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Penny-Punching Princess, Toki Tori, Clusterpuck 99, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week
It’s Thursday, so it’s time for another Nintendo eShop update…
This week, NIS America will bring Penny-Punching Princess, an isometric brawler with a capitalist streak, to the Nintendo Switch on Tuesday, April 3.
If you’re a Switch owner who’s also a fan of JRPGs, you’ll be able to download Koei Tecmo’s Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings right now. And Coatsink Software’s Clusterpuck 99, an insane spin on air hockey (with spikes, speed boosts, and more), is also available to download for the platform now.
Finally, one of Two Tribes’s earliest side-scrolling platformers, Toki Tori, will launch for the Switch on March 30 (AKA, tomorrow).
You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged Penny-Punching Princess
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age will be released in North America for PC and PS4 on September 4
Dragon Quest fans have been patiently waiting for any information about the North American launch of the eleventh game in the series since its release in Japan last year. This morning, Square Enix finally gave us an official release date to add to our calendars.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age will be released for the PC and PS4 on September 4. Sadly, the 3DS version of the game won’t be released in North America, and the Switch version still has a long way to go. The publisher clarified the business reasons behind this decision in a statement made to IGN:
In a statement, Square Enix told IGN: “Our aim with Dragon Quest XI and the Dragon Quest brand is to grow the audience in the West. From a business point of view, it made strategic sense to release the 3DS version in Japan in 2017. For the West in 2018, it made the most sense to focus on the PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam) platforms.”
As for the Switch version, things are slightly less clear. “We are also developing the Switch version for Europe and North America,” reads Square Enix’s statement, “but development is expected to take a long time from a technological standpoint as well, so we still have a long way to go until its release”.
But on a happier note, we received a new gameplay trailer this morning (which has been embedded above), and the Dragon Quest franchise’s creative team (Series Creator Yuji Horii, Character Designer Akira Toriyama, and Composer Koichi Sugiyama) all returned for Dragon Quest XI. And Square Enix also confirmed the turn-based RPG will include several new features exclusive to North America/Europe:
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age – North American Features
- English Voiceover
- Draconian Quest – A hard mode that offers additional challenges for more experienced players.
- Overhauled Menus & UI – With graphical enhancements and more intuitive navigation.
- Camera Mode – Allowing players to take in views of the beautiful landscape, character renders and ferocious monsters in detail.
- A New Dash Function and many other system enhancements such as improved character and camera movement
Finally, you can get a look at the Opening Movie for Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, which can be found after the break. (more…)
MLB The Show 18, Far Cry 5, The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2, more coming to PS Store this week
A fairly decent-sized batch of new games will be available to download through the PlayStation Store this week.
With Opening Day less than 24 hours away, Sony has launched MLB The Show 18 exclusively for the PS4. Developer Sony San Diego has added a huge number of new Legends to the the baseball sim, as well as an expanded Road to the Show mode, and a revamped Hitting Engine. There aren’t any Major League teams in Montana, and that’s probably just as well, because PS4 players will also be able to win back the fictional Hope County from a doomsday cult in Ubisoft’s Far Cry 5 this week.
JRPG fans will find multiple new games on the PlayStation Store this week including The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 from NIS America and Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings (the finale of the Mysterious saga) from Bandai Namco. Things with wheels are also represented in this week’s update thanks to the launch of THQ Nordic’s MX Vs ATV: All Out and Atari’s RollerCoaster Tycoon: Joyride. And I’m not sure if it has wheels, but Llamasoft brings the tube shooter back to the PS4 in Tempest 4000.
Finally, Telltale will bring Batman: The Enemy Within to a close with Episode 5: Same Stitch.
You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)
World Video Game Hall of Fame announces finalists for Class of 2018
Curators at the International Center for the History of Electronic Games and the Strong Museum have announced the finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. Eight games will get their first chance to be inducted into gaming’s inner circle, including Asteroids, Call of Duty, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, King’s Quest, Metroid, Ms. Pac-Man, and Spacewar!.
Two other games, Final Fantasy VII and Tomb Raider, were previously in the finalist pool for the Class of 2017. They’ll get another chance this year alongside John Madden Football and Minecraft, which were previously on the ballot in 2016.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame will announce the inductees for the Class of 2018 on Thursday, May 3, at 10:30 AM. But this year, fans will get a vote in the first-ever Player’s Choice ballot. According to the rules, “the three games that receive the most public votes will form one “Player’s Choice” ballot, which will join the 27 other ballots submitted by members of the International Selection Advisory Committee, a supporting group composed of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.” Fans can make their voice heard through the Player’s Choice ballot once a day until April 4th. So vote early and vote often!
And if, for some reason, you’re unfamiliar with this year’s finalists, the World Video Game Hall of Fame has put together a helpful cheat sheet that can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy VII, Minecraft, Ms. Pac-Man, Tomb Raider (1996), World Video Game Hall of Fame
New Retail Releases: Far Cry 5, MLB The Show 18, The Alliance Alive, More
A nonet of new releases will be available to purchase from your favorite gaming establishment this week…
Ubisoft is leading the way this week with the launch of Far Cry 5, the latest game in their open-world shooter franchise. This time, players will have to infiltrate a doomsday cult and rescue the citizens of Hope County, Montana from the violent followers of “The Father.” As you might expect, Far Cry 5 will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Far Cry 5 includes a nice variety of vehicles, and racing fans will get to explore an even bigger garage in THQ Nordic’s MX Vs ATV: All Out for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. MX Vs ATV: All Out will include several different race types (Supercross, Nationals, Opencross, Waypoint, Tag, and more), as well as stunt tracks, and online multiplayer.
Baseball fans will also get the chance to play ball this week with Sony’s annual entry in the MLB The Show series, MLB The Show 18, for the PS4.
If you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path, a big batch of JRPGs will also make their way to North America this week. Atlus will launch The Alliance Alive for the 3DS; Koei Tecmo’s Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings closes out the “Mysterious” saga on the PS4 and Switch; NIS America will release The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 for the PS4; and Aksys will pull double duty with Code Realize: Bouquet of Flowers for the PS4 and Code Realize: Future Blessings for the Vita.
Finally this week, WB Games and NetherRealm Studios will launch the Injustice 2: Legendary Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One. The Legendary Edition will package together the original game, as well as every extra character from the Fighter Packs, and exclusive new content.
That’s it for this week’s New Retail Releases report, but we’ll be back in a few days with a look at all the upcoming additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Detective Pikachu, The Alliance Alive, Outlast II, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week
This week’s Nintendo eShop update is a bit smaller than normal, but Nintendo still wants to “clue” 3DS owners in on the upcoming release of Detective Pikachu on March 23. The mystery adventure will give the famed Pokemon a voice for the first time, and players will need to help him investigate the strange occurrences happening all over Ryme City.
3DS owners will also get the chance to download a new RPG from Atlus, The Alliance Alive, beginning on March 27. In The Alliance Alive, Daemons invaded the world of Humans over a thousand years ago. But a resistance is forming and players will need to band together a team of rebels and take back the world.
Speaking of demons, Switch owners will be able to download Outlast II beginning on March 27. Red Barrels’s first-person sequel introduces new characters and a creepy doomsday cult in this horror adventure. But if you’re looking for a few cute demons, isometric horror puzzler Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut is now available to download for the Switch.
You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Switch
Tagged Detective Pikachu, Outlast II
Prepare yourself… to not be shocked in the slightest… Zelda: Breath of the Wild won “Game of the Year” at 2018 GDC Awards
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild continues its sweep of this year’s “Game of the Year” awards, as it won the top honor at last night’s Game Developers Choice Awards. Developers for the adventure game also strode on stage to collect awards for “Best Audio” and “Best Design” during the ceremony.
The unique visual stylings of Jason Roberts’s Gorogoa were honored with the “Innovation Award,” and the puzzle game’s portability were also honored as “Best Mobile/Handheld Game.” Studio MDHR also carried home multiple trophies during last night’s GDC Awards ceremony for Cuphead, including “Best Debut” and “Best Visual Art,”
“Every year sees countless amazing games worthy of recognition, but this year in particular has seen some of the strongest titles to arrive this generation. The GDCAs give us an opportunity to reflect on and honor the games that provided us with endless joy,” said Katie Stern, the General Manager of the Game Developers Conference. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild helped us rediscover a childlike sense of adventure and discovery. Titles like Gorogoa and What Remains of Edith Finch offered us distinct creative visions that can only be experienced in games, and games like Cuphead and Horizon: Zero Dawn crafted worlds we could lose ourselves in. Congratulations to all of tonight’s nominees and winners and thank you for your creativity and dedication.”
A replay of the 2018 GDC Awards ceremony can be viewed at the Twitch channel for the Game Developers Conference. And a complete list of the winners can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Cuphead, GDC 2018, Gorogoa, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nier: Automata, Night in the Woods, Superhot, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A Way Out, Ni No Kuni II, Attack On Titan 2, more coming to PS Store this week
It’s time for another PlayStation Store update, and this week, a decent-sized handful of highly-anticipated new games will be available to download from the digital storefront…
Leading the way this week is A Way Out, a co-op prison break for the PS4 from Electronic Arts and Hazelight. A Way Out was directed by Josef Fares, the same developer who shepherded the creation of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons in 2013.
A pair of sequels will also be available to download for the PS4 this week. Bandai Namco will once again team with animators from Studio Ghibli for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. And Koei Tecmo will return to the world of Attack On Titan with Attack On Titan 2.
Finally this week, MLB Advanced Media will step up to the plate with RBI Baseball 18 for the PS4, and Ubisoft will give 2014’s Assassin’s Creed: Rogue a second chance on the PS4 with a Remastered re-release.
You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PS4, Vita
Tagged A Way Out, Assassin's Creed: Rogue, Attack On Titan 2, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, RBI Baseball 18