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Thumper will be released for the Nintendo Switch on May 18

Posted on May 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

Drool has announced that Thumper, their “rhythm violence” game, will be released for the Nintendo Switch on May 18. However, the developer has decided to update their two-word pitch for Thumper’s Switch debut to “Rumble Violence” in honor of the console’s HD Rumble feature:

Thumper originally launched last October for the PC and PS4 (with PlayStation VR support), and it’s also currently in development for the Xbox One.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Injustice 2’s Fighter Pack 1 will include Sub-Zero, Starfire, and Red Hood

Posted on May 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

Injustice 2 will launch in less than two weeks on the PS4 and Xbox One, but NetherRealm Studios decided to reveal the first three post-launch downloadable characters this morning.

Fans of the Teen Titans will be thrilled to learn that Starfire will join the fighting game as part of Fighter Pack 1. She’ll fight alongside Red Hood, the rather violent alterego of Jason Todd, and originally a Robin that was killed by The Joker in the famous A Death in the Family storyline (he was later resurrected because… comic books).

These hot-headed characters will have a chance to chill out with Fighter Pack 1’s third character, Sub-Zero. The Mortal Kombat mainstay will be added to Injustice 2 as the game’s first guest character, and his monstrous new appearance fits in well with the DC Universe.

Injustice 2 owners will have the chance to purchase Fighter Pack 1 as a standalone download, or they can receive access to it for free through the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99). Fighter Pack 1 will also be included with the Ultimate Edition ($99.99), which will come packed with a download code to unlock an additional six characters (presumably as part of Fighter Pack 2 and Fighter Pack 3).

And speaking of future Fighter Packs, the very end of the Fighter Pack 1 trailer includes silhouettes of the remaining downloadable characters and eagle-eyed viewers will easily be able to make out Black Manta (on the left) and Raiden (on the right).

Injustice 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Season Pass will include $45 worth of DLC content

Posted on May 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s taken more than 25 years for Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia to travel across the Pacific Ocean, but Nintendo has decided they also want to expand the strategy adventure with a wide array of post-launch downloadable content.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will released exclusively for the 3DS on May 19, and Nintendo will release the first DLC Pack on the same day. Additional Packs will arrive every week after that, and a Season Pass option (priced at $44.99) will be available for those who want to collect them all. However, players who aren’t interested in obtaining all five DLC Packs can purchase them separately.

Each DLC Pack for Fire Emblem Echoes will feature a variety of new content including new maps, new dungeons, new character classes, and a sweeping new story chapter that serves as a prologue to the main game:

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – DLC Schedule

  • DLC Pack #1: Fledgling Warriors Pack – Ideal for early- to mid-game adventurers, this pack includes a new dungeon (The Astral Temple) and two new maps, great for gaining more items, money and experience points. (May 19, $7.99)
  • DLC Pack #2: Undaunted Heroes Pack – In addition to a new dungeon (The Inner Sanctum), this pack also includes two challenging new maps that stronger, more seasoned heroes will want to tackle. (May 25, $9.99)
  • DLC Pack #3: Lost Altars Pack – The mysterious dungeons included in this pack hold the power to upgrade characters to exclusive classes that don’t appear in the main game. (May 25, $14.99)
  • DLC Pack #4: Rise of the Deliverance Pack – Discover the previously untold history of Valentia in this prologue pack. Complete with new story content and additional voice acting that details the rise of the Deliverance in Zofia, this collection of challenging maps includes new support conversations between selected heroes, as well as the ability to take command of a character players won’t be able to control in the main game. (June 1, $12.99)
  • DLC Pack #5 – More information about this final DLC pack will be revealed in the future. ($5.99)

In addition to this series of paid expansions, Nintendo plans to release several free updates for Fire Emblem Echoes. The first free update will also be available on May 19, and it’s a special gift that can be obtained from the Goddess Mila.

More information about all of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia’s DLC Packs can be found at the game’s official website.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Nintendo Download: NBA Playgrounds, Bonk’s Revenge, more

Posted on May 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

The classic arcade-style hoops of NBA Jam returns to the Nintendo eShop this week with NBA Playgrounds. Developed by Saber Interactive, NBA Playgrounds will be available to download this coming Tuesday, May 9. The Switch game will include dozens of NBA superstars, and offer “high-flying” two-on-two contests.

Also available as part of this week’s Nintendo Download, and available to purchase today, is Bonk’s Revenge on the Wii U. The side-scroller was originally released for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1991, and players will once again get the chance to headbutt their way through a prehistoric jungle.

Nintendo fans can learn more about both games (and the rest of this week’s new additions to the Nintendo eShop) after the break. (more…)

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

Nintendo is hoping some households will purchase more than one Switch console

Posted on May 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo had great confidence in the Switch’s prospects from the very beginning, and after its very profitable first month, the consolemaker is even more bullish about its future. But because of its dual nature as a console and a handheld, President Tatsumi Kimishima is setting his sights even higher. Like Nintendo’s previous portables, he expects many households to buy multiple Switch consoles:

[C]onsidering that Nintendo Switch is a home console video game system that you can take with you on the go so you can play anytime, anywhere, with anyone, we think there will be households that feel as though one is not really enough.

Kimishima made his remarks during Nintendo’s most recent shareholder Q&A session, and this newfound confidence in the console is all part of the company’s plan to ship ten million Switch consoles to stores over the next year. The executive also said that reaching this milestone will be a positive signal to their third-party partners, and it’s the best way to ensure a steady stream of third-party software remains in production for the Switch.

But it sounds like Nintendo themselves plan to power up the Switch’s first year, with Kimishima promising that major titles will launch “one […] after another with no gaps” until the end of the year:

Our vision for Nintendo Switch is to release one title after another with no gaps following the March launch, reach a large number of consumers during the holiday season, and continue to expand the business.

Kimishima’s statement heavily hints at more Switch announcements before the end of the year, but with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe already available on store shelves, and Arms and Splatoon 2 confirmed for this Summer, he’s already well on his way to making good on his pledge.

Posted in News, Switch |

Sledgehammer Games reveals their “Vision” for Call of Duty: WWII in new trailer

Posted on May 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

Sledgehammer Games is taking Call of Duty back to World War II this Fall in the less-than-imaginatively titled Call of Duty: WWII. After giving the world their first look at the game late last week, the developer is back with a new trailer discussing their “Vision” for the project.

For Sledgehammer, the key word appears to be “authenticity,” as they’ve recruited World War II historian and author Martin K.A. Morgan to help with the game’s story, which will be based on real-life events. They’re also closely modeling WWII-era vehicles and weapons, and testing those weapons on a firing range to ensure they sound the same in the game as they would on the battlefield.

The development team is also working with something of a mantra for Call of Duty: WWII… “Dark and Beautiful.” They want to game feel “emotionally dark” while also looking “visually beautiful.”

You can see if they’re on the right track in the new “Vision” trailer, which has been embedded above. And don’t forget, Call of Duty: WWII will launch for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 3.

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

The World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 includes Halo, Pokemon Red/Blue, Street Fighter II, and Donkey Kong

Posted on May 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

The debate has ended for another year and the induction committee from the World Video Game Hall of Fame is ready to announce their Class of 2017. Drum roll, please…

This year’s first new addition to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games’s Hall of Fame is Donkey Kong. Nintendo’s first big hit became an arcade sensation in 1980, and also introduced the world to a mustachioed plumber named Mario. On the game’s selection, ICHEG Director Jon-Paul Dyson said, “[Donkey Kong’s] overarching narrative of love and its vibrant graphics brought the game to life in a way that few other games could in the early 1980s. It captured the hearts of a generation.”

This year’s class also includes Halo: Combat Evolved, Bungie’s groundbreaking first person shooter and the game that put Microsoft’s Xbox on the map. Curator Shannon Symonds said, “[Halo] boasted one of the strongest multiplayer experiences of its time and created a legion of hardcore fans that refer to themselves as the ‘Halo Nation.’ ”

Hot off the heels of the launch of Pokemon Go, the Hall of Fame also chose to induct Pokemon Red and Blue, the first pair of games released in the far-reaching RPG franchise. The universal appeal of the franchise was a major factor in its selection, as Symonds added: “Pokemon Red and Blue launched a franchise that has taken the world by storm, vaulting many of its characters, such as Pikachu, into popular, mainstream culture. Nearly two decades after its inception and with the introduction of Pokemon Go, ‘Poke-mania’ shows little sign of fading.”

Finally, Capcom’s Street Fighter II: The World Warrior became the first one-on-one fighting game to be added to the Hall of Fame as the final member of the Class of 2017. ICHEG Assistant Director Jeremy Saucier believes that Street Fighter II’s social component fueled its popularity, adding, “This communal style of game play reinvigorated the arcade industry in the 1990s and helped give birth to a generation of fighting games.”

Congratulations to all of this year’s inductees.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame chose to deny entry to eight other finalists this year including Final Fantasy VII, Microsoft Windows Solitaire, Mortal Kombat, Myst, Portal, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, and Wii Sports. But they’ll get another shot. Nominations are already being accepted for the Class of 2018.

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Korean horror game White Day: A Labyrinth Named School coming to PC and PS4 in August

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Brittney Williams

If you’re looking for a unique horror game to send chills up and down your spine, then White Day: A Labyrinth Named School should be on your radar.

White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a remake of a “Cult Classic Korean Horror” game, which was originally released in 2001. In the game, players will find themselves placed in the shoes of Hui-min Lee, a new Yeondoo High School student. Upon arrival to Yeondoo High, Hui-Min immediately hears rumors of the school’s murderous past and alleged hauntings. Not long after, Hui-Min finds himself face to face with the school’s many resident ghosts, and a possessed janitor who’s driven by the desire to kill intruders.

White Day: A Labyrinth Named School looks to pull from old school horror classics, by utilizing a resource-based health and save system, tricky puzzles, and mind-boggling riddles. The game will also feature branching story paths dependent upon student interactions, plus nine different endings.

If any of this piqued your interest, you’ll want to mark your calendars for the month of August, when White Day: A Labyrinth Named School releases in Europe and North America for the PC and PlayStation 4.

In the meantime, check out the spooky new trailer above, and some equally disturbing screenshots after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS4 |