Most Recent: 3DS

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows release date is “imminent”

Posted on August 25, 2015 by John Scalzo

Yacht Club Games has announced that Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, their free expansion to Shovel Knight, will be available to download very soon.

According to the latest Kickstarter update, development was completed on August 5 and Plague of Shadows is now going through the submission process with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. So while a final release date is still up in the air, Yacht Club is confident that the expansion’s launch can be considered “imminent.” To celebrate, they’ve released a brand new trailer for the expansion, which gives us a glimpse at some of the new areas and the wide array of potions that Plague Knight has access to.

However, if you’d prefer to hobnob with the development team on the eve of their next triumph, you can. Yacht Club Games is planning to attend Nintendo’s pre-PAX Prime party, Nindies@Night. If you’re in the Seattle area this Thursday, be sure to stop by the EMP Museum at 8:00 PM (Pacific Time) to give Shovel Knight’s Challenge Mode a whirl.

Yacht Club Games will also have a booth at PAX Prime proper as well, so you can test out Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows in Seattle all weekend long.

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

Nintendo plans to reissue rare Amiibo figures (Little Mac, Villager, Marth, more) this Fall

Posted on August 24, 2015 by John Scalzo

noa-amiibosIt looks like several previously rare Amiibo figures will be reissued this Fall, including Little Mac, Villager, Marth, and many others. A re-release for these figures was confirmed after they were included in a list of “Certificates of Compliance” that Nintendo recently filed in accordance with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

The full list of certificates available on Nintendo’s website also includes a number of figures announced as part of the company’s next wave of Amiibo figures. So it’s safe to assume that the restocked rarities will also appear on store shelves sometime in the next two months.

So which figures should Amiibo hunters be on the lookout for in the coming days? Here’s the complete list:

  • Bowser (Super Mario series)
  • Captain Falcon (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • Charizard (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • Inkling Boy (Splatoon series)
  • Inkling Girl (Splatoon series)
  • Ike (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • King Dedede (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • Little Mac (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • Luigi (Super Mario series)
  • Marth (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • Pac-Man (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • Peach (Super Mario series)
  • Pikachu (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • Splatoon 3-Pack (Splatoon series)
  • Toad (Super Mario series)
  • Villager (Super Smash Bros. series)
  • Wario (Super Smash Bros. series)

Hopefully, these re-releases will satisfy the demand of Amiibo fans everywhere as a huge number of figures have become impossible to find on store shelves since Nintendo introduced Amiibo figures in 2014. Personally, I’m just thrilled that my own white whale, Little Mac, is on the list. But even with renewed stock, I still might have to dance like a fly and bite like a mosquito to get one.

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

Square Enix is bringing playable demos of Just Cause 3, Final Fantasy XV, Dragon Quest Heroes, more to PAX Prime 2015

Posted on August 20, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Square Enix has big plans for PAX Prime 2015 including half a dozen panels and playable demos of seven games.

A playable demo of Just Cause 3 will make its North American debut at the Square Enix booth (#3646), where it will share floor space with demos for Final Fantasy XV (Episode Duscae 2.0), Final Fantasy Explorers, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Dragon Qest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below, Lara Croft Go, and Life Is Strange.

The publisher also plans to set up a “pop-up barber shop” in their booth to give fans of the Hitman franchise the chance to share Agent 47’s signature look. For every head they shave, Square Enix will donate $47 to the GameChanger Charity, which supports children with cancer. The shavee will even receive a Steam code for Hitman: Absolution. Though anyone who wants to donate their own money (and keep their hair) can do so at 47vsCancer.org.

Finally, Square Enix’s series of panels will fly in developers from all over the world to talk about Hitman, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Just Cause 3, and more. The publisher even plans to host a “Final Fantasy XV Active Time Report Live” panel with Director Hajime Tabata.

The PAX Prime expo will be held from August 28-31 in Seattle, Washington. More details about all of Square Enix’s panels and playable demos can be found after the break. (more…)

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

Nintendo Download: The Bridge, LBX Little Battlers Experience, 3D Gunstar Heroes, more

Posted on August 20, 2015 by John Scalzo

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It’s a big day for the Nintendo eShop as the publisher’s tiniest new heroes will make their digital debut.

LBX: Little Battlers Experience, a 3DS game developed by Level-5, follows a group of kids who pit “customizable palm-sized robots” against each other in a small-scale war. The 3DS is now also home to 3D Gunstar Heroes, a 3D-enabled version of Treasure’s famed side-scrolling shooter.

If you’d prefer to do your gaming on the Wii U, a number of new titles were released for Nintendo’s living room console today including The Bridge, a puzzle platformer inspired by M.C. Escher; Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising, a Virtual Console re-release of the strategy favorite; and Woah Dave!, a crazy platformer from the makers of the Bit.Trip series.

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

Nintendo’s 2DS handheld will be permanently discounted to $99.99 on August 30

Posted on August 20, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Nintendo has announced that their 2DS handheld will receive a price drop very soon. Currently available at a retail price of $129.99, the portable system will be permanently discounted to $99.99 on August 30. Even at this lower price, every 2DS box will still contain a download code for Mario Kart 7.

“At a suggested retail price of $99.99, [the] 2DS is an even more attractive introductory option for first-time gamers,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “The new lower-priced hardware combined with the strong lineup of new games launching this year and arguably the best library of games in this generation makes it a great time to be a Nintendo fan.”

While Nintendo doesn’t talk about the 2DS much, it is an interesting alternative in their handheld lineup. It doesn’t have the clamshell design or 3D display options of the 3DS, but the 2DS is compatible with nearly every 3DS game.

This price drop is Nintendo’s first salvo in a major Fall push, which includes a ton of semi-large 3DS releases (which are all playable on the 2DS) including Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash, Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, and Yo-Kai Watch.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Nintendo announces Yo-Kai Watch will be released on November 6

Posted on August 19, 2015 by John Scalzo

yo-kaiwatch-posterNintendo has announced that Level-5’s Yo-Kai Watch will be released for the 3DS on November 6. The game, which is a certified phenomenon in Japan, follows a group of children who find and befriend invisible spirits known as Yo-Kai thanks to a special watch:

But what is a Yo-Kai anyway? Is it a spirit? A monster? A ghost? Nope – a Yo-kai is … well, it’s just a Yo-Kai! You might not see them because they’re invisible, but they’re all around you every day. And they’re often mischievous, mysterious pranksters who like to make trouble for you. Lose your homework, can’t keep a secret or find yourself running late to everything? Yo-Kai probably made you do it. The Yo-Kai are based on common concerns kids have. By confronting those concerns, kids can learn to overcome them.

Even more Yo-Kai Watch madness will travel across the Pacific by the end of the year including the manga series (Volume 1 will be available from Viz Media on November 3) and the anime series (which will air on Disney XD this Fall). Hasbro also plans to produce a series of Yo-Kai Watch toys, which will be released throughout 2016.

And after that, we can probably look forward to even more Yo-Kai Watch games.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

New Releases: LBX Little Battlers Experience, Dungeon Travelers 2, Madden 16 Bundle, More

Posted on August 16, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Just three new releases will be available on store shelves this week before we ask if you’re ready for some football.

This week’s biggest new game is also, in many ways, its smallest. LBX: Little Battlers Experience was developed by Level-5 and will be published by Nintendo for the 3DS. Based on the popular manga and anime series also created by Level-5, LBX: Little Battlers Experience follows a group of kids who create tiny palm-sized robots that do battle in slightly less-tiny arenas.

Also available this week is Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal, a turn-based RPG for the Vita from Atlus. Taking place entirely in a first-person view, players will delve deep into a series of dungeons to battle “monster girls.” Meanwhile, Helldivers: Super Earth Ultimate Edition is a disc-based release of the popular PS4 twin-stick shooter. The “Super Earth Ultimate Edition” will include download codes for the PS3 and Vita versions of the game as well as all 11 expansion packs, the Bonus Weapons pack, and other extra content.

Finally, the Xbox One-exclusive Madden NFL 16 1TB System Bundle will give brand new Xbox One owners the chance to play EA’s yearly football simulation a week earlier than everybody else and a year-long subscription to EA Access. I suppose current Xbox One owners could also partake in this deal, but they’d have to purchase a second Xbox One system to do it…

Actually, I think Microsoft would be completely OK with that.

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

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Charts… Lego Jurassic World is best-selling game of July ’15

Posted on August 13, 2015 by John Scalzo

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July is not typically a very strong month for new game releases, and only a single new title was able to crack the NPD Group’s recounting of the ten best-selling games of the month. But it was Lego Jurassic World, a June release, that sits at the top of the sales food chain this month.

Debuting at #3 in the NPD’s June report, Lego Jurassic World likely got a boost from the tremendous box office support for the film. After nearly nine weeks in theaters, the film has earned more than $636 million. Only Titanic ($658 million) and Avatar ($760 million) have made more money at the domestic box office.

While it’s unlikely that Lego Jurassic World will reach those heights, the game is another hit for WB Games, which had yet another big month in July. Batman: Arkham Knight (#2) and Mortal Kombat X (#8) once again both landed in the top ten.

The only new release to break into the top ten last month was EA’s Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. Before McIlroy, Tiger Woods had been PGA Tour’s pitchman for more than 15 years. As great as Tiger used to be, it looks like EA doesn’t need him to sell their golf game.

Finally this month, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that overall sales of all game-related items (hardware, software, and accessories) is roughly even with July 2014. Both July 2014 and July 2015 produced around $184 million in total sales.

The complete top ten for July 2015 can be found after the break. (more…)

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