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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

I Couldn’t Give Two Loots About Destiny 2

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Andrew Rainnie

Destiny 2 will probably be upon us this year, assuming there are no delays like most AAA game these days. Bungie recently released the first teaser trailer alongside a rather naff logo. Seriously, the new logo looks like it was thrown together in Photoshop by a bored cat. I even managed to cook up some alternate designs while thinking about this opinion piece. The “2” just seems totally out of place. It could be more flush, using Roman numerals to match the Destiny font, or behind it, using a destroyed font to convey that war is coming, or is here already.

The trailer reveals very little about the game itself, beyond the fact that the Guardian Tower has fallen. It’s a clever story device, similar to Shepherd being resurrected at the start of Mass Effect 2, and it allows the game to shirk off aspects of the original, starting afresh with new adventures not constrained by the previous generation.

One issue Destiny fans never had to deal with was its graphics, as it is one of the prettiest first person shooters to grace the a console. The game’s problems lay in what was promised, or what fans hoped for, versus what was actually delivered. Even with The Taken King expansion, which is where I was introduced to the series, the game failed to truly dig into its own mythology, worlds, and threats, and became more of a slog, forcing players to revisit locations for the hundredth time all in the name of loot.

Yet, I don’t want to rant about failed promises of the original game. There is already an excellent post on Bungie’s Community Forums by “TrueMadnessNinja” that delves into the unfulfilled promises of the first entry. This is more of a wish list of things I wish had been in the first game, and I hope Bungie takes a look and can change my mind about picking up the sequel. (more…)

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

Daily Scoop: May 4, 2017 – Star Wars Day means more Star Wars sales and shirts

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Holly Scalzo

A very happy Star Wars Day to you all! On this day, I would like to remind everyone that while the epic Star Wars saga is great entertainment, its message about standing up to tyrants has never been more important. We may not be legitimate Jedi in the magic powers sense, but we believe in justice and democracy and a oneness with the universe that allows us to feel empathy and connection to each other and to the planet we currently reside on. And for our Yang, there is a Yin. The Sith are real and we must never forget that. Let’s not allow liberty to die with thunderous applause. We may be entering a dark time, but we have hope. And rebellions are built on hope.

Now onto the sales, because what’s a holiday without buying things?

So, of course, every store has Star Wars sales like crazy today, and we’ll start with Best Buy. They have several Star Wars-related items on sale, but specific to our needs are the games. Star Wars: Battlefront – Ultimate Edition for both PS4 and Xbox One are $19.99 today only – that’s 50% off!

At GOG.com, they’ve got an “Everything Star Wars” sale with up to 75% off, which will last for the next week. Some of the titles include Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Wars: Empire at War – Gold Pack, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Star Wars: Jedi Knight – Jedi Academy. Go see what else they have!

And in case you missed yesterday’s Scoop, there were mad Star Wars sales mentioned that are ongoing until the beginning of next week, so take a look!

In non-Star Wars games, the Nintendo eShop has some deals for My Nintendo members which includes 40% off of the following games: Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (3DS), Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (Wii U), and Street Fighter Alpha 2 (3DS).

And now for the shirts! As you can imagine, it’s mostly Star Wars shirts saturating the marketplace today, so I’ll give you a couple of my favorites of those as well as two bona fide video game tees. (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

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 |

The Games of May 2017

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Warp Zoned Staff

Nearly a dozen new games made their way onto store shelves in the closing days of April, but it looks like we’ll be showered with a smaller collection of new games in May. Thankfully, there’s plenty of interesting titles scheduled to launch over the next four weeks including Injustice 2, Friday the 13th, and Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Did we miss your favorite? Read on to find out… (more…)

Posted in Features, Top Story |

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.

Posted in News, Retro | Tagged , , ,