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Next Super Mario Maker 2 update will add Link as a playable character
Nintendo is pushing out the next major update (Version 2.0.0) for Super Mario Maker 2 later this week, and it’ll add a huge number of new features to the game… including the ability to play as Link. The new Master Sword powerup will give players the chance to to play as an 8-bit Link, and he’s also bringing all of his wonderful toys to the Mushroom Kingdom:
Transforming into Link using the Master Sword opens up a whole new world of design possibilities for creators. Using his arrows, Link can shoot far off switches that Mario would normally not be able to hit. His new down thrust move with the sword will defeat usually protected enemies like spike-covered Spinies. And with bombs, some walls that would normally be impassable by Mario and friends can easily be blown up.
Other new Course Parts and enemies will make their way into Super Mario Maker 2 for the first time thanks to the Version 2.0.0 update, including Frozen Coins and Pokey the Cactus:
New Course Parts and Enemies Coming to Super Mario Maker 2 in Version 2.0.0
- Dash Block: Available in the Super Mario 3D World style, the Dash Block course part gives Mario a major speed burst when stepped on.
- Frozen Coin: These coins are surrounded by a block of ice and can only be released if melted by fireballs or other fire elements, including a certain angry sun.
- P Block: When a P Switch is hit in the course, invisible P Blocks temporarily turn into hard platforms, or vice-versa.
- Spike: This classic enemy coughs up massive spike balls and launches them at Mario. If used in the snow environment, Spike will toss snowballs instead!
- Pokey: The iconic stacked cactus from multiple Super Mario games joins Super Mario Maker 2 for the first time. Players can even edit the height of each Pokey.
Finally, Nintendo will add a speedrunning mode to Super Mario Maker 2 as part of Ninji Speedruns, which will also give players the chance to unlock special Mii Costumes in a series of Nintendo-created courses that’ll be available for a limited time:
In the new Ninji Speedruns mode, players can take on a timed challenge in courses created by Nintendo exclusively for this mode. Other players’ Ninji Ghosts will run alongside players as they compete against rivals from around the world. The Ninji Ghosts that appear are selected from player data at a similar performance level, so players can gradually improve their performance by running the course alongside other players’ Ninji Ghosts. Players can also collect stamps by clearing courses and redeem them in-game to get special Mii costumes.
Whew! For more information about everything included with Super Mario Maker’s Version 2.0.0 update, you should definitely check out the new trailer for the game that’s been embedded above.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Super Mario Maker 2
Geoff Keighley has announced the nominees for the 2019 Game Awards
We’re getting closer and closer to the end of the year, and that’s means that it’s finally time for the Game Awards. The nominations for the annual awards show were announced earlier today, and Remedy’s Control, Kojima Productions’s Death Stranding, Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds, Capcom’s Resident Evil 2, From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will all be competing for “Game of the Year.”
Host Geoff Keighley isn’t involved in the nominating process, but it still feels strange to realize that he actually appears as a non-player character in Death Stranding. Hideo Kojima’s latest game, and first as an independent developer, ultimately received nine nominations across eight categories (both Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen were nominated for “Best Performance”).
Fans are once again encouraged to vote for their favorite games at the award show’s official website, and fan votes will have a real effect on the outcome, as they’ll count for a 10% share of the voting jury.
The 2019 Game Awards will be held on Thursday, December 12. In addition to all the winners, we can also expect to see a lot of World Premiere Trailers for upcoming games, some of which will be announced in the coming days.
In the meantime, you can find a complete list of all the nominees after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Control, Death Stranding, Game Awards 2019, Resident Evil 2, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Outer Worlds
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare blows away the competition as the best-selling game of October 2019
According to The NPD Group (via Twitter), yet another Call of Duty game has debuted as the best-selling game in the US during its first month on sale for the 12th straight year. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare blew away the competition in October, and it has also settled in as the best-selling of 2019 (so far). And if history is any guide, it will likely remain in that spot throughout November and December.
But there were plenty of other titles that debuted last month that also managed to resonate with gamers.
Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds debuted at #2, and it was followed closely by Nintendo’s Luigi’s Mansion 3 at #3. Rounding out the top ten (at #10) was Nintendo’s exercise RPG, Ring Fit Adventure. Going further down the list, Overwatch‘s Switch debut helped push it back into the spotlight (and the #16 slot).
Overall, the game industry has tallied $9.3 billion in sales through the first ten months of the year, a roughly 10% drop from 2018.
You can find the full list of best-selling games from October 2019 after the break. (more…)
Minecraft Dungeons will launch in April 2020
Microsoft very briefly turned the spotlight on Minecraft Dungeons at their X019 event today, but it was a big moment for everyone wondering when we’ll finally get the chance to play Mojang’s multiplayer dungeon-crawling spinoff.
According to Microsoft, Minecraft Dungeons will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in April 2020, which is right smack in the middle of the game’s previous “Spring 2020” launch window.
A (very) short Release Date Trailer for Minecraft Dungeons has been embedded above.
Sindel will be added to Mortal Kombat 11 later this month
Sindel will strut her way into Mortal Kombat 11 later this month, but a Queen requires a proper entrance, and so NetherRealm Studios unveiled a brand new Gameplay Trailer for the character earlier today.
Sindel still serves Quan Chi as one of his revenants in Mortal Kombat 11, and as you might have guessed, her moveset features plenty of hair-raising attacks, as well as her debilitating Banshee Scream. You can see her in action in the video embedded above (be sure to stick around for a pretty gruesome Fatality at the end).
Mortal Kombat 11 players who have purchased the Kombat Pack will receive access to Sindel (as well as the Gothic Horror Skin Pack and a Klassic Cassie Cage Skin) on November 26. All other players will be able to purchase the character as a standalone download beginning a week later on December 3.
Shovel Knight’s King of Cards and Showdown expansions will be released on December 10
Yacht Club Games has announced that the first chapter of the Shovel Knight saga is finally coming to a close after four expansions and five glorious years (though you’ll need to tack on an additional year if you want to go all the way back to the Kickstarter campaign). Yesterday, the developer confirmed that Shovel Knight: King of Cards and Shovel Knight Showdown will both be released on December 10.
King of Cards is a followup to Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment, and it’ll be the final side-story starring a member of the villainous Order of No Quarter. Meanwhile, Showdown breaks from tradition and isn’t a platformer at all. Instead, it’s a multiplayer fighting game that features the franchise’s entire cast, along with a huge single-player adventure.
Fans who originally backed the Kickstarter campaign for Shovel Knight, or who own the Treasure Trove bundle, will receive both expansions for free. The King of Cards expansion will be available for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One, while Showdown will be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, and Xbox One.
Yacht Club will also release King of Cards and Showdown as standalone downloads for fans who are digging into the franchise for the first for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Finally, the developer will try to also take over your favorite game store on December 10th with the release of a pair of Amiibo sets (a Treasure Trove 3-Pack and a Gold Edition Shovel Knight), as well as a Physical Edition of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (which includes the original game and all four expansions) for the Switch and Xbox One. A PS4 version of the Physical Edition will follow in 2020.
Whew, that’s a lot of Shovel Knight. But don’t forget, Yacht Club is also hard at work on a 16-bit-styled sequel/spin-off known as Shovel Knight Dig.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight Showdown, Shovel Knight: King of Cards
Square Enix’s Romancing Saga 3 is now available in English for the first time
It’s been a struggle for RPG fans in North America and Europe to experience Square Enix’s long-running Saga franchise over the years. While the earliest Saga games were brought West under the Final Fantasy Legend banner, many of the later entries were only released in Japan by the publisher.
Thankfully, Square Enix has recently begun filling in those missing piece with a handful of Saga-related re-releases, including today’s launch of Romancing Saga 3.
Originally released for the Super NES in 1995, Romancing Saga 3 follows eight different protagonists, “each with their own motives and unique personalities.” This HD remaster of the game will give players outside of Japan their first chance to try out the turn-based RPG, which will include upgraded graphics, new areas to explore, and a New Game+ option:
Romancing Saga 3 gives players the freedom to forge their own path, choosing to play through eight different narratives led by eight protagonists, each with their own motives and unique personalities. Developed by industry veterans, including renowned developer Akitoshi Kawazu (Final Fantasy, Romancing SaGa, SaGa Frontier), this HD remaster will feature optimized graphics, a new dungeon called the Phantom Maze to explore, and a New Game+ function. Romancing Saga 3 adds new storylines to the game original game, making it the perfect time for both new and veteran players to experience the SaGa series.
Romancing Saga 3 is now available to download for the PC, PS4, Switch, Vita, Xbox One, and mobile devices. A Launch Trailer for the RPG re-release has been embedded above.
Nintendo just surprise-released a crazy ambulance game known as The Stretchers
Well here’s a nice Friday afternoon surprise from Nintendo… The Stretchers, a hybrid driving/puzzle game from Tarsier Studios, is now available to download for the Switch through the Nintendo eShop.
Players will need to become daredevil paramedics in The Stretchers, driving crazily across the game’s map to save the residents of a small town from a mad scientist known as Doctor Brains. But once they reach their patient, they’ll have to load them onto a stretcher and get safely back to the ambulance:
In The Stretchers, players take on the role of two medics who must work together to rescue Dizzies, troubled residents dizzied by the evil mastermind Captain Brains, in all kinds of wacky ways.
To rescue Dizzies, players will drive to each scene in their ambulance while breaking through walls, soaring through the sky and facing other perils along the way. Once they’ve arrived, players will need to pile Dizzies up on a stretcher (or grab them by their limbs) and bring them back to the trusty ambulance. Each player controls one of the two medics, so working together and passing a Joy-Con to a friend or family member to carry the stretcher, dodge dangers and overcome physics-based puzzles takes skillful coordination and communication.
The Stretchers, which has been priced at $19.99, was published by Nintendo themselves, and a Launch Trailer for the game has been embedded above.