask Iwata Book Is Translated Into 9 More Languages Other Than English appeared first on Siliconera.