The Sega AGES line has taken ages to get up and running here in the west. Despite this, it has managed to develop into a quality library of retro re-releases with some subtle quality of life improvements to enhance the overall experience.
While we wait for the likes of Virtua Racer to arrive, Sega has now confirmed it’s releasing two games next week in North America and Europe on 28th March. These games are Alex Kiddin Miracle World and Gain Ground, which were both released some time ago in Japan. Here’s the official confirmation:
Have you been waiting for these two releases? What do you think of the Sega AGES collection so far? Tell us down below.
While Nintendo is known for making gaming as accessible as possible to the masses, a number of indie developers have made a name for themselves on the Switch by providing absolutely ruthless experiences. Cuphead by StudioMDHR will be no different. This game is already known as a punishing run and gun 2D platformer and it’s now been reiterated the critically-acclaimed title will be released in the same state on the hybrid platform.
In a recent interview with Kotaku at Nintendo’s 2019 GDC indie event, Cuphead’s co-director Jared Moldenhauer said the studio wasn’t about to make the notoriously difficult game any easier and wants the next wave of players to experience it exactly how it was intended:
“Some people wondered if we were going to tweak the balance or really adjust things, and I don’t see that as being fair…We wanted to let the next wave of gamers experience it exactly how we intended to make it.”
Even though the game includes a simple mode, it doesn’t provide the full experience and cuts a lot of content. As Moldenhauer notes, “the end result, where people are a little upset that you can’t beat the game” pays respect to a bygone era of gaming.
Are you glad to hear the difficulty of Cuphead won’t be watered down on the Switch? Are you the type of player who enjoys overly challenging video games? Tell us down in the comments.
It’s a common trend for developers of upcoming releases to announce downloadable content ahead of time nowadays and NetherRealm Studios is no different. The first of six DLC fighters coming to Mortal Kombat 11 in the Kombat Pack is Shang Tsung. Interestingly, the character is voiced by the Japanese-American actor, martial artist and stuntman Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who starred as this same character in the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.
In addition to this, Noob Saibot has also been revealed in an official gameplay trailer. The character originally debuted as a secret fighter in the second Mortal Kombat game and became playable in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
How are you finding all of these Mortal Kombat updates? Are you looking forward to the game’s launch next month? Tell us below.
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid had an incredibly rough start to its life when a YouTube channel uploaded the game’s trailer and press release ahead of schedule, resulting in the game being officially revealed on the same day as the first Mortal Kombat 11 showcase. It really wasn’t the best start to its fighting career, at all.
Now that the team behind the game has comes to terms with this, the release date has been confirmed. The Switch eShop version launches worldwide on 26th March (aka. next week). You can pre-order a standard copy of the game for $19.99 or Digital Collector’s Edition for $39.99 right now. Both versions include the bonus V2 Green Ranger skin and a digital artbook. The Collector’s Edition also contains the Season One Pass (including three new characters, their arcade story, and warrior skin), an exclusive Lord Drakkon Evo II fighter and a selection of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Pink Ranger character skins.
If you haven’t already seen it, here’s the latest game trailer, revealing the full character roster:
Watch the gameplay reveal of the full starting roster. See the signature attacks from Goldar, Ranger Slayer, Mastodon Sentry, Kat, Magna Defender, Gia, Jason, Tommy and Lord Drakkon. Check out the game’s real-time assist takeover mechanics, dynamic defense, juggle combos, and Megazord come back system in action.
Will you be joining the fight on 26th March? Tell us down below.
Motion Twin’s Dead Cells didn’t have the best launch on the Switch eShop. In fact, when it arrived, the French-based developer had to acknowledge frame-drops and performance issues with a public apology. It spent the next six months reworking the game engine, to bump the framerate up to 60fps and since then, it’s been recognised as one of the best-selling indie games on Nintendo’s hybrid platform.
During a recent panel at the 2019 Game Developers Conference, the team behind Dead Cells went to the extent of revealing the overall sales for the roguelike action-platformer. The game has now sold more than one million units. Although the PC makes up 60 percent of sales, it admittedly had a headstart due to the early access launch. The console market has also been “a big part of” the game’s success, “especially the Switch” sales, according to Motion Twin’s game designer, Sébastien Bénard.
As for what’s next? Players can look forward to a ‘huge‘ and free DLC update arriving this Spring, which will add a ‘proper conclusion’ to the game’s story. This downloadable content will also be playable at PAX East next week.
Do you own Dead Cells on the Switch? Glad to hear it’s selling so well? Tell us down below.
Celebrate International Puppy Day with these helpful hounds!
Who’s a good boy?! These pups! Celebrate the most majestic creature with these pup-filled games.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Legendary game worlds and fighters collide in the ultimate showdown. Whether you’re playing the game locally or online* with up to eight players**, don’t forget to call the Nintendogs for assistance!
Overcooked 2: The Onion Kingdom is being threatened by The Unbread! The Onion King and his loyal pup Kevin need you, so chop, fry, and bake your way through a series of crazy kitchens to defeat them. No, Kevin! Don’t be a hero!
Super Mario Odyssey: Explore incredible places far from the Mushroom Kingdom as you join Mario and his ally Cappy on a massive, globe-trotting adventure. Collect Power Moons to power up the Odyssey airship and save Princess Peach from Bow…wow… Is that dog wearing a hat?!
Wargroove: In this turn-based strategy game, choose your Commander and wage war on battling factions. Queen Marcia’s faithful hound Caesar can even command his own armies. You better watch out; this pup gets ruff!
Undertale: Fall into the underworld and explore a hilarious and heartwarming world full of dangerous monsters. Date a skeleton, dance with a robot, encounter Annoying Dogs…or destroy everyone where they stand. The future is yours to determine!
Mimpi Dreams: Mimpi is a lazy pup who becomes a “Superdog” in his dreams. Whether you’re moving objects or helping him communicate with dream creatures, help him save his friends and learn what it takes to be a good boy!
Numbala: Fly a spaceship through galactic islands, rescue your best dog friend, and train at math all while you chase a mysterious space whale! Phew!
Left-Right: The Mansion: Gigi the dog ran into a huge mansion, and it’s up to you to save him! Journey through a mysterious place where you have a simple choice to make: left or right?
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince: Transform between the wolf and the princess to solve puzzles, evade traps, and unlock fragments of memories. Weave through the dark and dangerous forest to guide the prince toward a cure.
* Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. Learn more at: https://www.nintendo.com/switch-online.
** Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode; sold separately.
If you love Super Mario World anywhere near as much as we do, you’re going to love this 3D model based on the game’s overworld, too.
Shared on Twitter by Matt Brailsford, this gorgeous little creation features all of the key areas seen on the game’s famous map. Everything from the little world numbers, the Yellow Switch Palace, and all the familiar scenery is correct and present, and it looks absolutely adorable. Take a look.
There are some more pics, too:
Go ahead and tell us you wouldn’t want of these making your home look wonderful in the comments. We dare you…
The Nindies Showcase reveal of Cadence of Hyrule was an exciting one for many reasons, but one standout reason is the fact that Nintendo has happily entrusted a relatively small indie developer with the Zelda brand.
This really isn’t a normal occurrence in Nintendo’s world; larger, well-established companies are sometimes welcomed in – such as Ubisoft with Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle or Capcom with Zelda: The Minish Cap – but smaller teams like Crypt of the NecroDancer dev, Brace Yourself Games, wouldn’t usually be presented with such an opportunity.
From our point of view, this can only be great news – any game using the Zelda franchise and its characters will have had to go through Nintendo’s highest tier quality checks, and should therefore turn out to be a cracking final product – but this might well only be the start. What if Nintendo was to become more open with its franchises going forward, with more indie devs being given access to its historic library of (sometimes forgotten) franchises.
Well, VentureBeat put this very question to Nintendo’s manager of publisher and developer relations (and self-described ‘Nindie guy’) Kirk Scott. Here’s what he said when asked about the possibility of more indie developers getting to use Nintendo’s IP as a result of this project:
“I hope so. I totally hope so. Yeah, this is great. I think this is validating for a lot of indies out there.”
Don’t get us wrong – this isn’t confirmation that Nintendo has any other plans going forward – but having the head of developer relations being open to the idea really can’t be a bad thing. The future’s bright.
Which franchises would you like to see be reborn thanks to indie development teams? And which developers would you like to see be given an opportunity? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Hot on the heels of the Brawlout x Dead Cells news, Ubisoft has revealed that Brawlhalla is also about to get a roster boost, this time in the form of a collection of characters from 2019’s Hellboy movie.
The news comes thanks to a partnership between Ubisoft and production company Lionsgate, which sees the iconic Hellboy characters Nimue, Gruagach, Ben Daimio, and Hellboy himself join Brawlhalla’s roster in April.
If you haven’t already checked out Brawlhalla, here’s a snippet of our review (it’s free-to-play, so you may as well give it a go if you’re interested):
Though a bit uninspired, Brawlhalla still stands as a solid example of how to do a proper platform fighter, with several game modes, a diverse cast and a beautiful art style making this one easy to recommend. Perhaps best of all, it’s totally free, so you really don’t have anything to lose by giving it a try. At worst, you’ll find a Smash clone that doesn’t have a ton of new ideas; at best, you’ll find a new go-to for when you have a few friends over for a gaming session.
Are you a fan of this free-to-play fighter? Will you be checking out these new fighters next month? Let us know in the usual place.
Indie arena fighter Brawlout has a brand new fighter in its roster thanks to this week’s Version 2.0 update, and it’s none other than Dead Cells protagonist, The Beheaded.
That’s right, Dead Cells joins Yooka-Laylee, Guacamelee, and Hyper Light Drifter as part of the game’s ever-expanding roster; with 21 original characters also on the bill, the game now features 25 fighters overall. The character’s addition (and the extras that come with it) isn’t the only thing that’s new, though:
“With the 2.0 update, we’re adding not only a new character and stage, but making every multiplayer game mode playable online and bringing our brand-new ‘Trials’ single-player mode to all platforms while delivering many of the balance and gameplay changes our community has long asked for.”
If you’re a fan of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and want something new to get your fighting teeth stuck into, Brawlout could well be your answer; we said that its “action feels tight, fast, and it can be a pleasure to play” in our review, noting the lack of variety in the character roster as being one of the few downfalls – something which is slowly but surely being fixed.
Do you own Brawlout on Switch? Will you be jumping back into the action after this update? Tell us below.
