Monthly Archives: January 2017

Nintendo reveals tech specifications for Switch including size, weight, replaceable battery

Posted on January 30, 2017 by John Scalzo

We are now less than five weeks out from the launch of the Nintendo Switch, so Nintendo UK has unveiled an official list of the technical specifications for the hybrid console. Nintendo is still keeping some of the exact specifications to themselves (the CPU/GPU is just listed as “Nvidia Customised Tegra Processor”), but now we have a much better idea about how the Switch will perform under pressure.

Probably the biggest piece of new information we were provided about the Switch’s prowess is its battery life. The console will feature a max battery life of six hours in Handheld Mode, though some games may tax the battery a bit more. Nintendo included the example of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which will be playable for three hours with a full charge. Nintendo also shared that the Switch’s battery is fully replaceable, though it must be installed by the consolemaker themselves through the Nintendo Customer Support service.

The console will also output video at 1080p (720p in Handheld Mode) and require a “Day One” update to enable the use of MicroSDXC Memory Cards.

A full rundown of the Nintendo Switch’s technical specifications can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Switch |

Samurai Sword VR slashes it’s way to Steam today

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Brittney Williams

There’s no denying it, VR is what’s hot right now! While some of us have chosen to stay away, instead watching the market to see where virtual reality will wind up and waiting for some of the peripherals to receive a price drop, early adopters have opted to jump head first into what is arguably the next step in gaming. But every new innovation comes with a price… for early VR adopters, that price is a limited access to quality games.

In comes Samurai Sword VR, the latest of a slow but steady trickle of VR games hitting the market. Based off of the trailer alone, Samurai Sword VR doesn’t feature the same high-end graphics you’d find in a AAA release. But its developer, Degica Games, has a pretty good track record with many of their releases receiving stellar reviews.

So what is Samurai Sword VR? Samurai Sword VR is a new virtual reality experience featuring seven stages with an authentic ancient Japanese aesthetic, epic boss battles, kunai and shuriken levels, multiple sword choices, and a soothing traditional Japanese soundtrack. Sadly, if you don’t already own an HTC Vive (one of the more expensive virtual reality headsets), and a PC capable of running the game, for the time being, you’re going to have to sit this one out. Though support for additional headsets could be added down the line.

Samurai Sword VR releases today, January 30, although it doesn’t officially drop for a few more hours. In the meantime, you can watch the Launch Trailer embedded above and check the game out for yourself.

Posted in News, PC |

Weekly Warp-Up: The Avengers Will Reassemble for Square Enix…

Posted on January 29, 2017 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

Ever since WB Games released Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, everyone has been wondering when Marvel would hire a quality developer to adapt their beloved characters (even though the excellent X-Men Origins: Wolverine was released a few months earlier). But the “True Believers” won’t have to wait much longer, as Square Enix and Marvel have teamed up for a multi-game Avengers Project that’ll be developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal.

And speaking of past Marvel successes, we reviewed the PS4 re-release of Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 earlier this week.

While the Avengers Project is at least a year away, we can still celebrate the best games from last year with the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards. Dishonored 2, Doom, Overwatch, Titanfall 2, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will compete for the “Video Game of the Year” award at the annual ceremony.

Finally this week, our latest essay looking at the history behind “The Scientifically Proven Best Video Games of All Time” focused on Resident Evil and how its popularity helped resurrect the zombie genre.

We hope all our readers at PAX South are having fun in San Antonio, and more news from the past seven days can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News |

New Retail Releases: Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, Hitman Season One, Digimon World Next Order, More

Posted on January 29, 2017 by John Scalzo

Yarn Yoshi is is back, and as adorable as ever, in Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World for the 3DS. Nintendo will re-release the side-scrolling platformer for the 3DS this week, and players can expect to find the complete Wii U experience along with new levels starring Yoshi’s pal Poochy.

Another re-release will also be available on store shelves this week as Square Enix will collect Hitman‘s “Complete First Season” in a retail package for the PS4 and Xbox One. In addition to all of Agent 47’s previously-released missions, Hitman: The Complete First Season will also include a trio of bonus missions and the Requiem Blood Money Pack, which includes “the signature Blood Money White Suit, White Rubber Duck, and Chrome ICA Pistol.”

Switching gears entirely, anime fans will find a pair of new games on stores including Digimon World: Next Order for the PS4 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – Road to Boruto for the PS4 and Xbox One.

Finally this week, 505 Games and Giant Squid will bring the oceanic exploration of Abzu to the PS4 and Xbox One. Originally released through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store in August, this retail re-release will give the public a second chance to check it out.

That’s it for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at the latest digital releases on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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

8-Bit Cinema reimagines Star Wars: Rogue One as a simplistic 8-bit shooter

Posted on January 28, 2017 by John Scalzo

You knew it was only a matter of time until Rogue One: A Star Wars Story received the 8-Bit Cinema treatment… and here it is… reimagined as a budget-priced NES shooter by Cinefix.

I’m not going to lie, even though it’s a pretty simplistic-looking adaptation, I teared up again after K-2SO’s death. That droid was definitely a leaf on the wind.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has earned more than $516 million at the US box office since it was released on December 16, and it recently pushed past Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace to capture 7th place on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time. There’s still time to catch it in theaters for a second (or third or fourth) viewing, but Lucasfilm is also expected to release the first “Star Wars Anthology” film as a DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Download this Spring.

Posted in Etcetera, News, Retro |

Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe commercial wants you to play the Switch on the toilet

Posted on January 28, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo is using the tagline “Play Anytime, Anywhere” to sell their upcoming Switch console in Europe. And they mean it too. A recently-released commercial for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe opens with a disheveled-looking man enjoying some Mushroom Kingdom kart racing while also partaking in his morning bowel movement.

Now, to be fair, the advertisement also showcases the portability of the Switch with an intense Battle Mode contest in a living room and an impromptu multiplayer session on a college campus. Still… eww.

The Nintendo Switch will launch worldwide on March 3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be available on April 28. And if you take your Switch with you into the bathroom, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, never tell me.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

The Video Game Canon – Resident Evil

Posted on January 27, 2017 by John Scalzo

Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon with a look at how Resident Evil brought the then-moribund zombie genre back to life. Here’s a teaser…

If a Bizarro Universe doppelganger of Jerry Seinfeld was a hacky comedian who worked the nerd belt, I have a feeling he’d start off every set with, “What’s the deal with all the zombies?” And he wouldn’t be wrong. Zombies are everywhere. Just absolutely everywhere. But why? And why now? If you trace the epidemic all the way back to patient zero, it leads to a publisher named Capcom and their desire to create a scary game with zombies known as Resident Evil.

George A. Romero is rightly considered the godfather of the modern zombie movie. Starting with 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, his first film inspired a horde of filmmakers and lead to a pair of sequels in 1978 and 1985. But after the release of Day of the Dead and Dan O’Bannon’s Return of the Living Dead, the genre fell out of favor with the moviegoing public and was reanimated only when some low-budget film studio wanted to add something to the direct-to-video slush pile. Not even Romero himself, who helped visual effects master Tom Savini remake Night of the Living Dead in 1990, could bring it back to life.

Six years later, Capcom brought the zed menace back in a big way with Resident Evil. First released on Sony’s fledgling PlayStation console (and eventually re-released 12 times over the next 20 years), the game’s amateurish acting and stiff tank-like controls never obscured the terrifying zombie tale underneath. You might say that exploring Spencer Mansion and delving deeper into the story behind the T-Virus infected players in a way that few games ever had before.

Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.

Posted in DS, Features, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Top Story, Video Game Canon, Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Xbox Store Today: The Sun and Moon, Subterrain, Doodle God Ultimate Edition

Posted on January 27, 2017 by John Scalzo

A minimalist platformer, an overhead survival shooter, and a divine puzzle game make up today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store.

The platforming action of The Sun and Moon, which first gained fame as the winning entry from Ludum Dare 29, is now available to download for the Xbox One. Developed by Digerati Distribution, players will attempt to complete the game’s minimalist levels by flinging themselves high into the air or burrowing deep beneath the surface.

Today’s second new Xbox One release, Subterrain, also delves deep into events that happen beneath the surface. Players will take control of Dr. West as he battles Martian mutants and gathers resources to survive within the bowels of the red planet in this overhead shooter.

Finally today, Xbox One owners will be able to download Doodle God: Ultimate Edition, a puzzle game where players combine elements to build their universe, that originally launched for mobile devices in 2010.

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

Posted in News, Xbox One |