Most Recent: Switch

Blizzard will bring Overwatch to the Switch on October 15

Posted on September 4, 2019 by John Scalzo

Like Thanos and The Terminator‘s Judgment Day, Overwatch coming to the Switch was seen as inevitable by many. And Blizzard finally made that prediction a reality during today’s Nintendo Direct presentation.

Overwatch: Legendary Edition, which includes 15 Skins and a 3-Month Subscription to Nintendo Switch Online, will be available to download through the Nintendo eShop on October 15. New players will also receive the “Noire Widowmaker” Skin, as well as a Golden Loot Box containing at least one Legendary item.

Naturally, Nintendo had to put their stamp on Overwatch, and while we’re not getting any exclusive Skins just yet, Blizzard has announced that optional motion controls will be added to their “Hero Shooter” on the Switch:

In addition, Nintendo Switch gamers have the option to take control of their heroes in a whole-new way using the console’s built-in gyroscopic motion controls, which let players tilt their console to line up the perfect shot as McCree, pilot D.Va through the air, or quickly turn to deflect incoming projectiles as Genji.

“Overwatch brings players together to cooperate and compete in a bright and optimistic vision of the future, and we’re looking forward to welcoming Nintendo Switch gamers into the fun,” said J. Allen Brack, the President of Blizzard Entertainment. “The Legendary Edition includes more than three years’ worth of content updates and gameplay enhancements, and we’re excited to team up with Nintendo to provide players with new ways to enjoy the full Overwatch experience—including on the go.”

A new trailer for Overwatch’s Switch debut has been embedded above.

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Square Enix will release Trials of Mana on April 24, 2020

Posted on September 4, 2019 by John Scalzo

Nintendo just blew away the Internet with possibly their biggest Nintendo Direct ever. Front and center during the presentation was Trials of Mana, an upcoming RPG from Square Enix. The publisher confirmed that Trials of Mana, which is a modern-day remake of Seiken Densetsu 3 (AKA Secret of Mana 2), will be released for the PC, PS4, and Switch on April 24, 2020.

Originally released in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 3 in 1995, and later making its debut in the West with the Collection of Mana on Nintendo Switch earlier this year, Trials of Mana is a full, high-definition remake of the third entry in the classic Mana series, seamlessly bringing the beloved story and characters to a new, modern era of fans with real-time combat, beautiful 3D graphics and updated gameplay. The game tells the story of six heroes as they battle against the forces of evil that threaten a world where Mana has been weakened. Players will craft their own experiences by selecting a party of three from these unique characters as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime to protect the very essence of Mana itself.

Naturally, a new trailer for Trials of Mana has made its way online, focusing on the game’s upgraded visuals, new combat system, character classes, and the brand new English voiceover. Square Enix produced an expanded version of this video for next week’s Tokyo Game Show, and it’s been embedded above.

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Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is here… and so is a new Launch Trailer

Posted on September 3, 2019 by John Scalzo

Square Enix launched Final Fantasy VIII Remastered for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One today, and the publisher also produced a new Launch Trailer for the re-release, which has been embedded above.

While the RPG was a massive hit in 1999, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered marks the first time its been actively available in more than 20 years (save for a short PC print run in 2000). So it’s possible that fans won’t be as familiar Squall as they are with other Final Fantasy protagonists:

About Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered celebrates its 20th anniversary by bringing the cherished RPG to modern platforms, featuring newly rendered visuals that bring the game’s beloved characters to life like never before. Players step into the shoes of SeeD recruit Squall Leonhart and resistance fighter Rinoa Heartilly as they work together to save the world from the military nation of Galbadia.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered’s Enhancements

  • Battle Assist: The ability to always have maxed out HP and ATB, and trigger Limit Breaks at any time.
  • No Encounters: An enemy encounter option that allows players to enjoy the storyline uninterrupted. While enemy encounters are turned off, players can still enjoy the story event battles.
  • 3x Speed Boost: Play through the game with three times the speed.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is available to download now and it’s been priced at $19.99 on all platforms.

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Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition now available to download for the Nintendo Switch

Posted on August 30, 2019 by John Scalzo

Gearbox brought back People Can Fly’s forgotten first person shooter, Bulletstorm, in 2017 as Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition. The PS4/Xbox One re-release gave players a second chance to experience the game, now with upgraded visuals and a smattering of new content (including the option of replaying the entire game as Duke Nukem).

Today, at PAX West, Gearbox confirmed that Bulletstorm is now available to download for the Nintendo Switch as Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition:

Step into the boots of Grayson Hunt, an exiled member of the elite assassin group Dead Echo, after a battle with his former general sends them both crash landing on the abandoned resort planet of Stygia.

Grayson must brave the wasteland on his way to confronting the man that once ordered him to do the unthinkable. Will he get his team out alive? Or will he finally quench his thirst for revenge?

Battle your way through throngs of Stygia’s less than hospitable hosts, performing masterful kills throughout the single-player campaign using Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition’s unique Skillshot system that rewards you for executing the most creative and deadly kills imaginable.

Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition also includes Duke Nukem’s Bulletstorm Tour. Play through the entire Bulletstorm campaign as Duke Nukem, the original FPS action hero, featuring brand-new lines from the original voice of Duke!

A new trailer for Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition has been embedded above.

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Castle Crashers Remastered will bash its way onto the Switch on September 17

Posted on August 30, 2019 by John Scalzo

The Behemoth promised that Castle Crashers Remastered would make its way onto the Switch this Summer, and it looks like they’re going to keep that promise… though just barely. Today, the developer confirmed that the well-loved beat ’em up will make its Switch debut on September 17, with a PS4 release to follow soon after.

They put together a cheeky new trailer to mark the occasion, and it’s been embedded above.

The Remastered edition of Castle Crashers will include a number of improvements over the original game, including a graphical overhaul (according to The Behemoth, “the game is five times more beautiful”), the Back Off Barbarian minigame, 60FPS gameplay, and all previously-released downloadable content. But getting all of this content onto new platforms was a tad more difficult than the developer had anticipated, as they explained on their official website:

Although Castle Crashers Remastered has been around for quite some time, we haven’t brought a game to a Sony system since the PlayStation 3, or a Nintendo console since the GameCube. We’ve gone generations in between then and now, and while we’re beyond excited to be bringing Castle Crashers to modern consoles, making that leap has come with a number of difficult development challenges. Some of these challenges took us longer than expected to work through; in fact, the PlayStation 4 version of the game is still going through it’s final approval processes, which is why we are not yet confirming it’s exact launch date. However, we wanted to take our time to make sure that when we launch the game it is complete, polished, and the best quality it can be.

And if you’re heading out to PAX West this weekend, be sure to stop by The Behemoth’s booth to give Castle Crashers Remastered a try.

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Shovel Knight gets upgraded to 16-bit as Yacht Club Games announces Shovel Knight Dig

Posted on August 28, 2019 by John Scalzo

Shovel Knight is back! After ceding the spotlight to three members of The Order of No Quarter in Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, and King of Cards, the blade-wielding hero is returning in a full-fledged new sequel.

Shovel Knight Dig picks up right where the first game leaves off, as Shovel Knight chases the diabolical Drill Knight down underground in an SNES-styled game that features “meticulously crafted” levels stitched together using procedural generation, so every playthrough will be slightly different. Yacht Club has more details about Shovel Knight Dig, which has been in development for “more than a year,” at their official website:

When Drill Knight and his dastardly digging crew blast apart Shovel Knight’s peaceful campsite and steal his loot, he grabs his trusty Shovel Blade and starts tunnelling after them! Meet new friends and foes, visit strange lands, and outfit yourself in your quest to keep the entire land from collapsing underfoot! Jump, slash, and dig your way down an ever-changing chasm of mystery in Shovel Knight Dig, an all-new Shovel Knight adventure!

Shovel Knight Dig will feature new Knights to battle (including the aforementioned Drill Knight and the mushroom-themed Spore Knight) and other new characters to interact with. But don’t worry, plenty of familiar faces can be found in the Announcement Trailer, which has been embedded above.

Shovel Knight Dig is being co-developed by Yacht Club Games and Nitrome, with Jake Kaufman once again providing the soundtrack. The game still has “quite a ways to go,” so we have no clue when it’ll be released, but we do know that it’s in the works for the PS4 and Switch (and likely the PC and Xbox One as well).

Attendees at this weekend’s PAX West convention will be able to test out Shovel Knight Dig for the first time at Yacht Club’s booth.

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Shovel Knight Showdown will brawl its way to release in December

Posted on August 28, 2019 by John Scalzo

Shovel Knight Showdown began life as “Battle Mode,” a distant Stretch Goal that was added to the very end of Shovel Knight‘s Kickstarter campaign. But with the platformer’s final expansion nearing release, developer Yacht Club Games has finally been able to more fully turn their attention to the four-player brawler.

For starters, Shovel Knight Showdown has moved well beyond its beginnings as a simple “Battle Mode.” The full-fledged game got a new full-fledged trailer today, with glimpses at the game’s single-player Story Mode, as well as the addition of Mona, Plague Knight’s potions expert. Yacht Club talked more about it on their official website:

Shovel Knight Showdown has grown to be a robust and delightful multiplayer and singleplayer adventure. It’s full of new stories and revelations, goofy humor, great multiplayer level design, beautiful character art, varied playstyles, and frenetic battles. We really put our all into crafting this wholly new experience and we can’t wait for you to give it a shot!

Shovel Knight Showdown will be available as a free download this December if you own Shovel Knight on the PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, or Xbox One. It’ll also be available as a standalone download on the PC, PS4, and Switch, and as part of the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove retail compilation for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

Fans who are staking out a spot at this weekend’s PAX West convention in Seattle will also want to swing by Yacht Club’s booth to try out Shovel Knight Showdown before its released.

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XSEED Games will bring five demos to PAX West 2019

Posted on August 27, 2019 by John Scalzo

XSEED Games has announced they’ll be making the trip to PAX West for the first time this year, and they’ll be bringing five playable demos for attendees to try out.

Their PAX West lineup of titles includes Edelweiss’s Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, FuRyu’s Heroland, Cygames and Arc System Works’s Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Grasshopper Manufacture’s Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes – Complete Edition, and G-Mode’s BurgerTime Party!

PAX West 2019 will be held at the Washington State Convention Center from August 30th through September 2nd. And you can learn more about XSEED’s PAX West demo offerings after the break. (more…)

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