Even Nintendo can’t get their hands on every Amiibo figure for their Comic-Con 2015 booth

Posted on July 1, 2015 by John Scalzo

nintendologo

Are you planning to pay a visit to the San Diego Comic-Con next weekend? If so, you should stop by the Nintendo booth (#235) to gaze at a display of almost every Amiibo figure in existence. I say “almost” every figure because Nintendo themselves said they won’t be able to procure all of them in time for the convention. It makes you wonder, exactly how rare are some of these Amiibo figures when the company that makes them can’t find some of them?

If you’re interested in doing more than staring at Amiibo figures you can never own, Nintendo also plans to have a full slate of playable games at their Nintendo Gaming Lounge, which will be located at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina during this year’s Comic-Con. Located directly adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center, the Nintendo Gaming Lounge will feature many of the same demos that Nintendo brought to this year’s E3 Expo:

Playable Wii U Games

  • Super Mario Maker
  • Yoshi’s Woolly World
  • Super Smash Bros. For Wii U
  • Splatoon
  • Skylanders SuperChargers (Activision)

Playable 3DS Games

  • Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
  • Little Battlers Experience
  • Yo-Kai Watch

Nintendo will also hold a number of tournaments at the Nintendo Gaming Lounge. So if you’ve ever wanted to show the world your prowess at Splatoon, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, Pokemon: Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, and the unreleased Little Battlers Experience, you can. More details on the tournaments, including a full schedule, can be found at Nintendo’s Comic-Con page.

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

BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend, J-Stars Victory Vs+, Quiplash, more added to PS Store

Posted on July 1, 2015 by John Scalzo

playstationstorelogoThis week’s PlayStation Store update is all about under-the-radar fighting games from Japan? Are you ready, because round one is about to begin…

  • Bandai Namco brought J-Stars Victory Vs+ to the PS4, PS3, and Vita. The crossover fighting game includes appearances from characters Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, and many others in celebration of the 45th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
  • Arc System Works has released another BlazBlue game, the first for the PS4. BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend is an updated version of the last game in the series and it’s also available for the PS3.
  • Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3 isn’t a one-on-one fighting game, but you do fight a lot of people in Koei Tecmo’s latest addition to the series on the Vita.
  • Likewise with NIS America’s HyperDimension Neptunia ReBirth 3: V Generation. There’s no street fights in the Vita RPG, but players will be expected to battle foes as they continue to journey through this parody version of the game industry.

Finally this week, Jack Productions brought Quiplash to the PS4 and PS3 as a Cross-Buy title. This is a different kind of fighting game as players use words to answer simple prompts like “Something you’d be surprised to see a donkey do” or “The worst soup flavor: Cream of ____” in an attempt to sway the crowd with a clever line.

More information on all of these games (and a few additional new releases) can be found after the break. And a quick rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts can be found at the PlayStation Blog.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita | Tagged , ,

Yacht Club will uncover a retail version of Shovel Knight on October 13

Posted on June 30, 2015 by John Scalzo

shovelknight-header

After selling more than 700,000 copies of Shovel Knight across seven different platforms, Yacht Club Games has announced plans to release a retail edition of the game on October 13. Yacht Club will self-publish Shovel Knight’s retail edition, which will be priced at $19.99 on the 3DS, PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One. Our friends in Europe will also get the chance to buy a boxed version of the game for the PC if they so choose.

The boxed version of Shovel Knight will come complete with the Plague of Shadows expansion, which Yacht Club says will be available for owners of the download version much sooner than October. Whether you own the boxed version or the download version, all Shovel Knight players will eventually receive free access to all the planned updates including the Specter Knight expansion, the King Knight expansion, Battle Mode, and Body Swap Mode. Naturally, Shovel Knight’s retail edition will also include a retro-tastic instruction booklet.

You can visit Yacht Club’s official website for an even more in-depth look at Shovel Knight’s retail edition and the upcoming Plague of Shadows expansion.

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One | Tagged

Daily Scoop: June 30, 2015 – Last day of June!

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Nicole Kline

It’s the last day of June, and the last day you can trade in your Nintendo Points for rewards over at Club Nintendo! Make sure those points don’t go to waste!

Let’s check on the deals this week, shall we? There are new games in the Humble Bundle Weekly Sale including Her Story for $5.09 and Imperial Glory for $0.50. And there’s a big Double Fine Sale happening over at Humble too! Get Massive Chalice for $13.39, Grim Fandango Remastered for $7.49, and Broken Age for $12.49, among others!

The Midweek Madness at Steam is Styx: Master of Shadows, which is on sale for $11.99. The Daily Deal is on There Came an Echo, which is on sale for $7.49.

And now… t-shirts!

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Mother Russia Bleeds in this brand new gameplay trailer

Posted on June 30, 2015 by John Scalzo

Indie publisher Devolver Digital took center stage for a few minutes during Sony’s E3 2015 Press Conference, and the most-anticipated game to emerge from that partnership was most definitely Mother Russia Bleeds. Taking place in the USSR of an alternate universe, Mother Russia Bleeds is an ultra-violent beat ’em up in development at The Cartel. Earlier this week, the developer released a brand new gameplay trailer to give gamers a closer look at the game’s pixelated brutality.

Mother Russia Bleeds will include simultaneous four-player multiplayer when it launches for the PC and PS4 in 2016.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

Star Wars: Battlefront, Fallout 4 lead the way in Game Critics Awards Best of E3 2015 nominees

Posted on June 30, 2015 by John Scalzo

e3expologoThe Force is strong with DICE’s Star Wars: Battlefront as the game collected five nominations, more than any other title, from the Game Critics Awards in their annual Best of E3 competition. The Star Wars shooter is up for “Best of Show,” “Best Console Game,” “Best PC Game,” “Best Action Game,” and “Best Online Multiplayer.”

Bethesda’s Fallout 4 and Guerrilla’s Horizon: Zero Dawn can also be considered contenders after collecting four nominations apiece. Both games will battle each other (and Battlefront) for “Best of Show” and “Best Console Game,” but their path will split for the remaining nominations. Fallout 4 is up for “Best PC Game” and “Best RPG,” while Horizon: Zero Dawn was nominated for “Best Original Game” and “Best Action/Adventure Game.”

Two other nominees will compete for this year’s “Best of Show” award including Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and the Oculus Touch motion controller.

The group behind the Game Critics Awards is comprised of representatives from 38 media publications, and they plan to announce this year’s winners on July 7. The full list of nominees can be found after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , ,

Nintendo will add Tower Control mode to Splatoon on July 1

Posted on June 30, 2015 by John Scalzo

splatoon-header

Splatoon will receive another option for Ranked Battles in the very near future, as Nintendo has announced the new Tower Control mode will be part of a July 1st update to the game. Tomorrow’s update will be available to download at 10:00 PM (Eastern Time), but fans can get a sneak peek at the mode today during a special Treehouse Live stream scheduled for 6:00 PM (Eastern Time).

What’s the best way to tackle Tower Control? Here’s what Nintendo had to say:

The objective of Tower Control is to ride a single floating tower into the enemy’s base. Both teams rush toward the tower, which is initially placed in the center of the map, and the tower will start moving automatically once a player climbs aboard. But beware: Riding the tower will increase the chances of being splatted, as every player has his or her target on the tower. Riding the tower alone is pretty tough, encouraging randomly selected teams of players to team up to accomplish their goal. Just like in Ranked Battle and Turf War, players will be rewarded for working together as a team. Surrounding the tower and protecting the player riding the tower, using each stage’s features to gain an advantage, and supporting each other are the keys to victory.

And don’t forget, Splatoon’s first North American Splatfest (Cats Versus Dogs) will take place this weekend on July 4th.

Posted in News, Wii U | Tagged

Splatoon Review: You’re a Squid! You’re a Kid! You’re the Best Shooter in a Long Time!

Posted on June 29, 2015 by John Scalzo

splatoon-header

Even though it doesn’t star Mario or Link or Samus Aran, Splatoon is the quintessential Nintendo game. Starring a race of shapeshifting human/squid creatures known as Inklings, the game’s bright colors and relentlessly cheery attitude place it firmly within Nintendo’s wheelhouse. But Splatoon is also unlike your typical Nintendo game in that it’s a shooter, albeit one that uses squid ink instead of bullets and is more concerned with area control than racking up killstreaks.

It’s also the best shooter I’ve played in a very long time.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in Reviews, Top Story, Wii U | Tagged