All Articles: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Games of December 2018
The New Releases shelf is usually a barren wasteland in December as game publishers want their hot new titles out before Black Friday. But that is definitely not the case this year, and players looking for new games to play during the next four weeks will have a healthy selection to choose from. Especially if you’re the sort of person who loves retro revivals or the slightly goofier side of gaming.
Thankfully, we here at Warp Zoned love those types of games, and you can find out exactly what we’re looking forward to this month after the break. (more…)
New Retail Releases: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Just Cause 4, PUBG PS4, More
The Nintendo Switch’s first year was jam-packed with dozens of new games, but Nintendo may have saved the biggest for the last few weeks of its second. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be available on store shelves this week, and it’ll include every character from the previous four games, as well as newcomers Incineroar, Simon Belmont, the Inklings, and Ridley.
The Smash Bros. series is known for its over-the-top action, as is Square Enix’s Just Cause franchise, which will also receive a new entry this week. Just Cause 4 (PS4 and Xbox One) will take the fearless Rico Rodriguez to the fictional country of Solis, a land of “conflict, oppression, and extreme weather conditions.” Just Cause 4 will also be available to download for the PC. Speaking of high-flying adventurers, you’ll also find the PS4 debut of PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on store shelves this week. The battle royale shooter comes complete with all three maps currently available for the PC and Xbox One, as well as a few PS4-exclusive cosmetic items.
However, this week’s biggest new release will require a trip down to GameStop, and that’s because Bandai Namco is re-releasing Katamari Damacy for the Switch (with a visual upgrade) as Katamari Damacy Reroll.
Elsewhere on the New Releases shelf, you’ll find a pair of PS4 rhythm games from Atlus (Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight), a retail re-release for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PS4 and Xbox One), and the Switch debut of Sega’s massive Sega Genesis Classics compilation.
Finally this week, Sony will break into the microconsole business with the PlayStation Classic. Containing two replica PlayStation controllers and 20 games (including Final Fantasy VII, Twisted Metal, Grand Theft Auto, and more), the microconsole is HDMI-ready and priced at $100.
A complete look at the rest of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Final Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct reveals new characters, Spirits customization, Fighters Pass DLC, World of Light campaign, and a lot more
Nintendo uploaded the final Nintendo Direct video for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this morning, and Director Masahiro Sakurai smashed expectations with a 40-minute presentation that touched on nearly every aspect of the game.
First, Sakurai revealed that Street Fighter’s Ken and Pokemon’s Incineroar will join Smash Bros. Ultimate as playable characters. Players who purchase the game by January 31, 2019 will also receive Piranha Plant as a free download in February 2019.
Five more fighters will be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate throughout 2019 and into 2020 as part of the game’s Fighters Pass. The Fighters Pass will be priced at $24.99, though each fighter will also be available individually for $5.99 apiece.
The mysterious Spirits mode was also detailed by Sakurai, who explained that players will be able to customize their favorite fighters by unlocking characters connected to the Smash Bros. universe (including Chibi-Robo, Dr. Wily, Tails, and Revolver Ocelot) as Spirits. These Spirits are hiding in the game’s Spirit Battles mode, and once they’re unlocked, players will be able to use them to add power-ups to their fighters.
As a final bonus, Sakurai teased Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s campaign mode, World of Light. The short cinematic shows Kirby going head-to-head with brainwashed Smash Bros. fighters. Can the pink puffball rescue his friends? And what caused the light to be stolen from the world? We just don’t know yet, because the Director said he wants to keep parts of this new adventure mode secret until the game launches.
Sakurai had a lot more to say about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and you can find a complete rundown of today’s Nintendo Direct presentation after the break.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on December 7. (more…)
Play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (and 8 other Switch games) at Nintendo’s PAX West 2018 booth
Nintendo is putting most of their eggs in a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-shaped basket this Fall, though the consolemaker is also planning to release a few other big titles for the Switch before the end of the year. But if you’re attending PAX West later this week, don’t worry, they’ll have playable demos of all of them on the show floor, along with several eagerly-anticipated third-party games.
In addition to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, fans will be able to stop by Nintendo’s booth (#1939) to try out Super Mario Party, Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu!, and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee!. Playable demos for Ubisoft’s Starlink: Battle For Atlas, Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball FighterZ, Blizzard’s Diablo III: Eternal Collection, Grasshopper Manufacture’s No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again, and NIS America’s SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy will also be available.
“Many of our biggest fans descend on Seattle every year to celebrate video games at PAX West,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “It’s the perfect venue for us to interact directly with our fans with fun activities and engaging hands-on demos with some of our upcoming games.”
Nintendo will also host a handful of special events at PAX West 2018, and you can learn more about them after the break. (more…)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice wins “Best of Gamescom” at Gamescom 2018
Gamescom 2018 closed its doors for the last time today, and From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice slashed its way towards the coveted “Best of Gamescom” award.
There were a wide range of winners at this year’s expo, with all three consolemakers predictably winning “Best Game” on their respective platforms. In case you were wondering, those awards went to Spider-Man (“Best PS4 Game”), Ori and the Will of the Wisps (“Best Xbox One Game”), and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (“Best Nintendo Switch Game”). Nintendo’s fighter also collected the audience-voted award “Most Wanted Consumer Award.”
Other platform-specific awards were claimed by Ubisoft’s Anno 1800 (“Best PC Game”) and Madfinger’s Shadowgun War Games (“Best Mobile Game”).
The complete list of nominees and winners can be found after the break. And it’s never too early to start planning for next year’s expo. Gamescom organizers announced that next year’s show will begin on August 20. (more…)
Simon Belmont and King K. Rool coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
After announcing that every previous combatant in the Super Smash Bros. series would be returning for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo is now turning their attention towards adding new characters to the fighting franchise. This morning, during a Smash-themed new Nintendo Direct, the consolemaker confirmed that Castlevania‘s Simon Belmont and Donkey Kong Country’s King K. Rool will join the fight:
Simon Belmont: Simon’s signature weapon is, of course, his whip, with special attacks true to the Castlevania series, including the axe, cross, holy water and Grand Cross Final Smash. His stage is Dracula’s Castle, with candlesticks that release an item when destroyed. Alucard, the tragic hero from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, appears as an Assist Trophy, lending his cursed steel in battle. Richter Belmont, a descendant of Simon Belmont and the star of his own Castlevania games, also joins the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster as an Echo fighter.
King K. Rool: As the beloved villain from all three Donkey Kong Country games on Super NES, King K. Rool joins Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable fighter. He attacks with a blunderbuss that can fire cannonballs at opponents, and throws his crown, which acts like a boomerang.
In addition to Richter Belmont, Nintendo also revealed two more Echo Fighters for Smash Bros. Ultimate… Metroid‘s Dark Samus (for Samus Aran) and Fire Emblem‘s Chrom (for Roy).
But new characters was just the beginning. The consolemaker used this Nintendo Direct to announce that morphing stages will be included in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as 900 music tracks, new Assist Trophies (including Shovel Knight), and a new Final Smash Meter. You can watch a replay of the Nintendo Direct presentation embedded above or view a quick rundown of all of today’s announcements after the break.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on December 7. (more…)
Nintendo will bring eight games to Comic-Con 2018 including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Those who visit the Nintendo Gaming Lounge at Comic-Con this week will get a chance to compete against their fellow congoers in Nintendo’s highly-anticipated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Seven other games will also be available in the Nintendo Gaming Lounge, which will be located in the San Diego Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis & Marina adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center:
Games Available at the Nintendo Gaming Lounge
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Mario Tennis Aces
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
- Overcooked! 2 (Published by Team17)
- FIFA 19 (Published by Electronic Arts)
“San Diego Comic-Con is a great opportunity to welcome new fans into the Nintendo family and for some of our biggest fans to interact with Nintendo in fun and creative ways,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This year we’re really excited to see fans play the newly announced Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. We encourage fans of all ages to bring their friends and families to experience what Nintendo has to offer this year.”
The Nintendo Gaming Lounge will be open on July 19-21 from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM (Pacific Time) and 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Pacific Time) on July 22.
Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 remake wins “Best of Show” at E3 2018 from Game Critics Awards
The “media and influencer outlets” represented by the Game Critics Awards have selected this year’s Best of E3 winners. Capcom crawled away with “Best of Show” thanks to the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Meanwhile, Media Molecule’s Dreams won “Best Original Game,” while fellow Sony stablemate Marvel’s Spider-Man won “Best Console Game” and “Best Action/Adventure Game.” The Game Critics Awards honored a rather diverse slate of games this year, giving “Best PC Game” to BioWare’s Anthem, “Best AR/VR Game” to Tetris Effect, and “Best RPG” to Kingdom Hearts III.
Unsurprisingly, the massively-popular Super Smash Bros. Ultimate took home “Best Fighting Game.”
Among non-playable games, a “Special Commendation for Graphics” was awarded to CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II, and Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima. The Last of Us Part II also received a “Special Commendation for Sound” and Cyberpunk 2077 also collected a “Special Commendation for Innovation.”
The full list of winners can be found after the break. (more…)