Most Recent: Switch

Nintendo details Switch online service and Netflix-like subscription for classic games

Posted on June 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

Late last night, Nintendo unveiled the first concrete of the Switch’s online service… which will be known as Nintendo Switch Online.

Set to launch sometime in 2018, Nintendo Switch Online’s main purpose is to give Switch owners the ability to play online multiplayer matches against other people. But until Nintendo Switch Online launches, the consoles’s online multiplayer options will be available for free.

However, Nintendo will also offer a variety of eShop Deals to Switch Online subscribers, as well as access to the Classic Game Selection, a Netflix-like selection of downloadable classics. The first batch of games will include Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, and Dr. Mario, and Switch owners will also be able to play Classic Game Selection titles online with their friends. More titles will be added to the service after it launches.

Nintendo later clarified to Kotaku that Switch owners will have “ongoing access” to the retro titles in the Classic Game Selection, and that, “Users can play as many of the games as they want, as often as they like, as long as they have an active subscription.”

Voice chat and friend list features for the Nintendo Switch Online will be handled through a dedicated mobile app. Switch owners will be able to try out a “limited version” of Nintendo’s new communication tool this Summer.

If this all sounds very similar to Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus, I’m sure that’s by design. But Nintendo’s Switch Online service will be considerably cheaper. Players will be able to sign up for a full year for $19.99, and short-term tiers offering one month ($3.99) or three months ($7.99) of service will also be available.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Nintendo Download: Farming Simulator 18, Last Resort, more

Posted on June 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s Thursday, and that means Nintendo has updated the Nintendo eShop with this week’s new releases…

First up, Hamster Corporation has brought another NeoGeo re-release to the Switch. Last Resort is a side-scrolling shooter that was originally released in 1992. The game includes multiple weapon types, several very big bosses, and local multiplayer.

And coming up this Tuesday, June 6, Focus Home Interactive and Giants Software will release Farming Simulator 18 for the 3DS. Players will be able to simulate all aspects of the farming life on Nintendo’s handheld with the option to raise livestock or plant crops, as well as operate more than 50 farming vehicles.

You can learn more about both of these games (and a few other new releases) after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Switch, Wii U |

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Review: Grab Some Coins, Race to the Store, and Buy it Again

Posted on June 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

Aside from a rather shoddy Battle Mode, Mario Kart 8 set the gold standard for Nintendo’s venerable franchise when it launched for the Wii U back in 2014. The racing game was already bursting at the seams with characters, courses, and customizable kart parts before the consolemaker expanded it with two DLC Packs and added crossover characters like Link and Animal Crossing‘s Villager. However, the public’s poor reception to the Wii U lead to the sad realization that three times as many people had purchased Mario Kart Wii versus its sequel. So Nintendo has decided to re-introduce the game to a new audience on the Switch as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe… and with a real Battle Mode, too! (more…)

Posted in Reviews, Switch, Top Story | Tagged

Kyrie Irving will be the cover athlete of NBA 2K18’s Standard Edition

Posted on June 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

e very interesting. To add a little more spice to the proceedings, 2K Games announced today that Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving will be the cover athlete for the Standard Edition of NBA 2K18. Shaquille O’Neal was previously announced as the cover athlete for the game’s Legend Edition.

“It is well known that I’m an avid player of this series and I am honored to be the cover athlete of NBA 2K18,” said Irving. “It’s surreal to be featured on the cover and I can’t wait to dominate on the virtual court with all of my fans this Fall.”

“It’s obvious that Kyrie isn’t disappearing from the spotlight anytime soon, so we’re thrilled to have him as our cover athlete, alongside Shaq for the NBA 2K18 Legend Edition,” said Alfie Brody, the Vice President of Marketing for NBA 2K. “He’s a more-than-worthy recipient of this honor, and joins so many other greats who were cover athletes before him.”

The NBA 2K18 Standard Edition will come packed with a variety of in-game content including 5,000 Virtual Currency, 10 Weekly MyTeam Packs, a Kyrie Outfit Pack, and more. Players who pre-order the game will also receive the game four days early thanks to 2K’s “Early Tip-Off Access” program.

NBA 2K18 will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 19.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Square Enix partners with People Can Fly on a brand new game for PC and consoles

Posted on June 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

Square Enix and People Can Fly have announced that they’ve entered into a collaborative partnership to work together on a brand new “high-end original title” for the PC and consoles. No other details were revealed about the game (we don’t even know which consoles it might appear on), but Square Enix confirmed that it won’t be included in their E3 2017 lineup.

Even though it’s still got quite a ways to go, executives at both companies are excited about the partnership:

“We’re massively excited to be working with the talented team at People Can Fly in Warsaw, a studio filled with people who really know their craft,” said Lee Singleton, the Head of Studio at Square Enix London Studios. “We’re building a game we all want to play which will be the perfect addition to our portfolio.”

“It’s an exciting time,” said Sebastian Wojciechowski, the Studio Head at People Can Fly. “We’ve got a great and experienced team in place, and it’s incredible to be working with Square Enix, a world-class publisher who shares our passion and excitement for the project.”

People Can Fly is based in Warsaw, Poland, and they’re currently hiring new developers to help work on this collaborative project with Square Enix. If you’re interested in applying, you can visit their Career page for more information.

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

Sega will release Sonic Mania on August 15

Posted on May 30, 2017 by John Scalzo

Sega has announced that Sonic the Hedgehog’s side-scrolling return, Sonic Mania, will be released for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch on August 15. Sega has assembled a “supergroup” of developers for Sonic’s most recent foray into the second dimension including Christian “Taxman” Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games.

In addition to the release date, Sega also released a brand new trailer for Sonic Mania (featuring animation by Tyson Hesse and music from Hyper Potions), and confirmed that it’ll be priced at $19.99 on all digital storefronts. A Collector’s Edition that includes a download code, a 12″ Sonic statue, and a replica Genesis cartridge is still available from most retailers.

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

Square Enix’s Tokyo RPG Factory will bring Lost Sphear to PC, PS4, Switch in Early 2018

Posted on May 30, 2017 by John Scalzo

Square Enix and Tokyo RPG Factory have announced they’ll bring the retro-styled RPG Lost Sphear to the PC, PS4, and Switch in Early 2018. Similar in style to I Am Setsuna, Lost Sphear will transport players to a world where people have begun to mysteriously disappear:

The adventure of Lost Sphear begins in a remote town where a young boy, Kanata, awakens from a devastating dream to find his hometown disappearing. To stop the world from being lost forever, Kanata and his comrades set out to rebuild the world around them with the power of Memory by manifesting thoughts into matter.

According to Square Enix, Lost Sphear will expand on I Am Setsuna’s gameplay system with “a revamped ATB battle system where players can strategize and freely adjust their placement mid-fight, seamless environments, and various locations to explore.”

Lost Sphear will be available as a digital download on all three platforms, but players interested in obtaining a physical copy can purchase one exclusively through the Square Enix Online Store. We’ll hear more about Lost Sphear soon, but in the meantime, the first trailer has been embedded above.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch | Tagged

The Video Game Canon – Street Fighter II

Posted on May 26, 2017 by John Scalzo

Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon with a look at Hollywood’s influence on Street Fighter II (and it’s influence on Hollywood). Here’s a teaser…

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior wasn’t the first fighting game ever released, but it single-handedly helped shape the genre for decades to come.

Capcom’s masterpiece rose to prominence by replacing the small and stiff characters of previous fighting games (including its predecessor, 1987’s Street Fighter) with highly detailed characters that seemed to fly around the screen. Instead of generic fighters clad in traditional karategi uniforms, Street Fighter II starred a diverse group of characters with fantastical “special moves.” And young fans lined up around the block to do battle with “World Warriors” like E. Honda, a sumo wrestler with a lightning-quick Hundred Hand Slap; Zangief, a Russian giant who fought bears; Blanka, a green-skinned prince who controlled electricity; and Dhalsim, a yoga master who breathed fire.

Rather than rest on their laurels, Capcom refined Street Fighter II’s controls and added more characters to the select screen through the release of four subsequent revisions. This parade of improvements (and Street Fighter II’s eventual release on home consoles) helped ensure the game’s status as the biggest fighting game of the early 90s arcade renaissance. By the late 90s, a loosely-connected group of enthusiasts for Street Fighter II began building a “Fighting Game Community” online, which eventually grew to include organized tournaments (like the annual Evo gathering) and a dedicated fandom that could rival any professional sport.

Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.

Posted in Features, PS3, Retro, Switch, Top Story, Video Game Canon, Xbox 360 | Tagged