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All Articles: King’s Quest
World Video Game Hall of Fame welcomes its Class of 2020: Minecraft, Bejeweled, Centipede, and King’s Quest
After selling more than 200 million copies over the last decade, it’s hard to remember a time when Minecraft wasn’t nearly synonymous with the entire medium of video games. And though it was only available in an unfinished form from 2009 to 2011, it seemed to emerge from Mojang’s offices as a fully-formed phenomenon even in its earliest days.
So as players continued to flock to its Lego-like world in droves, it was a bit of a shock when the game was denied entry into the World Video Game Hall of Fame three separate times. Shortlisted as a finalist in 2015, 2016, and 2018, the title was passed over again and again and again. But Minecraft’s creative sandbox become too big to ignore this year, and it has finally been enshrined among gaming’s greats.
In a stunning upset, three unlikely candidates also garnered enough support from the Hall of Fame’s Selection Advisory Committee to join the Class of 2020. A genre-defining match-3 puzzler from PopCap (Bejeweled), a classic coin-op from Atari (Centipede), and one of earliest adventure titles from Sierra (King’s Quest) won out over more popular titles such as NBA Jam, GoldenEye 007, and Guitar Hero.
While this year’s class might look a little surprising, historians working at the Hall of Fame’s parent organizations, the Strong Museum and the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, helped put their importance into perspective. (more…)
Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 have been announced
The finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 have been announced… and they’re on fire.
This year’s honorees include titles from every era of gaming, though the Star Power of Guitar Hero looms large over the competition. But that’s OK, because there’s a few other firestarters vying for a spot in this year’s class, including Midway’s NBA Jam, Mojang’s Minecraft, and Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Melee.
There’s also the groundbreaking GoldenEye 007, the unforgettable Nokia Snake, the edutaining Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and the addicting Bejeweled. Rounding out this year’s crop of finalists is Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and a trio of classics from the early 80s (Centipede, Frogger, and King’s Quest).
This isn’t the first opportunity to join the World Video Game Hall of Fame for some of these games, and fans will have the chance to make their voice heard by submitting a Player’s Choice Ballot. The public can vote once per day now through April 2nd, and the three games that receive the most votes will join the 29 other ballots submitted by members of the Hall of Fame’s International Selection Advisory Committee.
The Strong Museum’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the entity that oversees the World Video Game Hall of Fame, will announce the inductees from the Class of 2020 at a date to be determined in a special ceremony. For now, you can learn more about this year’s finalists after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Retro, Switch, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Bejeweled, Centipede, GoldenEye 007, Guitar Hero, King's Quest, Minecraft, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, World Video Game Hall of Fame
Xbox Store Today: Just Dance 2017, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Batman Episode 3, more
While this week’s biggest new releases will be available on Friday, the digital shelves of the Xbox Games Store are still overflowing with new titles.
That list includes Just Dance 2017, the latest entry in Ubisoft’s ultra-popular dancing series, for the Xbox One. This time around, players will be able to dance along with more than 40 songs from artists like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Queen, and more.
And speaking of long-running franchises, Bandai Namco will add Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 to the Xbox Games Store for the Xbox One. Players will develop their own warrior, and battle enemies to “restore the original story of the Dragon Ball series.”
Finally, a pair of episodic games will receive new chapters this week on the Xbox One and Xbox 360. Batman: The Telltale Series will reach the halfway point with Episode 3: New World Order. And The Odd Gentlemen will bring the King’s Quest reboot to a close with Chapter 5: The Good Knight.
More details on this trio of games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Batman: The Telltale Series, Just Dance 2017, King's Quest
Titanfall 2, World of Final Fantasy, Skyrim Special Edition, more added to PS Store
The PlayStation Store is about to get a little more epic this week as a handful of big games are now available to download on the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita.
First up, the Titanfall franchise will make its PS4 debut this week with the launch of Titanfall 2. The second collaboration between EA and Respawn will add new Titans, new weapons, new multiplayer options, and an expansive new single-player campaign to the series.
Also available this week is World of Final Fantasy, Square Enix’s reimagining of the Final Fantasy franchise for younger players. Designed using the “chibi” art style, World of Final Fantasy will merge together many of the greatest heroes and villains from the franchise’s lengthy history in an RPG that’s now available to download for the PS4 and PS Vita.
And speaking of epic RPGs, Bethesda will bring The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition to the PS4 this week. In addition to the main game and all its expansion, the Skyrim Special Edition will include support for mods and additional technical wizardry that adds “remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more” to the game.
PS4 and PS3 owners will also be able to launch into some epic dance moves with the release of Just Dance 2017.
Finally, a pair of episodic games will receive new chapters this week on the PS4 and PS3. Batman: The Telltale Series will reach the halfway point with Episode 3: New World Order. And The Odd Gentlemen will bring the King’s Quest reboot to a close with Chapter 5: The Good Knight.
More information on all of these games (and a big batch of other new releases) can be found after the break. And, as always, the PlayStation Blog has a complete rundown of this week’s new add-ons and discounts. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Batman: The Telltale Series, Just Dance 2017, King's Quest, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, TitanFall 2, World of Final Fantasy
Xbox Store Today: Forza Horizon 3, FIFA 17, XCOM 2, more
The Xbox Games Store is heading down under this week as Forza Horizon 3 is now available to download. Developed by Playground Games, Forza Horizon 3 brings the series to Australia for some coastal racing in more than 350 of the world’s snazziest cars. And players who purchase it through the Xbox Games Store will receive a digital copy of the game for the Xbox One and the PC.
Also available this week is FIFA 17, the latest soccer sim from EA Sports, for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. EA Sports has upgraded the game engine for FIFA 17, while also adding a story-focused career mode known as “The Journey.” Do you have what it takes to make it in the Premier League? Now’s your chance to find out.
Professional soccer players might seem like a completely separate species, but Xbox One owners will also be able to battle it out with actual extraterrestrials this week in XCOM 2, a tactical alien invasion simulation from 2K and Firaxis. XCOM 2 was previously released for the PC earlier this year, and this time around, players will fight to take back the Earth, which is under alien rule.
Elsewhere on the Xbox Games Store this week, Sierra Games will continue their rebooted King’s Quest adventure on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 with a brand new chapter, Snow Place Like Home. King Graham is still telling stories, and this time he spins a yarn about the time he rescued Prince Alexander from Queen Icebella’s Frozen Castle.
Finally this week, the Xbox Game Preview program grows by one with the release of Everspace, a space shooter with roguelike elements, from Rocketfish.
As usual, more information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged FIFA 17, Forza Horizon 3, King's Quest, XCOM 2
FIFA 17, XCOM 2, Contra, more added to PS Store
Soccer stars and a double dose of aliens lead the way for this week’s PlayStation Store update…
We start things off with FIFA 17 for the PS4 and PS3, the latest soccer simulation from EA Sports. This time around, the publisher has added a new story-focused career mode known as “The Journey,” where players take control a teenager trying to make it in the Premier League.
But if you’d prefer to battle an alien invasion, you’ve got two choices on the PlayStation Store this week. Firaxis and 2K will bring the tactical fighting of XCOM 2 to the PS4, while Konami will launch the original arcade version of Contra on Sony’s console.
Finally, players who’ve been following the King’s Quest saga will be able to check out Chapter 4: Snow Place Like Home on the PS4 and PS3 this week. In this episode, King Graham recounts the time he had to rescue Prince Alexander from Queen Icebella’s Frozen Castle.
More information about all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. And, as always, a complete rundown of this week’s new add-ons and discounts is available at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Xbox Store Today: Hitman Ep 2, Walking Dead Michonne Ep 3, Elite Dangerous Arena, more
Today’s Xbox Games Store update is making it a good time to be a fan of episodic gaming.
Players who wished for more entries in Sierra’s King’s Quest (Xbox One, Xbox 360) series will be able to continue the adventures of King Graham today in the third episode, Once Upon A Climb. A much bloodier type of adventure can be found in IO Interactive’s Hitman (Xbox One), but that’s not going to stop Agent 47 from meeting his target on the fictional Italian coastal town of Sapienza.
Also this week, Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Michonne (Xbox One, Xbox 360) will come to an end with the third episode, What We Deserve. “Michonne tries to protect an innocent family, but Norma and the vengeful Monroe crew are closing in,” reads the episode’s description. Sounds intense.
Elsewhere on the Xbox Games Store, annoying partygoers will meet their doom in Party Hard, a stealth game for the Xbox One where players permanently evict the worst noise polluters. And Elite Dangerous: Arena adds head-to-head dogfighting to the Elite: Dangerous universe as both a standalone expansion or a free add-on for the main game.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Hitman, King's Quest, The Walking Dead: Michonne
Alienation, Hitman: Episode 2, Walking Dead Michonne: Episode 3, more added to PS Store
Sony’s Launch Party promotion reached the end with yesterday’s addition of Alienation to the PlayStation Store. Developed by marquee game developer Housemarque, the PS4 game is a twin-stick shooter where up to four players can try to save Earth from a huge alien invasion.
Also available to download today is Severed from DrinkBox Studios (quasi-related side note… Ecto Cooler is coming back). The Vita game makes extensive use of the handheld’s touchscreen and asks players to solve puzzles, find secrets, and do battle with a host of disturbing monsters. Speaking of disturbing monsters, annoying partygoers have sealed their fate in Party Hard, a stealth game for the PS4 where players permanently evict the worst noise polluters.
There’s also an episodic bounty of riches on the PlayStation Store this week as three titles received new entries. Episode 2 of Hitman (PS4) takes the story to the fictional Italian coastal island of Sapienza, while Sierra’s King’s Quest (PS3, PS4) reaches new heights in its third episode, Once Upon A Climb. And Telltale closes the book on The Walking Dead: Michonne (PS3, PS4) with the third, and final, episode: What We Deserve.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. And a visit to the PlayStation Blog will reveal this week’s new game add-ons and discounts. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Alienation, Hitman, King's Quest, The Walking Dead: Michonne