Nintendo Download: Mario Party 10, Elliot Quest, Fossil Fighters: Frontier, more

Posted on March 19, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Gather ’round the Wii U this week as Nintendo will add Mario Party 10 to the Wii U eShop tomorrow. The original party game includes a brand new “Bowser Party” as well as an “Amiibo Party” mode. Naturally, a new wave of Amiibo figures is now available in stores to make the most of your Mario Party experience. Also available on the Wii U this week is Elliot Quest, a retro-styled RPG platformer that might make NES fans stand up and take notice.

Over on the 3DS, this week sees the release of another dinosaur fighter from Nintendo. Fossil Fighters: Frontier is the first game in the series for the 3DS and it adds a “fully 3D world” for players to explore.

More information about all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break.

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Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U | Tagged

Rumor: Hideo Kojima to leave Konami after release of Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain

Posted on March 19, 2015 by John Scalzo

hideokojimaAre you ready for some DRAMA and INTRIGUE? GameSpot is reporting that Hideo Kojima might be leaving Konami after the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

According to GameSpot, a source within Konami is claiming the publisher wants to push Hideo Kojima out of Kojima Productions along with other senior staff. The insider said Kojima’s employment with the company has already been terminated, and that he’s currently serving out the rest of his contract on a temporary basis. It was also stated that he is being prevented from promoting The Phantom Pain. This report comes on the heels of a shutdown of the Kojima Productions Twitter account and the removal of Hideo Kojima’s name from the official Metal Gear Solid website. Kojima’s name was also removed from a list of Konami executives as the publisher moves to a “headquarters-controlled system.”

Konami, of course, has denied these reports and issued a full statement to GameSpot:

“As we have already announced, we are shifting our production structure to a headquarters-controlled system, in order to establish a steadfast operating base capable of responding to the rapid market changes that surround our digital entertainment business. Konami Digital Entertainment (including Mr. Kojima), will continue to develop and support Metal Gear products. Please look forward to future announcements.”

It’s important to note, as GamesRadar did, that there’s no actual proof that Kojima is leaving Konami or that he’s being pushed out. Right now, everything being reported is conjecture, hearsay, and circumstantial evidence. In the end, this could all turn out to be nothing.

After the completion of The Phantom Pain, which will be released on September 1, Kojima was expected to devote his energy to Silent Hills and a collaboration with director Guillermo Del Toro. But right now, all we can do is wait for any “future announcements” from Konami.

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

Daily Scoop: March 19, 2015 – Diagnosis

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Nicole Kline

I know you’ve all been waiting to hear what the doctor had to say. The answer is: strep throat! And then I woke up this morning with pink eye. Seriously, I think my body has just given up at this point. That or upon turning 36, I went back to elementary school and got all the stuff kids usually get. Whichever.

There’s a brand new weekly bundle up at Humble Bundle, and this one is called Roguelikes 2! Pay what you want for Vertical Drop Heroes, A Wizard’s Lizard, and The Nightmare Cooperative. Beat the average to get Road Not Taken and early access to Delver. Pay $8 or more to unlock Heavy Bullets.

Steam is running a 10th anniversary publisher sale for 2K. You can get a lot of great deals, like BioShock Infinite for $7.49 and Spec Ops: The Line for $5.99. The Weekend Deal is Tropico 5, which you can play for free, or buy for $9.99. You can also get the special edition for $10.74, get a two pack for $17.49, or get a four pack for $29.99. The Daily Deal is Supreme Ruler Ultimate which is on sale for $14.99.

There are some great t-shirts today. Hit the jump to check them out!

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

You’re all clear, kid! Star Wars: Battlefront will debut at Star Wars Celebration on April 16

Posted on March 19, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm have announced that Star Wars: Battlefront will make its public debut during next month’s Star Wars Celebration. Beginning on April 16 and running through April 19, the Star Wars Celebration will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

Writing on the game’s official website, EA’s Community Team said:

We could not think of a better or more appropriate place to debut the game officially for the first time than the premier event that celebrates the Star Wars universe and the legions of fans who have fallen in love with it.

Star Wars: Battlefront will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this Fall, presumably just before Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters in December.

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

Nintendo President reveals more about company’s move into mobile gaming

Posted on March 19, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Gamers the world over are still in a state of shock after Nintendo announced they would start developing mobile games. Especially since the “how” of this historic news is still a big question mark. Thankfully, Time Magazine approached Nintendo’s President, Satoru Iwata, to ask the big questions about the company’s mobile push.

According to Iwata, Nintendo is not outsourcing development of their planned mobile titles to DeNA. The consolemaker themselves will develop the games while DeNA offers assistance with the “service side of things.” Iwata also said that famed developer Shigeru Miyamoto may work on mobile titles in the future, but for now, his time is being spent working on a trio of previously-announced Wii U games (Star Fox, Project Guard, Project Giant Robot) that are scheduled to launch in 2015.

Finally, any discussion of the mobile game market will include the big question… Premium or Free-To-Play? According to Iwata, Nintendo is not committing to either scheme and will chose each game’s pricing scheme on a title-by-title basis: “[F]or each title, we will discuss with DeNA and decide the most appropriate payment method. So, specifically to your question, both can be options, and if a new Nintendo-like invention comes of it, then all the better.”

For more insight into Nintendo’s mobile partnership with DeNA, I recommend reading the rest of the Time Magazine interview.

Posted in Mobile, News |

Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition will be available on May 22

Posted on March 19, 2015 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has announced the Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition compilation pack will be released for the 3DS on May 22. More than a simple match-3 game, both 3DS titles (which will available on a single game card) will expand on the formula of the franchise:

The newest game, Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, resembles a classic Super Mario Bros. game with a puzzling twist. Players drag and match colorful orbs to chain combos to battle opponents, level up and clear stages. But the action beyond that simple drag-and-match premise reveals much deeper game play. The game transports players to the Mushroom Kingdom, where they recruit Bowser’s baddies, like Goombas, Koopa Troopas and the Koopalings, along with much-loved characters like Toad and Yoshi to help fight more than 80 classic enemies across a variety of different worlds.

The second game, Puzzle & Dragons Z, which became a big hit in Japan and sold more than 1.5 million units in the first six months after launch, features similar drag-and-match game play with an even richer storyline. Players collect and battle a fantastic array of more than 250 Monsters, which can be hatched from Eggs that players gather from defeating enemies. Then, using collected Chips (from defeating enemies), players can evolve their Monsters to gain new Skills, a higher level cap and better stats on their quest to rebuild the world.

A demo version of Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition will be added to the 3DS eShop in early May for those interested in trying it out early. But if you already played the puzzler at this month’s PAX East convention, you might see yourself in the new trailer Nintendo filmed on the show floor.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged , ,

Insert Quarter: What’s the Deal With Video Game Tie-In Novels?

Posted on March 18, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.

It’s no secret that a lot of gamers look down on the dreaded “tie-in novel.” Even when they’re not poorly written, your average video game tie-in doesn’t have much going on below the surface. Or do they?

Writing for GamesRadar+, Benjamin Abbott tracked down Karen Traviss and learned all about the nitty gritty that goes into creating a tie-in novel. Traviss, who has lent her pen to the Gears of War and Halo franchises, revealed that authors of tie-in novels are given much more freedom than the average reader might expect. It’s this freedom that often creates a pretty decent book:

Tie-in novels in particular suffer from growing franchise cynicism, leading to something of an image problem they don’t always deserve. Presumed to be b-side lunges at tertiary publicity, it’s tempting to dismiss them out of hand, but to do so is to misguidedly tar them with the same brush as the million cheap movie novelisations that came before them. Celebrating gaming’s capacity for storytelling is currently in vogue, and for very good reason. Consequently, books set in these worlds are contradictory blends of potential and stigma. Such projects carry potential that their inspirations simply can’t, making them ideal for expanding those universes in meaningful ways. If people will just give them the chance to.

The full article is available for your perusal at GamesRadar+.

Posted in Etcetera, Insert Quarter |

Xbox Store Today: Battlefield Hardline, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, Fruit Ninja Kinect 2, more

Posted on March 18, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Big franchises rule the day in this week’s Xbox Games Store update.

EA is bringing back the Battlefield franchise this week with Battlefield Hardline, which is now available to download for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. Since they’re busy working on a proper Battlefield 5, DICE tagged in Visceral Games for this installment, which focuses on the eternal battle between cops and criminals.

Also available this week is Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, an Xbox One remake of a PSP game that was originally released only in Japan back in 2011. As if that weren’t incentive enough to try it out, Square Enix has also packed the game with a playable demo of Final Fantasy XV.

If you’re into episodic gaming, Capcom has released Metamorphosis, the final chapter in the Resident Evil Revelations 2 saga, while Telltale has countered with the second episode of Tales From the Borderlands, Atlas Mugged. Both games will be available for the Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Finally this week, you can wave your hands in the air like you just do not care as you play Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 on the Xbox One. How do you like them apples? Which aren’t going to cut themselves, after all.

More information on all of these games can be found after the break and a complete rundown of this week’s Xbox Live Gold discounts can be found at Major Nelson’s blog.

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Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,