Number Of Players For Link’s Awakening On Switch To Be Determined
Nintendo arguably left the best announcement until last in the most recent Direct presentation. In case you missed it, we’re talking about the reveal of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening for the Nintendo Switch – a remake of the Game Boy classic, first released in 1993.
With very few details about the game available at this point in time, other than the year of release and game trailer (see below), most returning fans are likely expecting it to be a relatively straightforward port, with a new lick of paint and some quality of life changes here and there. The game listing on the official Nintendo website though has led to speculation there could be a multiplayer option in the game, as the page says the number of players has not been determined. See for yourself below:
We know it’s still early days, but given the fact the original title was a solo experience, it raises questions as to why the listing doesn’t already say this. If we were to wildly speculate ourselves, perhaps there is a chance Nintendo will add in a bonus mode or game similar to Tri Force Heroes or the Four Swords, as this next outing appears to be another classic take on the series.
What do you make of this? Were you expecting a multiplayer component to be included with this Game Boy remake? Are you excited about Link’s Awakening coming to the Switch? Tell us in the comments.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 02-17-2019, 03:22 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Get An Xbox One X With Free Fallout 76 For $400 Right Now In US
Microsoft is offering a nice deal on one of the Xbox One X bundles right now. The Fallout 76 Xbox One X bundle, which normally sells for $500 USD, is now going for $400 USD.
Two versions of the bundle are available, including the Robot White and standard black editions. Both come with a 1 TB Xbox One X system, as well as a copy of the game and one-month trials for Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold. Shipping is free through the Microsoft Store website.
Fallout 76 launched in October behind a lukewarm critical reception. Even if you're not interested in the game, getting the Xbox One X for $400 USD is a fantastic deal on its own.
The timing of the deal is also notable, given that the latest Microsoft first-party game, Crackdown 3, is launching this week. It's free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, so you can use the one-month trial to play the game without spending extra. You might want to try before buying anyway, as our first reactions in our Crackdown 3 review were not all that positive.
Dead Cells Switch Update Adds 60fps And Custom Game Support
Shortly after the Switch release of Dead Cells in August last year, the game’s developer Motion Twin was forced to issue an apology because of the frame rate issues. In certain areas of the title, players were reportedly experiencing significant dips in performance, resulting in entire sections of the game running well-below 60fps.
Motion Twin, at the time, said it would prioritise the issue and later on in September released a temporary fix, allowing “sensitive” players on the Switch to cap the game at 30 frames per second. Now, in the latest major update, the developer has finally got the game running on the Switch at a silky-smooth 60 frames per second. Here’s exactly how Motion Twin fixed it, courtesy of a message from the game’s newsfeed on the Switch:
We went back to the drawing board and completely rebuilt the driver that runs the graphics on the Switch, interfacing between Haxe, our home made game engine and Nintendo’s hardware. That was August last year…
As you can see we hit a few roadblocks, it was something of a technical challenge. However, we pulled it off and we’re really excited to see what you all think of our work.
In addition to this is a major update for the game. It adds custom game support – allowing players to select their level seed, and adjusts the difficulty and balancing. You can read the full patch notes over on the Dead Cells website.
In case you missed it, be sure to check out the recent interview with the Dead Cells team as well:
Have you been waiting for this Dead Cells frame rate fix? Will you be trying out the new update? Tell us below.
Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 16th)
We’re finally at the end of what has been a pretty eventful week – you know, with that little video presentation thingy from Nintendo and all that – so it’s time to settle down and recover with some games-based chat. As ever, members of the Nintendo Life team have gathered to share their weekend plans and we’d love for you to get involved, too. Make your voices heard in the poll and comment section down below. Enjoy!
Ryan Craddock, staff writer
This weekend, like any weekend, was going to be completely dedicated to hoovering up those last few Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits – I have around 1,100 of the things and getting these last ones are proving to be more time-consuming than ever before. Those plans might have just been thrown out of the window, though, thanks to that silly, ridiculous, brilliant Tetris game.
Yep, like most who have played it, Tetris 99 seems to have me pretty hooked. Winning is incredibly tough, but the ability to just jump straight into another game makes you want to go for ‘just one more’. I’ve already started seeing Tetriminos in my sleep.
Austin Voigt, contributing writer
This weekend, I have high hopes of maybe starting Final Fantasy IX on the Switch – but let’s be honest, it’s been a long week, and I’ll probably just end up playing Tetris 99 the whole time. I’m also pretty disappointed with the lack of Animal Crossing news during the Direct, and I have this itch to go re-purchase a Wii U (I traded mine in when the Switch came out) to replay City Folk. If I squint my eyes, I may be able to trick myself into thinking it looks like an Animal Crossing game on the Switch… desperate times call for desperate measures.
Gavin Lane, staff writer
Despite falling foul of this week’s eShop sale, I doubt I’ll have time to play Undertale this weekend. You see, an impending arrival in the household means sorting out the house is a matter of urgency, so I’ll be going through old boxes filled with consoles and games, making difficult decisions. It’s a pretty lean collection already, but I had a crisis of conscience a few months back when I had the idea to replace my original NES console – which I can’t actually play through my TV anymore – with a nice, neat NES Mini. Of course, in the end I came to the only logical conclusion: get the NES Mini and keep the NES, too. It’s going to be a long weekend…
Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer
On the assumption that ‘Tetris Battle Royale’ won’t take over my entire life, there are some ARMS punches to be thrown along with some Super Smash Bros. Ultimate amiibo and Spirit Board event action this weekend. Nothing like a Nintendo Direct midweek to send every sort of weekend plans into complete disarray and I certainly was not expecting to get my hands on an early build of one of my current 2019 GOTY candidates. Since we were asked so politely for feedback, I will indulge in exploring DAEMON X MACHINA’sPrototype Missions demo to the fullest.
Tikipod’s Iron Crypticle is my game of the week. Grab the game, grab three friends and wonder why no one else is delivering a twin-stick shooter of this finesse.
Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer
This weekend I’ll be falling back into a series I have a rather unhealthy obsession with: Blazblue. As per usual, it’s taken an age for BlazBlue: Central Fiction to make it to the west but it’s finally here and I can’t wait to get stuck into some more 2D fighting madness. Oh and lots of Paladins because I’m a predictable bore.
Liam Doolan, news reporter
If you had asked me several years ago what kind of video games I thought I would be playing in 2019, I probably wouldn’t have said Tetris against 98 other people online. I’m probably not alone when I say I’ve always been fond of this arguably perfect tile-matching puzzle game, but I don’t think I’ve ever been this impressed by it before.
When I’m not giving my brain a workout in Tetris 99 this weekend, I’ll be spending time making maps and slowly working my way through the campaign in Wargroove. Other than these games, I’ve been encouraged by the recent Team Cherry announcement to go back and play Hollow Knight. I’ll also be revisiting the Game Boy Color Virtual Console version of Link’s Awakening on the 3DS, in preparation for the Switch remake.
Which games are you playing this weekend? (417 votes)
The New Pirates Of The Caribbean Movie Loses Deadpool Writers
The Pirates of the Caribbean reboot has hit some choppy water, as writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have reportedly jumped ship. Sources told Deadline that Reese and Wernick, who wrote Deadpool 1 and 2, have left the Disney project.
Disney film boss Sean Bailey originally said Reese and Wernick were planning to "make Pirates punk rock again" and give the series the "kick in the pants" it needed to revitalize itself.
There is no word on why Reese and Wernick bailed from the new Pirates movie. Sources told Deadline that Disney is not sure of what will happen next. Some said Disney is already searching for new writers, while other claimed the movie and the franchise overall is now on hold.
The latest instalment was 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which, while not the most successful entry in the series, made more than $790 million worldwide. All together, the five Pirates movies have made more than $4.5 billion worldwide to date. The franchise is also a merchandise juggernaut; Deadline said Pirates merchandise has generated $2.5 billion.
The new Pirates movie, if it ever gets made, may not feature the franchise's biggest star: Johnny Depp. The actor played Captain Jack Sparrow in all of the movies so far, but a report from 2017 claimed that the new movie might be made without him.
As for Reese and Wernick, their first big hit was Zombieland, and they are coming back to write the sequel, Double Tap, which arrives in theatres later this year. Reese and Wernick also wrote G.I. Joe Retaliation, starring The Rock, before entering a new stratosphere of success with Deadpool and its sequel.
Rumour: Nintendo Could Make Its First VR Announcement For Switch This Year
An article by Emily Rogers over on Nintendo World Report suggests a VR-related announcement for the Switch could arrive as early as this year. This information allegedly comes from “multiple sources” as Rogers goes onto state how a “small, select number of traditional first-party software titles” could potentially receive VR support in the “not-so-distant future.”
GoNintendo added fuel to the fire, revealing how a “very trusted source” said VR support for the Switch was, in fact, true and Nintendo Labo would be one of the first games to support it. Right now, there are no details about what this rumoured Labo kit would contain or what it would be called.
Last October, at Seattle’s Geekwire Summit, Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils- Aimé explained how Nintendo had been experimenting with VR technology but said it would need to be fun in order to get the green light:
“This is something we constantly think about, experiment with. For virtual reality, we’ve said: it’s tech that we’re looking at, but in the end it has to be fun. That’s our mission, and that is what we do arguably better than anyone else.”
While he had nothing to announce at the time, Reggie did mention how VR was a technology Nintendo would continue to experiment with in the future.
As noted by Nintendo World Report, there have been several signs Nintendo has been thinking about bringing VR to the Switch. Last August, data miners uncovered a screen-splitting “VR Mode” hidden within the Switch system firmware and in 2016 the hybrid device was reportedly delayed to enhance its VR capabilities. In the same year, the company also filed a patent application for a head-mounted display and just last month it was revealed Nintendo would be participating as an observer of a joint Japanese enterprise known as the VRM Consortium.
Based on the above-mentioned information, do you think VR is coming to the Nintendo Switch? Do you think it will arrive this year? Are you interested in using VR devices to play games? Tell us below.
Video: Should you get an eGPU for your new 2018 Mac mini?
The 2018 Mac mini is a welcome refresh to the compact Mac product line, but the Intel graphics are weak. AppleInsider examines whether it is worth the extra expense of adding an external GPU to the Mac mini.
In a previous comparison where the 2018 Mac Mini was put against the iMac 5K, it was decided the Mac mini is a great option for users who don’t really need best-in-class graphical performance, such as for photo editing and other intensive media tasks. The Mac Mini doesn’t pack a dedicated graphics card, and it definitely lags behind the iMac 5K which is supplied with a Radeon Pro GPU.
However, the Mac Mini does sport four Thunderbolt 3 ports, which means there is the opportunity of hooking up an eGPU, an external enclosure that houses a graphics card.
The actual setup process for the eGPU on the Mac mini is relatively straightforward, regardless of whether it is a separately bought graphics card and enclosure or a premade unit. If bought separately, insert the graphics card into the enclosure’s PCI-e slot and insert the power connectors into the card. Plug your monitor into the card, then plug the enclosure into an outlet and connect it to the Mac mini’s Thunderbolt 3 port.
Once connected, macOS should instantly recognize the eGPU and automatically start using it for graphics rendering.
Price comparisons
For the purposes of this test, a powerful $400 Radeon RX Vega 64 graphics card will be attached to the Mac mini using a $250 Sonnet 550-Watt eGPU enclosure via Thunderbolt 3. It is worth noting the enclosure is also capable of providing 87 Watts of power delivery, allowing it to recharge a connected MacBook for those interested in giving their portable Mac more graphical grunt.
The Mac mini next to the Sonnet eGPU enclosure
The Mac mini in this case is upgraded with an Intel Core i7 processor and 512 gigabytes of storage. Instead of upgrading the RAM to 32 gigabytes for $600 through Apple, a 32-gigabyte upgrade kit was acquired for the far cheaper cost of $200. Following a memory swap, the total cost of the Mac mini in this case is approximately $1,700.
The price of the Vega 64 eGPU brings the entire boosted Mac mini setup to $2,350, excluding the monitor and peripherals. Add these extras on, and you’re getting quite close to the cost of a similar-specification iMac 5K.
Just on comparative specifications, those switching from PC to Mac or upgrading from an earlier Mac mini model are likely to have their own mouse, keyboard, monitor, and in the case of the PC user, potentially even an AMD graphics card to add to an empty eGPU enclosure. In this sort of situation, opting for the Mac mini is probably going to offer the better overall value for money.
In the event you don’t need all of the power offered by the Vega 64, an alternative option is to acquire a $200 RX 580 graphics card and combine it with the $200 350-Watt Sonnet eGPU enclosure. Going for these cheaper options brings the overall cost down to $2,100, saving $250.
The eGPU enclosure is a considerable investment in terms of desk space
Realistically, you can also save a good amount of cash on the Mac Mini by opting for a smaller storage capacity, using less RAM, or maybe just going with the i5 processor instead of the i7 if you don’t need that much processing power.
Performance
The main downside to using an eGPU is that it isn’t as efficient as using an internal graphics card. The Thunderbolt 3 for a variety of reasons can shave off some performance compared to a native PCI-E connection, or a built-in version.
As part of the testing, the Radeon RX Vega 64 eGPU was put against the discrete Radeon Pro 580 in the iMac 5K and the Vega 56 installed in the iMac Pro. Both discrete cards are less powerful than the Vega 64 in the eGPU, but benefit from a wider data path than the Thunderbolt 3 eGPU.
Looking at raw performance in Geekbench 4’s Metal test, the Mac Mini with Vega 64 scored similarly to the iMac Pro with the Vega 56 card, but quite a bit less than the iMac Pro with the same Vega 64 GPU. More importantly, the Mac mini using the eGPU achieves a score over six times greater than without the enclosure.
Synthetic benchmarks are a decent approximation of everyday tasking, but aren’t a good indicator of specific performance on every given task. AppleInsider has its own real-world tests involving video editing in Final Cut Pro X. The tests also provide more variation in terms of load sharing, with some elements relying more on the processor than the eGPU, which can have more of a bearing on the final scores.
Starting with the BruceX Final Cut Pro benchmark, the Mac mini with the eGPU is right up there with the iMac Pro, and is even faster than the iMac 5K. Compared to the Mac mini by itself, there is a considerable performance increase with the external card.
In a test for stabilizing a 20-second 4K clip, the eGPU-equipped Mac mini is actually slower than both the iMac Pro and the iMac 5K, but again is still a marked improvement over the Mac mini alone, running approximately 3.5 times faster. The slowness despite having a more powerful card is likely down to the inefficiencies of using an externally-located graphics card.
In another video test exporting a 5 minute 4K project, the Vega 64 helps the Mac mini finish over twice as fast as a stock model, but it’s unfortunately still slower than the iMacs. This is somewhat surprising as the Mac mini’s processor and eGPU are both more powerful than what is offered in a top-of-the-line iMac 5K.
Moving on to a 5 minute 4.5K RED RAW project, the Mac mini actually outperforms the iMac 5K, as the Red RAW codec is extremely processor intensive rather relying than eGPU-based processing. Since the Mac mini’s processor is faster, it finishes quicker than the iMac 5K.
In the last test, exporting a 60p Canon Raw Lite project, the Mac mini is yet again slower than the other two, because it is a less processor-intensive task, and more of GPU-bound one. However, it was able to play back the project at 52 frames per second compared to only 45 on the iMac 5K. The iMac Pro played back at the full 60 frames per second.
The result dropped down to around 22 frames per second in the Canon Raw project when the display was plugged directly into the Mac mini, instead of into the eGPU. Treat this as a warning that, if you ever use an eGPU, make sure the monitor is plugged directly into the enclosure.
A mixed result
If you already own a 2018 Mac mini, getting an eGPU can really boost graphics performance compared to the stock specification, but graphical power is your primary differentiator between the Mac Mini and the iMac 5K, just go with the iMac. It performed better in almost every test put to all of the models, even though the processor and graphics card aren’t as powerful as the Mac mini’s processor and the eGPU’s graphics card. There is also the benefit of having a beautiful 5K display to use at the same time and minimal desk usage due to being an all-in-one unit.
Throughout, the iMac Pro showed itself to be a viable alternative to both of the other Macs, passing with decent results in all of the tests. It may not necessarily offer the cost savings of a Mac mini with an eGPU, but it is certainly an option for those looking for reliable performance.
NetherRealm Studios has confirmed Jade is returning to the fight in Mortal Kombat 11. A new gameplay trailer for Jade dropped during the developer's Kombat Kast live stream on February 14. You can watch it above.
Jade's Mortal Kombat 11 trailer reveals her moveset now allows her to set up combos a little more easily in comparison to Mortal Kombat 9, and her new Crushing Blow and gruesome Fatality are proof she hasn't lost her edge. She sports a new outfit in Mortal Kombat 11, but it's still Jade's staple green. The ninja also hasn't lost her touch when it comes to delivering quips either.
Here's how NetherRealm's official announcement describes her MK11 incarnation: "Now resurrected by an evil sorcerer, she serves the Netherrealm as an undead Revenant. Death hasn’t slowed Jade down, though. She still thrashes her enemies with her bo staff, razorrang, and patronizing put-downs.'
Jade has been a part of the franchise since appearing as an unplayable character in the series' second entry, making her official debut in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. She last appeared in Mortal Kombat 9. Jade is a fairly fast fighter who's good at space control and pushing opponents back, able to use her staff and daggers to dish out damage from a slight distance as well.
During Mortal Kombat 11's gameplay debut, director Ed Boon revealed in-game customization options. Each character has three pieces of gear that you can change, and there are more general makeover options as well. For example, Scorpion can switch up which katana he uses, as well as his mask and spear. A fighter's abilities can be customized as well.
Mortal Kombat 11 is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and PC on April 23. The game will have a beta test beforehand though--currently scheduled for March and only for Xbox and PS4--if you want to try it out before pre-ordering.
Video: The Pokémon Detective Pikachu Movie Just Got A Brand New Trailer
The upcoming Pokémon Detective Pikachu movie has just received another trailer, adding to our already ridiculously strong hype and excitement for the film’s release this summer.
We get to see a little more comedic dialogue between Ryan Reynolds (as Pikachu) and Justice Smith (as Tim), as well as some up close shots of Bulbasaur and Lickitung. We’re still slightly freaked out by the designs of each Pokémon, but we can’t help but love it.
If you’ve missed the news on this one up until now, here’s what you can expect to see when the film launches:
“The story begins when ace private eye Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.”
The movie hits cinemas on 10th May 2019. That’s less than three months away!
Have you been looking forward to watching this since it was first announced? Will you be heading out to watch it on the day of release? Let us know in the comments.
