Developer Dodge Roll has revealed its roguelike shooter Enter The Gungeon will be receiving an exclusive Nintendo Switch retail release in North America on 25th June for $29.99, thanks to the assistance of Devolver Digital.
This physical edition will come packed with all of the existing DLC, an exclusive “Shotgun Kin” playable skin, stickers, papercraft, reversible jacket artwork and a download code for the game’s soundtrack. Take a look game box art and all the of lovely goodies in the image below:
If you haven’t played Enter the Gungeon before, it’s an endlessly replayable bullet hell roguelike with satisfying combat, random levels, multiple weapons, a variety of items and many secrets.
The final DLC pack ‘A Farewell to Arms’ comes out today, which also happens to line-up with the game’s three-year anniversary. This update includes two new playable characters, more guns, floors, items, and a new rainbow mode. Read more about it in our previous post.
Will you be trying out the game’s final DLC pack? Would you be interested in a physical copy of the game for your Switch library? Tell us down below.
The Super Mario Odyssey update will add in three new mini-missions where you collect musical notes and coins as you revisit the Cap, Seaside and Luncheon Kingdoms. In the Breath of the Wild Update, there’s a new option in the menu to activate the Toy-Con VR Goggles. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to enjoy Link’s epic adventure on Switch like never before.
Of course, if you want to try out both of these updates, you’ll need to make sure you pick up the VR Kit, which is due out next week on 12th April. There’ll be two versions available. One kit includes all of the Toy-Con creations and the other is the more affordable starter set including the VR Goggles and Blaster. For more information about each kit, see our previous post.
Are you surprised this is happening? What other Nintendo games would you like to see receive VR updates? Tell us below.
If you’re familiar with the boxing legend Mike Tyson, you’ll likely remember how his name was attached to Punch-Out!! on the NES. Due to licensing issues and Tyson’s imprisonment in the ’90s, the game was renamed and nowadays has ‘Featuring Mr. Dream’ in the title.
Still, that’s not enough for Mike to forget he was once affiliated with this classic, as he recently noticed Nintendo of America’s tweet about the April NES games for the Switch Online service. In case you missed it, this month Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Star Soldier, and Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream are being added to the digital library.
It seems the mere mention of Punch-Out!! was enough to make Mike think a new one was on the way, as exactly an hour after he found out about this, he tweeted Nintendo’s Japanese account, asking why he hadn’t been contacted about the next entry:
It looks like the former boxer might be a bit confused about what exactly is going on here. Even if a new Punch-Out!! game was announced in the future, we imagine Nintendo would prefer to make use of its own boxers such as Little Mac.
What do you think about this? Has Mike taken too many hits to the head, or does he know something we don’t? Leave a comment down below.
Before Super Mario Maker was even a thing, Sony had already released a handful of LittleBigPlanet games across multiple PlayStation systems. If you’re not familiar with this established series, it lives by its “play, create, share” motto, encouraging user-generated content to fuel gameplay experiences.
With this in mind, one talented member of the LittleBigPlanet 3 community on PlayStation 4 has found a way to recreate Nintendo’s Mario-themed level-maker game. Although the platforming physics are rubbish and the visuals are limited to the Super Mario Bros. NES theme, it’s still quite an impressive feat. In saying this, we doubt we’ll be seeing Sackboy in Super Mario Maker anytime soon.
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on various topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, staff writer Gavin looks back on his history with the Smash Bros. series and tells us why he’s weary of the latest iteration on Switch…
We’ve all got different tastes when it comes to video games and, indeed, everything else in this world. We’re all entitled to our opinions, of course, however ‘wrong’ they may be. People are welcome to believe that Skyward Sword is complete and utter trash, for example, although I remember having a cracking time with it over Christmas 2011. Sure it’s a slow starter, but I can’t understand the vitriol it provokes in some corners of the internet. Alternatively, you might enjoy, say, 3D Sonic games; that’s fine. You won’t hear any whining from me – we can still be friends.
However, working for this website has magnified a personal issue I’ve got with one of Nintendo’s crown jewel franchises; something that’s been bugging me for ages and which flared up last year with the launch of Switch’s biggest game since Super Mario Odyssey. Yes, it’s confession time – I just don’t understand the world’s obsession with Super Smash Bros.
As perplexing as this may be to some readers (and some colleagues – sorry Alex!), I just cannot enjoy Smash in the way legions of fans seem to. I know I’m not entirely alone and that there’s a small band of us who watch from the side-lines with a sense of bemusement as the rest of the world goes Smash crazy. I see sales figures that show it’s now the biggest selling Switch game in Japan and I know it must be good – I know I must be missing something, but I simply can’t find a way in.
It’s certainly not for lack of trying – I’ve been burned before, multiple times. I bought (and subsequently sold) the first three games in the series. I picked up the original N64 game back in 1999 because, well, of course I did. Just watch the intro for a reminder of how cool this mashup was:
A fighting game featuring Mario, Link, Fox, Pikachu and Captain Falcon?! For an N64 kid, the magnitude of this crossover was impossible to resist, but from the very first moment something didn’t feel quite right.
Specific memories from that period are dim, but I remember using Pikachu a lot and spamming his lightning bolt move. I remember the controls never quite ‘clicking’ and feeling very odd about Mario’s jump not being on the ‘A’ button. Perhaps it had something to do with my youthful ignorance; obviously Mario’s jump wouldn’t be on the ‘A’ button in a fighting game. I was imposing my expectations based on Mario 64 onto this entirely different genre. Then again, Smash isn’t really like any other fighting game, certainly not anything I’d played to that point. Jumping didn’t feel weird with Link because his jump in Ocarina of Time was automatic and pushing ‘up’ on the stick was generally how you accomplished it, but for whatever reason the inputs never ‘sunk in’ and I fell into a quagmire where button mashing felt unsatisfying, but I could never muster enthusiasm to really master the controls.
I was also playing predominantly in single-player, which is obviously sub-optimal. I’d rope a sibling into a match whenever I could, but we’d invariably end up quickly returning to GoldenEye (Licence to Kill, Pistols, Facility) or Mario Kart 64 – yes, we’d rather fight in that game’s Battle Mode than throw down in Smash! It simply didn’t strike a chord as a two-player experience either and while I procured more controllers later on, the feeling of disappointment had set in and it was too late.
You know there’s a problem when you’d rather be playing this.
So, when Super Smash Bros. Melee showed up on GameCube, I thought I owed the game another chance. With more than double the amount of playable characters and a massive leap in graphical fidelity, once again I was drawn in. Knowing exactly what to expect this time round would help set my expectations accordingly, I thought, so I snapped the game up and hoped to be wowed.
Very quickly, though, that familiar empty feeling returned. Despite the wealth of fan service, familiar faces and all the excellent reviews, I just wasn’t having fun with it. No, that’s not quite right – I wasn’t having the sort of fun I expected after reading all the glowing recommendations. It was moderately enjoyable, yes – like a cup of tea or a nice walk – but I wanted the sort of raucous multiplayer mayhem I got from a bout of Mario Kart and Melee never provided that. The Adventure Mode single-player content should have kept me happy, but it felt like an add-on; a side dish with a smattering of platforming which only highlighted what, to me, the game lacked, even though it had Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom cronies.
In spite of all my previous experience, a curious mixture of confusion over what I was ‘missing’ plus the single-player Subspace Emissary mode and the ballooning roster of fighters (including Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake, for crying out loud!) had me eyeing Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii in 2008. With all those characters and stages, the game felt (from the outside) like an unbridled celebration of video games; a party that everyone was attending which I’d be crazy to miss…
So, once again (and against my better judgement) I paid the money, found the cheapest ‘good’ bottle of wine I could and went to the party. I stood in the corner rocking on my heels, analysing the attendees between swigs of cheap bottled lager before escaping to the kitchen to find another. As I suspected, the party was all pleasant smiles, awkward silences with Prefab Sprout on the stereo. We must do this again some time!
Nope, it just wasn’t working. Brawl did nothing to show me why this game was so incredibly popular and made me feel like more of an outsider than ever. By the time the Wii U iteration released, I’d learned my lesson: it’s just not for me, I thought. I’m not gonna be duped again by… what’s that? 58 playable characters, you say!? Despite the slim pickings of the Wii U years, I somehow managed to stay strong and abstain.
Of course, Nintendo got me in a different way. As so many others did, I fell in love with the Smash series amiibo and have dozens sitting on the shelf now, despite never owning the game they were made for. I stayed strong, though, determined to sit out Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS and I managed to do so, feeling very pleased with myself for avoiding Nintendo’s cunning trap the fourth time around.
So, when Super Smash Bros. Ultimate finally landed on Switch, I was more than happy to sit this one out, too. Smash Ultimate? More like Smash Ulti-meh, amirite? That was before Nintendo’s endless barrage of Smash details in 2018’s Direct broadcasts, though. Despite having little interest in actually playing the game, I sat through every last minute of those deep dives and gradually got more and more intrigued. If previous versions were party-like ‘celebrations’ of video games, Ultimate is the Glastonbury Festival of Smash. Everyone is here; characters, players, the lot. Everyone except me, it seems.
With every bit of news about spirit events and upcoming DLC that comes to light, I read and once again doubt myself. Perhaps, I’m missing out – maybe Daft Punk are playing at the party this time and it’s going to be amazing and I’m an idiot! The huge roster of fighters and the ample single-player content is potent, sure, but really it’s the sheer number of fans that – once again – has me wondering. It looks fun. I like fun, I like video games, I should like Smash Ultimate!
How many chances should you give a series? Is it worth me trying one final time to see what all the fuss is about? With so many other games to play – and limited time – I’m more weary than ever of putting down money only to be disappointed. I would say I’ll wait until it’s cheap, but this is a Nintendo first-party game we’re talking about. I almost caved when the Piranha Plant DLC was included (I bought the amiibo the moment it was released and it’s probably my favourite) but got distracted by other games on the eShop.
I can’t be alone, I know there are others who just aren’t that into Smash. With any other series I’d shrug my shoulders and mutter ‘different strokes, different folks’ before moving on without a second thought, but there’s something about the celebratory crossover of the series and the party-like atmosphere which is uniquely appealing. Laboured as those Directs might have been, they showed the blood, sweat and tears that Sakurai and his team pour into these games. I would love to support that sort of dedication. All it would take is an incredible DLC announcement to push me over the edge – Banjo-Kazooie would do it, however improbable that is. Until then, you’ll find me sitting on the fence feeling lonesome as lines of revellers traipse through sunlit fields to the Smash Festival.
Curve Digital has revealed that the strategic RPG, For The King, is heading to Nintendo Switch on 9th May.
The game blends tabletop and roguelike elements in what is said to be an “incredibly replayable” and challenging adventure. You must venture into the lands of Fahrul, where you’ll discover that every playthrough is unique with procedural maps, quests, and events. Here’s a quick summary of the plot:
The King is dead, murdered by an unknown assailant. Now the once peaceful kingdom of Fahrul is in chaos. With nowhere left to turn and stretched beyond her means, the queen has put out a desperate plea to the citizens of the land to rise up and stem the tide of impending doom. Will you put an end to the Chaos?
That’s not all, though, as it has also been revealed that the game will benefit from a Signature Edition release. The Signature Edition will include the goodies listed below, with pre-orders expected to go live on the site tomorrow. Note that this physical edition launches slightly later on the 24th May, and that a standard edition (without the extras) is also available through Amazon.
Full region-free game
Original soundtrack
Numbered certificate
Player guide
Shield keyring
Axe enamel pin
Chaos enamel pin
As a nice bonus, the console editions of the game will include all free updates previously available in the PC version. That includes the Dungeon Crawl, Frozen Expanse, Hildebrant’s Cellar, Gold Rush and Into The Deep adventures.
Will you be picking this one up on Switch? Tempted by the Signature Edition? Let us know below.
Niantic’s smartphone money vacuum Pokémon GO has reportedly achieved another impressive milestone, with estimates now suggesting it has surpassed a whopping $2.5 billion in revenue.
The figure comes from Sensor Tower, which also reports that the game had reached $1.8 billion in revenue by its second anniversary last July. With $700 million safely tucked away so far during its third year, and three months left to go until that third anniversary comes around, it looks like the app is about to have another incredibly successful year – even by its own lofty standards.
The app grossed an estimated $205 million during the first quarter of 2019, which Sensor Tower notes was a 40% year-over-year increase from that same period in 2018. The $2.5 billion total suggests that player spending stands at an average of around a staggering $4 million per day.
The US accounts for approximately 35% of total revenue, with Japan just behind on 29%. Germany is in third with a much more distant 6%.
Do you play regularly? Have you been playing ever since it launched back in 2016? Tell us below.
The best worlds are often the ones that give you the choice to explore their secrets at your own pace. Where the right path isn’t often the most obvious one, but the journey to finding it is satisfying nonetheless. Travelling through the biomechanical realm of Hob: The Definitive Edition, it’s easy to lose track of exactly why you’re pushing blocks to solve puzzles or using your robotic arm to move between platforms, but that wayward nature rarely feels like a byproduct of fault, rather a conscious desire to embrace a zen-like approach to adventuring.
When it first arrived in 2017, Runic Games’ sedate mixture of platforming, combat and puzzle solving charmed critics and players alike on PS4 and PC, with a beguiling art style and a subtly presented story reminiscent of Journey. It had its faults – namely a clunky UI and a fixed camera that often made platforming more of a chore than it needed to be – but the solid foundations for a lovely little game were there. So when you learn that Panic Button Games and its golden touch is behind this latest Nintendo Switch port, you’re already half-sold on the claim that this really is a ‘Definitive Edition’ and not some hollow port no one asked for or wants.
And Panic Button really has done Runic Games’ latest offering justice. This is no foray into buggy and broken territory as we see with the similarly positioned Rime – a game utterly ruined on Switch due to a nearly unplayable port – but rather a faithful update that prioritises performance over presentation while incorporating some quality of life changes that make a considerable difference to a game that was already great in so many ways. But we’ll get to those changes shortly. Let’s dive into what continues to make Hob a charming platformer good enough to rub shoulder with the likes of Journey and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.
Hob’s world is its greatest character, and it’s one that keeps revealing sides to itself the further you’re willing to delve. There are fields full of swaying long grass, hidden valleys dressed in lichen and an ecosystem of wildlife that roam both above and below. But then you turn a key, blast through a wall or uncover a secret entrance and soon you’re seeing the cogs whirring beneath. Entire hills rise and fall to reveal new platforms; pistons turn and depress as you solve puzzles; seemingly immobile ruins shift to reveal long dormant forms of robotic life. TLDR: its Cybertron meets Hyrule.
The camera is still fixed, but there are far fewer instances of it getting stuck as you enter a cave, or when a piece of rendered scenery draws too close in the foreground. Now you’re free to enjoy the sense of depth Runic has worked so hard to instil. New or high/low-positioned platforms are often kept in view as you discern how to climb up or down to reach a piece of treasure or a doorway to a secret location. Future locales are often teased in the background, with the camera slowly pulling in and out so you can truly appreciate just how intricate Hob’s mechanical world truly is.
The titular hero suffers an unfortunate encounter with a poisonous goop that’s corrupting the land, so one chop later and our silent protagonist now has a giant mechanical arm fit for purpose. You’ll occasionally collect a green currency you can spend back at your home cave on upgrades, but as you progress through the game you’ll also unlock new ways to utilise your metallic appendage. You’ll start off with a powerful punch strong enough to smash buttons and blast through previously impassable walls, but later you’ll unlock the ability to grapple to high ledges or even warp across the map. Each one is perfectly placed, unlocking new paths throughout the world as you go.
UI used during gameplay is still minimalist to the point of being almost non-existent (although now you can adjust how much info appears on screen in the options menu), but it’s been completely cleaned up in the menus. With Switch’s touchscreen support, you can now flick between the map, your abilities screen, your inventory and more with ease. It makes navigating the map (which has also been updated to make it a little easier to read) significantly easier, which is a great addition considering how important it is to a game that’s purposefully obtuse with its guidance.
Panic Button really has done wonders with Hob. Loading screens, which were previously a little too long in length, have now been noticeably shortened. You can pitch the camera up and down should you want a little more control when jumping between narrow platforms, but we encountered very little issues with the camera’s natural positioning. That cel-shaded art style really does make a difference when it comes to balancing out the visual sacrifices, but Hob is still a beautiful little game that retains much of its original appeal.
Conclusion
We’ve been stung before with ports of console and PC games – especially those lauded for the size and intricacy of their worlds – but Panic Button has proved, once again, that it really does know how to do the right games justice within the constraints of Switch’s hardware design. Hob: The Definitive Edition retains all the qualities of the original, with only a reasonable downgrade in its visuals serving as a caveat. With a cel-shaded art style helping negate the effect of this aesthetic sacrifice and all the improvements genuinely helping elevate Hob’s overall quality, Hob becomes the latest 3D platformer to secure a well-earned place among Switch’s most exciting new additions.
A US study investigating the reputation of major companies has ranked Nintendo in ninth place, putting the Japanese gaming giant just ahead of The LEGO Group.
The study, carried out by Reputation Institute, reportedly assessed the reputation of more than 2,200 companies in the US, undertaking over 167,000 individual ratings between January and February this year. Netflix is chilling at number one after jumping 23 spots from last year, a feat that Reputation Institute Chief Reputation Officer, Stephen Hahn-Griffiths, describes as “unprecedented”.
Here’s a look at the top ten companies in the 2019 U.S. RepTrak 100:
8. Costco Wholesale 9. Nintendo 10. The LEGO Group
In last year’s study, Nintendo reached 12th place; the year before, in 2017, it was down in 56th spot. Other major names like Google, Amazon and Facebook have dropped down the rankings significantly.
The above trailer has been released for three previously unannounced games coming to Switch on 25h April. Vandals and Type:Rider come from developer Cosmografik while Homo Machina is by Darjeeling.
Coming from first-time Switch publisher ARTE, a cultural organisation that co-produces various artistic interactive works (Bury Me, My Love being another example), the three separate releases have appeared previously on other platforms. Here’s a description of each game from the official blurb:
Vandals is a turn-based puzzle game that lets players explore street art, create their own artwork, and evade the authorities. Along the way, players will discover the evolution of street art through the works of 40 real-life, iconic street artists, and learn how they have influenced urban culture in the iconic street art cities Paris, New York, Berlin, Tokyo, and Sao Paulo. The Switch version will introduce an exciting new feature, the ability to spray paint using the Joy-Cons.
Type:Rider is an adventure puzzle game that allows players to discover the history and secrets of fonts and characters. Players must guide two dots through the ages of typographic styles and techniques from the rock paintings of prehistoric times to the fonts we use today. Type:Rider takes players through different levels, collecting letters of the alphabet and solving riddles in a captivating musical and visual environment.
Homo Machina invites players to see inside the human body, as viewed through the unique aesthetic lens of the work of Fritz Kahn. Gameplay is straightforward and intuitive, the player instructing the on-screen staff to oversee the human body’s many and varied functions – from eating and breathing to controlling emotions and monitoring the nervous system. The game illustrates, with charismatic artwork and animation, poetic narration and uplifting music, the beauty of Kahn’s enduring imagery.
Type: Rider and Homo Machina will be priced at €3.49 / £3.19 / $2.99 each, with Vandals at the slightly higher €4.49 / £4.09 / $3.99.
Do any of these arty puzzlers take your fancy? Let us know with a comment in the usual place.
