Most Recent: Switch

Unlock a Fire Emblem: Three Houses Theme during this weekend’s Tetris 99 Maximus Cup

Tetris 99 players take note… Nintendo has locked in a scheduled time and a new prize for this month’s Maximus Cup event.

To celebrate the recent release of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, players will get the chance to unlock a new Theme based on the game during this weekend’s event. According to Nintendo, the new Theme includes “background art, music, and Tetrimino designs all inspired by the latest Fire Emblem game.”

The sixth Maximus Cup will begin on Friday, August 23, at 3:00 AM (Eastern Time) and conclude on Tuesday, August 27, at 3:00 AM (Eastern Time). As always, players will need to earn 100 points during the event to unlock the new Theme, but Nintendo has decided to be a bit more generous this time around if you finish below 10th Place:

Points Table for Tetris 99 Maximus Cup
1st Place: 100
2nd Place: 50
3rd Place: 30
4th-10th Place: 20
11th–30th Place: 15
31st–50th Place: 10
51st–90th Place: 5
91st–99th Place: 1

Don’t forget, you must be a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber to compete in Tetris 99’s Maximus Cup events.

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Mighty Madden NFL 20 was the best-selling game in July 2019

The NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella (via Twitter) has delivered the analyst company’s report on the best-selling games from July 2019, and unsurprisingly, EA Sports’s Madden NFL 20 took the top spot.

A sales juggernaut for nearly three decades now, the latest entry in the Madden franchise was able to fend off a major offensive from Nintendo that included two new games and several holdovers from earlier this year. Fire Emblem: Three Houses topped Nintendo’s July output, coming in at #2. It was followed two spots later at #4 by fellow new release Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. June’s Super Mario Maker 2 was sandwiched in between at #3.

Several other Nintendo-published titles populated the Top 20, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (#7), Mario Kart 8 (#9), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#10), and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (#18). In addition to its software supremacy, the Nintendo Switch was also the best-selling console platform last month.

The entire game industry (hardware, software, and accessories) recorded $762 million in sales last month, a slight increase over July 2018’s total of $759 million.

You can find a full list of best-selling games from July 2019 after the break. (more…)

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Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is in development exclusively for the Switch

Inin Games and Taito have announced that the Bubble Bobble franchise will be returning to store shelves for the first time in more than ten years. Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is currently in development at Taito and will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in Europe on November 19. A North American launch will follow in Early 2020.

This new sequel retains the bubble-blasting battles of its predecessors, while also adding in four-player cooperative play for the first time:

One night, a child’s room became enfolded by a miraculous light and every object under its rays suddenly came to life… including the child’s most favourite toy, the little dragon called Bub. Full of jealousy, the wicked magician Baron Von Blubba challenges the friendly dragon to battle.

The adorable first trailer for Bubble Bobble 4 Friends has been embedded above.

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Nintendo will add Vice: Project Doom and Kung-Fu Heroes to Nintendo Switch Online collection on August 21

Nintendo is dipping into the more obscure corners of the NES library for the next update to the Nintendo Switch Online collection.

According to the consolemaker, subscribers will be able to download Vice: Project Doom (a platformer/driving hybrid from Sammy) and Kung-Fu Heroes (a beat ’em up from Culture Brain) beginning on August 21:

Vice: Project Doom – There exists a group of undercover detectives who dare stand up to the evil in the world… They are known as Vice. Officer Quinn Hart, a member of Vice, is on the case and after the truth. High-speed car chases, action-packed battles employing three types of weapons and a mode with three 3D rail-shooting stages all bring this cyberpunk world to life.

Kung-Fu Heroes – Monsters have taken Princess Min-Min and the ten treasures of the land, and the people have fallen into sorrow. Only Kung-Fu Masters Jacky and Lee can save the princess and retrieve the treasures! Their journey will take them to eight different castles filled with hosts of traps and obstacles. Use punches and the Miracle Kick to defeat the enemies. You will need quick wits and lightning reflexes to make it to the last castle!

A new trailer featuring clips from both games has been embedded above.

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2K is adding all 12 WNBA teams to NBA 2K20

2K Games has announced that all 12 teams from the WNBA will suit up in the NBA 2K franchise for the first time this year in NBA 2K20. WNBA matchups will be available in Play Now and Season modes, and players will be able to experience “gameplay animations, play styles, and visuals built exclusively around the women’s game.”

“Growing up, I always remembered watching male athletes on TV and playing as them in video games. Now, to have the WNBA be in the position we are and to have women featured prominently in NBA 2K20, we are allowing young girls and boys to have female athletes as role models,” said Candace Parker, a player for the Los Angeles Sparks. “The 2K team has done an amazing job of making sure to not just put women into the game playing men’s basketball, but I’ve seen first-hand the hard work they’re doing to make this as real and authentic as possible to women’s basketball. I’m proud to be a part of this team paving the way for the future.”

“For years, fans have requested the ability to play as some of their favorite WNBA stars,” said Jeff Thomas, the Senior Vice President of Development at Visual Concepts. “We’ve been working with the WNBA and their top players to modify our basketball simulation engine to replicate the WNBA on-court experience. We’re excited to roll out this new feature in NBA 2K20 because we know how important the WNBA is to the world of basketball.”

NBA 2K20 is currently in development for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, and it’ll be released on September 6. The first trailer for the game featuring WNBA players has been embedded above.

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Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD rolls into stores on October 29

Sega has announced that Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD will be released for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on October 29 (a PC release through Steam will follow later this Winter).

Originally released for the Wii in 2006, this new version of the game features improved graphics and optimized controls (but no motion controls, not even on the Switch):

About Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD revitalizes this classic title with updated graphics (480p > 1080p at 60fps) and optimized controls for each platform. Motion controls from the original Banana Blitz have been removed in favor of tightened analog controls, making it a breeze to jump in and start rolling through the game’s 100 levels.

Features

  • Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is Back in HD – Originally released on the Wii in 2006, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD reinvigorates the original game with 100 single-player stages, 10 multi-player mini-games, revamped control schemes, updated graphics, and more.
  • Online Leaderboards – A first for the series, players can now compete with others around the world through online leaderboards for single-player Time Attack and the all-new Mini-Game Decathalon Score Attack modes.
  • No Monkey Business – Play Your Way: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam. With uniquely optimized control schemes for each platform, everyone from first-time rollers to world-record holders can jump right in to the fun.

Sega also uploaded a brand new Gameplay Trailer for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD today, and it’s been embedded above.

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Sega will bring “An All-New AAA Game” to Gamescom 2019

As usual, Sega will have a large presence at this year’s Gamescom convention in Germany, and that includes the promise of the public debut for an “All-New AAA Game.”

As far as announced titles go, Sega will also bring the console edition of Two Point Hospital to Gamescom, alongside a demo for Catherine: Full Body, and a massive Sega Genesis Mini installation:

Sega/Atlus will showcase the beautifully remastered update of the cult classic RPG/puzzle game, Catherine: Full Body (Launches 3 September 2019). Players will get the chance to try the demo which contains cutscenes that provide context to the title’s complex and nuanced narrative. Plus, there will be a playable segment from early in the game, which showcases several gameplay features; such as a variety of puzzles, character interaction/development and more.

Sharing the spotlight is the critically acclaimed Two Point Hospital on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, developed by Two Point Studios. It’s the ultimate management sim where you play the role of hospital administrator who must build, cure, and improve in an ever-changing and atypical healthcare environment. Visitors to the stand will be the first in the world to experience Two Point Hospital on consoles by completing the first chapter.

Are you ready for a blast from the past? The long-awaited Sega Genesis Mini, coming to stores [19 September 2019 in North America], will be available to visitors of the stand and all 42 games will be playable using a GIANT, fully functioning Sega Genesis controller! The nostalgic console includes some of the most popular games released by Sega including the much-loved Sonic The Hedgehog and the iconic Streets of Rage series. Other glorious titles included in the Sega Genesis Mini include Darius, Road Rash II, Virtua Fighter 2, Ghouls and Ghosts, Strider, Kid Chameleon, and many more.

The 2019 edition of Gamescom will open its doors on Tuesday, August 20, and run through Saturday, August 24.

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Grandia HD Collection will be available for Switch on August 16

GungHo Online Entertainment America has announced that the Grandia HD Collection will be available to download for the Switch beginning on August 16.

The compilation will contain a pair of games that, according to GungHo, “changed the landscape of RPGs forever.” Grandia was originally released for the PlayStation all the way back in 1999. A sequel, Grandia II, followed in 2000 when it made its debut on the Dreamcast.

The Grandia HD Collection re-release will give gamers the chance to replay the first two games in the series with enhanced graphics, as well as Japanese and English audio options.

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