Most Recent: Switch

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is the best-selling game of January 2020

Posted on February 14, 2020 by John Scalzo

We’re less than 12 months away from the launch of next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft, and consumers have started to react accordingly. According to The NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella (via Twitter), consumers spent $678 million on video games, consoles, and accessories in January 2020, about a 26% drop versus January 2019.

But there were still a few big moneymakers in the first month of the year, starting with Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, which was the best-selling game of the month. It was followed by some of 2019’s most popular titles, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (#2), Madden NFL 20 (#3), and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (#4).

While none of these games are available for the Switch, Nintendo’s newest console held on as the best-selling console platform during the month, besting the aging PS4 and Xbox One.

Another highlight for Nintendo from the January 2020 sales report was Ring Fit Adventure, which broke into the Top 10 for the first time (at #9). That’s impressive, but it’ll be a very long time before it catches Grand Theft Auto V, which continued to sell well in its 196th month of availability (it appeared on the list at #5).

You can find the full list of best-selling games from January 2020 after the break. (more…)

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

House House’s Untitled Goose Game wins “Game of the Year” at 2020 DICE Awards

Posted on February 14, 2020 by John Scalzo

I guess The Goose can cross “Win a Few Major Awards” off of its To-Do List. And that’s because House House’s Untitled Goose Game won “Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game,” “Outstanding Achievement in Character,” and “Game of the Year” at this year’s DICE Awards.

While the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’s voting body (which is comprised of more than 30,000 members) loves The Goose, it was Remedy’s Control that took home the most statuettes last night. Predictably, the outstanding action game won “Action Game of the Year,” as well as “Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction,” “Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition,” and “Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.” Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding was the only other game to win multiple awards, with the AIAS honoring it with “Outstanding Technical Achievement” and “Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design.”

A nice array of other games were also big winners at the 2020 DICE Awards, including Sayonara Wild Hearts (“Portable Game of the Year”), Apex Legends (“Online Game of the Year”), Super Mario Maker 2 (“Family Game of the Year”), Mortal Kombat 11 (“Fighting Game of the Year”), Baba Is You (“Outstanding Achievement in Game Design”), and more.

The complete list of winners and nominees for the 2020 DICE Awards can be found after the break. (more…)

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

February’s Nintendo Switch Online update includes two SNES games previously-unavailable in US and two NES oddities

Posted on February 12, 2020 by John Scalzo

Later this month, a pair of Super NES games that were previously-unavailable in the US and a pair of oddball NES titles will be added to the SNES and NES apps available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

Super NES fans will be able to try out Pop’n TwinBee (the sixth game in the colorful shooter series), which never made it to the US after Konami released it in Japan and Europe in 1993. It’ll be joined by Smash Tennis, a tennis simulation that was published by Namco in 1994.

Nintendo fans in North America should be much more familiar with the two NES games coming to the online service, though it’s possible you may have skipped over them in the early 90s. Shadow of the Ninja is a side-scrolling action game that has become something of a cult classic in the last three decades, while Eliminator Boat Duel is an aquatic racing game that a lot of people seem to remember but few played.

More information about all four games can be found right here:

Super NES
Pop’n TwinBee – The sixth game in the TwinBee series, this vertically scrolling shooter takes place in a cute, poppy setting. TwinBee and WinBee hear that the great Dr. Murdock has lost his wits, so they set off to return him to his normal self. This game was originally released in Japan and Europe in 1993, but this will be its first release in the U.S.

Smash Tennis – In Smash Tennis, the controls may be simple, but there’s plenty of room for skill! With strong shots, weak shots, lobs and eight different court types, you can develop all sorts of approaches, unlocking the deep strategies of tennis. This game was originally released in Japan in 1993 and Europe in 1994, but this will be its first release in the U.S.

NES
Shadow of the Ninja – In the midst of disorder and oppression, two shadow warriors rise to the people’s cry for help. Choose to play as one of two ninja masters from the Iga clan as they infiltrate enemy front lines. Master tactics of stealth as you acquire additional weapons and power-ups in order to overthrow an evil emperor and destroy his wicked empire, solo or with a friend.

Eliminator Boat Duel – In this powerboat racing game, get behind the wheel of one of the fastest machines on the water to earn boatloads of in-game cash. Drivers earn thousands of dollars for competing, and you’ll use your winnings to repair and upgrade your boat to push your competitive edge to its maximum. A little aggression goes a long way – just try not to get sunk yourself, or you’ll be swimming back to dry land.

All four games will be available to download through Nintendo Switch Online’s NES and Super NES apps beginning on February 19.

Posted in News, Switch |

Switch launch for The Outer Worlds has been delayed due to the coronavirus

Posted on February 6, 2020 by John Scalzo

Private Division has just announced that the upcoming Nintendo Switch debut of The Outer Worlds has been indefinitely delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak in China.

The Outer Worlds was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and it was originally released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2019. At the same time, Private Division contracted Virtuos, a Chinese developer that specializes in porting games to new platforms, to bring the game to the Switch sometime this year. But the outbreak has forced a temporary closure of their office, and they’ve been unable to continue work on the game, which means it’ll miss its previously-announced March 6 launch date:

According to Private Division, everyone at Virtuos is doing OK, and they plan to announce a new release date soon. In the meantime, the publisher also confirmed that all retail copies of The Outer Worlds for the Switch will ship with a game cartridge in the box instead of the planned download voucher.

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Double Dragon & Kunio-Kun Retro Brawler Bundle will come to PS4 and Switch on February 20

Posted on February 5, 2020 by John Scalzo

Arc System Works has announced plans to re-release more than a dozen NES classics in a new compilation featuring the Double Dragon and Kunio-Kun (River City Ransom) franchises.

Set to launch later this month, the Double Dragon & Kunio-Kun Retro Brawler Bundle will contain 18 games in all, including 11 Kunio-Kun games that were never released outside of Japan, as well as all three Double Dragon games (Double Dragon, Double Dragon II: The Revenge, Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones), and four Kunio-Kun games that US fans might be more familiar with (Renegade, Super Dodge Ball, River City Ransom, Crash ‘N the Boys Street Challenge):

Double Dragon & Kunio-Kun Retro Brawler Bundle, consists of 18 titles including seven Double Dragon and Kunio-kun vintage games from the 80s and 90s, and all 11 Kunio-Kun classic titles from the Family Computer Disk System that have been localized into English for the first time ever. Game genres vary from side-scrolling action, beat ’em up, sports, and action RPG. Online play mode is available for all titles, and a total of 55 in-game missions are waiting for you to obtain nicknames and avatars to show off to your friends! Can you complete all the games?

The Double Dragon & Kunio-Kun Retro Brawler Bundle will be available to download for the PS4 and Switch beginning on February 20, and you can learn more about the games included in the compilation after the break. (more…)

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Platinum Games turns to Kickstarter to bring The Wonderful 101 Remastered to Switch, PS4, and PC

Posted on February 3, 2020 by John Scalzo

Grand Theft Auto V completely upended the video game industry when it was released in September 2013. It even managed to overshadow the first collaboration between Nintendo and Platinum Games, The Wonderful 101, which launched the same week. While GTA5 continues to smash sales records, the love for The Wonderful 101 has been kept alive thanks to a dedicated cult following that seems to grow larger every year.

And now it’s back!

After multiple rumors that a modern port was in the works, Platinum has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to bring the game to the Switch this April as The Wonderful 101 Remastered. The modest $50,000 target has already been reached, as have Stretch Goals to eventually bring the game to the PC and PS4. If the developer receives further funds from fans (which is almost a guarantee at this point), they plan to add a series of downloadable content to the game, which will be free for all players.

With the short turnaround time from campaign to release, it’s safe to say that the Switch version of The Wonderful 101 Remastered is already complete and what backers are actually doing is pre-ordering their copy of the game through Kickstarter. Fans can also pledge to receive a wide range of goodies through the campaign, including t-shirts, custom controllers, several soundtrack options, character figures, a comic, and more.

Platinum will self-publish The Wonderful 101 Remastered, though they’re also partnering with Nighthawk Interactive to distribute a Physical Version of the game to backers and through retail stores.

I expect we’re going to learn a lot more about the game as the campaign continues through the end of the month.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch | Tagged

NIS America will bring five playable demos (including one secret game) to PAX East 2020

Posted on February 3, 2020 by John Scalzo

NIS America has announced that they’re bringing five playable demos to this year’s PAX East convention… including one secret game.

The ones that we know about include a pair of compilations coming in March (Langrisser I & II and La-Mulana 1 & 2), a survival adventure set to launch this April (Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories), and the Switch debut of a popular RPG series (The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III).

But because everyone loves a secret, it’s that fifth game that’s sure to get attendees (and everyone else) excited. NIS America isn’t offering any hints as to what else they’re bringing to Boston, but it will be playable at their booth.

This year’s PAX East convention will take place from February 27th through March 1, and you can learn more about NIS America’s game lineup after the break. (more…)

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

Animal Crossing: New Horizons inspired a new Switch design set to launch on March 13

Posted on February 1, 2020 by John Scalzo

Nintendo is getting ready to launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Switch on March 20, but the game’s islandbound stars have also inspired a brand new design for the hybrid console, which will available in stores a week before on March 13.

Unfortunately, the Special Edition Switch package (which’ll be priced at $299.99) won’t contain a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but it will include a pair of pastel Joy-Con controllers, a dock featuring Tom Nook (and his Nooklings), and a animal-speckled system. Animal Crossing-themed Carrying Cases designed to fit the Switch and the Switch Lite will also be available on the same day.

You can get a sneak peek of the special edition Switch console inspired by Animal Crossing: New Horizons after the break. (more…)

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