Most Recent: News

Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition coming this Spring to PS4 and Xbox One

Posted on April 25, 2017 by John Scalzo

You might not remember, but the original developers behind Night Trap launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2014 to produce a “ReVamped” version of the pioneering FMV game for modern consoles. Unfortunately, that campaign failed, and most of us assumed the project was dead. But even if you forgot, the developers didn’t, and they’re preparing to release a remake of Night Trap for the PS4 and Xbox One later this Spring to commemorate the game’s 25th anniversary.

Night Trap was originally released in 1992 for the Sega Genesis’s Sega CD add-on. Players were given control of a futuristic security system and tasked with protecting a slumber party from a gang of vampires. The hook was that players could see the action play out in “full motion video,” and acted out by a Hollywood cast lead by Dana Plato (Kimmy from Diff’rent Strokes).

Neither the Sega CD nor Night Trap made much of an impact on audiences, but the game was rather controversial at the time because its story frequently focused on “lurid content” like teenage girls in bikinis.

The first trailer for the Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition, which will also receive a physical PS4 release thanks to Limited Run Games, has been embedded above.

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Story Mode, 8 new characters, Collector’s Edition revealed for Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite, which is launching on September 19

Posted on April 25, 2017 by John Scalzo

“Worlds Collide” in the latest trailer for Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite. To celebrate the announcement of the game’s Cinematic Story Mode, Capcom has revealed the circumstances behind the fourth crossover between Marvel’s stable of characters, and their own. It seems that Ultron and Sigma have realized they share the same murderous philosophy, and their mutual dislike for mankind has lead them to form a deadly new alliance:

For the first time in franchise history, the Marvel and Capcom universes collide in a visually stunning and immersive cinematic Story Mode, as heroes and villains battle together to save their merged worlds from a sinister new threat, Ultron Sigma. A combination of the robotic foes known as Ultron from the Marvel Universe and Sigma from the Capcom Universe, this psychotic villain is obsessed with infecting all organic life with a cybernetic virus. History’s greatest gathering of warriors must now unite to fight back against Ultron Sigma and save their newly formed world.

Capcom and Marvel had quite a bit more to announce today, including eight additional playable characters (Ultron, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, Rocket Raccoon, Chun-Li, Strider Hiryu, and Chris Redfield) and a 2017 Character Pass that’ll include access to six post-launch characters, starting with Mega Man X‘s Sigma. The 2017 Character Pass will be available as a standalone download (for $30), but it’ll also be bundled with the PS4/Xbox One-exclusive Deluxe Edition (for $89.99) if you want to purchase everything up front.

The publisher plans to sweeten the pot with two bonus costumes (Warrior Thor and Evil Ryu) for anyone who pre-orders the Standard Edition. Two more costumes (Gladiator Hulk and Command Mission Mega Man X) will be added to the package if you pre-order the Deluxe Edition.

But wait, they’re not done. A Collector’s Edition, produced by TriForce, will also be released this Fall for the PS4 and Xbox One. Priced at $199.99, it’ll include four “Premium Character Dioramas” of Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Mega Man X, and Chun-Li, a Display Box filled with six Infinity Stone Replicas, and a copy of the Deluxe Edition in SteelBook packaging.

Finally, Capcom confirmed that Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 19.

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The story behind Splatoon 2 begins with a falling out between Callie and Marie

Posted on April 25, 2017 by John Scalzo

Splatoon‘s final Splatfest event featured a showdown between the game’s beloved hosts, Callie and Marie. Players were reluctant to choose one Squid Sister over the other, but after a weekend of hard-fought Turf War battles, Marie’s fans emerged victorious over Callie’s supporters.

But according to the latest update to the game’s official website, that’s where the story of Splatoon 2 begins. A new section labeled “Squid Sisters Stories” has revealed that the results of the Splatfest have caused some bad blood between Callie and Marie:

About nine months have passed since the final Splatfest.

Twilight lowers its curtain on Inkopolis. Neon signs paint the dusk in brilliant shades of green and pink. The Squid Sisters dance on, as though driven by the Inkling love of battling for turf. Memories such as these linger, vividly etched in my mind, but feel too like remnants of a long-forgotten past. It happened the night the final Splatfest came to an end.

The showdown of Callie versus Marie ended in victory for Marie, but there was no ill will between the two. The girls left the studio arm in arm, smiling and laughing as they always had. The bond between them would continue, unbroken, for years to come.

Or so it seemed at the time…

We’ll likely receive more reports from the “Squid Sisters Stories” series soon. And hopefully, we’ll learn what happened to Callie and Marie before Splatoon 2 launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on July 21.

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Square Enix is telling investors that Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy VII Remake might not be released until 2018

Posted on April 24, 2017 by John Scalzo

Back in March, Square Enix held a “Roadshow” presentation for their UK investors, and the slides from that presentation are now available online. While they paint a rosy financial picture for the company, the slides also hint at further delays to a pair of upcoming RPGs.

In a section highlighting recent and upcoming releases, Square Enix listed six games under the heading, “Fiscal Year 2018 and Beyond” (Square Enix’s fiscal year runs from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018). Three of the games… Dragon Quest XI, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, and Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy… received an additional notation that they’re scheduled to launch in Japan in 2017.

Unfortunately, that left the other three games… Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the Avengers Project partnership with Marvel… to fill out the “Beyond” half of the section.

While this news is disappointing, it shouldn’t be too surprising. The publisher has never announced an official release date for Kingdom Hears III, and in January, Square Enix’s Tetsuya Nomura said both games “still [had] a ways to go.” The developer also strongly implied that a showcase at an industry event was the most that either game would receive in 2017.

Still, there’s 11 months remaining in Square Enix’s current fiscal year. You never know, they could have a few surprises in store for their fans.

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Brainiac does his best Doctor Octopus impression in this new Injustice 2 trailer

Posted on April 24, 2017 by John Scalzo

After appearing in comic books for more than 50 years, and with a headlining role in 2004’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel’s Doctor Octopus and his metal tentacles are inseparable in the minds of most comics fans. But DC’s Brainiac will borrow the handy appendages for his appearance in Injustice 2:

Brainiac is a megalomaniacal genius who roams the universe, collecting knowledge to increase his intellectual and scientific prowess. Obsessed with establishing his superiority, Brainiac captured Krypton’s greatest cities, then eradicated what remained…or so he thought. Tales of the “Last Son of Krypton” have reached far into the stars. Now, the Collector of Worlds comes to Earth to finish his accumulation of Krypton — and discovers a new world worthy of his collection.

Set to serve as the final boss in Injustice 2, Brainiac was first spotted laying waste to Earth in last week’s “Shattered Alliances Part 5” trailer. His new “Introducing Brainiac” trailer, which includes almost two minutes of gameplay, has been embedded above.

NetherRealm Studios plans to reveal 11 more characters for Injustice 2, but they better hurry, the game will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16.

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Bluepoint Games is remaking “a classic” game for current-gen consoles

Posted on April 24, 2017 by John Scalzo

Bluepoint Games is best known as the development team behind remakes such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, God of War Collection, and The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection. They’ve built quite a niche for themselves over the years, and it looks like they’re going to revisit another game from yesteryear in the very near future.

Several listings on their Employment Opportunities page have confirmed that Bluepoint is working on a remake of “a classic” game for current-generation consoles:

We are passionately at work remaking a classic for current-gen game systems, growing our capabilities as a team and raising the bar for what fans anticipate from us.

Unfortunately, that small bit of text is our only hint at what the Austin-based developer is working on next. We’ll just have to wait and see which “classic” game will receive the remake treatment next.

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the NES fangame transforms Breath of the Wild into an 8-bit adventure

Posted on April 24, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo famously created an 8-bit prototype of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to help the development team get acclimated to working with its many interlocking systems. Fans have been clamoring for a chance to play this prototype since its reveal, but Nintendo doesn’t appear to be in any rush to make it available for public use.

Naturally, a dedicated Nintendo fan, Winter Drake, has decided to create a playable version of the prototype in his spare time.

The fangame is known as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the NES, and a demo is currently available as a free download through Itch.io. Nintendo is usually quick to ask their lawyers to issue a “Cease and Desist” order when their characters are used in a fan-created game, but the developer of Breath of the NES has vowed to finish at any costs. Specifically, they told Kotaku that he plans to swap out Link and his Hyrulian enemies with original characters when the time comes:

“When a lot of people hear about this project, they jump to worrying about a cease and desist from Nintendo,” Winter Drake told Kotaku. “While I’m going to stay hardworking on Breath of the NES for as long as I can, if Nintendo asks me to stop using their IP, I do plan to continue development with my own original characters. I’m having way too much fun creating this world to just give up.”

Winter Drake also said they’re not creating a direct conversion of Breath of the Wild, but want to “capture the spirit” of the game:

“This project is still in its early stages… I’ll be adding more areas with distinct elements and atmospheres, puzzle elements for dungeons, and lots of ways to creatively kill enemies,” Winter Drake, the developer behind Breath of the NES, told Kotaku.

“I have a lot of plans for original features in the game, and although I’d like to capture the spirit of BotW and NES Zelda, I’m not restricting myself to be perfectly faithful.”

Winter Drake will be providing additional updates on Breath of the NES’s development on Twitter.

Posted in News, PC, Retro, Switch, Wii U | Tagged

Splatoon manga coming to North America in Fall 2017

Posted on April 24, 2017 by John Scalzo

CoroCoro Comics published a manga series based on Nintendo’s Splatoon in Japan after the game’s launch in 2015. Serialized in CoroCoro magazine, the series, which was written and illustrated by Sankichi Hinodeya, was eventually compiled in two volumes.

This weekend, Viz Media announced (via Twitter) that they’re translating it into English for a North American release this Fall.

We don’t currently have any more details than that, but fans will get the chance to dive back into the world of Splatoon this July when Splatoon 2 launches for the Nintendo Switch.

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