The video gives us our first look at the game’s adrenaline-filled Championship, while also revealing that those who pre-order the title will gain access to a little dose of extra content. The video calls this the ‘Infinity Customisation Pack’, although the accompanying press release actually says that players will receive the ‘Outfit Starting Pack’ which includes “two official Thor full gears with Suit, Helmet, Goggles and Boots”.
We first heard about this one arriving on Switch back in October, when various details were shared about the game’s Career mode, customisation options, and its officially licensed racers, tracks, and more. Make sure to read up on those if you’d like to learn more. Before you go, though, check out these new screenshots we’ve gather for you below.
The game is still scheduled for release on 8th February 2019.
Will you be hitting the track next month? Let us know your thoughts on this one with a comment below.
If you’re a keen Warframe player who has been planning to transfer your PC account to Nintendo Switch, consider this a handy public service announcement: account migration ends on 15th January.
Warframe released on Nintendo Switch (to much praise, it has to be said) in November 2018, allowing players to get stuck into its free-to-play action on the go. The account migration feature was soon put in place to let users transfer their account from PC to the Switch – your PC account is still left safely intact, don’t worry – but you’ll need to act fast if you’re hoping to make use of it. The feature closes at 11am PT / 2pm ET (so that’s 7pm GMT / 8pm CET) on the date mentioned above.
If you still need to migrate your account, here are the steps you’ll need to follow:
– Download Warframe on your Nintendo Switch system, and make a Nintendo Switch Warframe account – Authorize Linking your Account by accepting the prompt that appears when Warframe runs for the first time on your Nintendo Switch – Log in here using your PC Account – Go to the Account Management page – Click “Migrate PC Account to Nintendo Switch” at the bottom of the page – Be sure to read all text on the page that appears in order to understand all details surrounding your account migration – Enter your PC Warframe Account password twice and hit the “confirm” button – You will be redirected to a Nintendo sign-in page, click the “Sign In” button – Enter the account credentials of the Nintendo Account you wish to copy your PC Warframe Account to finish migrating accounts.
Have you been enjoying Warframe on Switch? Let us know how you’ve been getting on down below in the comments.
Adding to the Pokémon: Detective Pikachu movie hype, a new set of trading cards based on the spin-off series has been confirmed for release.
Japanese retailers have revealed details surrounding the upcoming set, including the image you can see down below. The Detective Pikachu collection is a subset of the main TCG series, consisting of 24 cards in total plus at least one mystery design. The packs will cost 200 yen each, will contain four random cards from the set, and will arrive in stores on 26th April 2019.
According to Serebii.net, this collection will also be released in the west through special promotional boxes. The release date for this set is, of course, designed to tie in with the main event itself; the movie hits theatres on 10th May 2019.
Another Pokémon trading card expansion has also been announced for 31st May 2019. The set is called Miracle Twin – which sheds some light on the trademark discovered a couple of months ago – and will focus on Mew and Mewtwo. For this set, Serebii reports that more than 94 cards will be included and that it will become available in the west “around August 2019”.
Do you collect Pokémon cards? Would you like to have a few Detective Pikachu cards in your collection? Let us know with a comment.
Back in the late ’80s, a Japanese studio called Mitchell Corporation – which had previously cut its teeth on motorcycle fighting game (Mad Motor) and a risque casino title (Poker Ladies) – decided to have a go at another increasingly popular genre: the action-puzzler. Originally made for arcades, Pang (or Buster Bros. as it was known here in the West – it was also called Pomping World in some regions, which is the best name for any video game, ever) took something as simple as destroying a multiplying set of bouncing balls and transformed it into a timeless gaming hit.
Turn the clock forward 30 years and the latest iteration, Pang Adventures, is ready to mark its anniversary with a debut on Nintendo Switch. Now in the hands of French studio DotEmu – which is best known for porting all manner of retro classics to Switch and other platforms – this new incarnation keeps the same basic rules and co-operative gameplay and simply turns up the dial up with even more challenging layouts and power-up combinations.
At first glance, Pang Adventures looks and plays like a cross between Bust-A-Move, Block Breaker and Space Invaders. Whether played solo or in local or online co-op, you play a young hero who is faced with fighting off a cartoonish alien invasion. To do this, you’ll play on a single-screen where you can only fire a harpoon gun upwards. Above you, a set of bouncing balls explode and divide into smaller ones every time you land a hit. The more you strike, the greater the chance you’ll get knocked out when they land, so it’s all about tactically destroying balls in focused groups.
The fun comes not just in using space to your advantage, but how each map can be used to destroy every ball safely and within each 30-second time limit. Some balls start in strange and usual patterns, requiring you to hit them in a certain way to create pockets where you can continue the fight. Others will have platforms that can be shot away to funnel balls into a ‘kill box’, or creatures such as crabs that will pop them for you if you guide them carefully into their pincers. You’ll always want to be thinking about scoring big, so collecting everything from fruit to statue heads will help you hit those numerical heights.
With power-ups to collect (which offer a short time of extra defensive or offensive use, such as a gem-like shield or life-saving blaster that coats the air above you in glorious bullet hell) DotEmu has managed to maintain the simplicity of Pang’s original design while ramping up the variables at play. When played solo, it’s certainly far more of a challenge, but when played locally or online with a partner, Pang Adventures is a riot as you rush to save one another from a rain of bouncing ball death. When you factor in those increasing difficulty spikes – such as balls that send electrical currents into your path if you destroy them – there’s a gratifying sense of achievement to be found once you’ve overcome a particularly tricky level.
‘Tour’ mode will likely be your first port of call, splitting its alien invasion story across the globe as you travel to each location (ranging from the sands of Bora Bora to the cold highlands of bonny Scotland, and beyond) and its 15 themed levels. In between each one you’ll face that region’s boss, which will force you to put into practice some of the new tactics you’ve learned, such as using explosive balls to take out larger pockets of balls in the air, or learning patterns to avoid instant death. It’s the right balance of challenge and fun, but that difficulty really does start to ramp up about half-way through its four-to-five-hour campaign.
Elsewhere, there’s a survival-style ‘Panic’ mode, and a retro-themed version of Pang in Score mode if you’re in this for the high scores. You can play cooperatively in all three modes, so there’s a ton of content here for someone who wants to play with a friend, a stranger or by their lonesome. The near-instant retry system means that you never really feel like you’ve been cheated out of a win, and with every level only last for 30 seconds at most, Pang Adventures serves as a far more suitable pairing for Nintendo Switch than it did on PC or other consoles.
If any real criticism can be laid at Pang Adventures’ door, it’s that DotEmu simply hasn’t tried to do something wholly original with the concept. As a contemporary tribute to an arcade classic, it ticks all the right boxes, but compared to the likes of Tetris Effect – which took an even more iconic game and turned it into a near out-of-body experience – this instalment does feel a little too safe considering the innovation that’s already available on the eShop.
Conclusion
Pang Adventures offers a tense and instantly enjoyable ode to a timeless arcade romp, and one that’s bound to engage and reward players who enjoyed it 30 years ago as well as those discovering it for the first time on the eShop. The support for online play is a real bonus, as many puzzle games of this ilk are want to simply plump for couch-play only, but for all its colourful chaos you are left hoping for something a little less predictable. Fans of the original will love it, but they may also lament the fact that more hasn’t been done to update this classic series.
UK chart data is now in for the week ending 5th January, but a lack of new releases means that we have a near-identical chart from last week.
The biggest change has actually taken place right at the very top, with FIFA 19 once again hitting number one by jumping just ahead of Red Dead Redemption 2. Nintendo’s heavy hitters are still sitting safely in the top ten, with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe securing fourth and seventh places respectively.
As regular readers will likely be aware, UK chart data only takes into account physical sales at present. The good news is that this finally looks set to change, with plans for a physical/digital combined charts soon set to become available thanks to a new partnership between the Entertainment Retailers Association and ISFE/B2Boost. This new chart could start to be distributed as early as this month; we’ll make sure to make it very clear when this change takes place.
For now, though, here’s this week’s top ten all formats chart (physical sales only):
1. (2) FIFA 19 2. (1) Red Dead Redemption 2 3. (3) Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 4. (4) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 5. (5) Battlefield V 6. (6) Forza Horizon 4 7. (8) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 8. (9) Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy 9. (7) Spyro Reignited Trilogy 10. (11) Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
If you like Nintendo games, and you just so happen to be interested in speedrunning, then this year’s Awesome Games Done Quick event could well be for you.
Every year since 2010, January has played host to this live-streamed event on Twitch. The show is a video game speedrun charity marathon where speedrunners take it in turns to demonstrate their ridiculously talented ways, beating games in the quickest times possible. The purpose of the event is to raise money for certain charities (this year will once again be funding for the Prevent Cancer Foundation), with viewers being encouraged to donate to the cause should they have the means to do so as events unfold.
Last year’s stream generated an amazing $2,295,191 for the charity, breaking its own record which had been set the year before. This year’s stream is taking place from 6th – 13th January and a full games schedule has now been shared. You can view the full schedule here to see specific times for your area; we’ve included just a handful of the Nintendo-based highlights for you below.
As noted above, you can find each game’s specific time for your area by visiting the schedule link above. You can view the live-stream here.
Will you be tuning in to this year’s show? Which games are you looking forward to seeing be beaten at mind-boggling speeds? Let us know with a comment below.
You can have fun wherever, whenever with your Nintendo Switch system. Here are a few features that can help you get the most fun possible out of your system!
Try different play modes. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to forget! There are three main ways to play the Nintendo Switch system: handheld mode (playing on the go with the Joy-Con™ controllers attached to both sides of the console), tabletop mode (placing the console on a table with the kickstand out), and TV mode (you probably know what this means). Experiment around to see how the system can best fit in your life
Visit Nintendo eShop. Nintendo eShop has special sections for recent releases, games on sale, best sellers, and games that are coming soon. Use the search bar if you want to search with filters or quickly find games with free demos. Some games on Nintendo eShop will be available to pre-purchase and pre-load. And finally, buying eligible digital content will also give you My Nintendo Gold Points that can be redeemed towards most digital products on Nintendo eShop.
Share your adventures. Head to the Album to share in-game screenshots and video to your Facebook and Twitter pages. To take a screenshot, just tap at any time. To create a video clip of the last 30 seconds of gameplay, hold down (note that this feature only works with compatible games).
Pair your controllers. Take a look at the Controllers menu if you want to pair new controllers or change configurations.
Follow game channels for specific news and updates. On the news feed, click on Find Channels on the top right of the screen. You’ll find many interesting channels to follow!
Purchase a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Nintendo Switch Online* gives you access to online play and Save Data Cloud backup in compatible games such as the Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate game. You also get access to a growing catalog of classic NES™ games, and cloud save backup for your save data in compatible games.
Hold down the Home Button Holding down the Home Button will give you access to a handy-dandy menu. You can easily change some of your system settings here.
We hope these tips help!
*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
European and American eShop listings have reconfirmed Caveblazers is making its way to the Switch on 10th January. UK-based developer Deadpan Games also mentioned the fantasy game’s release via its official Twitter account:
If you haven’t heard about this popular indie title before, it’s described as a brutal and challenging roguelike platform game. Each playthrough is unique due to procedurally generated levels and a long list of items, weapons and equipment to discover. As you delve deeper into the unknown, you’ll encounter more enemies and stumble across more weapons. Here are additional details from the Nintendo game page:
Throughout your journey you will encounter AI characters. Some friendly, some hostile. We’re using an advanced pathfinding system which means friendly characters will be able to follow you wherever you go, and hostile characters will be able to track you down wherever you hide. There is no escape. Be afraid!
Caveblazers is a modern platformer which incorporates some Roguelike and RPG elements such as permanent death, randomized potion identities, an RPG-style inventory system and tons of items, equipment and upgrades!
Each day a new adventure will be generated! It will be the same for everyone and you’ll only get one chance at it! These challenge runs give you a starting loadout, and feature a set of different traits.
Between each area you’ll encounter a boss. Each boss is very unique, requiring a different strategy to defeat. Bosses are generally gigantic monstrosities with life bars stretching across the entire screen. Good luck!
A whole load of unlockable hats, tunics, trousers, robes, and more! Or perhaps you fancy stripping off and heading in to the caves in the nude? Go for it!
Largely overlooked in other modern Roguelike games, Caveblazers attempts to move away from the simplistic combat systems we’ve seen in other games in the genre, and incorporates fun, fluid and fast-paced combat which is accentuated by the game’s brutal and persistent blood effects.
In case that isn’t enough content, Caveblazers features a bunch of challenges for the well seasoned players to take a punt at. These challenges reward players with new items, weapons & perks!
Will you be downloading this one on release? Are you a fan of roguelike games? Tell us below.
Last year, Bethesda announced DOOM Eternal would be coming to the Nintendo Switch at QuakeCon. Once again, the studio handling the Switch port will be the specialists at Panic Button.
The hellish soundtrack for the game is being handled by the returning composer Mick Gordon. In what is quite possibly related news, Gordon is calling on the help of a heavy metal choir for an unspecified project.
Providing more information in the below video, Gordon said it wasn’t a contest, but rather an “open invitation”. Candidates will need to be at least 18 years of age and be able to provide a demo of their “killer metal” voice. They’ll also have to fund their own trip to Austin, Texas. The recording session will be a paid and credited gig. If you’re interested, you’ll need to apply before 1st February, with the recording taking place in the first week of March.
As noted by Polygon, Bethesda Softworks officially announced Mick Gordon as the DOOM Eternal composer during E3 2018. With the game expected to arrive later this year, it seems highly likely the hellish choir he requires is for this upcoming release.
What do you make of this? Are you willing to lend your hellish vocals to this unspecified project? Tell us below.
In February last year, there was a rumour floating about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 would be released on the Nintendo Switch. In the end, Treyarch’s design director David Vonderhaar ended up laughing off a question about the title possibly coming to the hybrid video game system.
Although Activision doesn’t appear to be bringing the popular first-person shooter across to the Switch anytime soon, the third-party industry giant has seemingly gone to the extent of paying respects to Nintendo’s latest hardware. In the latest entry, players can use real money and in-game currency to purchase unique gestures. One of these emote-like actions is called “Mobile Ops”. Using this action during a match will have your character pull out a portable game system and start playing it.
According to a post on ResetEra, this portable device is apparently a tribute to the Nintendo Switch. As you can see in the first image, it’s matte black, has two analogue sticks, a control pad, shoulder buttons and four circular buttons. We would go to the extent of saying it even looks somewhat similar to an earlier Wii U GamePad prototype.
The game featured on the device is Dead Ops Arcade 2: Cyber’s Avengening, a playable retro-style game from past Call of Duty entries. Disappointingly, it’s not directly playable on this device. It’s sad to say, but at this rate, this might be the closest we ever get to seeing Call of Duty on the Nintendo Switch.
Do you agree think this is a subtle reference to the Switch? Would you like to see a Call of Duty game eventually released on Nintendo’s new device? Tell us below.
