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Rise of the Triad Remastered will be released for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One in 2021
3D Realms might seem like a name from another era, especially after Duke Nukem Forever‘s protracted development seemingly doomed the company to obscurity. But its output from 1996 through 2001 (which includes Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Max Payne) was groundbreaking at the time, and is still fondly remembered today.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that while its a bit smaller nowadays, the publishing house has continuously kept the lights on since its founding in 1987 as Apogee Software.
It’s true, 3D Realms never really went away, and they’re even looking to expand in 2020. As part of this plan, they hosted Realms Deep, a virtual convention dedicated to their current projects. Possibly the biggest announcement to come out of Realms Deep this weekend was the reveal of Rise of the Triad Remastered.
Rise of the Triad was originally conceived as a sequel to id Software’s Wolfenstein 3D, but the developer canceled the contract in 1993 to keep players focused on Doom, which launched that December. So 3D Realms rebuilt Rise of the Triad into an original title and released it on their own in 1995. In the years since, the game has developed a loyal (but very small) cult following.
Frederik Schreiber, the current Vice President of 3D Realms, introduced the Remastered re-release in the trailer embedded above, and promised that it’ll be a “brand new source port” for the PC, PlayStation (presumably the PS4), Switch, and Xbox (presumably the Xbox One). The game will also include widescreen support, mouse look, and a revamped multiplayer mode.
Rise of the Triad Remastered will be co-developed by 3D Realms and Destructive Creations, and it’ll be available in 2021.
Nintendo will release Super Mario Bros. 35, a Mario battle royale, on October 1
The 35th anniversary of the worldwide launch of Super Mario Bros. is finally here, and after months of rumors, Nintendo has finally rolled out their expected (and not-so-expected) slate of Mario-related announcements.
One of the biggest surprises has to be Super Mario Bros. 35, a battle royale game similar to Tetris 99 that pits 35 players against each other… and the toughest courses from Super Mario Bros. You can see how it works in the trailer embedded above, but it looks like Coins will add time to your clock, and defeated enemies will respawn on an opponent’s screen to make their progress just a little bit harder:
Super Mario Bros. with a 35-player twist
Race against time, defeat enemies, and sabotage your opponents in an online battle to be the last Mario standing!Classic Super Mario Bros. gameplay gets an adrenaline boost!
Each player is given the same timed stage, but you must defeat enemies to earn extra time and attack your opponents. Don’t forget to pick up some coins on your way—they can be used to get in-game items like power-ups. With speed, skill, and strategy, you could be the last Mario standing.Only on Nintendo Switch Online!
Super Mario Bros. 35 is a free-to-download software that’s exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online members.
Super Mario Bros. 35 will be available as a free download for the Nintendo Switch on October 1, but you better hurry, because it’ll only be playable until March 31, 2021. It seems strange that Nintendo is already planning an end date for the game, but hopefully they’ll explain more about Super Mario Bros. 35’s limited availability in a future update.
See the first trailer for Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One
Gas up your chainsaw and sharpen your Doomblade, Bethesda and id Software have announced that Doom Eternal‘s first expansion will arrive on October 20.
Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One will bring players back to Urdak to fight “fierce new demons” as the Doom Slayer travels through a variety of “never-before-seen locations in the Doom universe”:
Your war is not over… slaying the Khan Maykr left an imbalance of power that threatens all of creation. With the aid of an old ally, battle your way back to Urdak and decide the fate of the cosmos. Your mission is now your own.
The Ancient Gods Part One will be released as one half of Doom Eternal’s Year One Pass, and the story will conclude in The Ancient Gods Part Two, which is expected to follow sometime in late 2020 or early 2021, though no official announcement about its launch has been made.
And in a surprising twist, Bethesda also announced that players interested in the expansion won’t need to own Doom Eternal to play it. In addition to its inclusion in the Year One Pass, The Ancient Gods will also launch as a standalone game.
But for now, the first trailer for Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One has been embedded above.
Posted in News
Tagged Doom Eternal, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Pharaoh: A New Era will rebuild the classic city builder in 2021
Following on from the success of Caesar, 1999’s Pharaoh helped form a core of historical city builders that were very popular on the PC throughout the decade. After the launch of Zeus: Master of Olympus in 2000 and Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom in 2002, the subgenre mostly faded away over the 20 years that followed, but Dotemu is hoping to bring it back in grand fashion in 2021 with Pharaoh: A New Era…
First released in 1999 by Impressions Games and published by Sierra Entertainment, Pharaoh puts players into the role of an Egyptian ruler. Plan and execute the construction and management of cities as well as settlements in ancient Egypt and oversee every aspect of life within your borders. Juggle resources and strategize the administration of your empire to ensure that citizens are fed, employed, healthy and protected.
Remade “from the ground up” by Triskell Interactive (their joke, not mine), Pharaoh: A New Era will feature “all-new 2D graphics with brand new UI and improved mechanics.” The package will also include all of the content from Pharaoh’s expansion, Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, which was originally released in 2000.
A teaser trailer for Pharaoh: A New Era has been embedded above.
Version 1.0 of Hades will come to PC, Switch this Fall
Supergiant’s Hades will be leaving Early Access on the Epic Games Store and Steam this Fall, but the developer also confirmed that the roguelike action RPG will be making its way to the Switch at the same time.
The game’s new destination was revealed during today’s Indie World presentation from Nintendo, along with a promise of cross-save compatibility between the two platforms:
Hades is a god-like, rogue-like dungeon crawler that combines the best aspects of Supergiant’s critically acclaimed titles, from the fast-paced action of Bastion to the rich atmosphere and depth of Transistor. As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, players will wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus to break free from the clutches of the infamous god of the dead himself, while growing stronger and unraveling more of the story. Thousands of viable character builds and a fully voiced cast of colorful, larger-than-life characters ensure each and every escape attempt through the ever-shifting Underworld is unique. Hades will feature cross-saves with the PC version when the game comes to Nintendo Switch this fall.
Supergiant also unveiled a new trailer for Hades this morning, and it’s been embedded above.
Twin-stick shooter Funtime launches today from Quantum Astrophysicists Guild and One Guy Games
Publisher Quantum Astrophysicists Guild and developer One Guy Games have announced that Funtime (officially rendered #Funtime with a hashtag symbol, but we’re not doing that) will launch sometime today for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Fusing the neon-drenched color palette of Geometry Wars with the color-swapping mechanics of Ikaruga, Funtime looks to be a… well… a fun time.
Here’s what the developer had to say about their debut game:
Bright lights and space fights! Blast your way through grids of multicolored madness while changing color to adapt to your environment and overcome the digital hordes. Persistent ship upgrades will keep you going further and longer into the great unknown. Can you survive the full spectrum of challenges, claim the high score, and show your dominance on the leaderboard?
A Launch Trailer for Funtime has been embedded above and it’s filled to the brim with geometric explosions and bright colors (and and even a few jokes about that hashtag in the title).
Netflix shares a short look at The Cuphead Show!
It was about a year ago that Studio MDHR announced they were working with Netflix to bring The Cuphead Show! to our streaming screens. The animated adaptation would expand the world of Inkwell Isles, and feature visuals inspired by the same Fleischer Studios cartoons that the brothers used when creating the game.
Since that initial announcement, Netflix would go to say that The Cuphead Show! was “Coming Soon,” and while “Soon” still appears to be at some indeterminate point in the future, the streaming service did recently share a short look at the show on Twitter:
Fast & Furious: Spy Racers‘s Tru Valentino will voice Cuphead, while Frank Todaro (who was most recently credited as “Creature Sounds” in Dolittle) will voice Mugman. A quick montage of beautifully-animated scenes also introduces us to a handful of new characters, as well as King Dice, The Devil, and Elder Kettle.
The Cuphead Show! is still “Coming Soon,” and hopefully Netflix means it this time.
And don’t forget that The Delicious Last Course, an expansion for Cuphead, is still on track to launch for the PC, Switch, and Xbox One before the end of the year.
Knight Squad 2 will bring its brand of medieval mayhem back to PC, Xbox One this Fall
Chainsawesome Games is heading back into the multiplayer arena later this year, as they’ve announced plans to launch Knight Squad 2 this Fall for the PC and Xbox One (it’ll also be playable on the Xbox Series X via backwards compatibility).
Once again featuring a style very similar to Bomberman, Knight Squad 2 will embrace the wackiness of its premise with a medieval arsenal that includes swords and crossbows, as well as bazookas, laser pistols, and ghosts. The final package will feautre more than 13 competitive modes, including a few returning favorites (“Capture the Flag” and “Soccer”) and several new experiences (“Payload” and “Minion Master”):
Join the fray with up to eight players and duke it out across more than 13 competitive modes. Fight to become the last one standing in free-for-all events such as Battle Royale or squad up to take on all comers in old favorites like Capture the Flag and new game types including Payload, which sees teams clash in an explosive tug of war to deliver powder kegs to the enemy base, and Minion Master, where rivals raise armies to besiege and topple opposing fortresses.
No matter the arena, the knights always wield a wild arsenal of weapons and powerups, ranging from traditional medieval arms to more absurd ones like ghosts, land mines, and laser guns. Knight Squad 2’s over-the-top action brings a signature element to the table, transforming even the likes of Soccer into a full
contactcombat sport and emblazoning an element of turbulent fun onto an accessible, simple-to-understand experience that brings people together.
The first trailer for Knight Squad 2 has been embedded above.