Smash Bros. Ultimate Update Live, Makes Online Improvements
The new update for Super Smash Bros Ultimate has gone live, indicating a number of new improvements, including updates to online as well as some character balancing.
For online, the game now highly prioritizes your preferred match types when matchmaking. A common complaint about online was that you could set your parameters to 1 vs. 1 with no items and end up in a four-player free-for-all with items set to high. Now the game will work harder to match you up with your preferred style, though the patch notes warn that it may take more time to find a match now.
There have also been general changes to increase the stability of synchronous connections in online. Hopefully this means improved netcode.
Donkey Kong, Link, Kirby, Luigi, Ice Climbers, Young Link, Olimar, Toon Link, Villager, Greninja, Pac-Man, Duck Hunt, and Isabelle also all got balance changes. The Pikachu and Eevee spirits you can get for having either Pokemon Let's Go: Eevee or Pikachu data on the Switch are now available and can be unlocked.
Remember, this update changes the balance, so any non-video replays you have saved need to be recorded ASAP. Once the update applies, you can no longer view those replays. Once you're ready to patch, the Switch menu will ask you when launching the app.
Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard's crossover MOBA featuring their well-known characters, by all appearances seemed to be doing well. At this past Blizzcon, the company even introduced the first original character for the title. Now, however, it seems that Blizzard is looking to slowly move on from the game, which has seemingly not been doing as well as we thought.
In a new blog post, Blizzard announced that they're moving talent away from Heroes of the Storm to other projects within the company.
"Over the past several years, the work of evaluating our development processes and making hard decisions has led to new games and other products that we’re proud of," write CEO J. Allen Brack and chief development officer Ray Gresko. "We now have more live games and unannounced projects than at any point in the company’s history. We’re also at a point where we need to take some of our talented developers and bring their skills to other projects. As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to shift some developers from Heroes of the Storm to other teams, and we’re excited to see the passion, knowledge, and experience that they’ll bring to those projects. This isn’t the first time we’ve had to make tough choices like this. Games like Diablo II, World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Overwatch, and more would not exist had we not made similar decisions in the past."
While the post takes great pains to explain that further content will continue for Heroes of the Storm, and the developer diaspora will ultimately benefit all of Blizzard's games, it does certainly paint a bleak picture for this game's future. Blizzard also takes this opportunity to note that two of the biggest Heroes of the Storm esports events, Heroes Global Championship and Heroes of the Dorm, will not be held this year. The reasoning, Blizzard says, is that they do not believe they could meet fan expectations and standards this year.
Still, there is optimism to be found within the news. Going by Blizzard's own words, they expect this to be better for Heroes of the Storm.
"We’ll continue actively supporting the game with new heroes, themed events, and other content that our community loves, though the cadence will change," the blog post reads. "Ultimately, we’re setting up the game for long-term sustainability."
Regardless, it does not seem like Heroes of the Storm will be going anywhere anytime soon. There is no reason to think Blizzard has any intention to stop supporting the title, even if the resources are better spent elsewhere. With the success of things like the Overwatch League, however, the dreams of Heroes of the Storm taking the world, well, by storm may be long gone.
Zombie survival game DayZ has finally left Early Access, the pre-release state where the game is on sale but has yet to hit its 1.0 version. It has been nearly five years to the day when the game first appeared on Steam's Early Access program, originally launching on December 16, 2013.
Check out the 1.0 launch trailer below.
To celebrate, developers Bohemia Interactive is making the game's multiplayer free until December 17, which is also when the pricing will leave Early Access and go up 15 percent. So you can try the game before you commit and then buy it for cheaper than it will be as of next week.
The game started off as a mod for war sim ARMA 2 in 2009 and eventually split off into its own product. Since coming to Steam, the game has sold over three million copies. Bohemia Interactive has stated an interest in releasing the games on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and plans to target those platforms for 2019 releases.
Square Enix has unveiled the first of three planned trailers before Kingdom Hearts III’s launch next month. The video showcased an exhilarating and action-packed, though exceedingly brief, overview of the major characters and their journeys in the series so far. The trailer was more of a stylish refresher than a useful lore guide, and the montage didn’t illuminate the characters’ stories for those not already in the know – which is why we decided to help.
At its core, Kingdom Hearts is a series of games about the champions of light fighting the forces of darkness with magical key-shaped weapons, and how that clash tests even the strongest bonds of friendship. Though its story has an intimidating reputation for being complicated – aided by the fact that several vital games in the series were released on various consoles – newcomers, or those who didn’t play all the games, shouldn’t worry about jumping into Kingdom Heart III. To catch everyone up, we created a guide to help untangle the intricate web of lore surrounding the heroes and their journeys.
Who They Are
Ventus, Terra, and Aqua debuted in Birth by Sleep, a prequel to the events of the first Kingdom Hearts. The story centers on the three keyblade masters-in-training whose friendship is tested when Xehanort – the main antagonist in the Kingdom Hearts universe – sets a plan in motion to gain power.
Character Traits
Terra is the oldest of the bunch. He is driven, self-sufficient, and has single-mindedly worked towards becoming Keyblade Master his entire life. Aqua, though a compassionate and devoted friend, can best either of her fellow keyblade hopefuls in battle and has unwavering faith in her path. Both characters are quickly approaching their Mark of Mastery exam to see if they are worthy to be Keyblade Masters. Ventus – rash, passionate, and loyal – is younger than the other two, and so is not partaking in this rite of passage, but its outcome changes the course of his future too.
Friendships Tested
During their Mark of Mastery exam, Xehanort – a visiting Keyblade Master who secretly believes in the power of darkness – corrupts the proceedings. This causes Terra to fail, shattering his lifelong dream; his mood only worsens when Aqua passes successfully. Her newfound duty, however, is what causes a rift between Aqua and her closest friends. As a Keyblade Master, Aqua must uphold the light, which now means keeping an eye on Terra, who shows disturbing signs of turning to the darkness, and trying to ensure Ventus stays hidden and safe. Thinking that Terra is in eminent danger, Ventus recklessly follows him, but soon struggles with evidence of Terra’s descent
Where Are They Now
In the final showdown between dark and light, Xehanort reveals he wants to cast the world in darkness, and the trio realize they have to come together to defend against the threat. Though evil doesn’t triumph, it isn’t exactly defeated either; Xehanort forcibly takes controls of Terra’s body, Aqua falls into the realm of darkness attempting to save Terra, and by sacrificing himself to spoil Xehanort’s plan, Ventus falls into a comatose state.
Who Are They
Starring in the first Kingdom Hearts game Sora, Kari, and Riku are childhood friends who know in their hearts there is more out there and feel trapped on their tiny island. Convinced they are being kept from something greater and determined to find it, the three friends build a raft to escape. The night before they planned on making their journey, a monstrous storm filled with dark creatures tears them and their homeland apart. Unlike their Birth By Sleep counterparts, they stumble into the struggle between light and dark completely unprepared.
Character Traits
Sora and Riku are both stubborn and aspire to be better than the other, which pits them against each other a lot. This isn’t such a big deal when it’s only playing around with wooden swords to gain the attention of Kairi, but it becomes a world-threatening issue when they gain the power of the keyblade. Sora is a little goofier and more naïve than his cool and serious rival, but they both care deeply about their friends. Kairi is much wiser than her male cohorts and treats both with understanding and kindness.
Friendships Tested
Riku, always having been curious about the other worlds, embraces the darkness as his ticket out of his small-town life. Sora doesn’t yet understand what is happening and tries desperately to reach Riku, but his heart is too full of Light to follow. They get separated and Sora emerges from the dark cloud holding a keyblade. With little time wonder why the magical blade appeared, Sora goes looking for Kairi but when he thinks he has found her, Kairi is blasted toward him by a force of dark energy and disappears after passing through him like a ghost. As it turns out, Kairi, knowing she was the key to opening a door to darkness, gifts her heart to Sora in that moment for safekeeping. Because of this, she remains lifeless when the characters discover her later. Riku blames Sora for Kairi’s unresponsive state and believes that Sora – because he refuses to use darkness – is not doing everything in his power to help her. Sora, on the other hand, has seen the devastation Riku caused when thoughtlessly using the darkness and hates seeing the villain his friend has become.
The difficulties between the two protagonists continue even after Kairi is revived and safely returned to their now restored island. Sora’s enemies plague him with a Riku look-alike that tries to convince Sora he didn’t truly care about Riku. The real Riku, is haunted by his own inner demons realizing the pain he has caused. Kairi, now revealed as a Princess of Heart who is also able to wield a keyblade, recognizes Riku despite a disguise and reunites him with Sora. Together, they temporarily defeat the forces of darkness and all three briefly return to their home island before the two boys are summoned to undergo the Mark of Mastery exam. If there was a situation that could test their new-found unity and bring back out their childish rivalry, this would be it. However, when Riku is the only one to pass, Sora sincerely congratulates his friend without envy, though he is still set on becoming a Keyblade Master.
Where Are They Now
Riku is now tasked with rescuing Aqua from the Dark realm, while Sora will be seeking out other fellow Keyblade wielders for the final showdown. One of the keyblade wielders will be Kairi.
Who Are They
Mickey rules over Disney Castle in the Kingdom Hearts universe, with Donald and Goofy as his faithful knights. Mickey became a Keyblade Master under the tutelage of Yen Sid, a powerful wizard renowned for his wisdom. Mickey originally believes that the darkness should be destroyed but grows to realize that light and dark maintain an important balance. He is often gallivanting off to help the guardians of light when they need it most. In Birth By Sleep, he arrives in the nick of time to help Aqua protect a very young Kairi from the forces of darkness. Luckily, Aqua returns the favor and saves Mickey when he is later kidnapped and left stranded in space. Mickey has been a saving grace throughout the series. Once again he saves the day when he charges in at the last minute to help Sora, Riku, and Kairi face down the darkness. Mickey, along with Riku, sacrifices himself to close the door to the darkness. Throughout the series, Donald and Goofy are searching for him in order to help in his quest.
Character Traits
Mickey is brave, powerful, and a crucial ally to anyone who wants to defend the light. Donald and Goofy are lovable, but bumbling, companions that nonetheless want to help. Though Donald and Goofy are mainly concerned with finding their King, when they bump into Sora in the first Kingdom Hearts, the trio quickly team up, building a strong bond.
Friendships Tested
Though these three often get separated, Donald and Goofy never waver in their loyalty to Mickey, and Mickey never doubts their devotion. So, unlike the other heroes in Kingdom Hearts, their journeys don’t throw them into serious conflict with each other, even if Donald delights in grumpily nagging the slow-witted Goofy.
Where Are They Now
Mickey, safely reunited with Donald and Goofy, helped to oversee Riku and Sora’s Mark of Mastery exam alongside his master Yen Sid. The group has concluded that Xehanort will return and they need to collect other keyblade wielders to face him. Mickey is accompanying Riku on his quest to save Aqua, while Donald and Goofy will support Sora in finding other keyblade wielders.
Who Are They
This is the odd trio out because they begin their story aligned with the darkness in 358/2 Days which takes place between Kingdom Hearts and its sequel. The friends are a group of Nobodies, which are created when someone strong loses their heart. They were recruited by Organization XIII with the promise that they would become real humans again. Roxas is the Nobody that Sora created when he sacrificed himself to give Kairi her heart back in the first Kingdom Hearts.
Character Traits
Roxas is good-spirited, but questions his place in the world when he falls in with Organization XIII. He soon becomes friends with his quick-witted, caviler superior Axel and the shy new-girl on the block Xion. The three companions gather together after their Organization missions to relax and they become strongly attached to each other despite being Nobodies who aren’t supposed to have feelings.
Friendships Tested
Unfortunately for the black-clad three musketeers, their days of eating sea-salt ice-cream together comes to an end when Roxas and Xion start asking questions about who they are and what the Organization really wants. As a higher-ranking member of the Organization, Axel is forced to move against his friends. Xion soon finds that she is not a Nobody, but an imperfect copy of Roxas, meant to replace him if he doesn’t help the Organization. Roxas and Xion battle each other when they realize only one of them can survive. Xion is content to lose the fight to allow Roxas to take down the Organization. Axel and Roxas come to blows after the Organization tells Axel to either capture Roxas or be killed himself. Axel can’t bring himself to harm his friend and is upset when Roxas chooses to remerge with Sora. Distraught, Axel attempts to kidnap Kairi to force Sora to recreate Roxas, but ends up sorry for what he has done. Despite their history, Axel saves Sora from danger with an attack so powerful that he obliterates himself. However, that sacrifice allows Axel to regain his true human form – Lea.
Where Are They Now
Xion and Roxas have both willingly disappeared from existence to join with the other keyblade wielders. Axel now in his real human form, saves Sora from Organization XIII and joins in the fight against darkness.
While you can fall further down the rabbit hole with Kingdom Hearts, this should set you in a good place to begin Kingdom Hearts III. If you are interested in learning more about the story, our overview of the series’ plot is a good place to start. We also have trailers, hands-on impressions, and a deep-dive with game director Tetsuya Nomura. Kingdom Hearts III is launching on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on January 29.
If you are big into Minecraft, at some point you've heard the name Hypixel. The developers are behind one of the world's biggest Minecraft servers and some of the most famous Minecraft maps. No one outside of Mojang knows Minecraft quite like they do and it seems Hypixel is ready to bear that out with the help of Riot Games.
Hypixel has split off to create Hypixel Studios which has itself unveiled Hytale, a Minecraft-like that has both a creation mode and an adventure mode. Check out the trailer below.
The adventure mode is a full narrative with designed dungeons and bosses to fight and complete, promising a single-player campaign for those who felt it was missing from other games in the genre.
The creation mode, however, really seems to flip the script. At first blush, it looks like the standard Minecraft-like, but goes a step further. The game has a set of tools to code in new items, areas, characters, and even create entire cutscenes.
Riot has seemingly gotten behind the game in a big way, acting as its publisher and providing resources to help Hypixel make the game they want to make. The game is scheduled for release in 2019 on PC, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Hytale get a console release down the line, as well.
Big-budget, triple-A experiences have never been better, but modern games have no shortage of long cutscenes and hand-holding tutorial sequences. In contrast, Dusk is a nostalgia trip that strips away modern expectations and delivers distilled FPS thrills. Dusk doesn't mess around with leveling mechanics or a sprawling narrative; it hands you a shotgun and lets you loose on a demon army. This simplicity is Dusk’s greatest strength, because this no-frills shooter is an excellent crash course in basic game design.
Dusk doesn't hide its homage to '90s corridor shooters like Doom and Quake. These straightforward, boxy levels are relatively short and filled with colored keycards and hidden monster closets. But, given its graphical constraints, Dusk’s environments are incredibly well-realized. Animated scarecrows stumble out of cornfields while rundown barns teem with hooded cultists and demonic goats. Each level features its own twist on folk horror, seemingly inspired by films like The Wicker Man and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. With sparing detail, Dusk establishes an ominous tone that completely sucked me in from level one.
One of the biggest reasons to explore every nook and cranny of Dusk’s short levels is to gain access to powerful weapons. Early on, I fell in love with dual-wielding shotguns, but another favorite go-to became the rivet gun, which fires off super-heated construction rivets that explode like miniature missiles. Unlike many classic FPS games, I constantly rotated through Dusk’s arsenal thanks to each weapon’s specialization. For example, the hunting rifle is a long-range tool that packs an incredible punch, while the crossbow fires magical green arrows that rip through multiple enemies and even fire through walls. Each weapon is incredibly satisfying, and thanks to an ample supply of ammo scattered on the ground, my magazines rarely ran dry.
Mastering Dusk’s arsenal is important, because the action is frantic. Every firefight feels like a dance as you rotate through insanely powerful weapons and strafe dozens of incoming foes. Most enemies do little more than stand and shoot or run straight at you, but given the sheer number of foes and the fact that different projectiles move at varying speeds, I was constantly on my toes. Dusk is a shooter with no reloading, no cover, and no nonsense, so every skirmish is an absolute thrill ride.
Dusk’s intensity also pairs well with its oppressive atmosphere. You rarely have time to think about the horrors you’ve witnessed because the game is continually tossing enemies at you and letting you burn off that nervous energy in combat. Dusk is at once nerve-racking and cathartic.
After you finish the extensive single-player campaign, you can jump online for 16-player multiplayer mayhem. While the online action remains fast-paced, deathmatch is the only multiplayer mode, and it only has a handful of interesting maps. I had no trouble jumping into online matches, but I did have trouble getting a full 16-player match going. An in-game link to a community Discord channel helps coordinate play sessions, but this feels like papering over a problem rather than providing reliable and robust matchmaking. Given online multiplayer's lack of options and intentional lack of progression, this mode feels more like a novelty. Fortunately, the single-player campaign is more than worth the price of admission.
The first-person shooter has evolved a great deal since Doom popularized the genre in 1993, but, in spite 25 years of innovations, Dusk proves that many of the old tricks still work incredibly well. Dusk might look and feel like a Quake mod, but it's so polished it feels modern. Anyone with even a hint of nostalgia in their bones for classic shooters should dive headfirst into Dusk.
Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have revealed two more returning characters to Dead or Alive 6, veterans Brad and Eliot. Brad is mostly unchanged from his previous incarnations, utilizing his drunken master style once again. Eliot also seems to be the same as the previous game, but has a jazzy new outfit.
You can check out the character trailer for both below.
The pair are fighting on a new stage titled Unforgettable, which pieces together parts from a number of old DOA stages on a film set. You can see the stairs from Helena's stage, outside the casino, the war zone, and more. It seems to be a greatest hits of DOA stages past.
Dead or Alive 6 releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15.
With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s base roster cemented, players can now set their sights on the all-important question: Who’s being made available via DLC? Primary among the many completely justified complaints is the glaring omission of Waluigi and a surprising lack of Toad. Persona’s Joker was recently added to the list opening the floodgates for all sorts of third-party characters, so we must ask, why is Ronald McDonald still not on the roster?
In Smash Bros. we all play to win. So does D.Va. The former gamer-turned-mech pilot would make a great addition to the brawler with her high-powered Tokki robo-suit. In fact, with her already-equipped booster ability, matrix shield (block), and self-destruct (which could be a final smash) the South Korean megastar is primed and ready to enter the fray.
With a handy pickaxe, arsenal of guns, and umbrella, Fortnite characters already have much of what a Smash character needs in a recover move, ranged attack, and close-quarters combo. For an ultimate smash, what about a dance emote that sends players soaring off the map from its sheer brilliance? No? Moving on…
Who says product placement in gaming is a bad thing? When we heard rumors that fast food’s clown prince was going to be playable, visions of him kicking Fox off the screen with his oversized red shoes danced through our heads like hamburgers on a hungry night. Speaking of hamburgers, why not throw in the Hamburglar for good measure as an assist trophy? He could run around stealing hamburgers from people… or something.
Let’s just say what we’re all thinking: Smash Bros. is way too PG. Kids these days want dark and edgy. With RoboCop’s automatic pistol and monotone one-liners, we think he could be just what this franchise needs to go from snoresville to goresville.
Speaking of badasses, what about Doom Guy? His no-nonsense attitude and savage glory kills could bring more maturity to Nintendo’s seminal brawler. And that retractable blade? Pikachu wouldn’t stand a chance.
For our unironic choice, why not throw a bit of love to Resident Evil? With the Resident Evil 2 remaster just a few months away, series favorite Leon Kennedy would make a great addition to the roster. With his expansive arsenal of zombie-vaporizing hardware, the Raccoon City police officer could easily stand with some of the more realistic characters in the lineup.
The age of Pikachu representing Pokémon has come to an end, and that end is called Eevee. The adorable normal-type is owed a spot on the roster, especially after the release of Pokémon: Let’s Go. With its myriad evolutions, maybe for a final smash, it could harness the power of all forms to fire off a hyper beam. Either way, Eevee could definitely put the yellow rat’s thunder to shame.
Gore, loads and loads more gore is clearly a running theme here. That’s how you put butts in seats, after all. And who better than Sony poster-child Kratos to paint the roster of Nintendo peons in torrents of blood? Kratos is the man… er, god, for the job.
Who do you think is criminally absent from Nintendo’s star-studded brawler? Let us know about it in the comments section below and be sure to check out our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review to see how the game stacks up to its giant predecessors. Also, for some picks that maybe aren't as big of longshots to get in, check out our wishlist from before it was even called Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Welcome back to The Game Informer Show! On this week's episode, we have Javy Gwaltney, Ben Reeves, and Leo Vader regaling us with details from their trip to Sweden to learn all about Avalanche's Rage 2 for our new cover story. Then Brian Shea and Jeff Cork join the show as we attempt to run down the highlights from The Game Awards, especially Far Cry New Dawn and Obsidian's The Outer Worlds. Dan Tack and Matt Miller are also eager to talk about Hades, the surprising new game from Supergiant Games. After some great community emails, we're joined by former Game Informer editor Meagan Marie to talk about her new book Women in Gaming: 100 Professionals of Play. We hope you enjoy the show!
You can watch the video below, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes or Google Play, listen to episode 428 on SoundCloud, or download the MP3 by clicking here. Also, be sure to send your questions to podcast@gameinformer.com for a chance to have them answered on the show.
Our thanks to the talented Super Marcato Bros. for The Game Informer Show's intro song. You can hear more of their original tunes and awesome video game music podcast at their website.
To jump to a particular point in the discussion, check out the time stamps below...
2:45 - Rage 2 cover story impressions
23:00 - Recap of The Game Awards
40:30 - Far Cry New Dawn
48:00 - The Outer Worlds
56:05 - Hades from Supergiant Games
1:09:20 - Community emails
1:46:45 - Meagan Marie interview on Women in Gaming: 100 Professionals of Play
Fortnite's Creative mode, the new third pillar of Fortnite focused on letting players create what they want with their own islands, is now available to everyone. When the mode was announced, it went up early for Battle Pass users on December 6, but can now be played by anyone with a Fortnite account (i.e. everyone).
In Creative mode, you create your island, invite friends over to check it out, and set it up for battle arenas. The actual creation part lets you fly around and copy and paste as you see fit, so you're not just relying on regular Fortnite gameplay to build your ideal island.
During The Game Awards last week, Epic revealed The Block, a space within Fortnite Battle Royale where the designers and community members choose the best Creative Mode island to place in the game. Your island could end up being played by millions of people if it's chosen for placement.
Creative mode is now live on all platforms you can play Fortnite on.
Spawn, the supernatural superhero who was more demonic than super and also maybe not quite a hero, might be making an appearance in Mortal Kombat 11. The fighting game hasn't had a lot of details so far, but outside of the game's reveal trailer showing Raiden and two Scorpions, it appears we might be able to add comic book star Spawn to the list as well.
The news comes from a Reddit AMA with Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, who was quickly asked if the antihero would end up in the newly announced Mortal Kombat title.
"I believe he's on his way..." McFarlane answered, both cryptically and directly. He might not have realized it wasn't announced or simply doesn't care about the weird secrecy that video games envelop themselves in on a regular basis.
If Spawn is in Mortal Kombat 11, it wouldn't be either the character or McFarlane's first forays into the fighting game arena. Spawn appeared in the Xbox version of Soulcalibur II as that game's guest character, with Link on the Gamecube and Heihachi on the PlayStation 2, so you might call a Mortal Kombat appearance a Re-Spawn. McFarlane also designed an original character for the game named Necrid, who was an attempt by Namco to make Soulcalibur more popular in the west. Necrid did not return for further games, though Soulcalibur V director Daishi Odashima has indicated it was more of a copyright issue.
Rumors surrounding Mortal Kombat 11 before announcement suggested that licensed characters, like the series has used as DLC in previous entries, will play a more pivotal role in the story this time around. If that's true, perhaps Spawn is involved in the time-traveling shenanigans going on with this tournament.
A new Spawn movie is supposedly in the works starring Jaime Fox, but has not begun filming yet. Mortal Kombat 11 will release on April 23 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, with a full reveal scheduled for January 17.
Developer 4A Games announced today Metro Exodus has gone gold. But even more interesting is the news that the game will now be launching on February 15, one week earlier than originally planned.
The studio did not provide a specific reason for the change; according to the calendar, both dates put Metro up against competition. February 22 is Anthem's launch date, but February 15 has titles like Crackdown 3, Dead or Alive 6, and Far Cry New Dawn.
To get an idea for what you'll see when you start Metro Exodus, watch the title sequence below (which 4A Games also revealed today).
Amazon and Sega have announced today that the Fire TV, their streaming HDMI-connected box, will support Genesis games through an app. The app, simply titled Sega Classics, allows Amazon Fire TV to play through 25 Genesis games with just the hardware and the magic of the internet.
Fire TV owners purchase a Sega Classics bundle and get all 25 games to play on the Fire TV. While you don't need a controller and can just use the box's included remote, you can also sync a bluetooth controller of your choice to play, which probably sounds like the better option.
Check out the full games list below.
Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD The Revenge of Shinobi Ristar Golden Axe Beyond Oasis Decap Attack ESWAT: City Under Siege Street of Rage, Street of Rage II, Street of Rage III Gunstar Heroes Dynamite Headdy Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine Columns Bio-Hazard Battle Comix Zone Alien Storm Bonanza Bros Golden Axe II, Golden Axe III Gain Ground Altered Beast Sonic SpinballThe idea seems fairly similar to the Genesis games on Steam, as Sega is not shy about using this library for many of its Genesis outings.
The Sega Classics bundle is $14.99 on Amazon's Fire TV marketplace. If you're dying to play some old Genesis games and really don't want to switch HDMI inputs, Amazon seems to be in the market to serve those needs.
Kartridge, the digital service lead by publisher Kongregate, has entered into a deal with Indie Megabooth to better surface and curate indie titles on the service. Indie Megabooth gathers indie titles and developers for major fan and industry shows to give indies that otherwise wouldn't get marketing attention some much-needed exposure. It appears they'll be doing roughly the same thing for Kartridge.
Indie Megabooth has a running list of alumni in their databases, indie developers that have worked with the organization before. Using this list, the company is working with Kongregate to spotlight those games for their service to show games people might otherwise not see.
"It’s no secret that I’m a firm believer in the power and importance of thoughtful curation," says Indie Megabooth CEO Kelly Wallick. "Not only is it important to address discoverability issues for indie devs, but diverse curation creates a welcoming environment for new fans to discover creatively accessible games and experiences."
Some of the games already chosen by IMB are Always Sometimes Monsters, Obduction, Skulls of the Shogun, and Tiny Bubbles. The program is already in beta on Kartridge and should become a fairly permanent fixture before too long.
The long-promised feature of being able to fight against other trainers is now officially integrated into Pokémon Go.
❗#GOBattle ALERT: Trainers level 10 and up can now start their first Trainer Battles! pic.twitter.com/QnpDinKWM8
— Pokémon GO is ready to #GOBattle❗ (@PokemonGoApp) December 13, 2018Niantic started rolling out the feature last night gating it based on player levels, but now it is fully integrated. You just have to have achieved at least level 10 to fight your fellow trainer.
Imran got a chance to try out the combat system, which is a little different from fighting in gyms and doing raids, prior to its official release. You can read all about it here.
[Source: @PokémonGoApp]
Our Take
I am one of those weirdos that never stopped playing Pokémon Go and as far as things I wanted to see added to the game, this was personally probably at the bottom of my list. It's a nice bullet-point for the game's features, but after my wife and I tried a few battles last night, I can't imagine I will be doing it much more.
Bandai Namco has announced that killer android 2B from Square Enix's NieR: Automata is joining the Soulcalibur VI roster on December 18.
Not only is she another dangerous character for the fighter, but she's also bringing with her new parts for the character creation tool and new weapons and music.
2B is part of the game's season pass as well as a standalone add-on.
Finally, the game is getting two updates (1.10 & 1.11), and you can read the 1.10 patch notes here.
For more on Soulcalibur VI, here's Suriel's review, and you can read Joe's review of NieR: Automata here. The latter title is getting a Game of the Yorha edition in March.
[Source: Bandai Namco (1), (2)]
Spider-Man's final chapter of The City That Never Sleeps DLC, entitled Silver Lining, comes out on December 21. Silver Sable is back to get her stolen tech from Hammerhead, and Spider-Man's in the middle.
The DLC also includes three new suits – Into the Spider-Verse (after the movie, naturally), Cyborg, and Aaron Aikman Spider-Armor. Silver Lining is going for $9.99 unless you already have the DLC bundle which costs $24.99.
For more on the game, check out Reiner's review as well as our impressions of the previous DLC chapters: The Heist and Turf Wars.
The protagonist of Gris charts her own way out of sadness, and while grief is often navigated alone, that is not necessarily the case here. Her path isn’t straightforward, but the game’s well-designed gameplay and levels don’t make you feel helpless and isolated, instead delivering catharsis.
The visual style immediately stoked my interest. It’s arresting and stylistic, accented by interesting and appropriate movements of the camera. The graphics’ clean lines are still expressive and often a fundamental part of the puzzles, instructive in how players can move about the world and interact with it. With that also comes enriching aural flourishes that further pull you in and changes of color that help express the protagonists’ progression.
Gris’ unnamed protagonist does not have a lot of powers in her arsenal, but make no mistake: This game is not just a pretty-looking, light platformer. What abilities she does have to influence environments build throughout the game, such as her dress becoming weighty or flowing to burst through or float across levels. The use of these powers is meted out to produce satisfying moments and to make sure there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to problems. One of my favorite reoccurring sequences involves reverse gravity areas, a nice confluence of the game’s form and function that also shows off Gris’ ability to deliver precise platforming.
I appreciate how Gris’ level design encourages exploration without sowing confusion, frustration, or leaving you lost when it comes to the larger tasks of solving puzzles or advancing the story. It’s not easy for a game to both give players a sense of exploration while still maintaining a framework for levels and puzzle gameplay that doesn’t make you feel like you’re simply moving from one task to the next. Even during backtracking, in Gris it’s like you’re seeing things for the first time because of the flow of the levels and the art style. This keeps it from feeling like you’re a rat enclosed in the walls of a maze simply bumping into things until you get it right.
Gris’ story is open to a range of interpretations, and it’s not important that you arrive at a specific meaning. Instead, in creating a well-constructed game, developer Nomada Studio has laid the foundations by which you can find your own sight and voice.
After 2015's underwhelming Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5, the iconic skateboarder is making a return to video games on a smaller scale. Tony Hawk's Skate Jam is available today for iOS and Android devices as a free-to-play mobile game. You can download it right here.
Tony Hawk was apparently involved heavily in the game's development helping to optimize the controls. Hawk also picked the game's soundtrack. In a press release for the game, Hawk was quoted as saying, “I think players of my older games will enjoy the nostalgic feel, while younger, mobile-first players will love the online competitive element. The goal is to connect generations of skateboarding fans, casual players, and competitive gamers, and this game is the ideal platform for that.”
The game includes a career mode with 15 skate parks across five different regions, boss levels, 10 unlockable characters, and more than 30 unlockable boards. The game can be played offline, but there will also be online modes, and online tournaments with rewards like signed skateboards, and real-life shoutouts from the eponymous Tony Hawk, himself.
There is also the “Hawk Mode” where players will grow their "Hawk Meter" by performing combos in order to transform into Tony Hawk to boost their score.
As far as monetization goes, you can pay to accelerate your progress and upgrade you skills and gear, and there will be an option to sign up for a paid subscription for access to recurring boosts and "additional rewards".
Our Take
This isn't exactly how I wanted to play a new Tony Hawk game, but I do miss the franchise, and I am curious to see how the game feels. I am encouraged by the presence of a campaign and the option to play offline. Hopefully the monetization isn't overbearing.
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