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All Articles: Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit
God of War receives ten nominations and leads the way at 2019 BAFTA Games Awards
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominees for this year’s BAFTA Game Awards and Sony Santa Monica’s God of War lead the way with ten nominations, including an unprecedented four nominations in the “Performer” category (one each for the actors behind Kratos, Atreus, Freya, and The Stranger). Boy!
Naturally, God of War is also in running for the “Best Game” Award, and it’ll be competing against Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Sony’s Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, Matt Makes Games’s Celeste, Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2, and Lucas Pope’s Return of the Obra Dinn
The BAFTA Game Awards will be held at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on April 4, and the ceremony will once again be hosted by comedian Dara O’Briain. Fans across the globe are encouraged to tune in to a livestream of the ceremony at BAFTA.org.
The complete list of nominees in all categories can be found after the break. (more…)
13 Nintendo-published games for the Switch have sold more than 1 million copies
Nintendo-branded products have always taken up a hefty portion of Santa’s sack, and 2018 was no different as Switch sales were huge during the holiday season.
Nintendo sold 15.05 million Switch consoles during the last quarter of 2018, bringing the platform’s total install base to 32.27 million. Consumers also spent the last three months stocking up on software, purchasing 63.51 million games from October through December.
Two games stood out last quarter on the sales charts, as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sold 12.08 million copies and the combined might of Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee! and Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! sold 10 million copies. All told, 13 Nintendo-published Switch games have joined the vaunted “Million-Seller” club during this fiscal year (April 2018 – December 2018):
| Title | Apr 18 – Dec 18 Sales | Total Sales |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | 12.08 Million | 12.08 Million |
| Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee! Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! |
10 Million | 10 Million |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 5.8 Million | 15.02 Million |
| Super Mario Party | 5.3 Million | 5.3 Million |
| Super Mario Odyssey | 3.35 Million | 13.76 Million |
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | 3.21 Million | 11.68 Million |
| Mario Tennis Aces | 2.53 Million | 2.53 Million |
| Splatoon 2 | 2.25 Million | 8.27 Million |
| Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze | 2.08 Million | 2.08 Million |
| Kirby Star Allies | 1.16 Million | 2.42 Million |
| Octopath Traveler (US + Europe Only) |
1.08 Million | 1.08 Million |
| Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit | 1.06 Million | 1.06 Million |
| Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker | 1.05 Million | 1.05 Million |
Even Nintendo’s dedicated handheld was still kicking along in 2018 (albeit slower than before). 3DS owners scooped up 1.07 million copies of Mario Kart 7 during the April through December period, bringing its total to 18.11 million copies sold.
Nintendo’s current fiscal year will end on March 31, and the consolemaker will announce their full-year sales figures sometime in April or May.
Posted in 3DS, News, Switch
Tagged Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Kirby Star Allies, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis Aces, Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit, Octopath Traveler, Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu/Let's Go Eevee, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Party, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo adds Labo Motorbike support to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
If you’ve ever thought it would be fun to sit in front of a cardboard motorcycle and play some Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, don’t worry, Nintendo’s got you covered.
A new update for the kart racing game will add a new controller option for the “Toy-Con Motorbike” from the Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit. After players construct the Motorbike using the included cardboard pieces, and slot in their Switch console and Joy-Con controllers, they’ll be able to vroom vroom their way through Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in an entirely new way.
After downloading the update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, simply select the “Nintendo Labo” icon on the game’s title screen to access a menu where you can select Toy-Con as the control type. When racing, turning the handlebars changes direction, twisting the right handlebar accelerates, and the various Joy-Con buttons are used for items, brakes and drifting. Up to four players can play at the same time with Toy-Con Motorbike with their own Toy-Con and Joy-Con controllers.
Be sure to check out the teaser trailer embedded above to get an idea of what it’ll look like.
The consolemaker also promised that additional games will receive support for Nintendo Labo creations in the future. So that’s something to look forward to.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Mario Kart 8, Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit
God of War slays all comers and emerges as the best-selling game of April 2018
You might say that Kratos returned with a vengeance last month, and that’s because Sony’s God of War reboot climbed to the top of The NPD Group’s list of best-selling games for April 2018. According to the NPD (via GamesIndustry.biz), God of War was also the “best ever launch for a PlayStation exclusive.”
Sony and Kratos weren’t done setting records, and the former “Ghost of Sparta” helped sell a lot of PS4 consoles too. Thanks to a push from the newly-available PS4 Pro 1TB + God of War Limited Edition Bundle, Sony’s console was propelled to the top of the NPD’s Hardware Chart for both “units sold” and “dollar sales.” The PS4 also set a new record for console sales during the month of April, besting the previous mark set in April 2008 by Nintendo’s Wii.
While Nintendo lost out on one record, they almost stole Sony’s thunder by placing six games in the NPD’s Top 20 last month, including the Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit (#4), Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (#5), Mario Kart 8 (#6), Super Mario Odyssey (#9), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#13), and Kirby Star Allies (#19).
You can find the full list of The NPD Group’s best-selling titles for April 2018 after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged A Way Out, Call of Duty: WWII, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Far Cry 5, FIFA 18, God of War 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Kirby Star Allies, Mario Kart 8, MLB The Show 18, Monster Hunter: World, NBA 2K18, Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit, NPD, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Sea of Thieves, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
New Retail Releases: God of War, Nintendo Labo, Yakuza 6, More
Kratos lives again as Sony Santa Monica brings God of War to the PS4 for the first time this week. The reboot promises a new beginning for the Ghost of Sparta, as Kratos (and his son) are transported to the harsh realm of Midgard. In his quest to earn the respect of his son, Kratos will be forced to battle the gods and monsters from the Norse pantheon.
Nintendo Switch owners will be able to take part in a different kind of epic battle this week with the release of the Nintendo Labo: Robot Kit. Using the included cardboard cutouts, and combined with the Joy-Con’s motion controls, players will be able to build their own robot suit and fight it out with other mechanized monsters.
On the other side of the spectrum, Switch owners will be able to flex their creative muscles with the Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit. Six cardboard contraptions are featured in the Variety Kit, including RC Cars, a Fishing Rod, a House, a Motorbike, and a Piano.
Also available this week will be the swan song for Kazuma Kiryu, as Sega brings Yakuza 6: The Song of Life to the PS4. And Klei Entertainment will launch the Don’t Starve: Mega Pack for the PS4 and Xbox One. The Mega Pack includes Don’t Starve, as well as the Reign of Giants and Shipwrecked expansions, and the Don’t Starve Together standalone spinoff.
Finally, Natsume will release Wild Guns Reloaded, a “fast-paced gallery style shooter mixing the Wild West with steampunk,” for the Switch.
That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at all the new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Don't Starve, God of War 4, Nintendo Labo: Robot Kit, Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
The Games of April 2018
After the end of a long Winter, things usually start bursting to life in April thanks to the fresh Spring air. This adage used to apply to the game release calendar too, but only a handful of new games will make their way to store shelves in April 2018. And an even smaller handful of titles will rise above the rest.
Nintendo will launch their latest experiment, the cardboard-powered Nintendo Labo kits, for the Switch this month. They’ll be joined by a new beginning for Kratos in Sony Santa Monica’s God of War, and the end for Kazuma Kiryu in Sega’s Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.
You can find out why the Warp Zoned staff is looking forward to these games, and view the release schedule for all of this month’s new games, after the break. (more…)
Posted in Features, Mobile, PC, Switch, Top Story, Vita, Xbox One
Tagged God of War 4, Nintendo Labo: Robot Kit, Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Nintendo Labo turns the Switch into a kid-friendly creative construction kit
Nintendo is at it again. Today, the consolemaker unveiled Nintendo Labo, a series of kid-friendly software packages that also double as creative construction kits powered by the portability of the Nintendo Switch.
Each Labo kit will come packed with several sheets of modular cardboard that can be molded into objects like a piano, or an RC car, or a (child-sized) wearable robot suit. Inserting a Joy-Con or the Switch console into these contraptions (which are known as Toy-Cons) will bring them to life, and allow players to play a song, race down the road, or do battle with invading aliens.
Nintendo will launch the Variety Kit (which includes the aforementioned piano and RC car, as well as a few other options) and the aptly-named Robot Kit on April 20. More information about the Toy-Con options available in both kits can be found right here:
Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit ($69.99)
- Toy-Con RC Car: Insert the Left and Right Joy-Con into your newly built RC Car and control its movement using touch screen controls on the Nintendo Switch console. The HD Rumble feature in the Joy-Con controllers will cause vibrations that move the car in the direction you choose. Materials to construct two RC Cars are included.
- Toy-Con Fishing Rod: Construct the Fishing Rod with an active, rotating reel that is attached by string to a cradle holding the Nintendo Switch console. Catch one of many exotic fish shown swimming on the Nintendo Switch screen by casting your Fishing Rod and unwinding the reel to lower the hook. Once you feel a vibration from the Joy-Con inserted in the reel, you must tug the Fishing Rod upward and crank the reel quickly to try and complete the catch!
- Toy-Con House: By inserting various assembled blocks into openings in the sides and bottom of the House, you can interact with, play games with and feed a cute creature on the front-facing Nintendo Switch screen. Each differently shaped block is detected by the IR Motion Camera on the Right Joy-Con inserted on top of the House.
- Toy-Con Motorbike: Insert each Joy-Con into an assembled set of handlebars to drive a motorbike on the Nintendo Switch screen. Pressing the ignition button starts the engine, while twisting the right handle activates the throttle. Leaning your body or turning the handlebars left and right controls the motorbike.
- Toy-Con Piano: After assembling a beautifully crafted 13-key piano and inserting the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con, you can experiment with your own musical creations by pressing different keys. You can even insert different assembled knobs to create new sound effects and tones!
Nintendo Labo: Robot Kit ($79.99)
- Toy-Con Robot: Create a wearable Robot suit, and insert the Left and Right Joy-Con into the designated slots on the backpack and visor to assume control of the robot, which is shown on the TV when the Nintendo Switch console is docked. Enjoy a variety of fun game-play experiences, including Robot mode, in which you can destroy in-game buildings and UFOs.
Whatever you do, don’t miss the Labo’s debut trailer, which has been embedded above. It should tell you everything you ever wanted to know about Nintendo’s new idea.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Nintendo Labo: Robot Kit, Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit