Nintendo Direct is coming soon! Join us for a global presentation on what’s heading to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS family systems over the next few months, as well as an in-depth look at Super Mario Odyssey.

Apple aren’t the only kids on the block with a conference this week. Nintendo will hold a live streamed “Nintendo Direct” this Thursday morning at 8am AEST. Nice to be on a reasonable time for us Aussies for a change!

If Nintendo floats your boat you can tune in here to watch.

Source: Nintendo Direct

I had the unique opportunity to interview MachineGame’s Narrative Designer Tommy Björk whilst at Gamescom this past week for Jeff Cannata’s Newest Latest Best podcast, hosted on Anchor.fm.

Tommy is the co-lead designer on the soon to be release Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. In the interview we discuss his writing process, the complications of writing for video games and his passion for the industry.

It’s a fascinating insight into the whole process and full of little tid-bits that fans of the series will no doubt want to hear.

I hope you all enjoy it.

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This is the story of an unexpected encounter between Mario and the irreverent Rabbids. To bring order back to a splintered Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Yoshi team up with Rabbids heroes in a journey through four different worlds.

Out today, Mario + Rabbids will satiate your Switch woes as you hold out for Mario Odyssey. Don’t be fooled by it’s “Mario” exterior though, this game is tough and will prove a real challenge to the most seasoned gamer.

The Verge:

It’s easy to go into Mario + Rabbids with low expectations. It’s a mashup that doesn’t seem to make much sense, in a genre that feels counter to Super Mario’s playful spirit. But you should definitely look past the crazed, Rabbid-infused exterior. Mario + Rabbids isn’t just a great strategy game brimming with charm and clever ideas. It also joins the likes of Breath of the Wild, Arms, and Splatoon 2 in showcasing the best the Switch has to offer.

IGN:

…you’re in for a surprise: even for XCOM vets some of its battles are challenging puzzles. Some of its tougher levels do devolve into a trial-and-error slog, but a good mix of enemies, objectives, and character abilities keep things interesting.

Kotaku:

Because this is a Switch game, you can play it at home or on the go. I’ve used my Switch almost exclusively as a home console and find it too big to comfortably use as a portable, but there was something about this game that made me enjoy taking it on the go. The format helps. Turn-based battles lend themselves wonderfully to abrupt pausing as I’d catch a few more rounds between subway stops.

Source: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle on Nintendo Switch | Ubisoft (US)

Xbox One X: The most powerful console ever.

As expected Microsoft officially began accepting pre-orders for the Xbox One X today. Announced at their briefing ahead of Gamescom this week the new and “most powerful console” on the market will set you back A$649 of your hard earned dollars.

What does that get you? Not a lot really. A new console yes, but one with a tiny proportion of titles that take advantage of its new power, now made even tinier with the delay of Crackdown 3 until 2018.

And just so you know I’m not lying… lifted from the pre-order page itself the pre-order “Project Scorpio” version includes:

• The world’s most powerful console
• Limited Launch Edition with custom design
• Includes exclusive Xbox One X vertical stand
• Project Scorpio inscribed on both console and controller
• 4K Blu-ray player for immersive gaming and entertainment
• Works with all your Xbox One games and accessories

So it begs the question, will you be getting an Xbox One X?! I’m struggling to press that order button myself and that’s a really hard thing to say for the first time in generations.

Source: Xbox One X | The World’s Most Powerful Console