Latest news with #3DS
Finextra
20 hours ago
- Business
- Finextra
Spendbase launches digital banking and virtual cards
Spendbase, a spend management platform that helps businesses save on software and cloud costs, is launching a new suite of financial tools that take spend control to the next level: Digital Banking and Virtual Cards. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. With this release, Spendbase moves beyond expense optimization and into the core of business finance, growing into a central hub for financial management. The new features empower companies to manage money smarter, move faster, and save more. What's New? With Digital Banking, companies using Spendbase can now: Get their business up and running in no time with a modern digital banking solution Save time and instantly open corporate IBANs for the EU and UK Make fast bank transfers via SEPA and Faster Payments Gain more control with sub-accounts for specific teams, individuals, or projects. The new Virtual Cards functionality allows users to: Easily issue from one to 100 virtual cards per organization Stay in control by setting precise spend limits for each card Multiply your savings by earning up to 1.5% cashback Benefit from enhanced security with 3DS, ensuring every transaction is truly yours Spend Smarter The launch slogan, 'Stop Spending Around,' captures the essence of Spendbase's mission: to give businesses radical visibility and control over their corporate spending. With new functionality offering granular controls at the team, account, and individual levels, companies can now track and optimize every dollar even better. 'Saving money has always been in our DNA — it's not just what we do for our customers, it's how we operate internally. We're seriously cost-efficient, and now we're turning that mindset into products. These tools pay for themselves by helping you spend less — and this launch is a major step in that direction.' Andrew Alex, CEO, Spendbase From Optimization to Full Control Spendbase originally made waves by helping companies cut waste in their software and cloud spending. For some mid-sized clients, that meant saving up to $150K in under a year. The platform quickly onboarded high-profile clients including Preply, MacPaw, Provectus, Happy Monday, YouScan, and others. Today, Spendbase supports 800+ businesses worldwide. One of the platform's standout features is its performance-based pricing: Spendbase charges 25% from what it helped you save. That means the platform is fully aligned with its clients' success — clients typically save four times more than they pay. With the addition of banking and virtual cards, Spendbase now delivers end-to-end spend visibility — from procurement to payment. 'Spendbase isn't here to replace your bank or existing cards. Every card has its perks for different needs. Think of Spendbase as the card that comes with the biggest savings. It's a complementary tool in your finance stack, focused entirely on eliminating spend waste.' Max Bondarenko, CMO, Spendbase
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Tranzzo Explains the Role of 3D Secure in Enhancing Online Payment Security for Businesses
Learn how 3D Secure verifies cardholders, reduces fraud and chargebacks, and builds customer trust in every online transaction your business processes. LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 27, 2025 / / -- For any business that accepts online payments, customer trust starts with payment security. And when card data is involved, there's no room for compromise. Tranzzo breaks down how 3D Secure helps protect online transactions — and why it's essential for both businesses and their customers. 3D Secure (3DS) is a security protocol that verifies the cardholder's identity during online payment. How it works: Customer enters card details Redirected to a secure bank page Confirms identity (SMS code, push notification, Face ID) Payment goes through only if verified 3DS is also known by branded names such as Visa Secure and Mastercard ID Check. Key benefits for business: Lower fraud risk Fewer chargebacks Increased customer trust Higher approval rates — when implemented right Want to protect your business from fraud and chargebacks? Contact Tranzzo Polina Toropova Tranzzo [email protected] Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook TikTok Other Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster (Switch 2) Review
Thirteen years ago, Square Enix released one of the best Final Fantasy spin-offs they'd made to-date but called it by a different name: Bravely Default. Standing on its own merits, it proved to be a cult classic for the 3DS by the time it arrived in the west in 2014, and still stands as one of the Nintendo 3DS' must-play RPGs (alongside its direct sequel, Bravely Second: End Layer). And yet, it still seems to lack the recognition it deserves as an upstanding modern take on classic JRPGs. Now, with as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, this can finally be set right. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is a definitive take on the original game, which amalgamates its myriad re-releases and refreshes it for Nintendo's brand new console. Despite taking on the subtitle of the very first edition, Flying Fairy, it's based on the updated For The Sequel edition, which was the version we initially received in English—because what's a Square Enix JRPG franchise without some convoluted names? Naturally the game has been converted to suit the Switch 2's single screen, after originally utilizing the dual screen of the 3DS. This transition has been handled remarkably well, and will hopefully inspire more developers to bring their 3DS gems to Switch 2. Akitoshi Yoshida's character models and the game's beautiful storybook-like environments also translated nicely to both modern TVs and the Switch 2's screen. Though it was, admittedly, a little jarring to see the mouths moving on certain kookier character models, but that's testament to how much clearer the experience is now. While the 3DS' display was fine at the time, the HD, 16:9 presentation is vastly superior, breathing new life into Bravely Default's folksy world of Luxendarc. Most environments are enhanced by the clearer resolution, which shows off the paint-like texture of the landscapes. Even without the touch screen, this almost feels like the way it was meant to be seen. (Missing entirely is the original game's use of the 3DS' gyroscopic camera. This enabled a handful of AR cutscenes which sounded cool in theory, yet were gimmicky in practice, like the intro CG cutscene.) Beneath Bravely Default's fairy tale appearance (no pun intended) lies a well-crafted tale that combines the motifs of classic Final Fantasy, like crystals and warriors of light, with some plot elements from more modern FF, like the corrupt governments and natural resource wars of Final Fantasy VII. The party consists of Tiz, a young man who's the sole survivor of his simple village; Agnès, sheltered cleric of the Wind Crystal; Edea, a defector from Eternia, the enemy state that seeks to destroy the crystals' hold over society; and Ringabel, an amnesiac who hasn't forgotten his womanizing ways and carries a prophetic journal. Guided by the fairy Airy, they seek to restore the four crystals and thus, the balance of nature while thwarting the forces of Eternia along the way. Bravely Default's writing is still incredibly good by modern standards, even if the voice acting (and a late-game slog) will probably remain as divisive to audiences in 2025 as it did in the twenty-teens. The main characters are charming, as are the minor antagonists in their own way, and the world is easy to invest in. Allusions and homages to Final Fantasy are littered throughout, from the recurring names of spells (Fire-Fira-Firaga), to classes (White Mage, Black Mage), and items, to deeper thematic cuts (like the actions of the Water Crystal's Vestal). Squint just right and it could practically be a sequel to Final Fantasy III, but with profoundly more character and plot. Nowhere is that connection to classic 2D Final Fantasy more apparent than in battle. Players unlock up to 24 jobs (called Asterisks here) throughout Bravely Default, by defeating practitioners of that class. In this department, it harkens more to fellow underrated game Final Fantasy V: each job has distinct active and passive abilities, and as a character increases that job's level they unlock more permanent upgrades which can be equipped even after swapping to another class. Tiz might learn Black Magic, for example, then switch to the Time Mage class and keep the Black Magic command and the Pierce ability. This take on job classes is a tried and true system, and I'm glad to see Bravely Default still putting it to good use even if Final Fantasy isn't. It's kept fresh with some original inventions and unique interpretations of classic jobs, each well-earned in battle with the sort of villains you love to hate. If jobs were 'something old' or 'something borrowed,' Bravely Default's 'something new' was the battle system its name stems from. Actions in a fight cost 1 BP, and characters earn 1 BP per turn normally. Outside of the usual conventions of turn-based RPG combat, each participant can 'default' on their turn to guard and store up their BP, or 'brave' to take 2-4 actions at once. This deceptively simple paradigm can have big strategic ramifications. In weaker random battles, characters can go all out with braves and quickly dispatch their foes in one turn—instead of stooping to a 4-turn slugfest. In harder fights, will your opponent default and tank through your biggest assault? Or can you successfully brave when their guard is down and tear them to shreds instead? It's a simple tweak on the usual turn-based format which lends the game a very unique feel. All of the gameplay holds up just as well today as it did at Bravely Default's western debut. Thankfully, the 3DS original's connectivity features remain intact as well. Friends with the game can be added into your file, allowing you to 'link' your character with theirs—so if your friend has a maxed out Monk Edea, you can use the Abililink system to give your Edea some of those advanced, level 9 abilities. As well, the ability to call upon other players has been salvaged from the 3DS. In a similar fashion, players can 'record' their best moves in battle and save them to their profile, so that other players can summon them. (The game also provides fake, computerized 'ally' profiles periodically to avoid leaving behind those with smaller friend lists.) Even the town restoration minigame, where players idly repair Tiz's hometown over time, has made the jump. Once delegated to the bottom screen, the Norende Village Restoration is easily summoned with a press of the Switch 2 D-pad, as is the in-game reference book and the encounter rate setting, among other bells and whistles. New to Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster are two minigames using the Joy-Con 2's mouse features. Much like the system's mouse function itself, I found these distractions to be better than expected, though still a little too cumbersome to be a main event. The first, Luxencheer Rhythm Catch, also invokes another Final Fantasy spin-off, Theatrhythm. Bravely Default's take injects a sliver of Beat Saber, turning the Joy-Con 2s into a pair of light-stick cursors on the screen. As notes pass by, players must position those cursors so that the notes are caught between them, or move the correct cursor over the notes and press a button in time. It's more elegant in practice than it sounds on paper, and was actually a pretty fun use of the mouse, though I'm in no rush for Theatrhythm to adopt this approach instead. The other, Ringabel's Panic Cruise, is an airship pilot simulator. Meant to show all the work Ringabel does when flying the party's airship, this minigame tasks players with not only steering the craft horizontally and vertically, but also manipulating various controls to fulfill other character's requests or defending the craft from attackers. Though a tonal shift from the rest of the game—the first level has you fending off ghost pirates, because Reasons—it's another fun little distraction. Neither minigame is worth the price of the remaster's admission alone, though there are a plethora of rewards to be earned from playing them periodically, like more background on the characters and unique costume or special move parts. Each minigame has three difficulty levels and more stages to unlock through main plot progression; higher difficulty means more medals, and faster rewards. Like the original game using the 3DS' camera for AR cutscenes, the new minigames in Bravely Default's remaster make a case for the potential of the Switch 2's mouse controls. Fortunately this makes a better case than the first, and I'm pleasantly surprised with the mouse's application, but I still need a little more in-depth proof of its worth. (Bring on Metroid Prime 4.) My only real nitpick with the experience here is the unreliability of the network connection. Bravely Default isn't exhaustive in its network features, only requiring a passive connection to send or receive friend data. In theory, it's 'set it and forget it.' Yet if the connection is disrupted—say, by taking the Switch 2 off the dock—it can be tedious to reconnect. A small quibble in the grand scheme of things, perhaps addressable through updates, though still a minor nuisance. All in all, I couldn't be happier to see Bravely Default get a second chance in the spotlight with a bigger audience. Over a decade ago it proved that classic JRPGs weren't dead or a taboo—a lesson that studios still need to be reminded of, evidently. The Switch 2 has revitalized that core experience, in some ways revealing a superior form, and any fan of original Nintendo-era Final Fantasy, or even classic PS1 RPGs, should give it a shot. With backward compatibility, fans of the genre can already feast well on Switch 2, and having a strong, classic launch title like Bravely Default helps show how Nintendo's partners like Square Enix can keep that feast going. (For a perfect dessert course, the sequel would be a great fit as well, just saying…)
Stuff.tv
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
These are the games from Nintendo's back catalogue I want to make a Switch 2 comeback
We all love Mario and Zelda, but Nintendo has such a rich and vast history of franchises that deserve to shine. A few dormant series were revived towards the end of the original Switch's lifespan – but a cynic might say unexpected remaster Another Code: Recollection and new Famicom Detective Club entry Emio: The Smiling Man were scraping the barrel while we waited for Switch 2 arrive. On the other hand, it showed just how diverse Nintendo's first-party library really is. The first Switch's huge install base helped many of these niches reach a wider audience than ever, and there are plenty more from the firm's history I think are worth reviving. Instead of just another Mario-themed spinoff to plug the gaps, here are the franchises I desperately want Nintendo to bring back on its new platform. Wario Land Given the WarioWare series saw two releases on the Switch 1, it's a surprise that Mario's evil doppelganger hasn't been given the chance to have his own standalone platforming outing again. Wario Land started out with the former villain becoming the antihero protagonist for Super Mario Land 3, before going on to have multiple entries (including one on the ill-fated Virtual Boy), each different from the last. An emphasis on abilities and non-linear progression made it more Metroid-influenced than a typical side-scrolling platformer. Wario Land 4's gameplay and expressive graphics were influential on indie hit Pizza Tower, so this series is ripe for Nintendo to re-explore. Alternatively the Switch 2 could be the chance for Wario to make the leap back to 3D, which he's only done previously in GameCube title Wario World, which was developed by arcade legends Treasure. F-Zero Okay, technically we got F-Zero 99, which was one of many classic games given the online battle royale-style treatment, but fans of this hardcore high speed racer deserve more than this – or racing through Mute City and Big Blue at 200cc in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Thanks to GameCube: Nintendo Classics, you can already play the last mainline entry F-Zero GX, and the no-frills Fast Fusion might also scratch that high-velocity itch. But come on, imagine what could be achieved putting Captain Falcon and the gang at breakneck 120 FPS on Switch 2 hardware. It'll probably still be impossibly hard for most of us mere mortals, but you'd expect nothing less. Get Sega to develop it again if you must, just make it happen! Kid Icarus This fantasy series based on Greco-Roman mythology admittedly hasn't had many entries, starting out on the NES followed by a Game Boy sequel and then nothing for two decades. But it was vibrantly reimagined as third-person shooter with Kid Icarus: Uprising on the 3DS, directed by none other than Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai. The 3DS title was famously awkward to control, making a circle pad pro add-on practically essential. A modern remaster should be no problem on a console with dual sticks but you can imagine the rail-shooting sections benefitting from the Switch 2's mouse controls. Of course, without hardware constraints, it would be even better to have a new title that gives you a whole world to fly around and fight in. Sakurai might already be busy with reviving another of his IP with Kirby Air Riders, but a new Kid Icarus would be a terrific follow-up. Wave Race One of the new features in Mario Kart World is that you race on the surface of water instead of beneath it. That alone is enough to give Wave Race vibes, to the extent that this groundbreaking series is also overdue for a new instalment. Wave Race 64's water physics still hold up incredibly, but otherwise the series has been dormant after GameCube release Blue Storm, which admittedly didn't go down that well as many saw it as little more than a retread of the superior N64 title. But it would be a waste not to build on MK World's incredible water effects in a game dedicated to water racing. It could even be a proper showcase for the Switch 2's supposed ray-tracing support. Golden Sun Nintendo has given Xenoblade Chronicles a lot of love, considering the original Wii game took a fan campaign to bring it to the West in the first place, but it's not the only RPG in its stable that deserves attention. Golden Sun started life on the Game Boy Advance where you play as a group of magic-attuned teenagers known as Adepts on a journey to protect the world from a destructive power referred to as Alchemy, only for you to play the perspective of the apparent bad guys in its sequel. In some cases, it was only ever envisioned as a duology (though a 3D follow-up did come to the DS), but it's so beloved by fans that there's surely an appetite for a new story in that world. If nothing else, it would also allow developer Camelot to flex its RPG muscles once more, because its talents feel wasted simply pumping out Mario sports spin-offs. Earthbound The request for Mother 3 (the original Japanese title) to come to the Switch lasted as long as the console itself, which finally came to fruition last year – but only in Japan. Yet while an official localisation might seem like a distant dream, another possibility could be to revive the series with a new entry altogether. This weird RPG where you play as kids in an alternate surreal version of contemporary America where you're using psychic (and psychedelic) abilities to fight not just monsters but inanimate objects or cops has been so influential to a new generation of indie RPGs, in particular Undertale and its spiritual successor Deltarune, that the OG deserves another go round too. It might be tempting to give it a 3D makeover but there would probably be more charm in retaining its pixel art origins, or perhaps something akin to Square Enix's HD-2D style. Elite Beat Agents As a team of groovy agents riffing on Blues Brothers and Men in Black, you're sent on missions to use your rhythmic cool to inspire people to overcome their hardships across numerous comic book-inspired vignettes soundtracked to a roster of contemporary pop songs. It's totally bizarre but utterly hilarious and unforgettable, at least for those who actually discovered this cult DS classic. EBA always deserved some kind of comeback on Switch, and while its controls had been designed specifically for touchscreens, the Switch 2's mouse function could make it viable to play on the TV too. Better yet, given how Japanese culture has gotten more in vogue in recent years, it would also be timely to port the game's original predecessor Ouendan, which has you playing as hot-blooded Japanese male cheerleaders. ARMS Is it strange to include ARMS on this list given that it only debuted on Switch? Well, it launched in the first year of the console's life and despite critical acclaim, it never got the love it deserved, and so after a few updates seems all but doomed to fade into obscurity. That would be a shame because its stretchy-limbed fighters are just so full of charm (something that several other new Switch 2 games seem to be lacking), while its mechanics make perfect use of the Joy-Con's dual motion controls. It's something rare for a fighting game to feel this approachable while still offering depth and customisation. ARMS has however received a free Switch 2 update that improves its resolution and performance, so let's hope that's a sign that Nintendo hasn't thrown in the towel on this just yet.
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster' Review: Not Exactly HD
This HD remaster still retains some of the original game's visual charm. One of the best role-playing games on the Nintendo 3DS was Bravely Default, a unique little game that's now remastered on the Switch 2, but not without its faults. The original game was full of charm and adorable character designs by Akihiko Yoshida. The functional premise of the game had you either Default (guard) for each turn or Brave multiple attacks that would put you at a disadvantage on the subsequent turn. It was a fascinating risk-reward setup that played with the turn-based nature of most modern role-playing games. Coupled with the lovely art style, Bravely Default had a real charm to it that is sadly quite rare these days. So, to have Bravely Default updated in HD for the Switch 2 was great news. While the stereoscopic 3D elements of the original 3DS game would be lost, you'd still have an updated version available for an even larger audience. That would be true if more care had been taken with the game. The enemy character models are overly basic for an HD remaster. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This is not to say the game is bad, far from it. It plays beautifully, and the main characters still look good in their new HD format, but sadly, most of the other enemies are not so impressive. This is because the original Bravely Default was developed for the 3DS, with all the graphical restrictions that entail. In that the polygon count for the main characters and enemies was very restrictive, doubly so because the game had to support the 3D gimmick of the 3DS, effectively doubling up the rendering passes. All of this is entirely fine for the 3DS, but when you come to something like the Switch 2, which has an enormous graphical capacity relative to the 3DS, you need to do some more work on the characters and enemies to compensate. Unfortunately, despite this game being a Switch 2 launch title, not enough time and care were taken in increasing the graphical fidelity of the enemies and some of the main characters. The game's HD backgrounds are still thankfully gorgeous. While the backgrounds look lovely and most of the main characters look decent, the enemies are very basic, and it is sadly overly jarring. One of the big elements of Bravely Default's charm was its portrayal of its characters. With the game originally released on the 3DS, the art style leaned into those graphical limitations, and it worked wonderfully. Here, though, it just really feels off, doubly so when Bravely Default II on the Switch had a really high level of graphical fidelity, especially compared to this release. So while this new HD version of Bravely Default plays as good as its 3DS forebear, it looks a lot worse than the last Switch entry in the series. Which, for a launch Switch 2 game, is deeply unfortunate. If only more time and money had been spent on updating the game models to something closer to Bravely Default II or even further than that, then this could have been a very special release. While, on the one hand, it's great that Bravely Default is widely available again, on the other hand, it does feel underwhelming when it comes to the HD execution. Overall, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is still a solid game in terms of how it plays, but it needed more time and money to really make this a proper HD remaster. As such, this feels like a lost opportunity and something that should have been treated with more care. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 Developer: Cattle Call Publisher: Square Enix Released: 5th June 2025 Price: $39.99 Score: 7/10 Disclosure: Square Enix sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
