Most Recent: Switch

Sega will re-release five classic games on Switch eShop this Summer

Posted on April 16, 2018 by John Scalzo

Sega has announced plans to re-release several of their classic games on the Nintendo Switch beginning this Summer under the “Sega Ages” banner.

Sega has big plans for the Sega Ages initiative, and they’ll kick things off with an initial slate of five games from their classic catalog. Developed by M2, the games available to download this Summer include Phantasy Star (Master System), Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System), Thunder Force IV (Genesis), Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis), and Gain Ground (Arcade).

According to Sega, games selected for the Sega Ages initiative will “stay true to their original forms” while also including “new features that bring a refreshing twist to these classic titles’ gameplay.” And if this first batch of Sega Ages titles does well, we can likely expect more retro re-releases from the publisher to appear on the Switch eShop.

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New Retail Releases: God of War, Nintendo Labo, Yakuza 6, More

Posted on April 16, 2018 by John Scalzo

Kratos lives again as Sony Santa Monica brings God of War to the PS4 for the first time this week. The reboot promises a new beginning for the Ghost of Sparta, as Kratos (and his son) are transported to the harsh realm of Midgard. In his quest to earn the respect of his son, Kratos will be forced to battle the gods and monsters from the Norse pantheon.

Nintendo Switch owners will be able to take part in a different kind of epic battle this week with the release of the Nintendo Labo: Robot Kit. Using the included cardboard cutouts, and combined with the Joy-Con’s motion controls, players will be able to build their own robot suit and fight it out with other mechanized monsters.

On the other side of the spectrum, Switch owners will be able to flex their creative muscles with the Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit. Six cardboard contraptions are featured in the Variety Kit, including RC Cars, a Fishing Rod, a House, a Motorbike, and a Piano.

Also available this week will be the swan song for Kazuma Kiryu, as Sega brings Yakuza 6: The Song of Life to the PS4. And Klei Entertainment will launch the Don’t Starve: Mega Pack for the PS4 and Xbox One. The Mega Pack includes Don’t Starve, as well as the Reign of Giants and Shipwrecked expansions, and the Don’t Starve Together standalone spinoff.

Finally, Natsume will release Wild Guns Reloaded, a “fast-paced gallery style shooter mixing the Wild West with steampunk,” for the Switch.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at all the new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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

Sega surprise-released Football Manager Touch 2018 for the Switch today

Posted on April 13, 2018 by John Scalzo

Even though more than a dozen new Switch games were added to the Nintendo eShop yesterday, Sega managed to sneak one more onto the digital storefront this morning. Fans of the “beautiful game” will be thrilled, because Football Manager Touch 2018, Sports Interactive’s wildly-popular soccer coaching simulation, is now available to download for the Switch.

According to Sega, Football Manager Touch 2018 is “the most realistic, in-depth, and immersive football management simulation in the world.” And players will be able to manage any team in more than 50 countries across the world, as well as take total control over “tactics, team talks, substitutions, and pitch-side instructions.”

Football Manager Touch 2018 will also feature full touchscreen and Joy-Con support, as well as…

Football Manager Touch 2018 Features

  • Many Ways to Play: Start your managerial career at one of the world’s top teams, create your own club, or tackle one of several management scenarios in Challenge Mode.
  • 3D Match Engine: Football Manager’s acclaimed match engine and modernised match presentation help to bring your fixtures to life.
  • Real World Scouting: Play the transfer market like never before with a realistic and immersive approach to scouting.
  • Tactical Innovation: Developing your footballing philosophy is easy with tactical analysis steering you towards your strengths by highlighting your weaknesses.
  • Bargaining Power: A wealth of clauses and transfer options arm you with more ways than ever to finalise that blockbuster deal.

“It’s been a huge technical achievement to bring Football Manager to the Switch but, as a studio, we’ve embraced the unique design opportunities that the console offers,” said Miles Jacobson, Sports Interactive’s Studio Director. “Thanks to the support we’ve had from Hardlight throughout the development process we’ve been able to create a Football Manager experience that is just as immersive and enjoyable whether you’re managing on the move during your commute or playing it on your TV.”

Football Manager Touch 2018 is now available to download through the Nintendo eShop for $39.99.

Posted in News, Switch |

What Remains of Edith Finch wins “Best Game” at 2018 BAFTA Games Awards; Hellblade wins practically everything else

Posted on April 12, 2018 by John Scalzo

Giant Sparrow’s mystery adventure, What Remains of Edith Finch, won “Best Game” at the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards… but Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice stole the show. Ninja Theory’s action-adventure took home top honors in five categories during tonight’s ceremony, and their haul included awards for “Artistic Achievement,” “Audio Achievement,” “Best British Game,” “Game Beyond Entertainment,” and “Performer” (which was given to Melina Juergens for her vocal work as Senua).

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which swept its way to multiple victories at The Game Awards, the GDC Awards, the DICE Awards, and the SXSW Gaming Awards, was limited to a single victory at the BAFTAs for “Game Innovation.” However, Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey had a good night, winning for “Game Design” and “Family.”

The complete list of winners from the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards can be found after the break. (more…)

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

Don’t Starve, Streets of Red, Burly Men at Sea, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on April 12, 2018 by John Scalzo

It’s a struggle for survival in this week’s Nintendo eShop update…

Klei Entertainment will bring their procedurally-generated survival game, Don’t Starve, to the Switch today. Players will take control of a “Gentleman Scientist” and attempt to survive as long as they can in a “bizarre and unexplored locale” of “strange creatures, dangers, and surprises.” The Nintendo Switch Edition of Don’t Starve will also come bundled with the Reign of Giants and Shipwrecked expansions.

Also available to download for the Switch today is Streets of Red, a side-scrolling brawler where players do battle with the undead. In this procedurally-generated game, players will need to collect quarters to purchase a continue to keep playing or upgrade their abilities as part of a fresh run.

Finally this week, Burly Men at Sea comes to the Switch, and it follows “a trio of large, bearded fishermen who step away from the ordinary to seek adventure.”

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged ,

Vertex Pop announces next game as Graceful Explosion Machine sells 50,000 copies on the Switch

Posted on April 12, 2018 by John Scalzo

Most people who purchased a Switch at launch filled their days and nights with non-stop Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sessions. But Switch owners who delved deeper into the eShop in those early days managed to find dozens of other interesting titles.

For a lot of people, Vertex Pop’s Graceful Explosion Machine was at the top of that list.

The colorful side-scrolling shooter made its Switch debut on April 6, and it went on to sell 50,000 copies in its first year of availability on Nintendo’s newest console (as revealed by a new post on the developer’s official website). But why stop there? Vertex Pop is celebrating Graceful Explosion Machine’s first anniversary with a 50% off discount on the Switch eShop (and Steam) this week only. In case you were wondering, sales figures for the game on the PC and PS4 weren’t disclosed.

Vertex Pop also revealed that their next game will be released for the Switch in 2019. Fans of Graceful Explosion Machine should especially look forward to the mystery title, as the developer added, “it’s an action game” and “it’s colourful.”

Posted in News, PC, Switch | Tagged

GameStop CEO predicts “strong” 2018 for the Switch because “many” unannounced games will be released this year

Posted on April 10, 2018 by John Scalzo

GameStop’s CEO, Mike Mauler, had some nice words for the Nintendo Switch (and it’s fans) during the Q&A portion of the retailer’s most recent quarterly report.

When asked if the console’s momentum will continue into 2018, Mauler predicted that the Nintendo Switch should have a great year thanks to a “very, very strong” slate of upcoming games, “many of which haven’t been announced yet”:

So, last year was a tremendous year for their software as well as hardware, between Zelda and Mario Odyssey and all the games that they had, it really drove a lot of hardware sales as well as software. I think, this year, when we look at the slate of titles… many of which haven’t been announced yet… this year looks also very, very strong. So, I think, at least for 2018, we’ll continue to see the strong software slate drive additional install based on the hardware and increase attach rate.

It’s hard to guess which games Mauler could be referring to, because Nintendo’s star-studded lineup already includes Super Smash Bros. Switch, Fire Emblem Switch, Pokemon Switch, Yoshi, and two Nintendo Labo kits. Presumably we’ll find out more about Nintendo’s 2018 plans during the E3 Expo in June.

Posted in News, Switch |

Mega Man X Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 will be released on July 24

Posted on April 10, 2018 by John Scalzo

As expected, Capcom will split the eight games from the Mega Man X franchise across two “Legacy Collections” for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. But don’t worry, both bundles will be available on the same date.

Earlier today, the publisher confirmed that Mega Man X Legacy Collection (with X, X2, X3, and X4) and Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 (with X5, X6, X7, and X8) will be available to download (for $19.99 apiece) beginning on July 24. A special Retail Edition bundle containing both Legacy Collections (priced at $39.99) will also be available for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

According to the Capcom-Unity blog, each Mega Man X Legacy Collection will also feature a Musuem Mode packed with bonus content including galleries for concept art, trailers, and tie-in products. A music library and The Day of Σ prequel film will also be included:

Included with both collections is The Day of Σ, a video originally included with Maverick Hunter X that explores the origins of series antagonist Sigma and the rise of Mavericks while shedding additional light on the events leading up to Mega Man X. You’ll also be able to check out vintage trailers for every Mega man X game, a museum full of art, and view a variety of goodies including toys, trading cards, music collection packages, keychains, and plenty more featuring the cast of characters from the Mega Man X games over the years.

Players will also get to compete in the X Challenge, a new mode that pits X against two Mavericks at the same time:

X Challenge! Have you ever laid awake in bed dreaming of what it’s like to fight both Chill Penguin and Frost Walrus at the same time? You won’t have to wonder much longer, as this brand new mode for Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 and 2 will pit you against pairs of classic Mavericks. Take three weapons with you into battle, or defy the odds with a buster only run! Even the most die-hard X fans will have their skills put to the test, and even the least threatening Mavericks can surprise you when they’re teamed up together. Are you an S-Class Maverick hunter? With additional leaderboard support, you’ll be able to compare your best time and see how you stack up!

An extensive new trailer focusing on all these features has been embedded above.

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