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Shovel Knight gets upgraded to 16-bit as Yacht Club Games announces Shovel Knight Dig
Shovel Knight is back! After ceding the spotlight to three members of The Order of No Quarter in Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, and King of Cards, the blade-wielding hero is returning in a full-fledged new sequel.
Shovel Knight Dig picks up right where the first game leaves off, as Shovel Knight chases the diabolical Drill Knight down underground in an SNES-styled game that features “meticulously crafted” levels stitched together using procedural generation, so every playthrough will be slightly different. Yacht Club has more details about Shovel Knight Dig, which has been in development for “more than a year,” at their official website:
When Drill Knight and his dastardly digging crew blast apart Shovel Knight’s peaceful campsite and steal his loot, he grabs his trusty Shovel Blade and starts tunnelling after them! Meet new friends and foes, visit strange lands, and outfit yourself in your quest to keep the entire land from collapsing underfoot! Jump, slash, and dig your way down an ever-changing chasm of mystery in Shovel Knight Dig, an all-new Shovel Knight adventure!
Shovel Knight Dig will feature new Knights to battle (including the aforementioned Drill Knight and the mushroom-themed Spore Knight) and other new characters to interact with. But don’t worry, plenty of familiar faces can be found in the Announcement Trailer, which has been embedded above.
Shovel Knight Dig is being co-developed by Yacht Club Games and Nitrome, with Jake Kaufman once again providing the soundtrack. The game still has “quite a ways to go,” so we have no clue when it’ll be released, but we do know that it’s in the works for the PS4 and Switch (and likely the PC and Xbox One as well).
Attendees at this weekend’s PAX West convention will be able to test out Shovel Knight Dig for the first time at Yacht Club’s booth.
Shovel Knight Showdown will brawl its way to release in December
Shovel Knight Showdown began life as “Battle Mode,” a distant Stretch Goal that was added to the very end of Shovel Knight‘s Kickstarter campaign. But with the platformer’s final expansion nearing release, developer Yacht Club Games has finally been able to more fully turn their attention to the four-player brawler.
For starters, Shovel Knight Showdown has moved well beyond its beginnings as a simple “Battle Mode.” The full-fledged game got a new full-fledged trailer today, with glimpses at the game’s single-player Story Mode, as well as the addition of Mona, Plague Knight’s potions expert. Yacht Club talked more about it on their official website:
Shovel Knight Showdown has grown to be a robust and delightful multiplayer and singleplayer adventure. It’s full of new stories and revelations, goofy humor, great multiplayer level design, beautiful character art, varied playstyles, and frenetic battles. We really put our all into crafting this wholly new experience and we can’t wait for you to give it a shot!
Shovel Knight Showdown will be available as a free download this December if you own Shovel Knight on the PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, or Xbox One. It’ll also be available as a standalone download on the PC, PS4, and Switch, and as part of the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove retail compilation for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Fans who are staking out a spot at this weekend’s PAX West convention in Seattle will also want to swing by Yacht Club’s booth to try out Shovel Knight Showdown before its released.
Capcom announces Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection for January 2020 release
Capcom has released three Legacy Collections for the expansive Mega Man saga so far, and early next year they’re dipping even deeper into their archives with the release of the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection in January.
Originally released for Nintendo handhelds throughout the 2000s, the six games in the Zero/ZX series (Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Zero 2, Mega Man Zero 3, Mega Man Zero 4, Mega Man ZX, and Mega Man ZX Advent) are well-regarded by Megafans for their challenging platforming sections, interesting visuals, and unique story that takes place hundreds of years after the X series.
Capcom will give Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection players the option to tone down the franchise’s famous difficulty with an optional Casual Scenario Mode, as well as mid-mission save points. All six games in the Legacy Collection will receive an optional graphical upgrade, and Capcom is also adding a Gallery with more than 600 pieces of production art, a Music Player with original music and new arrangements, and a mysterious new Z Chaser Challenge Mode:
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection brings the Zero and ZX series’ challenging boss battles, fast-paced platforming, and precise combat from hand-held to full-sized screens for the first time. Nostalgic players can choose to play using the original sprite art, or they can bash some bots using the new optional HD-smoothing filters. New players looking to cut a path through the Zero and ZX series’ stories can also use the optional Casual Scenario Mode to reduce each game’s difficulty, and Save Assist system to create save points mid-mission for a more approachable narrative experience.
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on January 21, 2020. An Announcement Trailer has been embedded above.
Media Molecule’s Dreams wins “Best of Gamescom” at Gamescom 2019
The annual Gamescom convention has shut its doors for another year, but first the organizers closed the show by handing out this year’s Best of Gamescom Awards. While most of the trophies were awarded during the Opening Night Live stream, we learned today that Media Molecule’s Dreams won the coveted “Best of Gamescom” award. Naturally, Dreams also took home “Best PS4 Game” at the Best of Gamescom Awards, but the trippy game creation tool also won “Most Original Game.”
The rest of the winners represented a wide swath of games at this year’s Gamescom convention, with the platform awards going to Gears 5 (“Best Xbox One Game”), The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (“Best Nintendo Switch Game”), Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (“Best PC Game”), and Battle Chasers: Nightwar (“Best Mobile Game”).
The complete list of winners, including all the genre awards and the “Most Wanted Consumer Award,” can be found after the break. (more…)
Ubisoft will bring Roller Champions, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, and Rainbow Six: Siege to PAX West 2019
With this year’s Gamescom barely a memory, publishers are turning their attention to the next event on the calendar… PAX West.
Yesterday, Ubisoft announced that they’ll have demos of three games at the Seattle-based convention, including Roller Champions, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, and the Operation Ember Rise update to Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege. You can learn more about all three titles right here:
Ubisoft’s PAX West 2019 Lineup
Roller Champions
Advance through the ranks as you rise from street to stadium, winning matches and gaining fans on your way to Roller Champion fame. Feel the thrill of rushing down the track, weaving between opponents, and slamming goals in this electrifying derby-inspired game. The arena awaits you!Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
Developed by Ubisoft Paris, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is a military shooter putting players in the boots of the Ghosts, an Elite US Special Operations Unit. Set in a diverse and hostile open world, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint offers an entirely new adventure that is playable solo, in up to four-player co-op as well as PvP at launch.Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
Discover the most tactical FPS on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Choose your operators for intense 5v5 team matches on one of our numerous iconic maps.Ascend like the burning sun in the horizon with Operation Ember Rise. Do not waste a minute and rise to the top with Amaru and her Garra Hook. Slow things down, and burn your enemies to the ground with Goyo and his Volcán Shield.
Ubisoft also said they plan to host an open Roller Champions tournament during PAX West, and fans can sign up for a free trial of their upcoming UPlay+ subscription service as well.
PAX West 2019 will be held at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle from August 30th to September 2nd.
The Coalition confirms Gears Tactics is also in development for Xbox One
Microsoft put a big spotlight on Gears of War during this year’s E3 Expo, revealing three new titles in the franchise that included a direct sequel (Gears 5), a mobile-centric spinoff (Gears Pop), and a PC-exclusive RTS prequel (Gears Tactics).
While we didn’t learn much about that last one, Xbox One owners interested in a tactical take on Gears got some good news this week.
Rod Fergusson, the Studio Head of The Coalition, confirmed (via Twitter) that Gears Tactics will also be coming to the Xbox One. He also added that development of the game is being spearheaded by Splash Damage, the same team responsible for the multiplayer portions of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and Gears of War 4.
We still don’t know a whole lot about Gears Tactics (and we definitely have no idea when it’ll be released), but now we know a bit more than we did yesterday.
The Terminator and The Joker are the final two additions to Mortal Kombat 11’s Kombat Pack
We already knew that Bruce Campbell’s Ash wasn’t going to be invited to the party, but that didn’t stop NetherRealm Studios from confirming the final two guest characters for Mortal Kombat 11‘s Kombat Pack this morning. As expected, both The Terminator and The Joker will be joining the fight in the coming months.
If you’d like a more exact release schedule than that for Mortal Kombat 11’s remaining DLC, then you’re in luck, because NetherRealm’s got you covered. The Terminator will be available to download on October 8, and he’ll be followed by Sindel on November 26, The Joker on January 28, and Spawn on March 17. A short trailer introducing each guest character has been embedded above.
While NetherRealm has yet to announce any additional DLC for Mortal Kombat 11 beyond the six characters featured in the Kombat Pack, there might be plans for more. The roster page on the game’s official website currently shows two extra slots. We don’t know who will fill them, but maybe Ash isn’t quite as out as we thought.
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will be released on September 3
Germany’s Gamescom convention opened its doors this morning, and Square Enix has opened the big show by announcing that Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on September 3.
it looks like fans will be able to play this enhanced and updated remake of the classic RPG sooner than expected, but Square Enix was also quick to offer a refresher for players who might not be as familiar with Squall’s world:
About Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered celebrates its 20th anniversary by bringing the cherished RPG to modern platforms, featuring newly rendered visuals that bring the game’s beloved characters to life like never before. Players step into the shoes of SeeD recruit Squall Leonhart and resistance fighter Rinoa Heartilly as they work together to save the world from the military nation of Galbadia.Final Fantasy VIII Remastered’s Enhancements
- Battle Assist: The ability to always have maxed out HP and ATB, and trigger Limit Breaks at any time.
- No Encounters: An enemy encounter option that allows players to enjoy the storyline uninterrupted. While enemy encounters are turned off, players can still enjoy the story event battles.
- 3x Speed Boost: Play through the game with three times the speed.
A new trailer for Final Fantasy VIII Remastered has been embedded above.