Well, it seems the video game adaptation train just keeps on going! Indeed, not long after Castlevania and hot on the tails on everything from Sonic to Klonoa, it seems Professor Layton is getting a TV series based on it too.
This series will be a 26-episode anime, and will air sometime in 2018.
And you know what?
I honestly feel like this may turn out to be one of the better video game adaptations, right up there with Castlevania and Pokemon. Why?
Well, there are a few reasons. Firstly, Professor Layton has already gotten an animated movie in (what we expect) is the same style under the name Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. This film in turn got decent reviews from critics, with IGN UK actually saying it was one of the better game movies overall.
So, unlike many franchises, there’s a precedent here. Level-5 and their partners have already proven the series adapts well to other media forms.
Secondly, the structure of the series works a lot better for an adaptation as well. Why?
Well, think about it. The Professor Layton series is heavily story driven. It’s basically an interactive novel with puzzle gameplay, in the vein of franchises like Ace Attorney.
This works well in other media, since the characters and stories are already fleshed and easy to adapt to a non- interactive experience. You can already take away the gameplay in a YouTube playthrough and have an engaging storyline to follow.
Contrast that to say Mario or Sonic (or even worse, Tetris) and the difference is incredibly obvious. Layton works in other media, because the format of his games are very similar to said media.
It’s also animated too, which is always a good sign. Live action and CGI just doesn’t work that well with game franchises, since it can’t pull off the characters and happenings in a believable, interesting way. Either the looks are too stylised or the budget just isn’t there to make it work.
Animation avoids this, and tends to lead itself to better adaptations here.
So as a result, I feel it’s likely the Professor Layton series will do well. It’s the right type of game to adapt to a TV series, it’s in the right format and there’s already a precedent in the form of a well received animated film released years earlier.
But what do you think about it? Could a Professor Layton anime work well? What do you think the chances are of this becoming the next big thing?
Source:
Licensing Magazine: Professor Layton TV Series in Development (Anime News Network)
Well, it’s trailer time again for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon! However, this one is a tad different from the norm…
Why? Cause it’s story focused and gives glimpses at the new storyline in these games! Here’s the video if you haven’t seen it already:
As you can tell… it’s certainly looking different to the original games. There’s a new evil team involved. What appears to be a city based in Ultra Space.
And even new roles for the previous villains. So it seems Guzma and Lusamine aren’t irrelevant here at all. They’re just not working alone this around.
So go and watch the trailer yourself. Because it really makes the games look tons different from the earlier ones!
A couple of days ago, we wrote about some interesting changes made in the Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga remake for the 3DS. These changes included everything from a new theme tune for E Gadd to tweaks in character switching mechanics and NPC designs, and showed some of the things that differ between the original game and remake.
However, as you may expect, those weren’t all the changes the game had made to it. Oh no, quite a few others existed in the game too, some of which were found after our article was published.
So, here’s round 2. Here are six more changes in Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions!
6. Hammer Bros Now Look Boring as Hell
Starting with another design change people might not like. Remember those wacky looking Hammer Bros in Bowser’s Castle?
The ones that genuinely looked like they wanted to murder Mario and Luigi?
Yeah, I’m sure you do. They were some of the more notable enemies there, alongside the Sniper Bills and Chomp Bros debuting in the game.
Either way, there’s bad news. Why? Because thanks to Nintendo and AlphaDream pushing the ‘standardised’ Mario designs, these unique Hammer Bros are now simply your bog standard, generic grunts from Dream Team and Paper Jam. Here’s a comparison if you don’t believe me:
Still, look on the bright side here. Every other enemy in Bowser’s Castle keeps its design as similar as possible to their ones in the original Superstar Saga. So, the Chomp Bros, Gunner Guys and Sniper Bills remain intact.
It’s just a shame the Hammer Bros take such a big hit in the design department.
5. E Gadd Foreshadows his Role in Partners in Time
Either way, let’s move onto something a bit more positive now. Namely, an interesting detail added to the Minion Quest mode.
Basically, E Gadd now shows up in it. And as GameXplain’s fantastic video shows, he now references the idea of building a time machine, which as you can tell leads into Mario & Luigi Partners in Time. It’s a pretty neat reference, and a nice thing to throw into a remake like this.
4. Boomerang Bros Get a Name Change
Which is also true of the next item on our list as well. Remember those Boomerang Bros from the lagoon area of the game? The ones that looked completely different from every other Boomerang Bros in the series?
Well, there are quite a few bits of good news regarding them. Firstly, their unique designs stay intact here.
So unlike the Hammer Bros and a few other enemies in the game, they’ve not been ‘NSMBified’ at all.
It’s very fitting considering the bean theming the other monsters from the kingdom got in this title, and really distinguishes them from their generic counterparts.
However, what about the gameplay itself? Surely there are interesting changes that don’t relate to character designs, right?
Well, it’s that time again folks! Yep, Nintendo’s released another trailer for Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and this one shows all kinds of new features in the game. Here’s the video if you haven’t seen it yourself:
As you can see, there are all kinds of changes here. You’ve got tons more Pokémon, with a massive 400 of them in the Alola Pokedex alone. There are all new trial layouts and themes, with Mina even getting a trial of her own this time.
And well, things like the photo mechanics have been improved significantly. No longer are you merely photographing Pokémon in certain spots, now you’re able to take photos with you and your team in them instead! That’s pretty cool really. Especially if said pictures can be shared online afterwards.
But these aren’t the most interesting changes here. Oh no, that’s the surfing.
Why?
Because not only does Mantine now exist as a Ride Pokémon you can use, but you can use it to surf between the islands in Alola now!
Yup, no more needing boat rides to get around. You can now ride the waves between the islands on an actual Pokémon instead, complete with fancy tricks and giant waves to master. It’s a neat addition, and makes the world feel a bit more interconnected than it did before.
Add the other new mechanics we seen in the video, and well, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon just look more interesting than ever before. They’re not simple third versions, they’re all new games with major features.
It’s a pleasant surprise given their muted announcement back in June this year.
So, what do you think about it? Are you happy Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are getting these new surfing mechanics? Or the other things shown in the video?
Have your say on the matter at the Gaming Latest forums today!
In under a month, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions will be released for the Nintendo 3DS. A remake of the original Superstar Saga on GBA, it promises to update the title for an all new generation, with improved graphics, music and gameplay elements to make it feel just as modern as its contemporaries.
But while the aesthetic changes are the most notable, it seems they’re not the only interesting ones. Nope, quite a few characters and mechanics have been switched or changed in the title too, ranging from the minor to the incredibly important.
So, let’s look at them, shall we? Let’s look at ten of the most interesting changes coming to Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions…
10. Mechawfuls are now involved in the storyline!
Starting with an interesting addition to the storyline. Namely, the Mechawful enemies from Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story.
That’s interesting. Why? Well in the original Superstar Saga, Fawful wasn’t quite as much of an independent villain as he was in the later games. So, to see these guys appear now hints that his megalomania was present all along, and that he may not have been entirely loyal to Cackletta at all.
It’s an interesting change with quite a few implications for the series in general.
9. Along with Bowser Jr
Which is also the case with another early appearance from a later game foe. Yep, Bowser Jr makes an appearance in this game too.
We know this because he’s clearly shown in this piece of artwork for the Minion’s Quest mode included in the remake:
So, what’s his role?
Well, it’s hard to tell really. Based on the fact he’s only shown in Minion’s Quest, it’s likely he’s not making an appearance in the main mode.
But why would Bowser’s army fight his own son? Hmm, the plot thickens. Perhaps Fawful or Cackletta mind controlled them/ordered them around like the Koopalings in the main adventure? We’ll have to wait and see!
8. The posters in the Yoshi Theatre get an overhaul
We won’t have to wait to find out about this change though! Because unfortunately for Wario and Starfy fans, the posters in the Yoshi Theatre got a major overhaul.
Yep, gone are the old ones, with cameos based on other Nintendo franchises. In their place are posters advertising films based on the other Mario & Luigi titles. Like one with the Shroobs, one with Prince Dreambert and one with the Brocks from Bowser’s Inside Story.
It’s an interesting change, and the new posters do look nice. However, it’s also a bit disappointing given the prominence of these cameos, or how they were the one-real Wario reference seen in a major Mario game in the last decade or so.
And it’s not just poster designs that have been affected here…
6. As does Blink’s design in his mini game
It’s character ones too. Because for whatever reason, Blink now looks nothing like Donkey Kong. Instead, he looks like a generic skeleton pirate:
And that’s disappointing if you ask me. There’s no real reason AlphaDream changed this, so it’s just taking away some of the character variety for the sake of it.
But this isn’t the last ‘interesting’ character design difference here. Oh no, another familiar face has been changed too…
5. Psycho Kamek is replaced by Dr Toadley
With Little Fungitown’s resident psychiatrist Psycho Kamek being replaced with Dr Toadley from Bowser’s Inside Story.
No, I’m not making this up. They switched out a character from Superstar Saga with a completely unrelated one from Bowser’s Inside Story:
That’s odd for a remake. But still, at least it’s a positive change. Psycho Kamek was a rather dull character in his only appearance, whereas Dr Toadley actually had a personality and unique way of speaking in his.
So, to see a one off replaced by a more interesting character isn’t a bad thing here. Just a completely unexpected change for a remake.
