Most Recent: Switch

Nintendo Switch Presentation: Super Mario Odyssey announced and it’ll launch this Fall

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Mike Ryan

Nintendo announced the next official Mario game, Super Mario Odyssey!

Super Mario Odyssey, like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, will feature a large and open sandbox world. In the trailer, we see that Mario has escaped the Mushroom Kingdom to explore some new areas… including a modern-day city.

Mario also brings with him a new hat, complete with boomerang-like abilities and a pair of eyes. Yup, the hat is alive.

Super Mario Odyssey will be released for the Switch in Fall 2017. (more…)

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Nintendo Switch Presentation: Splatoon 2 announced

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Mike Ryan

In an announcement that should come as no surprise, Nintendo announced Splatoon 2 during tonight’s Switch Presentation.

New stages, new weapons, and new fashions were mentioned, and fans are sure to come back to the popular title and explore new sections of Inkopolis Plaza.

The game can be controlled via the JoyCon Controllers or the Pro Controller, and similar to the first Splatoon, will utilize gyroscopic controls. Online and local multiplayer were also featured, and you can play with multiple Switch systems.

Splatoon 2 will launch on the Switch in Summer 2017. (more…)

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Nintendo Switch Presentation: Stretchy boxing game Arms announced

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Mike Ryan

Nintendo’s next big game announcement during the Switch Presentation is a fighting/sports game called Arms. Think of it like Wii Sports: Boxing meets Stretch Armstrong (or a fighting game where everyone is Dhalsim for you Street Fighter fans).

To play, you push the JoyCon Controller forward to punch and pull back to block. Nintendo also showcased a short a demo of Arms featuring two characters, Spring Man and Ribbon Girl, with lots of wacky action. Arms will also feature local and online multiplayer. I think it looks frantic and fun with a very cartoony visual style.

Arms will be released for the Nintendo Switch this Spring. (more…)

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Nintendo Switch Presentation: Minigame collection 1-2-Switch announced

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Mike Ryan

During Nintendo’s Switch Presentation, a new minigame collection known as 1-2-Switch was announced.

Billed as a game that utilizes the new “HD Rumble” feature of the JoyCon Controllers, 1-2-Switch is designed not to be played in front of a screen, but to be played face-to-face, eye-to-eye. Players will each take a JoyCon Controller and duel head-to-head in a variety of competitions.

1-2-Switch will be released alongside the Nintendo Switch on March 3, 2017.

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Nintendo Switch Presentation: Everything you wanted to know about the JoyCon Controllers

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Mike Ryan

During Nintendo’s Switch Presentation, the consolemaker revealed a few new details about the JoyCon Controllers:

JoyCon Controller Features

  • Taken together, the JoyCon Controllers use a traditional button layout
  • Separately, the Analog Sticks can be pressed
  • Includes an NFC reader for Amiibo figures
  • JoyCon Controllers can be flipped sideways, NES-style, and they’ll include L and R Buttons.
  • A Capture Button will be available for capturing screenshots, and in the future, video. You’ll be able to share the screens you capture with your friends via social media.
  • A Wii Remote-like acceleromator and motion sensors will also be included
  • Multiple color variations will be available, including Neon Blue and Neon Red at launch
  • JoyCon strap accessory (acts like the Wii Remote strap)
  • The Right JoyCon has a motion IR Camera and can recognize hand features and distance
  • JoyCon Controllers have a more advanced version of rumble, called HD Rumble

And in case you missed it, the Nintendo Switch will launch on March 3.

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Nintendo Switch Presentation: March 3 launch date, no region lock for games, Nintendo Switch Online Service announced

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Mike Ryan

We’re liveblogging the Nintendo Switch event, and here’s the big news!

Many speculated the Switch will release on March 17th, but Nintendo announced today that the actual release date is actually March 3rd in Japan, the US, Canada, Hong Kong, and “major European countries.” That’s a whole two weeks earlier than initially thought.

On the other hand, while many thought that the price would be $249.99, Nintendo announced that the Nintendo Switch will be officially priced at $299.99.

Nintendo will also launch a new online service for the Switch known as the Nintendo Switch Online Service. The Online Service will be free during the launch period, but a monthly fee will be required beginning in Fall 2017.

Finally, games on the Switch will not be region locked… much to the joy of gamers everywhere.

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Lego City Undercover’s re-release on the Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One gets a new trailer

Posted on January 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

Lego City Undercover, the Lego-ized homage to Grand Theft Auto, and cop movie classics like Dirty Harry and Lethal Weapon was originally released for the Wii U in 2013, and has remained exclusive to Nintendo’s console ever since. But the rest of the gaming world will soon get to see what all the fuss is about because WB Games will re-release it for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch this Spring.

Today, the publisher unveiled the first trailer for the game’s 2017 reappearance, and it features all the goofy humor and family-friendly action you expect from the Lego series:

Lego City Undercover introduces Chase McCain, a police officer who goes undercover and dons multiple disguises to hunt down the notorious – and recently escaped – criminal, Rex Fury, to put an end to his city-wide crime wave.

This open-world Lego adventure allows fans and newcomers to explore the sprawling metropolis that is Lego City, with more than 20 unique districts to investigate, filled with car thieves to bust, vehicles to navigate, mischievous aliens to capture, hilarious movie references to discover, lost pigs to rescue and of course, hundreds of collectibles. Bringing together witty, original storytelling with signature Lego humor, this open-world Lego adventure creates a fun-filled experience for players of all ages.

Lego City Undercover is in development at TT Games, and we’ll probably hear more about it during tonight’s Nintendo Switch Presentation.

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Shovel Knight is officially coming to Nintendo Switch; Yacht Club also plans to re-release the expansions as standalone games

Posted on January 11, 2017 by John Scalzo

Followers of the Code of Shovelry have quite a bit to celebrate today as Yacht Club Games uncovered a massive amount of new information about Shovel Knight on the game’s official site… including confirmation that it’ll be released for the Nintendo Switch.

Yes, the side-scrolling masterpiece will make its way to the Nintendo Switch sometime this year, along with each expansion and all the bonus content like Body Swap Mode and Co-Op Mode. Oh, speaking of Body Swap Mode, it’s finished and will be released alongside the Specter Knight expansion this Spring. And in the spirit of sharing, Co-Op Mode will no longer be exclusive to the Wii U (and the Shovel Knight Amiibo). According to the developer, it will soon be available for all consoles and the PC (but not the 3DS or the Vita) as a free update.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Shovel Knight’s release structure will soon be undergoing some changes, though Kickstarter backers and other current owners won’t notice anything different. Yacht Club has decided to upgrade the game for current owners to the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove on all platforms. Available this Spring, the Treasure Trove will include free access to all updates and expansions. But because the expansions have grown beyond being simple character swaps, Yacht Club has decided to raise the price of the Treasure Trove for newcomers once its available. The game’s new price has yet to be announced, but the current $14.99 price (and its promise of free updates and expansions) will remain in place until the Treasure Trove is released.

For everyone who has yet to purchase Shovel Knight (or for those who might want to rebuy the game on a new platform), Yacht Club has decided to split each of the expansions off into its own standalone game. So the original Shovel Knight campaign will receive a new subtitle (Shovel of Hope), and the expansions (Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, the King Knight campaign, and Battle Mode) will all be available as individual downloads (and for a lower price) on the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.

Finally, Yacht Club has begun to think about life after Shovel Knight, and will soon begin work on their “second” game (depending on how you count the Shovel Knight expansions). Writing in a new Q&A, the developer said, “[I]f you want something new outside of Shovel Knight… we have vowed to begin work on a new project this year!”

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