Ever since the first trailer for the official Sonic The Hedgehog movie went live the other day, the internet hasn’t stopped talking about the blue blur’s design. He’s got human-like teeth, beady eyes and electric hair. He doesn’t really resemble the Sega mascot Nintendo fans have grown increasingly fond of over the years.
Fortunately, changes will be happening. The movie’s Director Jeff Fowler recently took to Twitter and said the message was “loud and clear” – people are unhappy about the design and want adjustments to be made. He further elaborated by saying how Paramount Pictures and Sega both want to make the character to be the best he possibly can on the silver screen.
It seems like there’s still enough time between now and the film’s release in November to rework the design of the blue hedgehog and make the necessary changes to each scene. While it’s hard to say what condition the rest of the movie is in at this stage or if it needs a touch-up, based on the trailer alone, it seems like Robotnik (played by Jim Carrey) has been handled slightly better.
Are relieved to hear changes will be made? Tell us down in the comments.
As far as video game titles go, there are few as self-explanatory as Duck Game. It’s a title so simple that we wouldn’t be able to come up with a better one no matter how hard we tried. Quackers has unfortunately already been taken by American chain restaurant Chuck-e-Cheese and Duck Hunt is a Nintendo classic. With all the obvious alternatives already snatched up, the obvious title becomes the only real title you could ever choose. Enter, Duck Game. But what does that title tell you? It’s certainly a game, yes. You play as a duck, yes. But it doesn’t explain anything much more beyond that, and Duck Game is a title that goes above and beyond its basic name.
There are two opposing halves that make up Duck Game’s content, although they never conflict with one another. On one side, you have a frantic single-screen multiplayer title. On the other, you’re greeted with a difficult series of single-player challenges. The former is certainly the main hook of Duck Game and while single-screen multiplayer games aren’t few and far between – even on Switch – this is a genre standout that’s now available on the beloved handheld.
Much like other games in the genre, Duck Game incorporates the ever-frightening mechanic of one-hit kills. Multiplayer maps are rarely complex, but every one of them feels well designed for a maximum of four players. Ranging from wide platform-heavy arenas to a duelling arena dotted with sliding ice ramps, there’s a solid amount of variety here.
Even more varied is the game’s impressive line-up of weapons and items for you to pick up and use for your rampant duck hunting – sorry, duck gaming. Long-range sniper rifles, longswords, ice guns, trip mines and flame throwers are just a handful of the colossal library of weapons you’ll be able to get your hands on. While most are simple to use, some also incorporate a few extra actions before firing them off which always leads to a fun time for your friends when you forget to do so.
Frantically hopping around the game’s environments with an enemy duck hot on your tail may lead you to pick up any and all weapons during your escape. Hopefully, unlike us, you won’t give in to your fear and will pay attention to the items you pick up. Weapons like the hilarity-ensuing Suicide Gun are made for this exact scenario; if you don’t pay attention while picking up this terrifying firearm you’ll end up shooting yourself. Oh, and don’t forget to throw that grenade after you pull the pin out! Otherwise – KABOOM!
On occasion, Duck Game grants the same feeling of senseless cock-up humour that games like Worms thrive on. Playing with a group of friends will constantly bring the laughs, no matter what armaments you’re using to horrendously murder each other. It’s competitive for sure, but games like this are often a product for parties – alcohol is, of course, optional. After all, playing sober is bound to ruin a few friendships along the way.
But away from the friendship-destroying competitive multiplayer, Duck Game’s extensive challenge arcade serves as a training ground for advanced mechanics. Without the ability to play the game’s multiplayer mode against AI ducks, this is the only way to enjoy some pure single-player content.
Thankfully, the challenge arcade available here is remarkably extensive. The tasks offered within are far from anything you’d see in the game’s standard multiplayer mode. From extremely polished shooting challenges to chainsaw-sliding through a tightly designed circuit, there’s a generous amount of unique content designed around Duck Game’s deep movement systems.
Completing each challenge rewards you with tickets which can be exchanged for gameplay modifiers or, the only real option, purchase wearable hats. We had a particular fondness for the fridge-freezer we could shove on our head, despite making us a much larger target, and a hat that references the game Ballz couldn’t be left in our virtual wardrobe for long. There’s a huge number of hats to equip; not as many as in Team Fortress 2, but still a hefty variety nonetheless.
No matter how you play, Duck Game is a riot of a time. While the Switch version does, unfortunately, lack a lot of the custom content available through Steam Workshop on PC, the base content available here is still fun and undeniably rewarding. AI opponents could go a long way for those who want to play on the go, but their inclusion doesn’t ruin the pure multiplayer joy that Duck Game offers.
Conclusion
Duck Game is a standout multiplayer title on Switch. While it isn’t going to be as extensive as its modifiable PC counterpart, it’s a solid port to a fantastic portable. With split Joy-Con support, Duck Game is a perfect game to chuck on with a friend for a short game of animal cruelty. So put on a silly hat, pick up a chainsaw and slide at Mach speed towards your opponent.
ACE Team has announced that tower defence/racing game Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder is dropping on Switch on 14th May. The developer is bringing its irreverent humour to Nintendo’s hybrid console after published by Atlus on other platforms back in 2017. It’s a follow up to 2011’s original and it sees you building boulders and launching them towards enemies gates as fast as you can muster.
It appears that Atlas, he of Greek myth forever condemned to hold up the celestial sphere, has dropped said sphere and it’s wreaking havoc with history. You must not only destroy your enemy, but also use traps and other defensive units to protect yourself.
This sequel has an emphasis on online multiplayer, with co-op or competitive modes available as you journey though various historical periods. The blurb below gives us an idea of what to expect:
– Up to 4-Person Multiplayer – A little friendly competition never hurt anyone. Play with up to four players online in a match to the crushing death, with the ability to customize the banners and colors for your boulder. – Utter Chaos – Expanding on the first game with a more diverse selection of units and a larger focus on rock-smashing strategy in Bigger & Boulder, chaos reigns supreme! – Improved Physics and Destructible Environments – Developed in Unreal Engine 4, Rock of Ages 2 has upgraded physics, allowing you to crack, crush, slam, and flatten your adversary! – ACE Team’s Trademark Quirkiness – With humor turned up to 11, players will rock and roll through the ages. Famous historical and mythological figures beware. – Historically Inaccurate Bosses – Take on works of art come to life in boss battles featuring the likes of The Thinker and the Great Sphinx, leading up to the all-powerful final boss in a showdown like you’d never imagine!
Having missed the game the first time around, we still don’t feel particularly enlightened on the specifics, but it all sounds jolly good fun. According to the game’s website, the Binding of Isaac crossover DLC “will be available for free on Nintendo Switch for 2 weeks after release”. Free is an excellent price, we’re sure you’d agree, and the game itself looks suitably surreal – a pleasantly silly take on mythology and art history which is usually a very serious matter indeed. It launches on 14th May for $14.99, £13.49 and “commensurate EU prices”.
Have you played the game on other platforms? Let us know below if you’re excited to go ‘bouldly’…, hmm. If you’re ’embouldened’ by…, no, no. If you’re ‘bould over’ by these screensh-… Taxi!
A new trailer for the investigative visual novel Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa has been released and it introduces you to the students of Fujisawa Academy who you’ll be getting to know as you work to uncover the mysteries of the title.
By confronting your classmates after discovering their secrets, Kotodama duels will apparently enable you to ‘literally strip away the lies and uncover the truth’. We think publisher PQube has confused the word ‘lies’ with ‘clothes’, and ‘truth’ with…, well… Ahem. Moving on!
The official blurb gives a run down of the eight students which we shall reproduce for you now:
Namani Kagura A real bundle of energy, endlessly optimistic and a real chatterbox. She’s the first friend you make at the Academy and is super-eager to give you the grand tour of the campus. She’s obsessed with ‘The Curse of Mikoto’.
Honoka Ichinose Super shy and timid, she’s a quiet girl that’s universally well liked. Honoka is a real animal lover, and likes nothing more than getting close to nature, but here’s the thing – Animals really don’t seem to love her back.
Shuji Toyama Fujisawa Academy’s track and field ace. He’s the most popular guy in school – so much so, he even has his own fan club. A decent and level headed guy, Shuji’s times have been slipping recently and these days he seems a little distracted…
Yukino Tsubaki Considered the spoilt rich kid by pretty much everyone at the Academy. She’s hard-nosed and frosty even at the best of times. Quick to temper and not one to suffer fools gladly – she also has a pretty big grudge against Nanami Kagura…
Wakaba Asagiri President of the Occult Research Club, or ORC, for short. Wakaba is smart, funny and responsible. There are a number of unsolved mysteries at the Academy and she’s made it her goal to uncover the truth – with your help.
Kujo Satsuki A stickler for the rules, and hands-down the smartest student at the Academy. He’s a pretty no-nonsense guy and a great source of information about the academy and its secrets – one of which he may just be a little bit too close to.
Chinatsu Hachisuka Always on patrol around the Academy, Chinatsu likes nothing more than letting students know they’ve stepped out of line. Bossy doesn’t even cover it – but is she really so perfect herself? Seems like she’s overcompensating for something…
Mikoto Sasaki Before Kujo Satsuki, Mikoto was Fujisawa’s brightest star. An incredible student and athlete, she was the real deal – that is, before she killed herself. Loved by everyone, her death now haunts the academy as the mysterious ‘Curse of Mikoto’.
Pre-orders are now open on the European eShop, with US pre-orders coming in two weeks. Included with the physical edition are five exclusive art cards and some sticker sheets with chibi versions of the eight characters.
What kinds of secrets could these college kids and the academy itself be hiding, do you suppose? Are you tempted to pre-order Kotodama? Let us know below.
When we first heard about the possibility of reliving both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey – two of our favourite Switch games – in VR, we were incredibly excited. Nintendo’s latest Labo kit has made it all possible, and for the price, the kit itself is pretty darn good, but Mario and Zelda in VR didn’t turn out quite as well as we’d hoped.
Mario’s first VR experience isn’t actually too bad at all, even if we wouldn’t exactly call it an essential one, but Breath of the Wild’s VR upgrade had us feeling physically sick. The likely reasoning for this was always down to the fact that the game can’t handle the necessary frame rate and resolution to run smoothly in VR, but tech wizards Digital Foundry have now explored those very statistics to see just how well (or not) it really performs.
The compromises of Nintendo’s budget VR setup are pretty clear right from the off, and the boost in performance needed to run Zelda’s scenes twice (once for each eye) takes the base game’s usual 30 frames per second down to somewhere between 20 and 30fps, occasionally jumping around within that range and causing motion sickness issues.
The Switch’s native 720p display also causes some problems, especially when – again – Zelda’s VR version takes a bigger hit. Digital Foundry reports that the area directly in front of your eyes is being displayed at around 480p with resolution increasing along the periphery. You can see the full rundown for yourself via the video below.
How have you found your experiences with Mario and Zelda in VR? Have you had any issues, or have you enjoyed your time playing them? Let us know in the comments below.
Indie publisher Digerati and developer Caiysware have announced that Skelly Selest is headed to Nintendo Switch later this month.
The game has you taking on procedurally-generated gauntlets of hellspawn and bosses, all in the name of defeating the horrors that lurk in the depths of Hell. There’s a focus on highscore chasing here, with players taking on relentless waves of enemies, but there’s plenty more to get stuck into as well.
We have quick blurb and feature list for you below.
Prophecy foretells that one day Hell shall runneth over and the evil dead will spill onto thy Earth. Only the Selestial Order can halt the depraved Hellion tide. Skelly Selest is a score-attack slash dash run ‘n’ gun-athon that places players in the skeletal shoes of a Heavenly Keeper.
Key features – Fight furious battles across several modes, including a roguelite dungeon crawler, endless arena, Boss Rush, challenging Penitence Trials, and even a strategic collectable card game – Visit the Bone Plains, Flesh Gardens, and other charming locations across a vibrant pixel-art hellscape Make acquaintances with monstrous enemies and bosses – Wield blessed items, weapons, and armor to survive – Rescue a variety of unlockable character classes and spiffy hats
Skelly Selest will launch on Switch on 24th May, so make sure to keep an eye out in the coming weeks if you’re interested.
What do you think? Will you be keeping tabs on it? Let us know in the usual place.
If you’ve somehow managed to resist all of the Mighty Switch Force! digital sales over the years or just happen to be a diehard fan of the WayForward series and would like every entry in one place, you’ll be pleased to hear a collection is on the way.
A PEGI rating has confirmed a Mighty Switch Force! Collection for Switch, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The rating’s description reveals the collection will include four games in one.
As noted, you’ll take control of the cybernetic peacekeeping officer Patricia Wagon as she works her way through various puzzle platforming challenges.
Epic Games – best known in recent years for its insanely popular free-to-play battle royale game Fortnite – has acquired Rocket League developer Psyonix for an unspecified amount.
Psyonix revealed the news over on its own website and at the same time reassured its fanbase it would continue to be a community-driven game:
Today is a big day for us here at Psyonix because, just as the headline says, we’re officially joining the Epic Games family.
Your first question to news like this might be, “What does this mean for Rocket League and its community?” We’re happy to say that the answers are only positive. Rocket League always has been and always will be a community-driven game, and now that we have joined forces with Epic, we will be able to serve our community in even bigger and better ways!
Epic will allow Psyonix to grow the game and further develop its eSports ecosystem:
In the long-term, we expect to bring Rocket League to the Epic Games store and to leverage our new relationship to grow the game in ways we couldn’t do on our own before. We believe that bringing Rocket League to new audiences with more support is a win for everybody.
We think this is a great move for the Rocket League Esports ecosystem because it significantly increases our potential reach and resources, just like it does for the game itself. We really do believe that you’ll find our future in esports to be very exciting.
One of the main concerns initially was whether or not the Steam version of the game would continue to be sold and supported. Psyonix has since confirmed these users will still be able to play the game and look forward to future updates. For the console versions, it should be fun and games as usual.
What are your thoughts about Psyonix joining the Epic family? Tell us down below.
A few weeks ago, Forza fans got a surprise when the Windows 10 game Miami Street by Electric Square was rebranded Forza Street. While the free-to-play game is only accessible on the Microsoft Store at the moment, it will soon be made available on Android and iOS devices.
There’s now a rumour suggesting this new entry in the Forza racing series could be making its way across to the Switch in the near future as well. According to AR12Gaming, dataminers have sifted through Forza Street’s source code and discovered Nintendo’s hybrid system is referenced multiple times. Here’s the evidence:
Apart from the name, there’s not much about Forza Street that is similar to the mainline series. Races instead take on the form of quick-time events and players have minimal input. The game’s free-to-play design also means a lot of grinding is required if you want to unlock better cars. Below is a description from the official game site:
Race to collect legendary cars – from classic muscle to modern sports and retro supercars. Squeeze in a quick one-minute race or get immersed in an endless story with multiple paths to victory. This is a race for anytime, anywhere.
If Forza Street is released on the Switch, it would make a lot of sense considering all the recent comments we’ve heard from Microsoft about wanting to expand its audience and bring more Xbox Live enabled games like Cuphead to the device.
Would you try out this game if it was released on the Nintendo Switch? Leave a comment below.
The latest batch of My Nintendo game discounts for North America has now gone live, giving players the usual chance to grab a handful of games at discounted prices.
There are nine games up for grabs this time around, all for the 3DS and Wii U as usual and all at 30% off. As always, you can take advantage of these discounts by simply using the required Gold or Platinum My Nintendo Points listed below.
You can also pick up a printable Splatoon 2 relationship chart. We’ve grabbed a screenshot for you below, but you can download a super high-resolution copy for just 10 Platinum Points (which you can easily acquire just by visiting Nintendo’s site).
Will you be taking advantage of any of these offers? Remember, your Gold Points can also be spent on Switch software directly from the eShop or a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, too.
