Most Recent: 3DS
CoD: Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of November 2016, but it sold less than Black Ops III
Ever since it was first announced, the public reaction to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has been less than kind. Fans furiously downvoted the debut trailer, while others pledged not to purchase something that strayed so far from the franchise’s roots. But it looks like not everyone felt that way.
According to the NPD Group’s latest report (via GamesIndustry.biz), Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of November 2016. However, it performed much worse for retailers than the first-month sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops III last year.
Total game sales were down roughly 19% versus November 2015, but a few new releases put up big numbers including Pokemon Sun (#3), Pokemon Moon (#4), and Watch Dogs 2 (#8). And in hardware news, it was reported that Nintendo sold 196,000 NES Classic Edition consoles during its first month on sale.
The full Top 10 from November 2016 can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Super Mario Run, Picross E7, Excitebots, more
This Spring’s Miitomo was a fun experiment, but Nintendo is truly kicking off their mobile push today with the launch of Super Mario Run. The “one-handed” platformer will include dozens of levels, a multiplayer versus mode, and a Kingdom Builder mode for players interested in creating their own Mushroom Kingdom.
Also available to download this week on the Wii U is Excitebots: Trick Racing, which was originally released for the Wii in 2009. Swapping out motorcycles for customizable robots, Excitebots features 25 different courses and a huge selection of stunts.
Finally this week, the seventh Picross E game is now available to download through the 3DS eShop. Picross E7 is the latest game in the “Picture Crossword Puzzle” series and the first with 20×15 “Mega Picross” puzzles.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Download: Animal Crossing New Leaf Welcome Amiibo Edition, Metroid Other M, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, more
Nintendo is going retro with this week’s eShop update, as four games from the consolemaker’s past resurface in new locales or with new features.
Leading the way is a 3DS re-release for Animal Crossing: New Leaf that adds Amiibo functionality to the game. The appropriately-named Welcome Amiibo Edition adds new features and activities, as well as support for all Amiibo figures and cards in the Animal Crossing series. Players who’ve previously purchased Animal Crossing; New Leaf will be able to access all of the Welcome Amiibo content with a free update.
3DS fans might also be interested in Demon’s Crest, which is also now available to download for Nintendo’s handheld. Originally released for the Super NES in 1994, Demon’s Crest is the final adventure of Firebrand, a heroic gargoyle first glimpsed in the Ghosts N Goblins franchise.
Over on the Wii U eShop, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is now available to download for Nintendo’s home console. The strategy RPG is a remake of the first Fire Emblem game, and it was originally released for the DS in 2009.
Finally this week, the divisive Metroid: Other M makes the leap from the Wii to the Wii U. Developed by Team Ninja, Other M gives bounty hunter Samus Aran a very complicated backstory in a game that combines first-person and side-scrolling viewpoints.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Game Awards 2016 Trailer: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
During tonight’s Game Awards ceremony, Yacht Club games presented the next DLC update to their wildly popular game, Shovel Knight. The add-on, titled Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, tells an entirely new story as seen through the eyes of Specter Knight, the first member of The Order of No Quarter. If the Plague of Shadows chapter is any indication, this expansion will breathe new life into the already-addicting retro title.
In a Kickstarter update, Yacht Club promised that players will find “new areas, new music, new enemies, new objects, new boss fights, new weapons, new armors, and way, way more than ever before” in Specter of Torment. They also revealed that the add-on will serve as a prequel to Shovel Knight’s main storyline.
No release date was given, but we should expect to see the update sometime in Spring 2017.
Shakedown Hawaii will be playable at PS Experience 2016… and here’s a new trailer
Vblank Entertainment initially debuted Shakedown Hawaii, their 16-bit sequel to Retro City Rampage, ahead of last year’s PlayStation Experience. Earlier this week, the developer revealed that the open world game, which will also be available for the PC (via Steam) and at least one Nintendo platform, will make a return engagement at this year’s PlayStation Experience.
In addition to confirming that attendees of Sony’s annual showcase will get to try out Shakedown Hawaii this weekend, Vblank also announced a 2017 release date for the game and unveiled a brand new trailer, which is embedded above.
Nintendo Download: Super Mario Maker For 3DS, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, more
We’re just a few weeks away from the end of the year, but Nintendo still has one major title to release in 2016, Super Mario Maker For Nintendo 3DS. The portable port of Nintendo’s level editor won’t include online sharing, but players will still be able to share their creations locally when it launches for the 3DS tomorrow. And 3DS owners will also receive exclusive access to the all-new Medal Challenge mode and 100 Nintendo-designed courses.
Nintendo has also added the critically-acclaimed Advance Wars: Dual Strike to the Wii U eShop this week. Originally released for the DS in 2005, Dual Strike added the “Dual Fronts” mechanic to the series alongside a massive new Campaign.
More information on both of these (and a handful of other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
First Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment trailer will premiere tonight during The Game Awards
Host Geoff Keighley has promised plenty of surprises for this year’s Game Awards, but another eager developer has spilled the beans on a World Premiere trailer we’ll get a peak at tonight. In a short tweet, Yacht Club Games confirmed they’ll debut a new trailer for their next project during the show:
Want to see the latest on what we've been making here at Yacht Club Games?
Watch @thegameawards
12/1 at 5:30pm PT and reap what we show!— Yacht Club Games (@YachtClubGames) November 30, 2016
While it’s possible that Yacht Club will unveil something brand new, the pun-loving developers are most likely referring to Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment with that “reap what we show” line. Specter of Torment will be the second (of three) planned expansions for Shovel Knight, and it’s currently on track for a Spring 2017 launch on the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One.
The 2016 Game Awards will be held tonight at 8:30 PM (Eastern Time), and you can watch the show at TheGameAwards.com.
Pokemon Sun and Moon sells 3.7 million copies in North America since November 18
The Pokemon franchise is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and it seems to be more popular than ever. Want more proof? Pokemon Sun and Moon just became the fastest-selling games that Nintendo has ever launched in North America. Since launching for the 3DS on November, Nintendo has sold 3.7 million copies of Pokemon Sun and Moon.
That’s nearly twice what Pokemon X and Y, Nintendo’s previous fastest-selling games ever, sold in the two weeks after their release in 2013.
“With these huge sales figures, Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon have proved themselves as two of the hottest video games to buy this holiday season,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With great reviews and outstanding fan response, these next iterations in the Pokemon series are sure to please any player in the family.”
Pokemon Sun and Moon will likely continue to set sales records through the holiday season… Nintendo previously announced that more than 10 million copies of the game were shipped to stores throughout the world.