Most Recent: Switch

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is officially coming to the Nintendo Switch

Posted on March 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

We’ve expected this announcement for quite some time, but Koji “Iga” Igarashi confirmed today that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is coming to the Nintendo Switch.

This also means that Kickstarter backers hoping to play Bloodstained on the Wii U are out of luck, as Iga and his team had to cancel development of the project for Nintendo’s former console. Backers interested in switching their pre-order to the Switch can do so though the same survey link they received previously, though Wii U backers can also opt to receive the game on the PC, PS4, Vita, or Xbox One. And if you were only interested in playing Bloodstained on the Wii U, you can request a full refund from now until April 20, 2017.

Iga further explained the situation to fans in a new Kickstarter update:

Hello, this is IGA.

Thank you for always supporting us. I would like to give a message to the backers who pledged for the Wii U version of Bloodstained.

During our Kickstarter campaign, the Wii U was at the height of its popularity, but the situation has drastically changed after the release of Nintendo Switch.

This change made it difficult to receive the necessary support from the hardware maker, which has led us to drop the Wii U development and shift the development to Nintendo Switch.

We are very sorry that it has come to this after all your support, but we hope you will understand. We would like to respond by preparing options for our backers, such as moving your pledge to another version or requesting a refund if you don’t want any other version.

We hope you will continue to support us.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is currently on track to be released sometime in 2018.

Posted in News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged

Square Enix will release a Switch-exclusive Secret of Mana Collection in Japan this June

Posted on March 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

Yesterday, Square Enix teased fans with a short video showing Seiken Densetsu 3/Secret of Mana 2 being played on a Switch. Today, the publisher confirmed that a Seiken Densetsu Collection will be released exclusively for the Switch in Japan this Summer.

In addition to featuring the third entry in the franchise, the compilation will also include Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden (released in America for the Game Boy as Final Fantasy Adventure) and Seiken Densetsu 2 (released in America for the Super NES as Secret of Mana). All three games will retain their original graphics, but with added portability thanks to the Nintendo Switch.

The Seiken Densetsu Collection will be released in Japan on June 1, but Square Enix has yet to announce if it’ll be released in North America. Though it’s important to note, the Switch is region free, so as long as you can read Japanese, you’ll be able to play it anywhere in the world.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Game Freak is hiring for a console-bound Pokemon game

Posted on March 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

Pokemon’s upcoming debut on the Nintendo Switch is a constantly evolving story, but another missing piece fell into place today, and it’s looking more and more likely that a “main series” game will be released for the console.

Back in September, The Pokemon Company confirmed that a new game in the franchise was in development for the Switch. However, there was no indication of who was making it, and all signs pointed to yet another spinoff. However, late in the year, a rumor cropped up that said Game Freak was developing an enhanced remake of Pokemon Sun and Moon for the Switch. This game was believed to be in development under the working title of “Pokemon Stars.”

Fast forward to today, and the news that Game Freak is currently hiring at least one developer to work on a console-bound entry in a “long-running” and “globally popular RPG series” starring “people and monsters.”

We could pretend to treat this as another rumor, but where’s the fun in that? Game Freak is clearly hiring developers to work on a new Pokemon game for the Nintendo Switch. The only questions left are… Is it Pokemon Stars? Or is it a brand new game in the franchise (that could still turn out to be a spinoff)?

The 2017 E3 Expo is just a few months away, so we’ll probably learn more about Game Freak’s next Pokemon game sooner rather than later.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Square Enix Japan showed a video of Secret of Mana 2 being played on a Switch

Posted on March 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

Originally released in 1995, Secret of Mana 2 (also known as Seiken Densetsu 3) is one of the only games in the series to never receive a North American localization. However, it looks like Square Enix is planning to bring the critically-acclaimed action RPG to the Nintendo Switch sometime soon… though possibly only in Japan.

Earlier today, Square Enix posted a short video of two developers playing Secret of Mana 2/Seiken Densetsu 3 on a Switch to the official Twitter account for the franchise. The only other information in the tweet was a Japanese hashtag for #Mana, so it’s unknown if this is some kind of a prank, or possibly a sly tease for a future Virtual Console re-release.

However, Square Enix is also in the middle of celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Mana series, so now would definitely be a fine time to re-release the game for modern audiences. The Mana series began in 1991 with the release of Final Fantasy Adventure, and I’m sure fans of old school action RPGs would be thrilled to finally receive a fully-sanctioned English translation of the third entry.

But until Square Enix makes an official announcement, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Battle Princess Madelyn smashes its Kickstarter goal in two days

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Andrew Rainnie

Casual Bit Games’s latest crowdfunding project, Battle Princess Madelyn, has managed to hit its target of $60,000 CAD on Kickstarter in less than two days. Not only that, but the project has also burned through nine of its stretch goals with more than 24 days remaining on their Kickstarter clock.

And if backers help Casual Bit reach their last goal of $150,000 CAD, they have promised to port the game to the PS Vita. Though it is already heading for the Nintendo Switch, so backers will have at least option for a portable version of the game.

Battle Princess Madelyn takes its licks from Super NES classic Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, and the titular trainee knight and her ghost dog Fritzy will embark on a similar journey to save the kingdom from an evil wizard. The spectral canine can be used to solve puzzles and deployed to tackle end level bosses.

The team at Casual Bit Games is now adding more features to the game as a result of the enthusiasm and support shown during the crowdfunding campaign, including an “Insanity’s Blade King Mode,” which ups the difficulty of the classic Arcade Mode. The developer expects to release the game for the PC, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, and Switch in February 2018.

With fast-paced 2D action, silky smooth animation, and a retro soundtrack set against an epic fantasy story, Battle Princess Madelyn might just be the next Shovel Knight.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One | Tagged

New trailer reveals that Project Sonic will officially be known as Sonic Forces

Posted on March 17, 2017 by John Scalzo

Sega announced yesterday that this Fall’s mysterious “Project Sonic” will officially be known as Sonic Forces. Like the earlier teaser trailer, the title’s militaristic vibe is front and center in the first gameplay trailer, which shows Sonic speeding through a post-apocalyptic cityscape. The game’s impressive visuals were created using Sonic Team’s brand new “Hedgehog 2” engine.

Though Sonic Forces will feature a revamped graphical style, the game is also being designed to serve as a spiritual followup to Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations.

Sonic Forces will march into stores this Fall for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

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

Sonic Mania launch date dashes to Summer 2017 as Sega reveals “Flying Battery Zone” trailer

Posted on March 17, 2017 by John Scalzo

“Flying Battery Zone” made its debut in 1994’s Sonic & Knuckles, but we learned yesterday that a remixed version of the stage will also appear in the upcoming Sonic Mania. A trailer depicting Headcannon and PagodaWest’s new take on the stage was unveiled during Sega’s Sonic-themed SXSW Gaming presentation, and its been embedded above for easy viewing.

Unfortunately, Sega also confirmed that Sonic Mania won’t be released this Spring as originally planned. Instead, the side-scroller will now make its way to the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One sometime in the Summer.

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

Nintendo Download: Binding of Isaac Aftermath+, World of Goo, Picross 3D, more

Posted on March 16, 2017 by John Scalzo

The Switch’s lineup of games continues to grow with five new releases as part of today’s Nintendo Download.

First up, we’ve got Binding of Isaac Aftermath+, an action-packed dungeon-crawler from Nicalis and Edmund McMillen. The procedurally-generated roguelike includes “more than 11,000 unique room configurations” and “a nearly endless variety of enemies, items, challenges, and secrets.”

Also available to download this week is a trio of Wii and Wii U re-releases from Tomorrow Corporation. Switch owners will be able to pick up physics-based puzzler World of Goo, fireplace adventure Little Inferno, or “puzzle game for nerds” Human Resource Machine. And speaking of re-releases, SNK and Hamster Corporation will bring The King of Fighters ’94, the first game in the King of Fighters franchise, to the Switch.

Nintendo will also add Picross 3D, which was originally released for the DS in 2010, to the Wii U eShop.

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

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