Monthly Archives: March 2016

Today’s Super Mario Maker update adds Keys, Skewers, Super Expert Mode, more

Posted on March 9, 2016 by John Scalzo

Nintendo updated Super Mario Maker again today and added three new items to Create Mode, a new difficulty mode, more Character Costumes, and an update to the official website. Ready, here we go…

  • Skewers – Those ridiculously crazy columns from Super Mario World, are now available by shaking a Thwomp.
  • Keys and Key Doors – Available by shaking a P-Switch, Keys and Key Doors can now hide parts of a level behind a lock.
  • Pink Coins – Much like Yoshi Coins in Super Mario World, shaking a Coin will now give players access to Pink Coins, which turn into a Key after all of them have been collected in a level.
  • Character Costumes – A dozen new Character Costumes have been added to Super Mario Maker including Tetra from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
  • Super Expert Mode – After completing the 100 Mario Challenge on Expert, players will be able to tackle another random assortment of courses dubbed “Super Expert” by the community.
  • Super Mario Maker Bookmark – Nintendo will make a number of changes to the site, including adding a World Records search.

You can get a glimpse at all the changes made to Super Mario Maker today in the trailer embedded above.

Posted in News, Wii U | Tagged

Doom’s Closed Beta begins on March 31… watch the new Multiplayer Trailer now

Posted on March 9, 2016 by John Scalzo

If you pre-ordered Wolfenstein: The New Order back in 2014, it’s finally going to pay off, as Bethesda has announced that’s Doom‘s multiplayer beta will begin on Thursday, March 31, at 10:00 PM (Eastern Time). Players will get to strap themselves in for a four-day fragfest of epic proportions as the beta is scheduled to conclude on Sunday, April 3, at midnight (Eastern Time).

Bethesda also released a new Multiplayer Trailer today to prepare players for the brutal and bloody beta. Further intel is available at the Beta FAQ page.

Doom will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 13.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Hitman, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Kholat, more added to PlayStation Store

Posted on March 9, 2016 by John Scalzo

hitman-header

Assassins, terrorists, and a snowy void of death and despair highlight this week’s chipper PlayStation Store update.

Agent 47 goes back to work this week in IO Interactive’s brand new entry in the Hitman franchise. But the game, simply known as Hitman (PS4), will be delivered quite differently than your typical AAA title. Publisher Square Enix plans to release the game in chunks throughout the year and players will be able to kick back with the Intro Pack (a pair of missions, Contracts Mode, Escalation Mode, and other content) beginning March 11. New content for Hitman should arrive monthly.

Also available this week is Tom Clancy’s The Division (PS4), a multiplayer shooter in the Destiny vein that takes place in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on New York City. Players will search the city’s famous streets and avenues looking for the perpetrators of a smallpox outbreak, while also avoiding rioters and other players bent on causing havoc.

A trio of smaller titles that will surely appeal to players of all persuasions are also now available to download through the PlayStation Store. Kholat (PS4) is a first-person survival/exploration game where players will attempt to investigate the supernatural origins of the Dyatlov Pass Incident. PS4 owners are also be able to download Assault Android Cactus, a colorful twin-stick shooter starring an adorable squad of androids. Finally, Rise of the Kasai is a well-liked PS2 brawler that and the latest PS2-On-PS4 game from Sony.

More information on all of these games can be found after the break. And a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, PS4 | Tagged , ,

Insert Quarter: Should Microsoft Have Gotten Rid of Retail Discs on the Xbox One?

Posted on March 8, 2016 by John Scalzo

insertquarter-header

Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.

We’re three years into the latest console generation, and retail game discs seem to be becoming less and less important every day. While it was a nice surprise to learn that No Man’s Sky would receive a retail release, something like The Witness is still trapped within the walled garden of the PlayStation Store. But maybe that’s not so bad?

Paul Tassi of Forbes argues that Microsoft was wrong to give up their original plan for the Xbox One, which would rendered a game disc as little more than a shiny coaster that proved you owned the rights to an otherwise completely digital title. Microsoft eventually flip-flopped on this position, but should they have?

Yesterday, I got my hard copy of The Division. Two and a half hours after putting the disc in, I was playing the game.

With discs taking almost as long to install as digital downloads, taking up just as much hard drive space, and being much more inconvenient to acquire, I just don’t see the point anymore. In short, I’m Microsoft in 2013.

The full article is available for your perusal at Forbes.

Posted in Insert Quarter, Xbox One |

Coleco removes their name from the cartridge-based Coleco Chameleon console

Posted on March 8, 2016 by John Scalzo

colecochameleonBack in December, Coleco and Retro VGS announced a partnership to bring the cartridge-based Retro VGS console to market as the Coleco Chameleon. Today, the two companies officially parted ways after rumors began to swirl that the Chameleon prototype wasn’t ready for primetime.

Coleco explained their reasoning for wanting a split on Facebook:

Retro VGS has decided that the work that they have created is not sufficient to demonstrate at this time. Consequently, we can no longer proceed with the project and the Chameleon project will be terminated. This separation is amicable. We wish them luck in the future. We thank the gaming community for their continued support, input, vigilance and trust.

A pretty good overview of the controversy is available at Polygon, but the key takeaway is that Retro VGS likely used recycled parts from a Super NES and an old PCI Capture Card to fill out the Caleco Chameleon’s shell during a recent demonstration at the 2016 New York Toy Fair. It’s believed, and Coleco’s statement backs this up, that the company doesn’t currently have a working prototype of the system.

Where Retro VGS goes from here is a mystery, but presumably they’ll continue working to finish their cartridge-based console.

Posted in News, Retro |

Daily Scoop: March 8, 2016 – It’s my birthday!

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Nicole Kline

Today is my birthday! It’s been a really exciting one, full of gifts, text messages, Facebook posts, cookies, and even a wonderful lunch with a special friend. Tonight, Anthony and I are going to dinner, then I hope to just play games for the rest of the evening. A perfect birthday indeed!

The new bundle at Humble is the Humble Jumbo Bundle 6! And it certainly is a jumbo one. Pay what you want for Oceanhorn: Monster of the Uncharted Seas, Shadowrun Chronicles – Boston Lockdown, and Warmachine Tactics – Standard Edition. Beat the average to unlock Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut, Dreamfall Chapters, and Magicka 2. Pay $12 or more and also get the Definitive Edition of Grey Goo.

The Midweek Madness at Steam is Punch Club, which is $6.99. The Daily Deal is StarDrive 2, which is on sale for $7.49.

I love today’s shirts! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Valkyria Chronicles Remastered will launch on May 17

Posted on March 8, 2016 by John Scalzo

Sega has announced that Valkyria Chronicles Remastered, a remake of the underappreciated turn-based strategy game from 2008, will be available for the PS4 on May 17.

Part of Valkyria Chronicles’s appeal (and part of the reason why it flew under the radar for so long) is its unique battle system, which Sega has chosen to highlight in the trailer embedded above. Newcomers and veterans alike will be able to familiarize themselves with the game’s BLiTZ System, which Sega describes as “part overhead turn-based strategy, part RPG, and part real-time third person shooter.”

With its jump to the PS4, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered will receive a full graphical overhaul, along with every piece of downloadable content (“Hard EX Mode,” “Edy’s Mission,” “Selvaria’s Mission,” and “Challenge of the Edy Detachment”), dual Japanese and English audio, and Trophy support. The first print run will also “come protected” in a collectible metal “Squad 7 Armored Case.”

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Launch Party 2016 promo brings six PS4 titles to PS Store in March/April including Invisible Inc, Day of the Tentacle, Alienation, more

Posted on March 8, 2016 by John Scalzo

For the last few years, Sony has flooded the PlayStation Store with quality titles in the Spring as part of their “Spring Fever” event. “Spring Fever” is no more, but the spirit of that event lives on in this year’s “Launch Party,” which will deliver a half-dozen new games to the PS4 and Vita this Spring.

Head over to the PlayStation Blog (or keep reading) to find out more about each of these titles:

Salt and Sanctuary (March 15)
We’ve admired Ska Studios’ games from afar for years, and we’re so thrilled to have their latest masterpiece debut exclusively on PS4! If you’ve enjoyed games like Bloodborne or Dark Souls you’ll feel right at home in Salt and Sanctuary’s brutal but beautiful world (brutiful?). Deep combat and rich RPG elements, all set in a cursed realm of forgotten cities, blood-soaked dungeons, and desecrated monuments. What else could you want? (PS4 + PS Vita Cross-Buy)

Day of the Tentacle Remastered (March 22)
We’re so excited to be working with Double Fine on bringing another classic LucasArts adventure to PS4, after their fantastic work on Grim Fandango. Originally released in 1993, Day of the Tentacle is a mind-bending, time travelling, cartoon puzzle adventure game in which three unlikely friends work together to prevent an evil mutated purple tentacle from taking over the world! This loving remaster features all-new, hand-drawn, high-resolution artwork, with remastered music and sound effects. (PS4 + PS Vita Cross-Buy)

Enter the Gungeon (April 5)
Enter the Gungeon is the latest in our ongoing partnership (more of a kinship, really) with Devolver Digital, developed by the devious geniuses at Dodge Roll. Making its console debut on PS4, Gungeon combines The Binding of Isaac-style dungeons with an action-packed repertoire of shooting, looting, dodge-rolling, and table-flipping (and two-player local co-op!). All on a quest to reach the ultimate treasure: a gun that can kill the past! (Of course.) (PS4)

Stories: The Path of Destinies (April 12)
Spearhead Games was one of the very first developers to jump on the PS4 train with their underrated multiplayer puzzler Tiny Brains. They’ve been working hard ever since on a sumptuous action-RPG called Stories: The Path of Destinies, a madcap epic fantasy where each choice you make takes you through a different story. Each story — some dark, some romantic, all action-packed — is true in its way, and will lead you to victory if you pay enough attention… (PS4)

Invisible Inc (April 19)
If you’re anything like us, you’re still playing Klei Entertainment’s singular PS4 survival sim Don’t Starve, over two years later. Invisible, Inc. is a very different beast, but similarly applies Klei’s whip-smart design prowess and beautifully stylized aesthetic to a tactical turn-based adventure. Take control of Invisible’s agents in the field and infiltrate the world’s most dangerous corporations. Stealth, precision, and teamwork are essential in high-stakes, high-profit missions, where every move may cost an agent their life. (PS4)

Alienation (April 26)
If you’ve ever played Super Stardust, Resogun, or Dead Nation, you know the visceral pleasures Housemarque is capable of. They’ve collaborated with SCE Worldwide Studios on another amazing PS4 exclusive, where 1-4 players can team up online against alien hoards with an array of conventional and hybrid weaponry. All taking place in massively destructible environments where collateral damage can literally bring the house down! (PS4)

All six games are currently available to pre-order from the PlayStation Store and buying any of them early will net you a 20% discount on the final price.

Posted in News, PS4, Vita | Tagged , , , ,