Sunnyside Games has announced it is releasing a sequel to its Android and iOS hit Towaga on the Nintendo eShop this summer – with the assistance of Forever Entertainment and TA Publishing.
Towaga 2 is described as an action-shooter where the fate of your tribe lies sorely in your hands. Using your focus, accuracy and patience, you’ll be required to defeat legions of foes and find out about the mysterious past of the island of Az’kalar. Throughout your adventure, you’ll also upgrade your skills and unlock new abilities to fit your playstyle.
The original mobile game was originally released in 2017 and was positively received on Google Play and the Apple Store. Take a look at the sequel’s action-packed Switch announcement below (warning: it contains a lot of bright flashes throughout:
Does this look like your kind of game? Sound off in the comments below.
As the Game Boy prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary, Nintendo’s beloved Animal Crossing series has just reached the 18-year mark of its existence (well, yesterday it did – we’re 24 hours late). Sure, it might not be quite as significant, but it’s still worth reminding everyone just how much it has grown over the years.
The series first started out in Japan with the 2001 Nintendo 64 title Dōbutsu no Mori (also known as Animal Forest). In the same year, the original game was brought across to the GameCube and then localised for North America as Animal Crossing in 2002 and later on in Europe in 2004.
Since then, the obscure lifestyle simulator has gone on to become one of Nintendo’s best-selling IP. The handheld entries Animal Crossing: Wild World and Animal Crossing: New Leaf have performed particularly well in terms of sales, selling more than 10 and 12 million units respectively.
The series has become so popular, there have even been a number of spin-offs over the years. These include the likes of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on the 3DS and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on mobile. We’re now waiting for the next big entry in the series to be revealed at this year’s E3.
So until then, why not celebrate Animal Crossing’s 18th year anniversary by sharing your own memories of the series in the comment section below.
When it comes to causing carnage and unleashing violence, few things fit the bill as well as vehicular combat. From the heyday of Destruction Derby to the headline-baiting prime of Carmageddon, using a car to smash your friends/foes to bits is so satisfying it’s almost primal. Hell, there was even a Star Wars game back on PlayStation where you could ride a rancor into battle and fight speeder bikes and AT-STs. They’re just brilliant fun, regardless of the licensed backdrop or hardware.
Back in 2001, Canadian studio Pseudo Interactive decided to have its own go at the genre with Cel Damage, a vehicular battle arena game which took the power-up collecting violence of Twisted Metal and fused it with the cartoon slapstick of Wacky Races. Without the actual licence for that Hanna-Barbera series, the developer instead used a similar cel-shaded look (back when cel-shading was still new and fresh) and created its own roster of madcap racers. There’s Fowl Mouth (a noir-style black and white duck), Sinder (a miniature demon), Dominique Trix (a dominatrix, unsurprisingly enough) and more. Each one has a unique item they can fling to knock enemies aside or reduce their health, but for the most part, they all have the same floaty, bumper car-style driving model.
Along with the 10 racers on the starting grid, there are three modes to choose from. Smack Attack is just a free-for-all where the first contestant to meet the required number of hits wins, but it’s still Cel Damage HD’s purest setup. Flag Rally is basically ‘Capture the Flag’, except all the flags are running about on their own respective pair of legs and need to be dropped off in a special area to ‘bank’ them. Gate Relay is the poorest of the three, with its basic racing formula falling apart mostly due to the sloppy handling model. There are 13 arenas to choose from, and 10 characters to play with, but with only three modes Cel Damage HD is still frustratingly bare almost 18 years on.
It’s also still way too easy to unlock every one of its arena variants and 30 or so weapons. Like most Switch ports, Cel Damage is very much the same game that appeared on PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2014, but a handful of new items to celebrate its appearance on Nintendo Switch would be nice (even if they’re not Nintendo-themed). The lack of anything ‘new’ does make this particular version a little less special, especially on a console with so many local multiplayer games vying for your time and money.
Here’s the thing about Cel Damage HD. Much like every other port of this game (it was ported to PS2 as Cel Damage Overdrive in 2002 then got that HD treatment on last gen hardware in 2014), there’s nothing particularly remarkable about any of its parts. The driving model is floaty and without precision; its characters lack any real sense of memorable personality; its content is far too easy to unlock across all three modes. But as a split-screen local PvP experience, its messy action somehow comes together, which is probably why people still talk about it in hushed tones all these years on.
Against the AI, its three modes are far too easy to dominate in and as a solo experience, Cel Damage HD will lose its appeal within an hour or two. But much like the original versions, which were designed at a time where couchplay multiplayer was still the norm, this Switch port comes alive when fired up with some friends. Now grabbing a boxing gloves power-up is even funnier as you sucker punch a mate and send them tumbling into a river full of piranha, and sending two of your friends flying off the edge of a rocket platform with a buzzsaw is a riot to pull off.
It’s easy to make the argument that Cel Damage would have a much greater chance at success with the introduction of online multiplayer – something this writer has made the case for in regards to similar ports in the past – but online servers aren’t going to elevate this game any more than its local options. This is the kind of game that works best when played in the same room as your friends, laughing out loud as you smash a mate into a croc-infested swamp while swinging a giant baseball bat. With support for up to four players, this Switch version is already a significant step up from the version that appeared on Vita many years ago. It’s just a shame this long-in-the-tooth local multiplayer affair lacks anything new to make its Switch port stand out in a very dense crowd.
Conclusion
Cel Damage HD isn’t going to rocket to the top of the eShop charts and become the kind of unit-selling monster that publishers only dream of, but that doesn’t mean it should be passed up if you’re a brand new player. As a local multiplayer affair, its vehicular combat is bombastic and silly in a way that makes for countless rewarding matches. It’s still too easy to unlock every new weapon and arena in a couple of hours, but with full support for four-player multiplayer, this cartoonish caper finally gets the handheld iteration it deserved all along.
Well, we weren’t expecting this one. Reggie Fils-Aimé has opened his very own Twitter account, entering the world of social media for the first time as he leaves the role of Nintendo of America President behind.
Yes, if you’ve somehow missed the news, the beloved Regginator has stepped down from his role at Nintendo today, handing over the keys to Doug Bowser. It was unclear whether or not Nintendo would mention Reggie’s departure for one final time, but it seems he’s taken things into his own hands.
Here’s his first tweet:
As this article goes live, the account has been active for just over 15 minutes. In that time, he’s already gained over 15,000 followers and this will no doubt grow at a tremendous rate over the next few days.
We have no idea what Reggie plans to do with this account, and whether or not it will be related to Nintendo, but we’re glad that he’ll be keeping fans updated in one way or another. His bio reads:
Retired President/COO @NintendoAmerica. Active business provocateur.
A promotional image for LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Fans of animated plastic bricks and intergalactic battles, rejoice! It would appear that a brand new LEGO Star Wars video game is in the works.
This weekend played host to Star Wars Celebration – which you can likely guess is a fan gathering that celebrates all things Star Wars – and during the event, Skywalker Sound’s Matt Wood seemed to let slip that a new project was on the way. To make things clear, Skywalker Sound is an audio division of Lucasfilm which is in charge of all sound elements in the Star Wars movies.
He actually notes that an awful lot of Star Wars projects are on the way, but this LEGO tease naturally has us intrigued. You can hear his comments for yourself below.
The game hasn’t been addressed in an official capacity from LEGO publisher Warner Bros., but the folks over at Eurogamer have shared a little more potential info. According to Eurogamer’s sources, this next game will be “more than just an adaptation of the saga’s remaining two episodes”, following on from 2016’s LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and while those two episodes will be included, the game will apparently “tell the story of the entire saga”.
Teasingly, Eurogamer says that it has been described as the “ultimate” LEGO Star Wars game. Naturally, we’ll keep an eye out for any official confirmation for the game going forward; it’ll be interesting to see whether or not this ends up on Switch.
Would you be up for a new LEGO Star Wars game? Does it sound like an exciting prospect to you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Ysbryd Games and Witching Hour Studios have today announced that Masquerada: Songs and Shadows will launch on Nintendo Switch next month. You’ll be able to pick it up for yourself on 9th May.
We first heard about this one coming to Switch way back in August 2017, when the PS4 launch for the game came alongside an announcement of an upcoming Switch port. Here’s a little PR to give you some more info on what you can expect from the game:
A friend’s disappearance leads Cicero Gavar on a journey through a fantastical world inspired by Renaissance-era Venice and brought to life in a vibrant, hand-drawn art style. Cicero will crush foes in real-time combat with tactical pause, combining his control over the elements with those of his companions on their adventure through a society at war with itself.
Only the wealthy and powerful can lay claim to Mascherines, masks that grant magical powers, though they have grown even more elusive in the five-year civil war that has destroyed many of the precious artifacts. Cicero’s party will unearth how intimately the secrets of their pasts are intertwined with the war, their society, and the history of the Mascherines.
We’ve also managed to get our hands on some screenshots for you, specifically from the Switch version of the game. Check them out below.
As noted above, this one fights its way to Switch on 9th May and will be priced $19.99 – the same as on all other platforms.
Will you be giving this one a try? Have you already played it on another system? Let us know in the comments.
Update: We’ve been tipped off by an anonymous source that Capcom’s big reveal – as reported below – isn’t coming to Switch, because it’s not coming to any console. Instead, it will be a two-player arcade stick packed with classic Capcom arcade games that plugs directly into your TV. We’ve been told that the sticks and buttons will be full-sized affairs; a close match to the interface used on original arcade cabinets. We’ve heard that the unit will be a premium affair, with a retail price that could be as high as £200.
We’ll continue to update this story as we get more information.
Original Story: Not so long ago, Capcom surprised everyone with its Beat ‘Em Up Bundle, a selection of famous scrolling fighting titles which included Final Fight and Knights of the Round. Now, it would appear that the company is following this collection up with a second compilation, this time focused on a broader range of titles.
Capcom has released a trailer which shows a series of arcade titles reflected in the controls of a coin-op cabinet. From the footage, we can make out Darkstalkers, a one-on-one fighter in the same style as Street Fighter II (which is also included in this trailer). There’s also Aliens vs. Predator and Progear, two titles that have never seen the light of day outside of arcades, and Giga Wing, a shooter which was also ported to the Dreamcast.
Capcom’s teasing an announcement tomorrow at 3PM, UK time.
First up, a t-shirt featuring the Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen logo will soon be appearing in Travis Strikes Again, joining the ever-growing collection of in-game shirts which also includes a lovely Zelda: Majora’s Mask design. You can see it for yourself in the image below.
Ensuring that Dragon’s Dogma doesn’t get left out, the game will receive a Travis Touchdown pawn. This pawn wields Travis’ signature beam katana and will be available for free as an additional download when the game launches next week.
You can see this in the video below (at the 43:10 mark); the Travis t-shirt also appears around nine minutes in.
We’re sure you’ll agree this is a nice touch for fans of each game, and especially those who just so happen to love both. Are you planning on picking up Dragon’s Dogma next week? Let us know in the comments.
Yo-kai Watch 4 will be launching in Japan in just under two months’ time and, while we still haven’t heard any news of a western release just yet, Level-5 has shared some new information about the game.
First up is ‘Yo-makai’, the fourth world that you’ll be able to explore and home to the Yo-kai. This world was first seen in Yo-kai Watch the Movie: Forever Friends and joins the three variations of Springdale as another location in the upcoming game.
Next, we have confirmation that a total of six human characters will be available to use in battle as Watchers. We already knew about Keita (Nate) and Touma, but Fumi-chan, Natsume, Akinori, and Shin will also be able to fight alongside the Yo-kai. You can see them all in this image below.
The game will use an all-new system for befriending Yo-kai called Konkatsu (or ‘Soulmatching’). You’ll meet the mysterious monkey Yo-kai, Konsaru, who will introduce you to other monsters.
That’s not all, though, as it has also been confirmed that physical toy connectivity will play its part – picking up Ark toys will allow you to get special items in the game – and several new Yo-kai have also been shared. Below we have Gomendako, Fuukun (who has two forms), Raichan (who also has two forms) and Narukama.
Are you hoping for Yo-kai Watch 4 to make it over to the west? Will you be grabbing a Japanese copy? Let us know if you’re a fan of the series in the comments.
When it comes to more serious racing games on the Switch, it’s admittedly slim pickings. GRID Autosport – the ninth entry in Codemasters’ long-running TOCA series – hopes to improve the situation for automotive fans who own Nintendo’s hybrid device. The latest version of this racing simulator, originally released on multiple other platforms in 2014, will include all of the existing DLC, 100 cars, 100 circuits, tilt controls, along with online and local multiplayer.
If this wasn’t already enough to satisfy your need for speed, the game might also be receiving a physical release on Nintendo’s hybrid device. GameMania – a video game retailer located in the Netherlands – has a pre-order up for a physical version of GRID Autosport on the Switch and a placeholder box art (see below). Codemasters hasn’t officially announced a retail release, so with any luck, this is a sign it has been given the green light.
If this game does receive a retail release, will you be racing down to your local store to pick it up? Sound off in the comments.
