Most Recent: 3DS
More than 60 “Nindies” are in development for Nintendo Switch including SteamWorld Dig 2, Runner 3, Yooka-Laylee, and more
Nintendo presented their first-ever Nindies Showcase for the Nintendo Switch today, and promised that more than 60 games from independent developers will be available for the console in 2017. This includes a staggering number of exclusives and timed exclusives such as…
- Image & Form’s SteamWorld Dig 2, which will be available first on the Switch this Summer.
- Choice Provisions’s Runner 3, which is in development exclusively for the Switch, and will be released this Fall.
- Vertex Pop’s Graceful Explosion Machine, a side-scrolling shooter that’ll be released for the Switch first this April.
- Team Shifty’s Mr. Shifty, an overhead action game that’ll also be available first for the Switch this April.
- Cardboard Robot’s Pocket Rumble, a retro-styled fighting game that’ll only be available to console owners on the Switch this March.
Other highlights from the Nindies Showcase include confirmation that Yooka-Laylee will be available for the Switch “soon” and that Blaster Master Zero will be released simultaneously for the 3DS and Switch on March 9.
Nintendo’s complete Nindies Showcase presentation has been embedded above, and you can learn more about all the games featured in the video after the break. (more…)
New Retail Releases: Nintendo Switch, Zelda Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, More
It seems like it really snuck up on us, but “Day One” for Nintendo Switch is less than five days away. Nintendo won’t have a ton of games available alongside the launch of their latest console, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (which is also coming to the Wii U this week) will surely keep most early adopters busy for quite a while.
However, a handful of other Switch titles will be available for those looking for a different kind of experience. Ubisoft and Activision will bring ports of Just Dance 2017 and Skylanders Imaginators to the Switch. Meanwhile, Nintendo themselves will also launch 1-2-Switch, a quirky multiplayer party game, and Konami will resurrect the Bomberman series with the SNES-inspired Super Bomberman R.
It’s rare to find new games for rival platforms during a new console’s launch period, but the Nintendo Switch will actually face some stiff competition on store shelves this week. Leading the way is Horizon: Zero Dawn, a visually-striking post-apocalyptic adventure from Guerrilla that’ll be released exclusively for the PS4.
Also available this week will be Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns (3DS), the latest farming sim from Marvelous; Torment: Tides of Numenera (PS4, Xbox One), a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment; The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (PS4, Xbox One), a Season Pass Disc that’ll grant access to every episode of the zombie-themed adventure; and Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 + Arcade Game Series, a retail re-release of the retro reboot.
You can find a complete list of this week’s new retail releases after the break. (more…)
Overwatch wins “Game of the Year” (and three other awards) at 2017 DICE Awards
Blizzard made their mark on last night’s DICE Awards presentation when Overwatch took home the trophy in four categories, including “Game of the Year.” The shooter was also honored as “Action Game of the Year,” as well as for “Outstanding Achievement in Game Design” and “Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay.”
It was also a good night for Naughty Dog, as the developer claimed four victories for their work on Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End including “Adventure Game of the Year,” “Outstanding Achievement in Story,” “Outstanding Technical Achievement,” and “Outstanding Achievement in Animation.”
The full list of winners at the 2017 DICE Awards (including Pokemon Go for “Mobile Game of the Year,” Pokemon Sun and Moon for “Handheld Game of the Year,” and three awards for Inside ) can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Harvest Moon 64, Forma.8, more
Even though Nintendo plans to officially retire the Wii U in a week’s time, the consolemaker is still making classic titles available to download through its Virtual Console. This week, the farming simulation Harvest Moon 64, which was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, is now available to purchase.
Elsewhere on the Wii U eShop, players will be able to download Forma.8, a unique “MetroidVania” with a minimalist visual aesthetic. Players will take control of a small exploration probe known as Forma.8, and they must explore the surface of an alien planet to find a powerful energy source before its too late.
You can learn more about both of these games (and a few other new additions to the Nintendo eShop) after the break. (more…)
NIS America will release RPG Maker Fes for the 3DS this Summer
3DS owners will get the chance to create their own RPGs when NIS America brings RPG Maker Fes to the handheld this Summer.
RPG Maker Fes doesn’t require any programming skills, and players will be able to create a unique game with an original plot and characters, a cutomized battle system, and much more.
Dedicated RPG makers will also be able to share their creations through the RPG Maker Player app, which will be available to download through the 3DS eShop. Best of all, according to a post on the NIS America Blog, “The RPG Maker Player app allows anybody who has downloaded the app to play other player’s RPGs, absolutely free.”
A short teaser trailer for RPG Maker Fes has been embedded above.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is finished; Coming to Switch in March and other platforms in April
Yacht Club Games has announced (via Twitter) that they’ve completed development on Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, the latest expansion to their NES-inspired platformer, Shovel Knight. The developer expects to launch Specter of Torment first for the Nintendo Switch in March. It’ll later be available as a free update on all other platforms (3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One) in April.
The Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove compilation (as well as the Shovel of Hope and Plague of Shadows standalone campaigns) should also be available for the Switch in March, with additional platforms to follow a month later.
Specter Knight’s campaign will actually take place before the events of Shovel Knight, and will depict how The Enchantress was able to recruit the evil Order of No Quarter. If you’re interested in learning how it all went down, Yacht Club Games will be attending this year’s PAX East expo to give fans a taste of Specter of Torment before it launches. The Boston-based convention kicks off on March 10.
Culdcept Revolt will be released for 3DS in Summer 2017
NIS America made dozens of announcements last night during a special livestream that fully unveiled their 2017 release schedule. Fans of the Culdcept franchise, their Monopoly/Magic: The Gathering hybrid, should be very pleased with confirmation of a Summer 2017 launch for Culdcept Revolt for the 3DS.
Like previous games in the series, Culdcept Revolt will include a story-based Quest Mode where players battle other Cepters (wizards who can wield magical cards as weapons) and attempt to save the Princess/the kingdom/the world. Developer Omiya Soft will also include local and online multiplayer battling in the game.
Culdcept Revolt will be released for the 3DS this Summer, and its debut trailer can be viewed above.
Nintendo Download: Tank Troopers, Ogre Battle 64, more
It’s war in this week’s Nintendo eShop update!
First up is Tank Troopers, a tank battling game for the 3DS published and developed by Nintendo. Players will choose their tank, customize it, and then go into battle against their friends in six-player local multiplayer battles. But if you’d rather go it alone, Tank Troopers also includes a single-player mode with 30 unique stages.
Also available to download this week is Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, a tactical RPG originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. Wii U owners will be able to take control of Magnus Gallant, a nobleman who has to decide whether to desert his kingdom and fight with the rebellion, or “turn a blind eye to the evils of his rotten society.”
More information on both games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)