Rumor: Beyond Good & Evil 2 will be Switch-exclusive for a year; Rabbids/Mario Crossover to be titled Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Posted on January 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

Laura Kate Dale and Let’s Play Video Games are back with another batch of Switch-related rumors… this time shining the spotlight on Ubisoft’s Beyond Good & Evil 2 and a Rabbids/Mario Crossover.

We know that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is currently in development, but Dale is reporting that the long-awaited sequel has been tagged with a new codename/subtitle, Odyssey, and will be exclusive to the Switch for a year. As you might expect with an Ubisoft game, after the exclusivity period ends, it’ll appear on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

As for the Rabbids/Mario Crossover, it’ll be an RPG and it’ll be known as Rabbids Kingdom Battle. It might be released during the Switch’s launch window, but Dale’s sources are saying it might be delayed until September. If you can’t wait until the Fall, it’s looking likely that future Switch owners will also receive a port of Rayman Legends sometime this Summer.

All three of these titles are expected to be unveiled during Nintendo’s Switch presentation, which will be held on January 12.

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Kilgore is now available to download in Killer Instinct

Posted on January 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

Iron Galaxy has announced (via their official website) that Killer Instinct‘s next fighter, Kilgore, is now available to download on the PC and Xbox One. Kilgore is a prototype of Fulgore, and as a robot with machine guns for arms and a propensity to overheat he can be a bit unpredictable. Thankfully, Iron Galaxy’s Adam Heart and Isaac Torres put the character through his paces in a special livestream that can be found after the break.

Before Fulgore and the Mark 03 units were introduced to the world, Ultratech created a line of failed cyborgs during the secret CCIX Program. These hulking battle machines bore twin overpowered chain guns that tended to overheat, making them unstable and unfit for service. But one cyborg—nicknamed Kilgore—became self-aware, and started rewriting his own software to account for this deficiency in his hardware. Saved from the scrapheap, this special unit has been brought out of retirement by ARIA to enforce her will…and Kilgore obeys.

Kilgore was designed to be more than just a simple reskin of Fulgore by Iron Galaxy, and is the first character available in what the developer is referring to as Killer Instinct’s “Post-Season 3.” Kilgore has been priced at $10 and 50% of the purchase price will be used to support the upcoming KI Ultra Tour and future Killer Instinct tournaments.

Iron Galaxy plans to release several other characters as part of “Post-Season 3,” each with their own unique style, and they’ll be announced at a later date.

Finally, the developer has confirmed that Ultimate Finishing Moves will be added to Killer Instinct in a future update, and you can get a sneak peek at what they look like in the new trailer embedded above.

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Overwatch’s “Oasis” map is now available to download

Posted on January 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

Blizzard has announced that all Overwatch players can now download “Oasis,” the latest addition to the shooter’s selection of maps. Within the game’s lore, “Oasis” takes place in “one of the world’s most advanced cities” and serves as “a shining jewel rising from the Arabian Desert.”

Built for Control Mode, players who venture into “Oasis” will need to dodge vehicles and use Jump Pads to capture and defend three different control points:

Researchers and academics from around the region came together to found a city dedicated to scientific progress without restraints—a monument to human ingenuity and invention. The city and its inhabitants are governed by the Ministries, a collection of brilliant minds who possess many secrets that have attracted the interest of powerful organizations from around the world.

Feel free to take a tour of “Oasis” in the new trailer embedded above.

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Tequila Works will officially release Rime for PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Switch in May 2017

Posted on January 3, 2017 by John Scalzo

Last month, the colorful “adventure platformer” Rime popped up on the Brazilian Ratings Board with a planned launch for the PS4, PC, Switch, and Xbox One. However, at the time, the game was officially in development as a PS4 exclusive at Tequila Works. Today, the developer teamed up with IGN to re-reveal Rime in a new trailer and confirm that it is indeed also in the works for the PC, Switch, and Xbox One:

As you can see in the re-reveal gameplay trailer above, Rime retains its distinct cartoon-like look and its intriguing vibe, which reminds us a bit of a combination of Zelda: Wind Waker, The Last Guardian, and The Witness. It will now be released for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Tequila Works describes Rime as “a single-player puzzle adventure about discovery, experienced through the eyes of a young boy who awakens on a mysterious island after shipwrecking off its coast. Players must navigate the island’s secrets by making use of light, sound, perspective and even time. Inspired by the rugged, sunbaked terrain of the Mediterranean coast, Rime paints its breathtaking world with a fusion of vibrant colors and moving musical undertones to set the stage for the deeply personal journey that awaits within.”

Rime will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in May 2017.

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Rumor: Mother 3 will be released for the Nintendo Switch this Spring

Posted on January 3, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s the question that has plagued Nintendo fans for more than a decade now… when will Mother 3 (often known as Earthbound 2 on this side of the Pacific) be released in North America? Originally released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan in 2006, we first started hearing rumors last year that a North American release for the game on the Wii U was imminent. But there’s been nary a peep about Mother 3 from Nintendo since then.

Now, in the first days of 2017, the Mother 3 rumors have surfaced once more.

Laura Kate Dale (of Let’s Play Video Games) is reporting that the elusive RPG will be available for the Nintendo Switch in Spring 2017. According to Dale’s sources, Mother 3 was originally on track for a Wii U release in 2016 (it was “done and ready to go”), but Nintendo pulled the plug to give fans one more reason to make the switch to the Switch this year. Her sources also confirmed that Mother 3’s North American debut will receive a new English translation, and it’ll likely be released directly after Nintendo’s E3 Press Conference.

Nintendo will fully unveil the Switch on January 12, and my fingers are crossed that Mother 3 will be part of the presentation.

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Pokemon Sun/Moon were the best-selling games on Amazon in 2016

Posted on January 3, 2017 by John Scalzo

Earlier this week, Steam provided a quick glimpse at the best-selling games available through the storefront in 2016. Besides The NPD Group’s monthly reports on gaming’s retail sector, it might be the best window into what sells and what doesn’t that we have.

However, Amazon also published a list of best-selling games from 2016 earlier this week, and naturally, it features a considerably more console-centric bent. Nintendo’s Pokemon Sun and Moon reigned supreme, taking the #1 and #2 spots. Final Fantasy XV was the best-selling PS4 game (#3 overall), while Madden NFL 17 claimed the Xbox One’s highest ranking (#5).

You’ve got to go all the way down to #18 to find the best-selling Wii U game (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD), and the only PC game on the list is Overwatch (#46). No Vita games managed to crack Amazon’s Top 100 (which also included console bundles and accessories), but the Wii version of Just Dance 2017 checked in at #21.

The complete list of Amazon’s best-selling games from 2016 can be found after the break.

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Mass Effect: Andromeda isn’t in development for the Nintendo Switch, but BioWare “never wants to close doors”

Posted on January 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

Mass Effect: Andromeda and the Nintendo Switch are both set to launch this Spring, so it seems natural to assume that the fourth game in BioWare’s best-selling franchise might eventually be released for Nintendo’s next console. However, it looks like the developer currently has no plans to bring Andromeda to the Switch… though that could change.

Speaking to Stevivor, BioWare’s Michael Gamble succinctly confirmed they’re not working on a Switch port of the next Mass Effect:

Gamble also shot down plans for a version of Andromeda on Nintendo’s hybrid console, the Switch.

“Yeah, not right now, no,” he said. “We’re not planning on it.”

However, Gamble also admitted that if there’s a huge demand for Mass Effect: Andromeda on the Switch, BioWare would have to consider it:

“If the Switch launches and everyone’s just yammering for Mass Effect, who knows.

“We never want to close doors like that.”

This kind of chicken-and-egg conversation around console launches isn’t new, but it’s not surprising that BioWare’s stance is a cautious one. Mass Effect 3 was available for the Wii U from day one, but fans decided not to follow Commander Shepard to Nintendo’s 2012 console. BioWare never released another game for the Wii U, and Electronic Arts completely dropped support for the console less than a year later.

However, the publisher is officially back on board for the Switch, so as Gamble said, you never know.

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Get another short glimpse at Earth Defense Force 5 in this New Year’s video

Posted on January 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

D3 Publisher will release Earth Defense Force 5 in Japan later this year, but a special New Year’s message has given fans a look back at the franchise’s beginnings, along with a short glimpse of the upcoming sequel.

Posted to Twitter on December 31, the video includes a look at Earth Defense Force 5’s frog-like Colonists and a new model of walking UFO:

Earth Defense Force 5 is currently in development exclusively for the PS4, and an American launch date remains unannounced.

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