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Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 28, 2014 in Fandom, Videogames 
This is the internet, you know, so I’m formally obligated to provide you with any and all high-quality cat videos for your perusal. YouTube channel Mr. TVCow has put together an adorable video featuring four kittens dress up as the main characters from Assassin’s Creed Unity, leaping across tables, rocks, and two hapless guards. Then they murder them. I kind of want an outfit like that for my cat! I know this isn’t an official ad for the game, but it’s basically the best commercial I’ve seen yet for Unity, as I’ve already been bored by their typical feature trailers. And time for a low blow: do you think any of the kittens are female? Check out the cuteness below. Read more…
Tags: Assassin's Creed, cats
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 25, 2014 in Videogames 
It may not be quite as good as a hands-on demo, but Japan’s first ad for the New 3DS does a good job of showing off the system’s new design. There’s a new C-stick (more of a nub), more meant to control the camera than act as a stick. You can also use the new Amiibo toys (think Skylanders toys) without needing a separate NFC adapter. What’s missing is a good view of the new extra shoulder buttons, as well as the movement of the card slot and stylus holder to the bottom of the handheld. The increased horsepower also gets no mention. Still, I know that I’ll be picking this up for the various upgrades, if only Nintendo will announce it for release. While the New 3DS is out in Japan next month and has just been announced for Australian release on November 21, the system won’t be released in North America or Europe until 2015! Read more…
Tags: New 3DS, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 24, 2014 in Tech, Videogames 
While I think the 2DS has a place as a budget-friendly, kid-friendly alternative to the 3DS, I could never see myself buying one unless it was just to add to my videogame collection. The 3DS XL has 3D screens (if you’re into that like I am), bigger screens, and it folds in half to protect those screens. The 2DS just looks bulky, albeit more comfortable. But oh lordy, Nintendo keeps putting out more limited variants of its handhelds, and even though I already own great-looking systems, I keep wanting to spend more money on things I don’t need. These red and blue 2DS systems are coming out in Europe on November 28, bundled with a copy of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, respectively. But the coolest thing about these is that their plastic is transparent. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 24, 2014 in Videogames 
Those expecting the successor to Blizzard’s World of Warcraft to release anytime soon should probably stop waiting. Though it was never officially announced to begin with (despite numerous confirmations of its development), Blizzard’s next MMORPG, codenamed Titan, has been canceled. Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime spoke on the project, noting that after creating the gold standard MMO with WoW, Blizzard thought it knew MMOs well enough to try to create “the most ambitious thing you could possibly imagine.” But after things didn’t gel, the developer questioned whether they were even passionate about the project, not finding the game fun enough. That’s when Titan entered a reevaluation period. Read more…
Tags: Blizzard, MMORPG, World of Warcraft
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 23, 2014 in Tech, Videogames 
I’m curious how PlayStation TV will fare outside of Japan. The little device allows you to play almost 700 digital games on your TV, from PS Vita, PSP, and PS1, as well as some Vita game cards that generally don’t require touch controls. In addition, you can use PlayStation Now to rent streaming PS3 games, as well as stream your PS4 console to the device in another room. It’s a neat little device, but I’m wondering how many people will pick one up in the US and Canada for $99.99 on October 14. The standalone system doesn’t come with a DualShock 3, which is required to play, so that price point is mainly appealing to those who own a controller already (likely from their PS3). But if you don’t have a controller, you can get the system, a controller, an 8GB memory card, and The LEGO Movie Videogame for $139.99. (Buy that bundle at Wal-Mart to get Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time added for no extra cost!) In Europe, the box is releasing for £85/€100 on November 14, with OlliOlli, Velocity Ultra, and Worms Revolution Extreme included for free. Read more…
Tags: PlayStation 4, Playstation Vita, Sony
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 19, 2014 in Videogames 
We’re getting a fresh look at Dai Gyakuten Saiban — the next game from Shu Takumi. You probably know the series as Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright here in the US. This new game was announced several months ago, and will feature a new protagonist in the Meiji era of Japan, and then he’ll travel to London for the majority of the story. Why London, you ask? Because Sherlock Holmes and Watson are part of this game, too! It definitely looks to combine many of Takumi’s favorite things into a fresh spin on the Ace Attorney series. Plus, the music sounds amazing. Check out the trailer below (turn on annotations for subtitles). Read more…
Tags: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 18, 2014 in Videogames 
Swery65’s Deadly Premonition was a true cult hit, a b-list Japanese version of Twin Peaks that was far more than just the sum of its parts. I’ve been anticipating his next game D4, or Dark Dreams Don’t Die, a strange, cel-shaded, episodic adventure game played with Kinect motion controls (or regular controls if you don’t like motion controls/if the motion controls suck). Apparently at Tokyo Game Show, it was revealed that the prologue the first two episodes are releasing Friday in North America and Japan for $14.99 on Xbox One. What a surprise! Here’s hoping it is as appealing as Deadly Premonition. Read more…
Tags: Deadly Premonition, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 18, 2014 in Videogames 
Many have had Final Fantasy XV on their wishlists for years, from back when it was called Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Even with the stunning trailer from E3 2013, we still don’t have a ton of information on how it plays, but that will change within a year. Whenever Square Enix decides to release Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, the console port of the PSP game that also spun off from Final Fantasy XIII, is the time we’ll get access to a FFXV demo. Square Enix has stated every copy of Type-0 will come with a code to download Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae, a playable demo of the game’s opening scenes. Read more…
Tags: Final Fantasy, square enix
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 16, 2014 in Videogames 
Capcom has finally rereleased Mega Man 7 on the Wii U Virtual Console. The first six games were originally released for NES, but Mega Man 7 was released for SNES. With the change in platform came a new graphical style to keep up with Mega Man X, which resulted in split opinions on the game’s quality. Regardless, it’s pretty cool that retro fans can now play Mega Man 1-7 all on one system, as well as Mega Man 9 and 10 from the WiiWare backwards compatibility. Granted, the system won’t be getting Mega Man 8, since it was only released on PS1, but barring that, you’ve got access to all Mega Man games released on old Nintendo consoles. Add that to the Game Boy Mega Man games on 3DS Virtual Console, and you’ve got a fun weekend! Read more…
Tags: Capcom, Mega Man, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 16, 2014 in Videogames 
We all knew Minecraft was big, but I don’t think anyone saw this happening. Microsoft has announced that they have purchased Mojang, makers of Minecraft, for a whopping $2.5 billion. Creator Markus “Notch” Persson will be stepping away from his company and not join Microsoft, feeling that running such a big game/company isn’t as appealing to him as smaller projects that don’t create as much pressure. It remains to be seen what this means for versions of Minecraft on non-Microsoft platforms, such as Sony’s PS3, PS4, and Vita, the latter of which is launching soon. While it’s possible that sales or support could be halted, I’d wager Microsoft will continue allowing Minecraft on other platforms, since the work is already done or mostly done and it’s surely a worthwhile revenue stream. But until Microsoft comments, anything could happen with the property. Read more…
Tags: Microsoft, Minecraft, Mojang
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 14, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo has just released Super Smash Bros. for 3DS in Japan, but the US doesn’t get it until October 3rd. To stave off the wait until then, they’ve promised the demo will arrive September 19th, next week. Select Club Nintendo members who have Platinum status, however, are receiving codes for the demo right now, letting them test it out a week early. The demo features one stage (Battlefield) and five characters to play as: Mario, Link, Pikachu, Villager, and Mega Man. The Platinum members will also get extra codes to share with friends, so if you’re not a dedicated Club Nintendo member yourself, perhaps a generous friend can lend you a code. Otherwise, it’s just a short wait until the demo on the 19th, and the full game on October 3rd. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 12, 2014 in Animation, Videogames 
Here’s an odd place for Nintendo to show up: the Tokyo International Film Festival! According to Variety, Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto will be at the festival to debut an animated film from Nintendo, titled “Pikmin Short Films.” The movie is a compilation of three shorts: “The Night Juicer,” “Treasures in a Bottle,” and “Occupational Hazards.” Miyamoto produced the films, although there is no word on who directed it. The film’s debut will be accompanied by Nobuo Kawakami, a producer-trainer at Studio Ghibli and the chairman of Dwango, a telecom and media company in Japan (and owners of popular streaming site Nico Nico Douga). The festival begins October 25th. Hopefully we’ll hear how Nintendo will release the film around then. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Pikmin, Shigeru Miyamoto
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 11, 2014 in Videogames 
Hoo boy, this is already getting confusing. Nintendo is putting out an upgraded 3DS with more power called the New 3DS and New 3DS XL. But since that’s not being released outside of Japan until 2015, any new 3DS models are going to cause confusion. Take some limited edition 3DS XLs announced for release at Gamestop. There are limited run models featuring designs from Super Smash Bros. (September 19), NES (October 10), and Persona Q (no date, but likely November 25, the day of the game’s release). But while these are all awesome, new designs, they are not the “New 3DS XL,” so anyone buying these new models should be aware that the hardware will be outdated sometime in the first half of 2015. The designs are still worth getting, but it’s a weird time to release them. Also, that NES model could have a better design on the shell than just the controller. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, NES, New 3DS, Nintendo, Persona 4, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 10, 2014 in Videogames 
Both Europe and Japan have the option to buy a limited edition version of Hyrule Warriors that comes with the blue scarf Link wears in-game. But so far, it seemed like North America wouldn’t have that option and would have to go scarf-less. Nintendo of America has offered some good news via Twitter, but it’s unlikely to make very many people happy. There will be a Limited Edition for the US when the game launches on September 26, but it will only be sold in very limited quantities at the Nintendo World Store in New York City. And due to high demand, you can’t preorder it. Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 8, 2014 in Videogames 
The world record high score for Donkey Kong has been heavily documented over the years, particularly via the 2008 documentary The King of Kong, which chronicled the battle between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell. Then, in 2010, Hank Chien arrived on the scene and took top spot. Mitchell surpassed him, then Wiebe, and finally Chien retook first place, and proceeded to improve his score twice. Many assumed this was the peak of Donkey Kong play, but now newcomer Robbie Lakeman has beaten all previous records with 1,141,800 points, completed in nearly 4 hours. Best of all? The entire thing was recorded, and you can watch it online. Check it out below. Read more…
Tags: Donkey Kong
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 7, 2014 in Videogames 
If you can’t make a whole movie, well, hey, at least you can make a live-action trailer! Those are all the rage for video games these days! Destiny is out in a few days, so how else to fill the wait than by watching their live-action trailer? Sure, it hardly represents what’ll happen in-game, but it looks cool. And they sure are pushing that whole “play your friends! They’re so cool!” line. I’m still on the fence with Destiny, but I think I’ll let everyone else test it first, and I’ll jump in later if that crowds stick around. If Bungie can make this thing last as long as they say they will, it could be neat. Read more…
Tags: Bungie, Destiny
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 5, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
It looks like that Shadow of the Colossus film is still staggering along. Josh Trank has previously been up to direct the film, but he’s got some other stuff on his plate now that’s a bit more important. Something about Wars in the Stars? Anyway, Sony has now found a new director: the man behind Mama, Andy Muschietti. He could bring an interesting perspective to the movie, so I’m curious how it’ll turn out. There’s still no solid date on the film, but if Muschetti sticks around (he’s also apparently on for The Mummy reboot), we might start seeing solid progress soon. Read more…
Tags: Shadow of the Colussus
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 3, 2014 in Videogames 
One of the most ridiculously fun brawlers in recent memory is now on Steam Early Access: Gang Beasts! Recently snatched up by Double Fine in a publishing agreement, this indie game feature four Flubber-like characters beating each other up and tossing them into flames, the abyss, and a meat grinder. It’s all about the silly interactions between the punches and the way the physics react. Trust me, it’s a lot of fun. The game is currently 25% off at $14.99. Check it out! Read more…
Tags: double fine, Gang Beasts
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 2, 2014 in Videogames 
TGS is about to start, and on a pre-show stream, a new trailer for Persona 5 was shown. It features a messy-haired protagonist walking amidst crowds until some sort of fire erupts. There’s some other little details hidden in there as well, like the newspaper headings reading “murdered in their own room […].” Also, that logo is so 70s, and I love it oh so much. Perhaps the most interesting detail is that the game will also be coming out on PS4 the same day as the PS3 version… in 2015. Yup, a little delay there! Read more…
Tags: Atlus, Persona 5
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 1, 2014 in Videogames 
Firewatch is the first game from new indie developer Campo Santo, and it looks amazing. Granted, the developers aren’t exactly newbies — Sean Vanaman, Jake Rodkin (of Walking Dead game and Idle Thumbs fame), and Olly Moss (popular graphic designer) along with several other talented individuals created the company. Firewatch follows a man named Henry stationed at a watchtower in the Wyoming forests, who keeps in contact with the outside world via radio. Heavy on the story and beautiful visuals, I’m blown away by how good this game looks. I can’t wait to play it next year. Check out the trailer below! Read more…
Tags: Campo Santo, Firewatch, Olly Moss
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 31, 2014 in Animation, Videogames 
Never thought I’d be saying this about Angry Birds Transformers, but this trailer is pretty neat. Spoofing off of the original Transformers cartoon, it features the various birds duking it out all in VHS glory. The audio distortion, the fade-in frames, poor tracking, and fuzzy visuals drag me back to watching classic cartoons on tape as a child. Plus, the theme song says “birds disguised as robots in disguise,” so that’s pretty funny. I wonder if the actual game will be any good? Hopefully! Check out the video below. Read more…
Tags: Angry Birds, Transformers
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 30, 2014 in Videogames 
Despite some leaks confirming this much, much earlier than intended, Shulk is now officially confirmed for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS. His intro trailer features his swappable Monado Arts that alter his abilities, which he then uses against Bowser, Link, and Marth. He also comes with a swimsuit alternate costume! In related news, Nintendo also announced Xenoblade for the New 3DS, taking advantage of the new system’s upgraded processor. This port of the Wii game will hopefully let more people have a chance to experience it (given how hard it is to find a copy of the Wii game now). It’s definitely a good time to be a Xenoblade fan! Both trailers and more images below. Read more…
Tags: New 3DS, Super Smash Bros., Xenoblade
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 30, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo surprised everyone (sort of… well, not really) by revealing two new iterations of their 3DS handhelds yesterday, titled simply New 3DS and New 3DS LL. Almost identical to the existing systems, except with improved 3D capabilities, a faster processor for speedier menus and downloads, ZL and ZR buttons, NFC support for Amiibos, and a new right-side nub for emulating that dual-joystick style you all love so much. While the LL (called the XL in the US) stays mostly the same, the New 3DS opts for a matte styling this time, taking its design cues from the LL. The smaller version also features exchangeable cover-plates so you can customize your system however you’d like! They arrive October 11th in Japan and sometime in 2015 for US and Europe. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, New 3DS, Nintendo
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 29, 2014 in Dr. Who, Videogames 
Are you one of the zillions of children playing Minecraft on Xbox 360? Maybe your own kids are into it? Well, time to get them into Doctor Who, too, with several new skin packs for the game soon. On the PC version of Minecraft, you can use and create any skin you can imagine, but on the Xbox 360 version, you’re limited to what Microsoft and Mojang offer. This has given rise to many licensed skin packs for the game, like these Doctor Who packs. The skin packs will start in September. Read more…
Tags: Minecraft
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