xenoblade chronicles
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GameStop's Black Friday deals include all-time low prices on some Switch games
'Breath of the Wild,' 'Paper Mario' and 'Xenoblade Chronicles' are all on sale for $27.
'Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition' hits the Switch on May 29th
A spruced up version of Xenoblade Chronicles will soon be available on the Switch. We already knew that the Monolith-developed JRPG, which was originally released for the Wii in 2010, was coming to Nintendo's portable-console hybrid this year. In today's surprise Nintendo Direct Mini, though, we got a firm release date for the port: May 29th. The publisher has promised updated graphics, an improved menu system and battle interface, and more than 90 remastered tunes from the soundtrack. If you've played the game before, Nintendo hopes a new epilogue called Future Connected will tempt you to run through the main story once more. Xenoblade Chronicles, if you need a refresher, is a continuation of the 'Xeno' series that started with Xenogears back in 1998. If you haven't played those games before, though, fear not: Chronicles is a fresh starting point (you can think of it as a spiritual successor, rather than a true sequel to Xenogears and Xenosaga) that's perfect for newcomers. The game was praised back in 2010 for its beautiful world -- which is located on the remains of two giant robots -- rewarding battle system and litany of side quests and collectibles. It was enough to spawn a 3DS port and a Wii U sequel called Xenoblade Chronicles X (which was also very good) in 2015. A numbered sequel was then released for the Switch in December 2017.
‘Xenoblade Chronicles’ will be remastered for Switch
The Wii game Xenoblade Chronicles will be remade for Switch. Nintendo announced today that a remastered version of the 2012 JRPG called Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition will be released sometime in 2020. A trailer for the new game was unveiled at Nintendo Direct, which you can watch below.
'Xenoblade Chronicles 3D' starts its new 3DS chapter on April 10th
Xenoblade Chronicles, the Japanese role-playing game that launched to great success on the Wii in 2010, is on its way to Nintendo's latest handheld hardware, the new 3DS, on April 10th. Nintendo announced the date during today's Nintendo Direct live stream. Also in the Xenoblade series, Xenoblade Chronicles X is due out for the Wii U in 2015.
Who The Hell Is: Shulk
The following feature contains substantial spoilers for the game Xenoblade Chronicles. The rumors are true, and Joystiq is closing. I had only just started my "Who The Hell Is" series, where I gave a brief history lesson on video game characters such as Johnny Gat. After all, if you're going to be playing a game with the character's name in the title, you want to know who he is, right? So for one last time, let me help you get to know someone. Say hello to Shulk. For many players, Shulk's first appearance is not Xenoblade Chronicles – the 2010 Wii game he actually stars in – but Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS. There, Shulk can boost his abilities to become harder, better, faster, stronger. He's also the only character possessing a costume equivalent to Samus' sports bra/short-shorts combo thanks to his form-fitting boxer-briefs. So, why does Shulk get to change his fighting abilities in a way that no one else can? To answer that, we have to go back. Way back. No, further. To the beginning of the world.
Xenoblade Chronicles confirmed for US release in April
What a bunch of jokers! Nintendo confirmed during its January Nintendo Direct presentation that the New Nintendo 3DS port of Xenoblade is coming to the the US in April 2015. Nintendo also confirmed that it will be available on April 2 in Japan. Announced in August, the renamed Xenoblade Chronicles will only run on the new version of Nintendo's handheld thanks to its superior specs. [Image: Nintendo]
Foresee a trip to GameStop if you want the Shulk Amiibo
Shulk is the first Amiibo unearthed as retailer-exclusive in the US, according to a listing on GameStop. The figurine of the Xenoblade hero is one of 11 coming to North America in February 2015, and yesterday Nintendo said "some of our retail partners will be releasing a certain number of these as exclusive figures, so stay tuned for details." Nintendo didn't say which Amiibos are exclusive to which retailers, but we're guessing that "certain number" isn't 1. Anyhow, the other ten toys due in February are Rosalina & Luma, Bowser, Lucario, Toon Link, Sheik, Ike, Meta Knight, Sonic, King Dedede and Mega Man.
Wii JRPG Xenoblade Chronicles coming to new 3DS
Nintendo is bringing back Xenoblade Chronicles for the new 3DS, and the new 3DS alone. The Wii JRPG was announced for Nintendo's newly unveiled handheld during its Direct stream this morning, and according to Gematsu and Siliconera, it'll only run on the new 3DS and not the older model because of the new system's enhanced CPU. Monolith Soft's revered game hits Japan in 2015, the same year Xenoblade Chronicles X is due to hit Wii U. To check out the reveal trailer, head on past the break. If you're wondering if you should care about a 2010 JRPG coming to the new 3DS, check out our five-star review.
Xenoblade's Shulk confirmed for Super Smash Bros.
Xenoblade Chronicles hero Shulk was confirmed for Super Smash Bros. this morning in Japan's Nintendo Direct, giving more credence to the alleged leaked images and videos showing Bowser Jr and the Duck Hunt dog as part of the fighter's roster. Check out Shulk's reveal trailer below the break
Xenoblade Chronicles X slashes at Wii U in 2015 [Update: Trailer added]
Xenoblade Chronicles X, formerly known as "Project X," will arrive in 2015 for Wii U, Nintendo revealed during its E3 2014 livestream today. The Monolith Soft-developed game is a successor to Xenoblade Chronicles, the developer's 2011 Wii game. Update: Nintendo offered up a trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Gamestop defends Xenoblade price tag, Metroid Prime Trilogy being restocked
Gamestop's inventory of pre-owned Xenoblade Chronicles copies seemed to inflate overnight on August 10, when the game showed up at previously dry retail locations and online for $90 a pop. Xenoblade is a famously hard-to-find Wii role-playing game that was sold only via Nintendo and Gamestop on first printing, and until now it seemed retail stock teetered on nonexistence. We contacted Gamestop when Xenoblade was resurrected last week, and today the company issued a response: "Gamestop regularly receives feedback from our PowerUp members regarding old titles they would like us to bring back, such as vintage games like Xenoblade Chronicles. We were recently able to source a limited number of copies of this title to carry in our stores and online. "In fact, we have sourced several more vintage titles that will be hitting stores in the coming months, including Metroid Prime Trilogy. "As always, our pricing for these games is competitive and is based on current market value driven by supply and demand. PowerUp Pro members always receive a 10 percent discount and earn PUR points on pre-owned purchases." There's no word on the source of Gamestop's fresh copies. Nintendo has yet to respond to our requests for clarification, regarding whether this is a reprint or simply a surprising windfall of pre-owned games. Really, all of this comes down to one, simple question: How much is five stars worth to you?
Xenoblade developer working on new project for Wii U
Monolith Soft, the developer behind Xenoblade Chronicles, is quietly building something for Wii U. The above screenshot was snagged during the Japanese Nintendo Direct Wii U conference, thanks to Siliconera.Monolith Soft president Tetsuya Takahashi and the Xenoblade team are creating a new IP for the Wii U, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said.
Why Xenoblade Chronicles represents the past, present, and future of Japanese gaming
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. If you want to know where Xenoblade Chronicles came from, you need only look toward two sources. There's Monster Hunter, which is the inspiration for seemingly every modern JRPG from Dragon Quest IX to more blatant knockoffs like God Eater. And there are MMORPGs, which have come to exercise a great deal of influence over Japanese gaming culture as a whole.Xenoblade Chronicles, and Monster Hunter too, are like this for a reason. Work and school start early and end late in Japan, and any time at home is usually either devoted to the family, or sleeping. Many gamers have migrated to manga cafes, which have been dominated by MMORPGs like Lineage for about a decade now. MMOs have in turn influenced loot-centric cooperative handheld games like Monster Hunter, which serve as the other alternative for busy students and salarymen.This trend presents a dilemma for Japanese developers. Japan simply can't get enough Monster Hunter and its ilk, which is all the more reason for developers to keep cranking them out. Global audiences, however, have been slow to embrace co-op RPGs. That's where Xenoblade Chronicles comes in – an RPG with all the trappings of an MMO or a Monster Hunter, but wrapped in a traditional, single-player JRPG.%Gallery-152491%
Xenoblade Chronicles available on GameFly
Xenoblade Chronicles is available for rent on Gamefly, a reader informs Joystiq. We checked and, sure enough, it's there. "But it's supposed to be exclusive to the Nintendo Store and GameStop!" you say. To that ... well, we don't really have a snappy retort because we're just as flummoxed as everyone else. Whatever the cause, it seems being able to rent the game has created an exception.Regardless, if you don't feel like paying a premium to try out the excellent RPG, and you happen to have a GameFly account, give it a rent. As of this writing, Xenoblade Chronicles is listed as "available now."[Thanks, Matthew!]
Xenoblade Chronicles review: A cut above
I'll confess, I wasn't terribly excited for Xenoblade Chronicles at first. My experience with other "Xeno" titles (Xenogears, Xenosaga) could perhaps best be described as contemptuous. To me, those titles paraded the worst elements of Japanese role-playing games in front of a spotlight, gleefully showcasing the genre's biggest flaws to the world for excruciatingly painful stretches. Going into the nitty-gritty of why I find those games awful is another article entirely, but suffice it to say that another Xeno-game wasn't exactly high on my want-to-play list -- until I started hearing nothing but praise for Xenoblade from like-minded JRPG genre fans. Imagine my surprise at popping the disc into my Wii to discover a game nothing like Xenos past -- a game that, instead of stubbornly shoving the worst parts of JRPGs in your face, makes substantial advancements to the genre.%Gallery-152491%
Xenoblade Chronicles director naturally influenced by Western design; details changes for NA/EU version
Xenoblade Chronicles executive director Tetsuya Takahashi should probably have a lot to say given his latest project's tumultuous journey to worldwide launch, but his extremely concise interview answers to us indicate otherwise. When we asked Takahashi how Xenoblade Chronicles' development scaled comparatively with past projects, he simply told us, "There's no doubt that the scale of this project was large compared to past projects." O ... okay then!He got a bit more verbose on other subjects, however. How different is the NA/EU version of Xenoblade Chronicles from the original Japanese release last year, for instance? "We made some minor bug adjustments and revised some of the written content for localization. There were also some places where we made minor adjustments to the game balance, but none of the changes resulted in significant differences from the original (Japanese) version," Takahashi said. Takahashi also spoke to his approach to development of modern RPGs. "I like Western game design a lot, so there were places where I referred to it without thinking about it." But that's not to say Xenoblade Chronicles is a product of a Japanese dev looking solely at Western design philosophy. "Xenoblade is not just influenced by Western game design; it has also undeniably inherited the DNA of Japanese RPGs." Find out for yourself just how that plays out when Xenoblade Chronicles arrives on US retail shelves tomorrow.
Xenoblade Chronicles arrives on April 6 wrapped in this gorgeous box art
According to Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime himself, Xenoblade Chronicles will finally arrive in North America on April 6. Wait, but didn't that game already come out, like, two other times? Yes, friend, it totally did. First, in Japan on June 10, 2010 as just "Xenoblade," then in Europe once more on August 19, 2011 with its current name. The April 6, 2012 North American launch will mark its third such launch. But hey, check out that incredible box art!The game's tumultuous journey from Japanese exclusivity to worldwide release has been a point of contention for classic console JRPG fans. After a group formed online named "Operation Rainfall," various loud messages were voiced to Nintendo about a trio of JRPGs that were at the time unannounced for North America (The Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Pandora's Tower). All three titles have since been announced for release (or released) in other regions, though Pandora's Tower is still not planned for a US release.Of course, you could've been playing Xenoblade Chronicles all along by using our handy guide to making the EU version work on your North American Wii. But then you already knew that, right?
New Xenoblade Chronicles trailer shows off combat and menus
Xenoblade Chronicles is still on track for its April 2012 release in North America, proving that there's nothing in this world that you can't do. This latest trailer from Nintendo and Monolith Soft shows off the game's combat, crafting and weapons systems, as well as some very large robot swords.
Judge Xenoblade Chronicles by its (inside) cover
Xenoblade Chronicles "the game" is definitely coming to the US Wii on April 3, but Xenoblade Chronicles "the box art" is more of a vague idea at this point. Nintendo is allowing fans to choose the inside portion of Xenoblade's reversible box art via a Facebook photo poll -- of the four photos shown below, whichever has the most "Likes" will become the US game's reversible image:
Xenoblade Chronicles arrives in the US in 'April 2012' [update]
After this morning's accidental retail reveal of Xenoblade Chronicles coming to North America, Nintendo has made the game's launch official, pinning an "April 2012" release date to the much hyped Wii RPG. Nintendo teased the reveal earlier today with a new gallery of Xenoblade artwork that mysteriously popped up on Facebook, though at the time there was no news attached to said tease. Despite Nintendo not giving a date to the game, this morning's image indicated an April 3 launch. GameStop's website, however, reflects an April 2 date, post-official announce. We're just gonna go with "early April" for now. So, after this, now all the Operation Rainfall folks need to do is get those other two Wii RPGs to come out in the US, and we'll be all set! We'll get right back to helping with that just as soon as we get through Skyward Sword and Xenoblade Chronicles. In, like, 120 hours, give or take. Update: According to the official PR that Nintendo of America just sent out, the game will be sold exclusively through GameStop retail outlets and Nintendo.com's website for $49.99.
