Most Recent: 3DS

GalaxyTrail will bring Freedom Planet 2 demo to PAX South; Demo will also be released as a free download after the show

Posted on December 27, 2016 by John Scalzo

GalaxyTrail got dressed up in a big red coat and a bushy white beard and played Santa on Christmas as they delivered a series of tweets about their upcoming plans for Freedom Planet 2.

According to the developer, they’re going to make an appearance at PAX South in January with a playable demo of the side-scrolling homage to Sonic the Hedgehog. But if you can’t make it to the first major gaming convention of the year, GalaxyTrail also revealed that they plan to make the demo available as a free download (presumably for the PC) after the show:

But wait, there’s more… GalaxyTrail also released a brand new trailer for the game, and it’s been embedded above. More trailers will be uploaded over the next few weeks.

Freedom Planet 2 will be released for the PC this Summer. It’ll also be available for “Nintendo Platforms” (probably the 3DS and/or Switch) sometime later.

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, Switch | Tagged ,

New trailer highlights features Nintendo is adding to Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World

Posted on December 22, 2016 by John Scalzo

Yoshi’s Woolly World will be released for the 3DS on February 3 as Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, and Nintendo plans to add several new features to the side-scrolling platformer for its portable debut.

According to a post on Nintendo.com, Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World will get additional Amiibo functionality thanks to the brand new Yarn Poochy figure. Players can use the Yarn Poochy figure to ask the character for assistance during a tough level, as well as unlock Poochy-themed bonus stages. New Yoshi patterns are also available by tapping Amiibo from the Animal Crossing and Splatoon series.

Other new features include:

New to the series, the Craft Yoshi mode will let you design your own patterned Yoshi. Using intuitive tools, you can use the Nintendo 3DS touch screen to design your own colorful and stylized Yoshi character. Your favorite pattern can even be shared through StreetPass!

In addition to the game, one animated short starring Yoshi and Poochy will be unlocked every day for 30 days for people that own the game. These short stop-motion animations can be viewed through a menu in the game.

Less experienced players looking for a little help can easily switch to Mellow Mode while playing Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World to gain the assistance of Poochy Pups. These sweet little Pups will sniff out secrets and wrap up enemies, and can even double as yarn balls for Yoshi to throw.

Nintendo has also unveiled a trailer showcasing the 3DS-exclusive features for Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, and its been embedded above.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Nintendo Download: Shantae Half-Genie Hero, Mario Party 2, more

Posted on December 22, 2016 by John Scalzo

Even though we’re counting down the days until Nintendo’s Switch Presentation, the consolemaker is still adding new titles to the Nintendo eShop, including one game that’s retro-styled and another that’s just plain retro.

WayForward’s Shantae series began on the Game Boy Color all the way back in 2002. It wasn’t a design choice to create retro-styled side-scrolling platforming in those days, but it is today, and Shantae still looks impressive in her first high definition outing on the Wii U. In Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, a mysterious crime wave has swept through Sequin Land, and players will need to master the genie’s “devastating Hair-Whip Attack” to fight back against the criminal masterminds employed by Risky Boots.

Also available to download for the Wii U today is Mario Party 2, which was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. More than a dozen sequels have been added to the Mario Party in the years since, but I’m sure one of the earliest games in the franchise still has plenty of fans for this Virtual Console re-release.

You can learn more about both of these games (and a few other new releases) after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

Two new Dragon Quest XI trailers unveiled for Switch, PS4, and 3DS

Posted on December 19, 2016 by John Scalzo

Square Enix debuted two new trailers for Dragon Quest XI: In Search of the Departed Time at last week’s Jump Festa in Japan. The massive new RPG is currently in development for the 3DS and PS4, though Nintendo Japan finally confirmed that it will also be available for the Switch.

The Cinematic Trailer, embedded above, will introduce fans to the game’s main characters and some of the new monster designs. Meanwhile, a new Gameplay Trailer, available after the break, gives fans a look at the 3D open world of the PS4 version and the more retro stylings of the 3DS version.

Dragon Quest XI: In Search of the Departed Time will be released sometime in 2017 in Japan. It’s unknown when, or if, the RPG will make its way to North America. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, PS4, Switch | Tagged

CoD: Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of November 2016, but it sold less than Black Ops III

Posted on December 16, 2016 by John Scalzo

Ever since it was first announced, the public reaction to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has been less than kind. Fans furiously downvoted the debut trailer, while others pledged not to purchase something that strayed so far from the franchise’s roots. But it looks like not everyone felt that way.

According to the NPD Group’s latest report (via GamesIndustry.biz), Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of November 2016. However, it performed much worse for retailers than the first-month sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops III last year.

Total game sales were down roughly 19% versus November 2015, but a few new releases put up big numbers including Pokemon Sun (#3), Pokemon Moon (#4), and Watch Dogs 2 (#8). And in hardware news, it was reported that Nintendo sold 196,000 NES Classic Edition consoles during its first month on sale.

The full Top 10 from November 2016 can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

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

Nintendo Download: Animal Crossing New Leaf Welcome Amiibo Edition, Metroid Other M, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, more

Posted on December 8, 2016 by John Scalzo

Nintendo is going retro with this week’s eShop update, as four games from the consolemaker’s past resurface in new locales or with new features.

Leading the way is a 3DS re-release for Animal Crossing: New Leaf that adds Amiibo functionality to the game. The appropriately-named Welcome Amiibo Edition adds new features and activities, as well as support for all Amiibo figures and cards in the Animal Crossing series. Players who’ve previously purchased Animal Crossing; New Leaf will be able to access all of the Welcome Amiibo content with a free update.

3DS fans might also be interested in Demon’s Crest, which is also now available to download for Nintendo’s handheld. Originally released for the Super NES in 1994, Demon’s Crest is the final adventure of Firebrand, a heroic gargoyle first glimpsed in the Ghosts N Goblins franchise.

Over on the Wii U eShop, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is now available to download for Nintendo’s home console. The strategy RPG is a remake of the first Fire Emblem game, and it was originally released for the DS in 2009.

Finally this week, the divisive Metroid: Other M makes the leap from the Wii to the Wii U. Developed by Team Ninja, Other M gives bounty hunter Samus Aran a very complicated backstory in a game that combines first-person and side-scrolling viewpoints.

More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U | Tagged

Game Awards 2016 Trailer: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Mike Ryan

During tonight’s Game Awards ceremony, Yacht Club games presented the next DLC update to their wildly popular game, Shovel Knight. The add-on, titled Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, tells an entirely new story as seen through the eyes of Specter Knight, the first member of The Order of No Quarter. If the Plague of Shadows chapter is any indication, this expansion will breathe new life into the already-addicting retro title.

In a Kickstarter update, Yacht Club promised that players will find “new areas, new music, new enemies, new objects, new boss fights, new weapons, new armors, and way, way more than ever before” in Specter of Torment. They also revealed that the add-on will serve as a prequel to Shovel Knight’s main storyline.

No release date was given, but we should expect to see the update sometime in Spring 2017.

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One | Tagged , ,