STACK Magazine April 2015 Issue 126

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visit FEATURE GAMES
APRIL 2015 JB Hi-Fi
L ike defining moments in history,
every gamer harbours a memory of
the first time they played a classic.
Towards the end of the Wii's lifecycle, a
game arrived from director Tetsuya Takahashi,
who had previously worked on a number of
games including Secret of Mana (1993),
Chrono Trigger (1995), and Final Fantasy VII
(1997). Released in Japan almost a year
earlier, Monolith Soft's Xenoblade Chronicles
finally secured distribution in the west in
2011, where JRPGs traditionally struggle to
gain commercial momentum.
Rumours of its quality preceded it, and
anyone who jumped in and picked up a copy
(it was in hot demand in the STACK office)
soon found one of the most addictive and
compelling games to ever grace Nintendo's
family-friendly console. Despite the obvious
limitations in technology, it proved to be one
of the finest JRPGs in recent memory, and
a title that still stands out amidst release
schedules that are filled with nostalgic
reboots and remasters.
Heralded as an absolute triumph by critics
and players alike, Xenoblade Chronicles is
a brash and daring game that delivers over
one hundred hours of gameplay. It features
some of the best twists and turns imaginable
in a video game, pulling its mechanics from
MMOs, and drawing development influences
from both east and west.
Now, chances are your Wii these days
is currently being used as a doorstop, or is
buried in the wardrobe under clothes that no
longer fit you, which you can't – much like the
console in question – bring yourself to throw
out. If you didn't grab a copy of Xenoblade
Chronicles back in 2011 and haven't had the
opportunity to play it, it is now commanding
incredibly high prices due to the short supply
of stock on release. A quick look on eBay
and you could be expected to secure one for
around $100 and up.
However, Nintendo are giving gamers the
opportunity to play it again, and in light of the
announcement that Xenoblade Chronicles X
will be coming to Wii U sometime this year,
now is the perfect time to do so. Xenoblade
Chronicles 3D is out this month, although
there is a small catch: you have to own one
of Nintendo's New 3DS and New 3DS XL
handheld consoles, packed with increased
processing power, to participate.
So what's new in XC3D then? Essentially
it's the same game that has been
impressively scaled down for the New 3DS
screen. It has been designed to work with
the unique control system including the in-
game camera that is operated via the C stick.
StreetPass plays a big part in the game, too,
with users able to pick up in-game tokens
with other New 3DS owners and use them
to unlock music and 3D character models.
And then of course there's the protagonist
Shulk's amiibo. Touch this to your New 3DS
daily to receive three tokens.
While there is no confirmed 2015 release
month for Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U,
this is a great way to jump in and experience
one of the greatest JRPGs of the last
generation, and prepare for one of the most
anticipated Nintendo releases of the year.
Xenoblade Chronicles is one
of the finest JRPGs in recent
memory
Xenoblade
Chronicles 3D
Monolith Soft's classic comes to the New 3DS.