|
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 16, 2013 in Videogames 
One of the reasons I’ve held off on buying a 3DS XL is that the colors so far have disappointed me. The recent limited Pokemon X & Y designs look better, but I was holding out for another Zelda-styled model to match my 3DS and Wii U systems. With The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds being released soon, Nintendo has realized that a tie-in would be a good idea and has announced the sexy Zelda 3DS XL you see above. Unfortunately, it has only been announced for Europe so far. Nintendo has seen fit to give Europe some exclusives in recent years, so it’s possible that this system may never come to America, but I remain hopeful that it may pop up as a Black Friday deal. Those living in Europe can buy this limited system on November 22, alongside the release of A Link Between Worlds. (A digital copy of that game is included if you pick this one up.) Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Legend of Zelda, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 15, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
Despite being a prequel and switching developers away from Rocksteady, Batman: Arkham Origins is actually shaping up to be an awesome entry in the Arkham series of videogames. One major cause for concern was Mark Hamill retiring from the role of the Joker, but Troy Baker sounded pretty good in recent trailers. If you want to completely erase your concerns, watch this clip from New York Comic-Con of Baker reading aloud a monologue from Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, one of the best Joker-focused comics. Baker sounds right on the money, sounding natural and evoking Hamill’s performance. I’d say we have a worthy successor of voice actors here. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Origins, DC Comics, PS3, Warner Brothers, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 15, 2013 in Videogames 
After Square Enix announced and released Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX (which includes the first game KH: Final Mix, its interquel KH: Re:Chain of Memories, and HD cutscenes of the second interquel KH: 358/2 Days), fans asked one major question: why wasn’t the sequel KHII included? While fans are split on whether they prefer the first or second games, they’re the only two numbered entries, with KHIII still on the horizon for PS4 and Xbox One. Now that the first HD collection is out globally, Square Enix has announced the sequel they hinted at in that collection’s credits: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX! Read more…
Tags: Disney, Kingdom Hearts, PS3, square enix
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 14, 2013 in Videogames 
It looks like The Legend of Zelda is doing the “alternate world” thing again, but this time they’re really running with it. In this new trailer for the next 3DS game, A Link Between Worlds, they reveal that Hyrule’s opposite-universe version is called… wait for it… Lorule. Yup. I’m not making that up. Of course, Zelda’s counterpart is called Hilda. Like I said, they’re running with this. Another thing to note is that the game now allows you to use all the weapons right away — provided you have enough money to rent them from the store. I wonder how that mechanic will pay off? Seems like Nintendo is at least trying some things different with Zelda! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Legend of Zelda
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 13, 2013 in Videogames 
Amnesia: The Dark Descent was one of the most loved horror games of the last few years, and Frictional Games has done a lot to help with the horror game boom. Now, they handed off the sequel to Amnesia (which came out last month) and have been working long and hard on their next game, SOMA. It looks to be a sci-fi horror game that’s heavily inspired by H.R. Giger’s works, so I’m definitely in. I mean, I’m not too hot on horror games, but I love those creepy and alien structures. Check out the trailer below! Read more…
Tags: SOMA
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 8, 2013 in Videogames 
Yacht Club Games’ first release, Shovel Knight, is due out later this year. The game is coming out on PC, 3DS, and Wii U (all digital releases), and Nintendo is showing up at Indiecade, so there’s a new trailer to build up more hype for the game in a crowded holiday season. If you haven’t gotten a good look at the game before, watch the trailer and marvel at the NES+ style pixel art and fun, old-school gameplay. If you’re a fan of retro indie games, this one should be on your list! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Indie Games, Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 4, 2013 in Videogames 
A recent interview with Eiji Aonuma, the current producer of the Zelda series, offered up some interesting tidbits about the next game. Mainly, he stated “why does it have to be traditional?” He says they’re learning a lot from Wind Waker HD and and putting it to use in the next Wii U Zelda game, making things much more unique than previous Zeldas. Perhaps most interestingly he stated that he wants to make the next Zelda something so different that it “wouldn’t even matter if Zelda is actually a princess, or not.” I could go for an awesome Zelda game with Zelda as the main character, Aonuma! Make it so! Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 3, 2013 in Anime, Videogames 
Nintendo already announced that Charizard (and fellow Kanto starters Blastoise and Venusaur) would have new Mega Evolutions in Pokemon X & Y. But did you know that Charizard would get two Mega Evolutions? Like Mewtwo’s new Mega Evolutions, there will be a different item each in X & Y, with the one we saw before going by the name Mega Charizard Y. That new one up above is Mega Charizard X, which just debuted in Japan in Pokemon Origins, an anime special based on the original Pokemon games. Unlike the Fire/Flying Charizard, its type is (finally) Fire/Dragon. Even though it’s not a flying type, it seems that it gets the benefit of the doubt and can keep flying due to the fact that it starts the battle flying as regular Charizard. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 2, 2013 in Videogames 
During the latest Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed a new Kirby game coming to 3DS in 2014. The visuals look colorful and bright, and the core gameplay is typical Kirby. What’s most interesting about this installment is the two different levels of platforming. One track is closer to the camera, while the other is farther away in the background. Kirby can hop between the two, presumably to avoid obstacles or look for secrets. A few other games have done this, but not many, so it’s still novel. Plus, it seems like a good way to use the 3D capabilities of the system, which range from unnecessary visual enhancement (most 3DS games) to actual gameplay help (Super Mario 3D Land). Hopefully it’s more of the latter! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Kirby, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 28, 2013 in Videogames 
Weird is definitely the way to describe this. But, it could be the good kind of weird? As their final announcement, Valve has revealed their controller for the Steam Machines: the Steam Controller. It features two circular touchpads in place of the usual two joysticks, with two clickable areas on each: one in the center, and one in the outer ring. It also has advanced haptic feedback inside under each trackpad, allowing for a great degree on control over the intensity, direction, and force of the vibration (presumably allowing you to feel some degree of “pushback” when moving your finger around). It also has the usual assortment of buttons, as well as two on the underside of the controller. And of course, a touchscreen. Valve has a lot going on here and these controllers will begin beta testing with the lucky 300 hardware beta participants this fall. Click here to enter. More images below! Read more…
Tags: Steam, Valve
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 26, 2013 in Tech, Videogames 
Let’s say you were excited about SteamOS, the living room-focused OS meant to make it easier to play PC games on HDTVs. If you were thinking of buying a new PC to hook up to your HDTV, why not consider a Steam Machine? These boxes running SteamOS are the second of Valve’s three big announcements this week. Valve is working with multiple manufacturers to bring Steam Machines with varying specs to retail in 2014. But before those are released, Valve is testing a high-performance prototype machine, and you could be one of the 300 people to test it for free, if you’re eligible. Read more…
Tags: Steam, Valve
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 25, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
Okay, the costume you see above isn’t literally Adam West. The Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins is still being voiced by Roger Craig Smith, and the costume won’t change that. But it’s definitely Adam West’s Batman outfit from the ’60s live-action TV show. And though this Batman is bigger and more ripped than Adam West was, I think it’s cool how the outfit makes him look slightly pudgy and soft, just like the TV series. But if this alternate costume doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about Azrael’s Batman outfit from the Knightfall storyline? It looks positively demonic, and perhaps almost too badass for my first playthrough of a game that’s supposed to be about Batman’s early days. If you’re liking these outfits, you may want to consider buying Batman: Arkham Origins on PS3, as they’ll be exclusive to that console. You also get five challenge maps, but aside from people with an unhealthy obsession for this game’s combat like me, the main thing I’d be worried about missing out on is these awesome costumes. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Origins, PS3, Warner Brothers, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 24, 2013 in Videogames 
While we’re all pondering what else Valve has in store for us, let’s look at an indie game series that has been approved for Steam via its Greenlight service. Higurashi: When They Cry (a.k.a. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) is a visual novel series that has been sold through English publisher MangaGamer’s website. But with a Steam release approved and in the works, the company is considering updating the product. Being on Steam means much more visibility and higher sales, so it may be possible that Higurashi will receive a new translation. A translator says that they still need to look at their schedule to see if it’s doable, but it’s something they’d like to do. Read more…
Tags: Steam, visual novel
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 24, 2013 in Tech, Videogames 
The first of Valve’s three big announcements is here: SteamOS, a full operating system based on Linux. SteamOS will be downloadable for free and is intended for use on PCs in the living room. This isn’t Valve’s first attempt at moving from desktop PCs to the living room, having introduced Big Picture Mode that tailors PC games to an HDTV. The OS itself seems tuned to improve game performance, from audio improvements to input latency reductions. Read more…
Tags: Steam, Valve
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 23, 2013 in Videogames 
Perhaps you’ve already heard it. The echoing cries across the internet. SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT. It’s the cry of the recent indie game made for 7dfps that is, unsurprisingly, called SUPERHOT. In it, you play a first person shooter and you must take out everyone in the room. Seems simple, right? But here’s the twist: time moves only when you do. Suddenly, dodging bullets becomes an intricate puzzle and each bullet of your limited ammo is carefully plotted as you plan. The best part? You can play the game right now in your browser with Unity. Right here. Try it! Read more…
Tags: Indie Games
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 22, 2013 in Videogames 
Valve’s mighty leader, Gabe Newell, recently mentioned at Linuxcon that they’d reveal more details about Linux support and the Steambox. And this time Valve time didn’t kick in! Valve has placed a page on Steam teasing three announcements regarding the future of Steam, the Steambox, and presumably, given Gabe’s comments, Linux support. Will the Steambox run Linux? Has Valve figured out a way to convince devs to develop for Linux? Will we see Source 2 at all (or any new games for that matter)? Whatever happens, the first big announcement will hit Monday. Intense! Read more…
Tags: Steam, Valve
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 21, 2013 in Videogames 
Getting a little desperate, eh? Nintendo announced that they’ll be bringing back Wii Sports, HD-ified for the Wii U. However, this time around it’ll be digital only. On November 7th, Tennis and Bowling will be available via the eShop, with the rest of the sports to follow soon after. You’ll be able to download each sport and try it free for 24 hours, but after that you can either buy a “day pass” that’ll allow another 24 hours for $1.99, or purchase it outright for $9.99 each. This is a bizarrely flexible pricing structure from Nintendo, which surprises me, but I’m glad to see them trying crazy new strategies, even if it just on a HD version of Wii Sports. Read more…
Tags: Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 20, 2013 in Anime, Videogames 
In a kind of crazy turn of events, an anime film about Bayonetta has been announced called Bayonetta Bloodyfate (in the tradition of anime spin-off films having bizarre names). The cast is exactly the same from the games, and the film will be animated by Gonzo. If you’re an anime fan, the name Gonzo probably gives you a sense of dread. Granted, it’s a feature length film, so perhaps it’ll have a longer period in the oven, but I’m not too optimistic given Gonzo’s previous output. Still, Bayonetta could work as an anime film, but this trailer isn’t giving me the right vibes. Check it out below. Read more…
Tags: Bayonetta
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 20, 2013 in Videogames 
It’s a great loss for the video game industry: Hiroshi Yamauchi, the former president of Nintendo and the man who transformed it into the gaming giant it is today, has passed away at the age of 85. Taking a traditional card and toy company, Yamauchi spearheaded their efforts into the electronic games market, eventually making Nintendo into the premier force of video gaming and revitalizing the industry after the crash of 1983. His impact on the industry cannot be understated, and video gaming would not be where it is today without him. RIP.
Tags: Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 19, 2013 in Fandom, Videogames 
If there’s an electronic device with a display, someone is going to try to get Doom, the landmark 1993 FPS game, running on it. An everyday piano isn’t even electronic, and yet someone has tried to get Doom running on it — with the help of a monitor, of course. The different sets of keys perform different tasks, as labeled above. It doesn’t look easy to control (I’m not sure that I’d be able to finish the first level), but for novelty sake, it’s amusing. And hey, the cacophonous notes seem almost fitting! Read more…
Tags: Doom, Music
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 18, 2013 in Videogames 
Shinji Mikami is well known for directing Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4, classics of survival horror (or I guess just horror for that second one). He and his studio Tango Gameworks have teamed up with Bethesda to make The Evil Within, a new horror game for most major platforms. It does look pretty spooky, with the enemies looking like a mixture of science gone wrong and forbidden occult magic. The Evil Within is coming out sometime in 2014, but hopefully it will be playable at this year’s Tokyo Game Show and we can get more enticing details. Read more…
Tags: Horror, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 17, 2013 in Videogames 
Even if you don’t follow the franchise, you probably still associate Pokemon with the phrase “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” It was a marketing concept that was used in the early days to communicate that you’d need to catch more than your favorites to be a Pokemon Master (and encourage you to buy more and more stuff). Now that there are 649 pokemon and more to come in this fall’s Pokemon X & Y, the idea of literally catching them all seems out of reach for all but the most dedicated pokemon players, hence why the famous phrase hasn’t really been used for years now. (The newer games also allow you to “win” by only catching the 150-200 pokemon in that game’s region.) But now “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” is back, and it’s offering prizes. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 15, 2013 in Videogames 
Yes, you read that right – Child of Light. Ubisoft is letting the leads of Far Cry 3 make a JRPG video game centered around poetry-driven storytelling and a young princess who must save a fantasy realm. It’s about as crazy as you can get – mainly because you don’t expect this kind of crazy experimentation from Ubisoft usually. Granted, they have gotten better, with such titles as Blood Dragon and now this. The game is based on the UbiArt engine, which is the same tech behind the gorgeous Rayman Legends, and it seems to exude the same flowing artistic elements. It looks incredibly pretty and enchanting, so I can’t wait to see more. Watch the initial trailer after the break. Read more…
Tags: Child of Light, Ubisoft
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 15, 2013 in Videogames 
And you won’t have to wait long to play it! The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is one of the highest-regarded games for the Gamecube, and it’s arriving September 20th on Nintendo digital store, the eShop, and in brick-and-mortar shops on October 4th. Now that review copies are showing up on many doorsteps, more videos have popped up giving us a better look at all the visual changes involved. GameXplain has uploaded a video of a side-by-side comparison of the original Gamecube version and the Wii U update. Let’s just say: it looks great. Watch the video below! Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Wii U
|
|
