Most Recent: Switch

New Retail Releases: Mega Man 11, Super Mario Party, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, More

Posted on October 1, 2018 by John Scalzo

The Blue Bomber has been sleeping for the better part of a decade, but Capcom’s venerable mascot will finally return in a new platforming adventure this week for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Mega Man 11 was developed internally at Capcom, and it features a brand new art style, eight never-before-seen Robot Masters, and a handful of new gameplay mechanics that should keep “Mega Fans” on their toes. In addition to its retail launch, Mega Man 11 will also be available to download for the PC.

Several other major franchises will also be making a return this week, and that includes Super Mario Party, the latest addition to Nintendo’s madcap multiplayer series. This time around, Switch owners get to try out Board Game Mode when battling friends, as well as tackle new minigames in Mariothon and Online Mariothon.

If you’re not a Switch owner yet (or you’re thinking of investing in a second Switch console), Nintendo has teamed up with Epic Games to produce the Switch + Fortnite “Double Helix” Console Bundle. The package includes a Switch console with Neon Blue and Red Joy-Con controllers, as well as 1,000 V-Bucks, and the Double Helix Costume Set.

But if you’d rather trade Tilted Towers for the Parthenon, PS4 and Xbox One owners will be able to explore Ancient Greece in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. According to Ubisoft, players will be able to “journey from outcast to legendary Spartan hero” in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, which will also be available to download for the PC.

We can race back into the present with Forza Horizon 4, a new arcade-style racer for the Xbox One from Microsoft and Playground Games. A PC download through the Windows Store (which is compatible with Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere service) will also be available.

And finally this week, 2K Games will release the WWE 2K19: Deluxe Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One. This feature-packed version of the game will be available on October 5, four days before the Standard Edition, and include two bonus playable wrestlers (Rey Mysterio and Ronda Rousey), the Season Pass, and all digital content from the Wooooo! Edition.

A complete list of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)

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

Mega Man 11, FIFA 19, Dragon Ball FighterZ, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on September 27, 2018 by John Scalzo

The might Mega Man will return for the first time in a decade this Tuesday, October 2, with the launch of Mega Man 11. The Switch platformer will feature eight new Robot Masters, a brand new graphical style, and the never-before-seen Double Gear system.

Elsewhere on the Nintendo eShop, Switch owners will get the chance to slide into EA Sports’s latest soccer simulation, FIFA 19, this Friday. Also this Friday, Arc System Works will bring Dragon Ball FighterZ, their critically-acclaimed anime-inspired fighter, to the Switch.

But if you’re looking to download something today, Tencent’s Arena of Valor, a free-to-play MOBA, will make its Switch debut. Also today, Sega will kick off their Sega Ages series of re-releases today with Sonic the Hedgehog. And a trio of beloved indies will make the move to the Switch, including side-scrolling shooter Rise & Shine, roguelike Risk of Rain, and archery battler TowerFall.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including Wandersong, Armello, Alwa’s Awakening, the arcade edition of Excitebike, and more) after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged , , , ,

Telltale is “working towards a solution” to release the final two episodes of The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Posted on September 25, 2018 by John Scalzo

The shocking announcement of a “majority studio closure” for Telltale Games came as a surprise to everyone on Friday… and that includes Telltale’s employees, who were unceremoniously escorted from the their desks without any notice. Company executives also canceled all of their in-development projects except for a version of Minecraft: Story Mode that would be playable on Netflix through their app.

Those same executives have yet to address why the “majority studio closure” was announced in this way, but late last night, they confirmed that they’re “actively working towards a solution” to release the final two episodes of The Walking Dead: The Final Season:

It’s important to note that even if the developer is somehow able to restart development on the game, it won’t be the same. The entire “Walking Dead” team was let go on Friday, so the final two episodes would end up being someone else’s vision for how Clementine’s story should end.

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

New Retail Releases: FIFA 19, Valkyria Chronicles 4, This Is the Police II, More

Posted on September 24, 2018 by John Scalzo

It’s Monday, and that means another big batch of new games will be available at your favorite retail establishment this week…

Leading the way is the latest iteration in EA Sports’s annual series of soccer simulations, FIFA 19. The game will launch its way towards the goal on the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in a Standard Editions and a Champions Edition. FIFA 19 will also be available to download for the PC through EA’s Origin service.

Sega is bringing back a beloved franchise this week as Valkyria Chronicles 4 will also make its way to the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Featuring hand-drawn visuals and gameplay that melds together a turn-based strategy RPG and a third-person shooter, fans will also be able to download Valkyria Chronicles 4 for the PC.

Strategy RPG fans might also be interested in This Is the Police II for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Players will manage a Sheriff’s Department in the “cold border town” of Sharpwood in a “harsh story where no one is completely innocent.”

Elsewhere on the shelves, Bandai Namco will re-release Dragon Ball FighterZ and Namco Museum Arcade Pac (which comes bundled with Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus) for the Switch. And Nintendo themselves will launch new Starter Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey.

Finally this week, Gun Media will resurrect the Friday the 13th: Ultimate Slasher Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One, which includes the original game and all previously-released downloadable content.

A complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

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

The Walking Dead: The Final Season will likely never be completed as Telltale Games institutes a “majority studio closure”

Posted on September 22, 2018 by John Scalzo

A series of social media posts from recently laid-off developers lead many to believe that Telltale Games was shutting down yesterday morning, but the lights will remain on for now according to an official statement from the company’s executives.

Writing on Twitter, Telltale CEO Pete Hawley confirmed that a majority of the company’s employees would be let go:

“It’s been an incredibly difficult year for Telltale as we worked to set the company on a new course. Unfortunately, we ran out of time trying to get there. We released some of our best content this year and received a tremendous amount of positive feedback, but ultimately, that did not translate to sales. With a heavy heart, we watch our friends leave today to spread our brand of storytelling across the games industry.”

Hawley would go on to say that “further comments regarding [Telltale’s] product portfolio [will be announced] in the coming weeks,” but sources within the company told USgamer that the majority of their in-development projects have been canceled.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season‘s second episode, Suffer the Children, will launch next week as originally planned, but the remaining two episodes will likely go unfinished, marking an abrupt end for the season and the franchise. A further list of cancellations includes Game of Thrones Season 2, The Wolf Among Us Season 2, and the recently-announced Stranger Things game.

The 25 employees still under Telltale’s employ will stay on to complete the Netflix-powered port of Minecraft: Story Mode, but it is currently unknown what will happen to them after that.

It’s our hope that all of Telltale’s former employees will be able to quickly find better employment opportunities in the future.

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

Valkyria Chronicles 4, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on September 20, 2018 by John Scalzo

It’s a big week for RPG fans as Nintendo (and their third-party partners) will be adding several to the Nintendo eShop over the next few days.

Square Enix starts things off with Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition HD, an enhanced and updated new edition of Final Fantasy XV’s mobile port. The RPG is now available to download for the Switch. Switch owners will also get the chance to tackle Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country, a standalone prequel to the action RPG, this weekend when it launches for the Switch on September 21.

Beginning next week, Sega will bring Valkyria Chronicles 4 to the Switch, and Ubisoft will do likewise with South Park: The Stick of Truth .

Elsewhere on the Switch’s online storefront, gamers are now able to purchase Colossal Order’s city simulator, Cities: Skylines – Nintendo Switch Edition; as well as Double Fine’s narrative adventure, Broken Age; and Capcom’s seven-game beat ’em up bundle, the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including The Gardens Between, Hover, Reigns: Kings & Queens, and more) after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged , , , ,

Nintendo Switch Online (and its downloadable bundle of NES games) is now available

Posted on September 19, 2018 by John Scalzo

Nintendo launched their Nintendo Switch Online service yesterday, which means that subscribers now have access to Online Play, Cloud Saves, and that downloadable bundle of 20 NES games.

Online Play was previously available for free as Nintendo has spent the last 18 months preparing for the launch of Nintendo Switch Online, but its now locked behind a subscription, though one that’s much cheaper ($3.99 for one month, $7.99 for three months, $19.99 for 12 months, or $34.99 for a “Family” membership) than Sony’s PS Plus or Microsoft’s XBL Gold.

But the real draw might be the downloadable NES bundle, which currently includes Balloon Fight, Baseball, Donkey Kong, Double Dragon, Dr. Mario, Excitebike, Ghosts ‘N Goblins, Gradius, Ice Climber, Ice Hockey, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., Pro Wrestling, River City Ransom, Soccer, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Tecmo Bowl, Tennis, and Yoshi.

Yes, we’ve played all these games many times before, but Nintendo will regularly add to this library of games, and nine more will be available by the end of the year. NES Open Tournament Golf, Solomon’s Key, and Super Dodge Ball will be added to the service in October, with Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack, and TwinBee to follow in November, and Adventures of Lolo, Ninja Gaiden, and Wario’s Woods in December.

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers at the 12-Month or Family levels will also receive a download code that can be exchanged for exclusive in-game Splatoon 2 gear based on the jerseys worn by GG BoyZ, the winning team at the 2018 Splatoon 2 World Championship. And all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will be able to pre-order a pair of wireless Nintendo Entertainment System Controllers from Nintendo.com for $59.99.

More information about Nintendo Switch Online can found after the break, and a seven-day free trial is also available through the Nintendo eShop.

(more…)

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged , ,

New Retail Releases: Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, Scribblenauts Mega Pack, Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, More

Posted on September 17, 2018 by John Scalzo

Even though we’re still only in September, the avalanche of new games continues this week. But it looks like we’ll get a bit of a breather over the next seven days…

Leading the way forward (and backward, technically) is Nintendo’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country. Taking place 500 years in the past, this standalone adventure for the Switch serves as a prequel to the consolemaker’s massive action RPG, and asks players to guide a group of legendary warriors on a journey through the tragic history that doomed a kingdom.

If you’re looking for something a little lighter this week, WB Games is serving up another entry in the Scribblenauts series, and will re-release Scribblenauts Unlimited and Scribblenauts Unmasked for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One as part of the Scribblenauts Mega Pack.

NIS America is delving deep into the darkest dungeons once again with the release of Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, a turn-based RPG for the PS4 and Switch. The game will also be available to download for the PC.

And finally this week, Stoic Studio will package together the three games in the Banner Saga series for the Switch as The Banner Saga Trilogy.

A complete list of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)

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