Monthly Archives: December 2016

Link snowboards and wishes fans a “Happy Holidays” in new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mini-trailer

Posted on December 15, 2016 by John Scalzo

After the strong sales of 1080 Snowboarding, Nintendo embraced their extreme sports success and pushed out a sequel, 1080 Avalanche, for the GameCube. More than 13 years later, the consolemaker hasn’t shown any interest in revisiting their surprise hit.

And yet, it’s hard not to be reminded of the 1080 franchise after watching Link shred some powder in this brand new mini-trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The hero wants to wish fans a “Happy Holidays” and tear down a mountain with reckless abandon on his shield. The epic music is also a nice touch.

In addition to the new mini-trailer, Nintendo is trotting out a series of new Breath of the Wild screenshots on Facebook that will “explore the Hyrulean landscape.”

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be released for the Nintendo Switch and the Wii U sometime in 2017.

Posted in News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged

Resident Evil 7: Beginning Hour “Midnight Version” Hands-On Preview: The Witching Hour Gives Us Our Best Look at RE7 Yet

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Chris Cobb

residentevil7-header

I’ve gone hands-on with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard twice now, first with the original Beginning Hour demo and then with the VR Lantern demo. Both left me with very different impressions, but since the Beginning Hour demo received one last update following Sony’s PlayStation Experience event, I decided to jump back in with high hopes. How did it go? (more…)

Posted in PC, Previews, PS4, Top Story, Xbox One | Tagged

Daily Scoop: December 15, 2016 – Rockstar Sale at Humble

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Nicole Kline

I’m getting super close to the end of The Last Guardian! I know I keep talking about my backlog, but playing this has really just made me want to replay Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Hopefully I will not fall for that! Too many other games to play…

Speaking of too many games, there’s a Rockstar sale happening in the Humble Store! Pick up Grand Theft Auto IV for $6.99, Bully: Scholarship Edition for $5.24, and Midnight Club II for $3.49, among many others!

Steam’s Free Weekend is Tom Clancy’s The Division. Play it free, and if you like it, pay just $24.99 for the regular edition or $44.99 for the Gold Edition. The free play and the deals are available until December 19. The Daily Deal is Town of Salem, which is $3.34.

There are some great shirts today. Hit the jump to see them all! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Nintendo Download: Super Mario Run, Picross E7, Excitebots, more

Posted on December 15, 2016 by John Scalzo

This Spring’s Miitomo was a fun experiment, but Nintendo is truly kicking off their mobile push today with the launch of Super Mario Run. The “one-handed” platformer will include dozens of levels, a multiplayer versus mode, and a Kingdom Builder mode for players interested in creating their own Mushroom Kingdom.

Also available to download this week on the Wii U is Excitebots: Trick Racing, which was originally released for the Wii in 2009. Swapping out motorcycles for customizable robots, Excitebots features 25 different courses and a huge selection of stunts.

Finally this week, the seventh Picross E game is now available to download through the 3DS eShop. Picross E7 is the latest game in the “Picture Crossword Puzzle” series and the first with 20×15 “Mega Picross” puzzles.

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

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, Wii U | Tagged

Xbox Store Today: Bastion, Stardew Valley, Batman: Episode 5, more

Posted on December 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

A big batch of new games is now available to download through the Xbox Games Store, starting with a re-release of one of the first big hits for the digital storefront.

Bastion was originally released for the Xbox 360 by Supergiant Games back in 2011. The action RPG included an omniscient narrator was absolutely groundbreaking at the time, and now it’s available to download for the Xbox One with new Achievements and the Stranger’s Dream expansion. Best of all, if you purchased Bastion on the Xbox 360, you can grab a free download of the Xbox One edition until January 1st.

Also available to download this week is Stardew Valley, an RPG for the Xbox One that asks players to manage a farm and, eventually, restore the surrounding community. And speaking of a crusader for the community, Telltale’s Batman saga will come to an end this week with the release of Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 5: City of Light for the Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Finally this week, Microsoft is celebrating the career of Hironobu Sakaguchi and the Xbox One Backwards Compatibility program with a brand new digital launch for Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon. Originally released for the Xbox 360 more than seven years ago, neither game has been available to download through the Xbox Games Store until now. Not only that, but players interested in downloading Lost Odyssey will be able to do so for free until December 31st.

More information on all of today’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , ,

Daily Scoop: December 14, 2016 – Humble Code Your Own Games Bundle now live

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Nicole Kline

Recently, a friend of mine who doesn’t play games bought a PlayStation 4, because some of her friends (including me) were raving to her about video games. Today, I gave her my old 3DS, and I’m going to loan her some games. I’m so excited to welcome a friend into the world of modern gaming! And I can’t wait to hear what she thinks of Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, because those are what I’m going to start her out with.

Anyway, speaking of learning about games, the latest Humble Book Bundle is all about how to Code Your Own Games! Pay $1 or more for Learn Unity 3D Programming with UnityScript, Swift Game Programming for Absolute Beginners, Android Studio Game Development: Concepts and Designs, Irresistible Apps, and Learn Pixi.js. Beat the average to unlock Beginning RPG Maker MV, Make a 2D Arcade Game in a Weekend with Unity, Build your own 2D Game Engine and Create Great Web Games, Beginning Swift Games Development for iOS, and The Business of iOS App Development. Pay $15 or more to unlock Beginning RPG Maker VX Ace, The Game Maker’s Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners, Pro HTML5 Games, Polished Game Development: From First Steps to Final Release, Program Arcade Games with Python and Pygame, and Beginning Java Game Development with LibGDX. That’s a lot of really amazing resources!

Over at Steam, the Midweek Madness is Grand Theft Auto V for $29.99. The Daily Deal is SimplePlanes, which is on sale for $7.79.

Hit the jump to check out today’s shirts! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

See a teaser trailer for the Nintendo Switch exclusive Seasons of Heaven

Posted on December 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

A lush forest… Glowing blue and green glyphs… Easter Island heads… A samurai sword… A massive tower rising out of the distance… A small child with a backpack…

Prospective players were introduced to the mysterious world of the Switch-exclusive game Seasons of Heaven today in a brand new teaser trailer. Currently in development at AnyAnts Productions, and announced earlier this week, Seasons of Heaven is an exploration game based on a novel by Nico Augusto:

Seasons of Heaven will take you from deep inside of a mystical forest at the beginning of time all the way through to the twenty-first century and the fall of civilization. It will take you on a journey with Yann, a young boy with Asperger’s Syndrome and his faithful companion, Ani, a French bulldog who Yann is able to communicate with through telepathy. As you follow along on their journey you’ll have the opportunity to meet the rest of the major players and bear witness to the enlightenment of some and the demise of others. This story will allow you to experience the awe of discovering the most beautiful, magical place that ever existed while at the same time staying only one step ahead of the dark and vile underbelly of the human race.

If you’re intrigued by this fleeting glimpse of the game, you might be interested to know that a full trailer for Seasons of Heaven will be unveiled on Monday, December 19, at midnight (Eastern Time).

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Rumor: Rime is coming to the PS4 in 2017… and the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC

Posted on December 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

Originally announced in 2013 as a PS4 exclusive, Tequila Works has been steadily working on Rime, a cel-shaded “adventure platformer,” ever since. Last year, the developer reacquired the publishing rights to the game, and many fans assumed that Rime would eventually make its way to the PS4 additional platforms when it launched in 2017. Now it looks like that might be happening.

A now-deleted rating (spotted by Eurogamer) on the Brazilian Ratings Board for Rime lists the game as in development for the PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Though Rime has been in the works for over three years, it’s still mostly shrouded in mystery:

Rime is a single-player puzzle adventure game about a young boy shipwrecked on a mysterious island after a torrential storm. Players must use their wits to decipher the challenges and secrets of an expansive world strewn with rugged terrain, wild creatures and the crumbling ruins of a long-forgotten civilization. With subtle narrative, colorful artwork and a sweeping score, Rime offers players a meaningful journey filled with discovery.

But a notice on the game’s official website has promised that we’ll hear more about it early next year.

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