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Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 30, 2014 in Videogames 
Square Enix has constantly placed Final Fantasy XV (or Final Fantasy Versus XIII if you go back far enough) just over the horizon for years now. And while I’m still excited about it, I’d be lying if I wasn’t more interested in Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, a port of a game that actually materialized three years ago on the PSP. The game is coming out on March 17, 2015 (March 20 in Europe), which feels right around the corner now that we’re in the holiday game release period, so this latest trailer (featuring English voices) is very enticing. It captures some of the warring nations angle that Final Fantasy XII tried out, or perhaps Final Fantasy Tactics. Sure, as an enhanced PSP-port, the graphics don’t look that spectacular, but at least the gameplay and art design seem interesting. And really, do we need another game like Final Fantasy XIII that emphasized graphics over everything else?
Read more…
Tags: Final Fantasy, PS4, square enix, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 29, 2014 in Star Wars, Videogames 
Playing old PC games is much more complicated than old console games. Console games are standardized, so something like Uncharted will play on any PS3, provided you have a PS3. Old PC games, however, require lots of tinkering, often installing fan-created mods to play them on your current system. So it’s great to have a storefront like Good Old Games that sells old games that will work on modern PCs. GOG has just put up Star Wars: X-Wing and Star Wars: TIE Fighter, which haven’t been rereleased in years. Both games are special editions that include slightly better audio and video, as well as their expansions. They’re both available now for only $10 each, so go grab them! Read more…
Tags: Star Wars, x-wing
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 28, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo doesn’t expect everyone to buy both versions of a new Pokemon game. Other than minor plot differences and certain exclusive pokemon, they’re basically the same game. Nintendo does this to encourage trading with other players. But some people buy both versions for various reasons: collecting, sharing the second game with a poor friend, a second save file, or maybe not having anyone else to play with. If you are thinking of getting both Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Nintendo has a “deal” for you. For the exact same cost of buying the games separately, you can buy them together in a bundle. What’s the incentive? Two download codes for 100 potions each, to help you start your game. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 27, 2014 in Videogames 
I love behind-the-scenes looks into game development, so a documentary into how a game is made will always pique my interest. Microsoft is releasing a documentary about the development of Halo 2: Anniversary (the remaster of Halo 2) on Halloween. It’ll be available on Twitch as a live stream and on Xbox Live as a download. The Twitch streams will happen at 2pm ET on the 31st, then at 9pm ET on November 1st and 2nd. You can also check it out on the Halo Channel on November 11th (I didn’t even know there was a Halo Channel). Check out the trailer below! I’m curious if this’ll mostly be a promotional opportunity, or if they’ll delve into the details of game design? We’ll see! Read more…
Tags: Halo, Microsoft
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 27, 2014 in Videogames 
You may have heard of a small indie game from earlier this year called Stranded. It was a unique sci-fi exploration-based adventure game amidst ancient alien ruins depicted with gorgeous pixel art. Now, the devs are teasing their next game, titled Murder, which looks to be exploring a robot murdering a human in a cyberpunk future. They list their biggest inspirations: Masamune Shirow, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Neal Stevenson, among others. Ok, I’m interested! I love this style of world, with its oppressive rain, neon lighting, and dark alleyways. Check out the teaser trailer below, then keep an eye on their website for future updates. Read more…
Tags: Indie Games
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 25, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo recently streamed “50 Things” about Smash Bros. for Wii U, touting a bunch of new features, items, stages, and game modes. The biggest news was an 8-player mode, which let’s 8 people in the same room duke it out on extra-large stages. This is kind of crazy, as Smash Bros. is already pretty hectic. They also announced a new and improve stage creator, a new board-game mode called Smash Tour, and basically all features from Brawl returning. Lastly, they confirmed DLC for the game: if you own both Smash Bros. for 3DS and the Wii U, you’ll receive Mewtwo as a downloadable character for free. Neat! I hope that means there will be more DLC in the future. Smash Bros. for Wii U is out November 21st. The entire stream is embedded below. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 24, 2014 in Videogames 
Titanfall is a game that I found very fun, but also fairly slim on content. Developer Respawn has added a lot since release, and they just announced a new update with several new features. The leading item is a new game mode called Frontier Defense. It’s a four-player co-op mode in which you defend towers from waves of AI enemies. As you might expect from a tower defense mode, you can set up titans, turrets, and more to defend the area. Along with this update, they’ll also be including a “floor is lava” game mode (which sounds amazing), and Marked for Death Pro. You can download the update now! Check out their Twitch stream featuring video of the new modes here! Read more…
Tags: Titanfall
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 23, 2014 in Videogames 
Since 343 Industries took over the Halo series from Bungie, parent company Microsoft has been trying to reinvigorate the brand with more products. Maybe this is in hopes of recapturing the attention they had before the reign of Call of Duty. Regardless, this has resulted in more film experiments, such as Halo: Nightfall. They got Ridley Scott to executive produce this series about Agent Jameson Locke, the co-star of the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians. It’s looking pretty good, but many don’t know where to watch this series. So here’s a reminder: the episodes will be included with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, releasing on the Xbox One on November 11. Read more…
Tags: Halo, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 22, 2014 in Videogames 
Shantae is one of those cult franchises, a series of games full of great gameplay, solid controls, and beautiful 2D graphics. Many people don’t even know the series exists because the first game had a limited print run on Game Boy Color after the Game Boy Advance had already launched. The second game launched on the DSi’s online shop, which almost no one used. Maybe the third game, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, will finally make a bigger splash. Though the titular half-genie has lost her powers in this installment, her pirate skills look fun to use. The game is out this Thursday on 3DS. Unfortunately, the Wii U version has been delayed until later this year, but that’s not too far off, so I can’t be too sad. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Shantae, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 21, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo, why didn’t you just say this from the start? If you missed signing up for the Pokemon Trainer Club newsletter (or didn’t care to bother), you can still get a code for the 3DS demo for Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. This demo is a unique adventure that lets you catch some new Mega-Evolved Pokemon and items that will transfer to the full game. Nintendo has announced several more ways to get a code. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 16, 2014 in Videogames 
There are two DLC packs planned for Mario Kart 8, and they’re planned to have some crossover elements from fellow Nintendo series The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing. Each DLC pack features two new cups, four new vehicles, and three new playable characters, one of which is Link. He’ll be in the first DLC pack due November 2014, along with this newly-revealed motorcycle called the Master Cycle. It’s blue like the hilt of the Master Sword, and also looks like a horse. Nintendo humorously notes that this vehicle “has plenty of horse power.” This is such a cool thing to see that I’m going to let that horrible pun slide. Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 15, 2014 in Videogames 
I’ll admit, I was done with South Park for a while. The humor just wasn’t working for me any more. But I decided to play South Park: The Stick of Truth for the hell of it. The game turned out to be really funny, so I checked out the newest season, which has turned out to be amazing, so I guess I’m a fan again. And because of that, I feel compelled to share the news of two South Park tables coming to Zen Pinball (or Pinball FX if you’re playing on Xbox). The tables consist of South Park: Super-Sweet Pinball and Butters’ Very Own Pinball Game, because Butters is awesome. You can get them on consoles and PC later this week for $4.99. Mobile versions will cost $3.99 as an app, or $1.99 per table to add them to Zen Pinball. My only disappointment is that the first table isn’t a recreation of the real-life pinball table, to which I’ve lost far too much money over the years. Read more…
Tags: Pinball, South Park
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 15, 2014 in Videogames 
The good news: Nintendo is finally putting out demos for some of its biggest games. The bad news: not only are these generally restricted to a certain number of uses, but sometimes they’ll make you jump through hoops to try things out. Chances are you already know if you’re interested in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire; after all, they’re remakes of the third generation, the point by which the overall formula had pretty much been figured out. But if you’re on the fence, here’s what you need to do to get a demo. By October 20, go to Pokemon.com and sign up for a Pokemon Trainer Club account (which you likely already have if you use online features). Then, make sure you’ve opted in to marketing emails, and they’ll send out codes in their next Pokemon newsletter. It’s pretty simple, but still more complicated than just making the demo available to everyone. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 13, 2014 in Videogames 
Citizen Con 2014 happened recently — yes, a con for Star Citizen — and they debuted new footage from the game, featuring a pilot flying in space all the way down to a planet’s surface. Chris Roberts shows off the ship, then demonstrates flying down through the atmosphere to a landing platform. He even goes through customs! They also show some of the shops and stores, albeit in a very limited fashion. You can definitely see the ambition, and I continue to hope that the full game pays off. (If the video footage below is a little choppy, that’s actually due to the recording software, not the game.) Read more…
Tags: Star Citizen
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 12, 2014 in Videogames 
Continuing with their new mission of adding bizarre and unique characters to LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, WB announced at NYCC that Duck Dodgers would be joining the playable cast, along with Conan O’Brien and Jim Lee. Yeah, that Jim Lee. I am definitely curious how this whole shtick will play out in the end. It’s a great news bit to say “Hey, look at these crazy characters in our game!” but will it end up actually meaning anything to the final game? Next year will people be talking about how great it was to play as Duck Dodgers or Conan? I don’t know! Check out more images below! Read more…
Tags: Batman, Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 11, 2014 in Videogames 
Phoenix Wright and crew will be returning to the Nintendo 3DS this winter. We had heard about the updated trilogy a while ago, which will include the first three games in the Ace Attorney series, remastered with updated visuals; but now we’ve got a release date: December 9th in the US and December 11th in Europe. In case you’re wondering, this also includes the bonus case that was added to the first game. The trilogy will be available exclusively on the eShop, which seems to be Capcom’s favorite way to release the Ace Attorney games these days. It’ll run you $29.99, and if you haven’t played them yet, this is a great way to experience these three classic games. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 9, 2014 in Television, Videogames 
Here’s a blast from the past. Many will remember Myst, the prerendered videogame from 1993 that has the player touching books to enter immersive worlds (or “ages”) filled with puzzles. The series ended with Myst V in 2005, but now Legendary Entertainment has announced a deal that will allow them to develop Myst for TV. Since there is little story in the game, there are many ways this adaptation could go. I wouldn’t be surprised if they included a new age or two if their story needs it. But dormant fans should take note: developers Rand and Robyn Miller have discussed making a new videogame to tie-in to the TV series, so the franchise may see a sudden revival. Read more…
Tags: Myst
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 8, 2014 in Videogames 
I’ll be honest: I didn’t think Super Smash Bros. for Wii U would come out this year. Though the tie-in Amiibo toys were scheduled to be released soon, it was somewhat strange that it was already October and no one knew the release date of the supposed “Holiday 2014” release. But apparently I was wrong, because Nintendo has finally announced that the game would be out on November 21, the same day as Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. As a reminder, you can also get a bundle with a Gamecube controller adapter and a Smash-branded controller for $100, $10 cheaper than grabbing the adapter and controller separately. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 6, 2014 in Videogames 
After a long and illustrious career, Satoru Okada has retired from his job at Nintendo. If you don’t know Okada, here’s a few things he’s worked on that you might know: he was the director of Metroid, Kid Icarus, and Super Mario Land. He also designed the Game Boy with the legendary Gunpei Yokoi. After Yokoi left, Okada headed up Nintendo’s Research & Engineering department, leading the design work on the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS. Basically, while not quite as famous as some of the other Nintendo staff, he did a ton of impressive work. Okada has now retired. He has also written the foreword for the upcoming book Before Mario, which chronicles the exploits of Nintendo before they jumped into the home console business. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 3, 2014 in Comic Books, Videogames 
I’m not sure why, but the latest playable character announced for LEGO Batman 3 is Kevin Smith. Yes, that Kevin Smith, of Clerks fame. The guy who named his daughter after Harley Quinn — didn’t you know? This is an interesting choice for a playable character in a Batman game, but I guess once you’ve used up all the expected Batman and DC characters it’s time to start dipping into the surrounding pop culture pool. You want to know who else is joining Smith as a playable character? DC Entertainment chief creative officer Geoff Johns. Ok, that makes a bit more sense. More info will debut about the game at New York Comic-con. Read more…
Tags: Batman, DC Comics, Kevin Smith, Lego
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 1, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
As Hollywood runs out of viable properties to remake, reboot, and sequelize the past, it has expanded to brands that don’t even really have stories. Perhaps spurred by the ludicrous existence of the Battleship movie, Threshold Entertainment has announced that they are producing a Tetris movie in conjunction with The Tetris Company. The movie will be live-action, described as “a very big, epic sci-fi movie” by Threshold CEO Larry Kasanoff. Kasanoff has adapted videogames in the past; he produced the cheesy Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Meanwhile, Threshold is most notable for Foodfight!, an ugly CGI monstrosity where the product placement are the characters. Read more…
Tags: Tetris
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 30, 2014 in Videogames 
I love this new trailer for The Evil Within, Bethesda’s new horror game from Shinji Mikami, the man behind Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4, among other critically-acclaimed games. It reads like an old-style ad, with a straight-laced narrator extolling the virtues of a product instead of visually selling the experience. Not that the visuals don’t command your attention, especially those elements that seem to call back to Shinji Mikami’s past games. (There’s a spooky house like RE1, a chainsaw enemy like RE4, a body-burning mechanic like the RE Gamecube remake, etc.) The trailer makes The Evil Within look rather action-oriented at parts, so hopefully the game spans the whole range of horror and doesn’t just become a horror-skinned shooter that happens to have limited ammo. The game releases on October 14, just in time for Halloween. Read more…
Tags: shinji mikami, The Evil Within
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 30, 2014 in Videogames 
Japan will soon see the release of the New 3DS, an upgraded version of the 3DS handheld with extra controls and horsepower. One of the features of the smaller model (not the bigger New 3DS XL) is changeable faceplates, featuring Nintendo characters and other designs. So to promote this and tie-in with the recent release of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, Nintendo made an ad with Japanese pop idol Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. This girl is like the Japanese version of Lady Gaga, but more cute-weird than sexy-weird. After learning this sequence of events, you can see how this ad turned out to be so weird, with various Nintendo characters getting sort of dressed up, if you somehow consider a mish-mash of patterns to be proper formal wear. Read more…
Tags: New 3DS, Nintendo
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 29, 2014 in Animation, Videogames 
The Fourth Annual Saxxy Awards voting period is almost over, so if you haven’t had a chance yet, you should get over there and vote! The Saxxys is Valve’s annual video competition in which fans use the Source Filmmaker software to create CGI videos using game assets from Team Fortress 2, Portal 2, and Left 4 Dead. Most of the submitted films are TF2 -themed, but there’s really no limit to what you can put in your film, as long as it’s either using game assets or your own original work. There’s multiple categories and several awards to give out. I’ve put a few of the best I’ve seen below the jump. And then get voting here! Read more…
Tags: Saxxy Awards, Source Filmmaker, Team Fortress, Valve
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