Vs. Super Mario Bros., SteamWorld Heist, Style Savvy: Styling Star, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on December 28, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has one more Nintendo eShop update in the works for 2017… and it’s a doozy.

This week, Nintendo and Hamster Corporation have teamed up to bring Vs. Super Mario Bros. to the Switch. This arcade adaptation of Super Mario Bros. provides a slightly different variation on the revolutionary side-scroller, and it’s an historical artifact that all Nintendo completionists should be interested in.

Also available to download for the Switch this week is a pair of side-scrollers that previously appeared on other platforms. SteamWorld Heist is a tactical shooter from Image & Form, and Guns, Gore, and Cannoli is a platformer from Crazy Monkey that mixes mobsters and the undead.

Finally, Nintendo themselves will expand their fashionista simulation series with the release of Style Savvy: Styling Star for the 3DS.

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

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Nintendo might consider “very different” Joy-Con designs in the future

Posted on December 28, 2017 by John Scalzo

Have you ever wished the Joy-Cons attached to your Nintendo Switch came with a full-fledged D-Pad on the left side? I know I have.

And I’m sure others would love to see a GameCube-style button layout on the right. Or maybe we could replace both sides with a split keyboard design. But let’s not get too carried away, because unfortunately, none of these wild designs are currently in development for the Switch.

However, the General Manager of Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development Division, Shinya Takahashi, recently told IGN that the company might introduce some “very different” Joy-Con designs in the future:

“One of the great strengths of the Nintendo Switch is that though you can play it as a console, you can also separate these two controllers from the hardware. This gives us a lot of possibilities that we could consider for the future in terms of what you could attach,” Takahashi said. “I think that that would be a really good time for us to think about some very different colors or designs applied to [Joy-Cons]. That might be interesting.”

Nintendo’s dedicated fan community has already stepped up and produced some interesting Joy-Con designs, and Takahashi specifically cited this enthusiasm as inspiration for where Nintendo might take the console in the future:

“There’s a lot of joy to be had from handmaking something yourself or having all of those customizable possibilities, and we absolutely embrace that. We love to see that,” he said.

Just one little D-Pad, Nintendo. That’s all I ask.

Posted in News, Switch |

Super Meat Boy will be released for the Switch on January 11

Posted on December 26, 2017 by John Scalzo

The Nintendo Switch has been absolutely flooded with indie classics this year, and Team Meat had planned to bring Super Meat Boy to the console before the end of 2017. However, with New Year’s Day fast approaching, that no longer seems likely.

Thankfully, we won’t have to wait very long to play it. The developer has announced they’ll be serving it up on the Nintendo eShop on January 11:

As you can see, the ultra-challenging platformer’s Switch debut will also receive a brand new splitscreen Race Mode that’s playable with two Joy-Con controllers. It’s unknown if this mode will eventually make its way to earlier releases of the game on the PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox 360.

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Ubisoft removes VR requirement from Star Trek: Bridge Crew

Posted on December 26, 2017 by John Scalzo

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a game that puts you in control of your own Federation starship, but only if you own the required virtual reality headset. However, the slow adoption rate of VR peripherals has prevented many Trekkies from playing the game, and Ubisoft has announced (via their official website) that they’re dropping the requirement in a new update:

Star Trek: Bridge Crew challenges four players to work together to pilot a Federation starship through dangerous missions, but until now, it’s only been playable through VR hardware. That changes with the latest Star Trek: Bridge Crew free update, which removes the requirement for a headset and opens the door for non-VR players to join in and boldly go where no one has gone before.

This free update for Star Trek: Bridge Crew is now available to download on the PC and PS4.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 |

Nintendo has begun thinking about the next Legend of Zelda game… and it could be Breath of the Wild 2

Posted on December 23, 2017 by John Scalzo

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has begun racking up “Game of the Year” accolades as 2017 comes to a close… but developers at Nintendo are already thinking about the next chapter in the long-running series.

According to Game Informer, an official Breath of the Wild artbook that was recently released in Japan includes confirmation from Producer Eiji Aonuma that work has already begun on the next 3D Zelda adventure.

And earlier this week, Breath of the Wild Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi told IGN that the development team is considering concepts for the next Zelda game. During the interview, Fujibayashi also said that one of the approaches the team is considering is a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild:

“I can’t say at this point if it will be in sequels or in continuations, or what form it will take, but I definitely have lots of ideas and lots of motivation right now,” Fujibayashi told IGN.

“I think while we were working on both the main game and the DLC, it was a process of constantly getting lots of different, new ideas as we refined the game, and finding new things we wanted to do,” he added. “Even in situations like this, talking to people and finding out that people gives me a lot of motivation, a lot of ideas for things we could put into the game.”

Knowing Nintendo’s history, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is probably a long shot. But if all goes well, we should learn more about the next Zelda game in a few years… and we might even get to play it a few years after that.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Arms’s Version 5.0 update includes a new playable character… Dr. Coyle

Posted on December 22, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has launched the Version 5.0 update for Arms, and players will now be able to play as a mad scientist named Dr. Coyle. Nintendo’s official website has the lowdown on what players can expect from the good doctor:

As head of ARMS Lab, the good (?) doctor runs the Party Crash program, created Hedlock and Helix, and even experimented on herself! Talk about dedication to her craft.

Dr. Coyle’s special abilities include a spurt of invisibility after guarding, an extra ARM attack that appears after charging, and the ability to punch, dash, and block while levitating in the air.

Also included in this update is her stage called [NAME REDACTED]* and three new ARMS named Lokjaw, Parabola, and Brrchuk.

A trailer for Dr. Coyle has been embedded above.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Metal Slug 3, Boom Ball 3 added to Xbox Store

Posted on December 22, 2017 by John Scalzo

One of the final Xbox Games Store updates of the year includes a pair of threequels.

Hamster Corporation will bring Metal Slug 3, which was originally released for the NeoGeo in 2000, to the Xbox One. And the Virtual Air Guitar Company will add Boom Ball 3 For Kinect to the console’s digital storefront.

You can learn more about both games right here:

Now Available on Xbox Games Store – 12/22/17 [Major Nelson]

Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug 3 is an action game released by SNK in 2000. It is actually the fourth entry in the Metal Slug series of games. Players will be able to use four different characters as they take to the battlefield with an array of weaponry. New Slugs such as a Drill Slug will also show up in gameplay, leading to even more fierce and exciting action!

Boom Ball 3 For Kinect
It’s boom time again! Boom Ball 3 upgrades the classic Kinect ping-pong game with 50 scenic levels featuring a festival of cute cubic critters. Also includes improved two-player mode and three new difficulty options for novices and veterans alike. Customize your paddles with pictures or take your own photos with Kinect. Suitable for all ages, shapes and sizes!

Posted in News, Xbox One |

Atlus will bring Catherine to new platforms as Catherine: Full Body

Posted on December 22, 2017 by John Scalzo

The puzzling Catherine beguiled Atlus’s biggest fans back in 2011. It’s wild combination of relationship building, puzzle solving, and terrifying imagery made it an instant classic. But players who missed it the first time around will get a second chance, as the publisher has announced plans to release an enhanced and expanded version of the game known as Catherine: Full Body.

This remake will further complicate Vincent’s love life with the introduction of an entirely new character named Rin. New puzzle sections connected to Rin will be included, as well as new storyline elements for both Catherine and Katherine.

Atlus will release Catherine: Full Body in Japan “next Winter” for the PS4 and Vita. The publisher has already confirmed an American/European launch will happen, but they declined to say which platforms it’ll be available for or when it’ll be released.

In the meantime, you can view the first Japanese trailer for Catherine: Full Body, which is available after the break.

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