Monthly Archives: December 2016

New Retail Releases: Shantae Half-Genie Hero

Posted on December 18, 2016 by John Scalzo

Just a single new release will be available on store shelves, and it’s Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. WayForward’s platforming heroine is jumping to high definition consoles for the first time, and her latest adventure will be available for the PS4 and Vita. Naturally, the game will also be available through Sony’s PlayStation Store this week, as well as Microsoft’s Xbox Games Store and Nintendo’s Wii U eShop.

Shantae embarks on her first full HD adventure! When a mysterious crime wave sweeps Sequin Land, it’s up to Half-Genie Hero Shantae to save the day! Use Shantae’s devastating Hair-Whip Attack to send monsters flying, or Belly Dance to transform her into more powerful forms! Topple the masterminds behind each criminal caper and prepare for the ultimate showdown against Shantae’s arch nemesis – the bodacious buccaneer Risky Boots!

Even though the end of the year is fast approaching, we’ll be back later this week with a complete rundown of all the other new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

Posted in News, PS4, Vita |

CoD: Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of November 2016, but it sold less than Black Ops III

Posted on December 16, 2016 by John Scalzo

Ever since it was first announced, the public reaction to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has been less than kind. Fans furiously downvoted the debut trailer, while others pledged not to purchase something that strayed so far from the franchise’s roots. But it looks like not everyone felt that way.

According to the NPD Group’s latest report (via GamesIndustry.biz), Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of November 2016. However, it performed much worse for retailers than the first-month sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops III last year.

Total game sales were down roughly 19% versus November 2015, but a few new releases put up big numbers including Pokemon Sun (#3), Pokemon Moon (#4), and Watch Dogs 2 (#8). And in hardware news, it was reported that Nintendo sold 196,000 NES Classic Edition consoles during its first month on sale.

The full Top 10 from November 2016 can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Xbox Store Today: Astroneer, Bridge Constructor Stunts, Don Bradman Cricket 17, more

Posted on December 16, 2016 by John Scalzo

Space exploration, bridge jumping, cricket, and genre mashups… just your average day on the Xbox Games Store.

New to download on the Xbox One today is Astroneer, a four-player space exploration game that asks players to risk their lives on a harsh planet. However, all the strife and turmoil might be worth it if you can strike it rich in a 25th century gold rush. Also available to download for the Xbox One today is Bridge Constructor Stunts, a game that combines bridge building with wild stunts. Engineer that ramp and then fly over it in a school bus.

A slightly more earthbound new release for today is Don Bradman Cricket 17. Available to download for the Xbox One, Don Bradman Cricket 17 is the only cricket simulation you’ll ever need… now with a completely revamped control system with “the best batting, bowling, and fielding experience.”

Finally this week, Steel Rain X mashes up strategy games, RPGs, and shoot ’em ups into a single game.

More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One |

Daily Scoop: December 16, 2016 – Daedalic Bundle available at Humble

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Nicole Kline

While surfing around Amazon today, I found way too many great games on sale. I won’t even mention them, but… all I’m saying is… this is a terrible time to be anywhere near Amazon if your willpower is as bad as mine is. OK, I lied, I’ll mention them… Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is $14.99! Tom Clancy’s The Division is $19.99, as is Homefront: The Revolution! OK, OK, I’m closing these tabs…

But not the tab with the Humble Store! There are so many great deals, including the Daedalic DRM-Free Holiday Bundle. For $59.50, you’ll get Candle, Caravan, Deponia Doomsday, Memoria, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, and Valhalla Hills. Also, today’s Humble Happy Hour game is WRC 4 FIA World Rally Championship. Try it out for free now!

The Free Weekend at Steam is Dead by Daylight. Play it for free for the next two days, and if you like it, pick it up for just $13.99 for the standard edition, or $20.99 for the Deluxe Edition. The Daily Deal is Warhammer 40,000 : Eternal Crusade, which is on sale for $20.

Just three shirts today! Hit the jump to check them out! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Nintendo files patent for VR-like headset for the Nintendo Switch

Posted on December 16, 2016 by John Scalzo

A few months ago, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima gave a very interesting answer when a reporter from Bloomberg asked if the Switch would ever receive its own virtual reality headset. While the executive didn’t answer in the affirmative, he admitted “it’s something we must consider.”

And consider it they have.

Earlier this week, Nintendo filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a Switch accessory that looks quite similar to mobile virtual reality headsets such as Samsung’s Gear VR or Google’s Daydream View. The goggles-style headset would feature a slot at the top, which would house the Switch’s tablet screen. After strapping it to their head, players could then use the detachable Joy-Con controllers or a Switch Pro Controller to play VR-style games.

However, as with all patent applications, it’s important to remember that Nintendo is merely disclosing a possible use for the Switch. There’s no guarantee this headset accessory is in development, and on top of that, the patent application doesn’t include any mention of “virtual reality” or “VR.”

Nintendo will fully unveil the Switch on January 12, after which they’ll immediately take it on a multi-city Preview Tour across North America. While it might be a while before we learn more about the console’s possible VR capabilities, it’ll be released sometime in March.

Posted in News, Switch |

Valkyria Revolution will be released in Spring 2017 for the PS4, Vita, and Xbox One

Posted on December 16, 2016 by John Scalzo

It looks like Sega had quite a bit of success with last year’s launch of Valkyria Chronicles Remastered, as the publisher has announced the fourth game in the franchise, Valkyria Revolution, will be released in North America and Europe next Spring.

Unlike the original trilogy, Valkyria Revolution takes place in an alternate timeline with a new set of characters and an entirely original storyline:

All it takes is a single spark to start the inferno of war, and in the story of Valkyria Revolution, players will experience that firsthand. Five lifelong friends consumed by personal revenge plunge an entire continent into a terrible war, sacrificing the lives of countless innocents for a cause based on twisted half-truths and outright lies. This “Circle of Five” use their combined influence in their political and military positions to motivate their small, economically blockaded homeland to rise up and become a powerful resistance against its imperialist oppressors. Will the Circle of Five be remembered as heroic liberators, or will their selfish motives expose them as traitorous conspirators who sacrificed untold lives just to carry out a personal vendetta? Players will watch this history unfold in Valkyria Revolution and find out the truth behind the events…

In addition to the new setting, Sega has created a brand new battle system for Valkyria Revolution that mixes real-time combat and tactical strategy. Other features players can expect to find in the game include:

Valkyria Revolution Features

  • A Brush with Death – Turning the tide of battle in Valkyria Revolution is Brunhilde, one of the last of the ancient and powerful Valkyrur, magical beings with near limitless power. She’s bound by oath to the enemy forces and players will have to figure out how to defeat her.
  • Prepare for LeGION – Valkyria Revolution has a brand new battle system that mixes real-time combat and tactical strategy. Players can take control of the battlefield using brazen combos or cunning tactics and finding a balance between them is the key to excelling in skirmishes.
  • The Ingenuity of War – Through adversity comes great engineering, and with a besieged homeland, players will have upgrade their existing weapons through branching customization paths.
  • A New Painterly Look – Valkyria Revolution has a refined look thanks to the new Gouache rendering engine, giving the graphics a unique canvas texture.
  • Classic Composer – Valkyria Revolution has a vibrant soundtrack brought to life by the incredibly talented composer Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Stella Glow).

Valkyria Revolution will be available as a physical disc for the PS4 and Xbox One. Sega will also release the game for the Vita exclusively as a digital download through the PlayStation Store.

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

Nintendo will take the Switch on a six-city North American tour in early 2017

Posted on December 16, 2016 by John Scalzo

Nintendo will reveal all about the Nintendo Switch during the “Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017” on January 12. But immediately after, they’re taking their console/handheld hybrid on the road for a six-city North American tour:

Nintendo Switch Preview Tour

  • January 13-15: New York City
  • January 27-29: Toronto
  • February 10-12: Washington D.C.
  • February 17-19: Chicago
  • February 24-26: San Francisco
  • March 3-5: Los Angeles

According to Nintendo, the first two days of each three-day stop will be invite-only, but the final day will be open to the public. The exact location of each tour stop has yet to be announced, but space is expected to be very limited and the consolemaker said that “early arrival is highly recommended.” If you can’t make it to one of these limited engagements, Nintendo also plans to hit the convention circuit with the Switch, with stops in San Antonio, Boston, and Austin:

Nintendo Switch Convention Tour

  • January 27-29: PAX South
  • March 10-12: PAX East
  • March 16-18: SXSW

If you can’t make it to any of these preview shows, don’t worry, the Nintendo Switch will launch sometime this March, which is only three months away.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

FOUR new trailers highlight For Honor’s Faction War mode, single-player campaign, and upcoming Closed Beta

Posted on December 15, 2016 by John Scalzo

Ubisoft wants players to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day in 2017 with For Honor, a game devoted to the eternal feud between Knights, Samurai, and Vikings. It’s an absolutely silly premise, but the publisher is building a plot-heavy single-player campaign around the conflict, which is on display in the brand new trailer embedded above:

Three legendary warrior factions – The noble Knights of the Iron Legion, the deadly Samurai of the Dawn Empire, and ferocious Vikings of the Warborn clans – are under threat from a mysterious and bloodthirsty warlord named Apollyon. Storm castles, defeat invading armies, and win epic duels as you battle for the survival of your people.

In addition to the single-player campaign, Ubisoft revealed a bit more about For Honor’s Faction War contest, which appears to be patterned after Mortal Kombat X‘s similarly-named metagame. In For Honor’s Faction War, players will choose a side and earn War Assets after competing in multiplayer matches. Players can use these War Assets to help other players fight for territory, and members of each faction will receive rewards based on their performance during each ten-week season.

Prospective players will get a taste of the Faction War metagame during For Honor’s Closed Beta, which will take place in January, and registration for a chance to join is now available at ForHonorGame.com/war.

Finally, Ubisoft wants to help with your faction decision by unveiling three new trailers (available after the break) that focus on a prominent Knight, Samurai, and Viking:

  • The Peacekeeper: Selected from the desperate, the humbled or the devoted, they are sworn to secrecy by unbreakable oaths. Quick and lethal, they fight with a short sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Peacekeepers are the deadliest duelists of all Assassins, capable of winning a fight before their enemy even knows they are here.
  • The Shugoki: Once the guardians of the Samurai, they have become as family. Massive and fierce, their weapon of choice is the kanabo, a huge stick that they only can wield efficiently. The Shugoki might not have the same agility as the other Samurai, but their rock-like resistance and demon-like strength make them an unavoidable force on the battlefield.
  • The Warlord: Warlord is a name from an ancient Viking tradition, a name that is earned by only the true leaders in combat, those who are ready to spend their whole life servicing all who need it. Warlords’ shields are as versatile as they are strong and their sword, while simple in design, is sharp and deadly.

For Honor will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on February 14. (more…)

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