Tag: gaming

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Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase to be held on June 28

After weeks of rumours, Nintendo has confirmed that a new Nintendo Direct will be held on Thursday, June 28th.

However, this won’t be a traditional Direct; instead, it’s a “Direct Mini: Partner Showcase.” This means it will be focused on third-party titles, so don’t expect, say, the untitled sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Altogether, Nintendo says the presentation will run for “roughly 25 minutes.” It’s important to note, though, that it will be released on-demand on Nintendo’s YouTube channel at 6am PT/9am ET. This is a marked departure from traditional Directs, which are streamed live so everyone gets the reveals at the same time. By going the on-demand route, people will be able to scrub through the entire video, so you’ll likely see the whole show “spoiled” online within seconds, if that’s something you want to avoid.

In terms of what to expect, updates on Ubisoft’s Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope and Platinum Games’ Bayonetta 3 seem like safe bets, and we may also get long-awaited confirmation that Atlus’ Persona games are coming to Switch.

This isn’t the only Direct for June. Nintendo also released a Xenoblade Chronicles 3-focused stream last week.

Source: Nintendo

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Sony’s PlayStation 5 is now in stock at GameStop

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the disc version of Sony’s PlayStation 5, now is your chance.

GameStop has a bundle that offers the console alongside Gran Turismo 7 and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga in stock online. It’s unclear how much the bundle costs, but it should be in the range of $799.99.

As expected, “stock is limited” and there is a limit of one console purchase per household.

If you’re interested in getting your hands on a Ps5, you’ll need to move fast. In the past (especially though EB Games), the console has sold out in a matter of minutes.

I’m currently only able to access the now very familiar ‘you are in line’ screen. This story will be updated when the PS5 is no longer available.

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10 retro games that should be added to the new PlayStation Plus

Perhaps the most standout feature of the all-new PlayStation Plus is its offering of retro games — specifically, those from the PS1, PS2 and PSP eras.

At least, that’s what should be its main selling point. However, as I mentioned in my impressions of the service, the retro catalogue — consisting of less than 40 games across all three platforms — is remarkably paltry.

A screenshot of PS Plus retro games on the PS Store, including Ape Escape, Dark Cloud and Jak and Daxter.

Some of the new PS Plus’ retro games. There aren’t many more than what’s pictured here. (Image credit: PlayStation)

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of some of the older titles I’d love to see come to the service. For the purposes of keeping things interesting, I’m not going to include games that already have modern remasters or remakes that offer, more or less, definitive versions of those titles. This includes Final Fantasy VII (an enhanced port is available on PS4, not to mention a full-blown remake) and the Crash and Spyro trilogies (faithful remasters of the original PS1 classics are also on PS4). A lot of PS2 classics have also received remasters elsewhere, like the Devil May Cry HD Collection, Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper trilogies, Ratchet & Clank series and more, so I’m not considering those.

Of course, licensing issues might make some of these games tricky, but hopefully, PlayStation could work that out. Some of the below games also might be available digitally on older PlayStation hardware, but given that those are discontinued systems, re-releases on PS Plus to bring them to millions of PS4 and PS5 owners would definitely be warranted.

Now, let’s dig into it.

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions (PSP)

Final Fantasy Tactics combat

(Image credit: Square Enix)

What better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a fan-favourite Final Fantasy spin-off than a PS Plus port? Directed by veteran game maker Yasumi Matsuno, Tactics on PS1 is a brilliant mix of classic Final Fantasy conventions, deep strategy combat and gripping political narrative. The War of the Lions PSP release, specifically, featured the complete original experience with welcome additions like improved translations, gorgeous anime cutscenes and new characters (beloved Final Fantasy XII hero Balthier being a standout). There have been rumours of some sort of remaster, although it’s yet unclear if that would be of the OG Tactics or one of the several spin-offs, so for now, let’s get War of the Lions on PS Plus.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PS1)

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Amy Hennig has become one of the most well-known game developers for her outstanding work on the three Uncharted PS3 games. She’s also now working on a Star Wars game, following EA’s heartbreaking cancellation of her previous work in the galaxy far, far away. Therefore, it would be great to experience one of her earlier games on PS Plus. Co-written and directed by Hennig, Soul Reaver is an ambitious action-adventure title that blends an engrossing gothic setting with vampiric hack-and-slash combat. At the time, it was criticized for being somewhat obtuse and having an unfair save system, which could actually be ameliorated through PS Plus’ rewind and instant saving functionality.

(Fun fact: Soul Reaver is the sequel to 1996’s Bloom Omen: Legacy of Kain, which was developed by the now-defunct St. Catharines, Ontario-based Silicon Knights. The more you know!)

The Legend of Dragoon (PS1)

The Legend of Dragoon combat

(Image credit: PlayStation)

Here we have a cult classic JRPG that often gets overlooked by Final Fantasy titles. That’s why it would be nice to give people a chance to actually check it out. For over 20 years, The Legend of Dragoon has maintained a cult following thanks to its unique combat mechanics, then-impressive visuals and compelling high fantasy world. Protagonist Dart was actually even supposed to come to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Best of all, Sony actually owns The Legend of Dragoon, which should make it easier than some other titles on this list to bring to PS Plus.

Silent Hill 2 (PS2)

Silent Hill 2 James reads bloody message

(Image credit: Konami)

Konami’s 2001 survival horror title is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever made, but there’s frustratingly not been a good way to play it since the PS2. That’s because Konami has only made it available via the Silent Hill HD Collection on PS3 and Xbox 360, a poorly received remaster bundle that many felt worsened the original experience. And while there are rumours that The Medium developer Bloober Team is remaking Silent Hill 2, there absolutely should be an easier way to play the original. From its chilling horror and iconic enemy designs to Akira Yamaoka’s soundtrack and the surprisingly deep story, Silent Hill 2 is a must-play.

Spider-Man (PS1)

Spider-Man and Venom in the PS1 Spider-Man game

(Image credit: Activision)

While Insomniac’s open-world Marvel’s Spider-Man series is outstanding, there’s something to be said about a tightly crafted, linear Spider-Man experience. Developed by the talented Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater studio Neversoft, the game features a rip-roaring story about Spider-Man being framed and having all of New York out to get him. And unlike Insomniac’s games, Spider-Man leans heavily into the larger Marvel universe, featuring fun appearances from the likes of The Human Torch, Daredevil, Captain America and, even, narration from Spidey co-creator Stan Lee. One of the game’s original developers said a few years back that he’d love to do a remaster, but I’d also happily take a PS Plus port. Oh, and the theme song is an absolute bop.

Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (PS1)

Tenchu: Stealth Assassins hiding

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

While FromSoftware is best known for Dark Souls — and, by extension, spiritual successors Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring — the Japanese developer actually owns another classic series: Tenchu. That alone makes it especially interesting, but on top of that, the first game, Acquire’s Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, was one of the early influential stealth games alongside Metal Gear Solid. By focusing on tense, tough stealth, Stealth Assassins still remains a unique and seminal ninja experience.

Tomba! (PS1)

Tomba

(Image credit: PlayStation)

Veteran Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Mega Man developer Tokuro Fujiwara created this charming and original platformer. It’s a simple story about a feral child seeking his grandfather’s bracelet from evil anthropomorphic pigs, sure, but one that’s well-told through smooth animation, bright colours and a lovely mix of 2D sprites with 3D environments. It’s also just a rock-solid platformer, and a nice change of pace from more iconic titles like Mario and Crash. PS Plus would be a perfect way to experience this cult classic.

Twisted Metal 2 (PS1)

Twisted Metal 2 combat

(Image credit: PlayStation)

This PlayStation vehicular combat franchise has been around for decades, and it’s even getting a live-action show starring Anthony Mackie and Canada’s Will Arnett. Given all of that, it only makes sense to make at least one of these games available on PS Plus. Fans will likely debate between PS1’s Twisted Metal 2 and PS2’s Twisted Metal Black, but we’re going with the former here. After all, it offers a good look at where the series came from while also offering more — and greater — levels and characters over the original game. If you have a Sweet Tooth, PS Plus could be the solution.

Vagrant Story (PS1)

Vagrant Story combat

(Image credit: Square Enix)

While it was developed by the aforementioned Matsuno and his Final Fantasy Tactics team, Vagrant Story actually had uniquely complex action-RPG mechanics to go alongside its rich narrative. And on a more meta level, Vagrant Story takes place in the same storied world of Ivalice as Tactics and Final Fantasy XII, which Final Fantasy XIV fans may recall from a standout Matsuno-led special crossover event in Stormblood. Maybe Square Enix can give us Tactics and Vagrant Story as a special PS Plus package deal? Please?

Viewtiful Joe (PS2)

Viewtiful Joe combat

(Image credit: Capcom)

Between the likes of Devil May Cry, Bayonetta and Resident Evil, Hideki Kamiya is one of Japan’s most prolific game creators. And yet, there’s one of his games that has been stranded on older hardware for years: Viewtiful Joe. Beat ’em ups are all the rage right now thanks to games like the Canadian-made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and Viewtiful Joe has been hailed as one of the genre’s best. The original superhero-themed game boasts cel-shaded graphics and challenging high-octane action, and it’s since spawned its own franchise of sequels and manga and anime adaptations. Joe even appeared in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Re-release the game on PS Plus, Capcom!

Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of games that you could consider for a list like this. Others that we’d be happy to see include the original Tomb Raider (PS1), Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy (PSP), Gran Turismo (PS1), Star Wars: Battlefront II (the better, non-EA one that was released on PS2), Ubisoft Montreal’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PS2, especially since we have no idea what’s going on with the remake) and Jeanne d’Arc (PSP).

Which retro titles do you want to come to PlayStation Plus? Let us know in the comments.

Header image credit: Konami

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Turn-based game Into the Breach coming to Android via Netflix

The popular turn-based strategy game Into the Breach is coming to Netflix on Android. As part of the streaming company’s gaming initiative, it is bringing the 2018 title from Subset Games to Android.

Into the Breach is a cult favourite by many players across PC and Nintendo Switch. Since 2018, it’s been acclaimed for its gameplay, style, and turn-based mechanics. Soon, the game is making its way to mobile for the very first time.

Netflix announced that Into the Breach will be available on Android devices on July 19th. In order to jump in, players must have an active Netflix subscription.

As part of its mobile launch, Subset Games is also releasing the Advanced Edition Update on July 19th. Available for free on all platforms, “nearly every aspect of the game will be expanded with new content,” the studio says. The update adds new squads and weapons. Additionally, there are new bosses, enemies, and missions to tackle. Into the Breach’s Advanced Edition Update adds new difficulty modes, languages, and music.

Netflix is continuously adding new games to its subscription offering. As part of its Netflix Games sector, the company recently added Into the Dead 2: Unleashed, This is a True Story, and Shatter Remastered. Canadian-made Spiritfarer is also coming to mobile for the first time later this year.

In Canada, a Netflix subscription starts at $9.99 for the ‘Basic’ plan. The HD plan is priced at $16.49 while the 4K plan is available for $20.99.

Image credit: Subset Games

Source: @NetflixGeeked Via: AndroidPolice

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Epic Games to add ratings and polls to combat review bombing

Review bombing is ehrn a swarm of negative reviews (legit or not) are dropped on a product, game, movie or anything else. Now, Epic Games is introducing a way for it to combat review bombing on its online game store.

The Cary, North Carolina-based company, says it’s adding “Ratings and Polls” to its online store that will “allow players to provide direct feedback to the Epic Games Store community for the games they’re playing.”

Instead of allowing anyone to leave a review about a game they own, Epic Games will ask random gamers who have played specific titles lfor more than two hours to rate it on a five-star scale. These scores will then be averaged together to form the “Overall Rating” for each game. “Because these requests are randomized, we won’t spam our players, and we probably won’t ask about every game or app used. This approach protects games from review bombing and ensures people assigning scores are actual players of the games,” says Epic.

In addition to ratings, players may also be asked to answer a poll related to their most recent play session. According to Epic, these polls can cover a wide range of topics regarding the game. “Players might be asked to respond “Yes” or “No” to “Is this game good to play with a group?” Players could also be presented with a multiple choice poll asking “How challenging are the bosses in this game?” said Epic.

The screenshot below shows how these polls would look:


After a sufficient number of players have answered the polls, their responses will be used to generate tags for the respective game pages, which can then be used as filters by other players. “Over time, these tags will also populate our Category pages, and will be used to generate custom tag-based categories driven by our players that will appear on the Epic Games Store home page,” said Epic.

Learn more about the update to the online game store here.

Image credit: Epic Games

Source: Epic Games

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Nintendo Switch Online app to soon end support for older iPhones, iPads

Nintendo has confirmed that it will soon cease support for older iPhones and iPads with its Switch Online app.

The gaming giant made the announcement via its official Japanese Twitter account.

Currently, the app supports devices running iOS 12 and later, but a future update will require iOS 14/iPadOS 14 and later. Nintendo says this update will roll out sometime this summer.

According to Apple, only four percent of iPhones are running earlier than iOS 14, while three percent of iPads are on iOS 13 or older. Therefore, this change shouldn’t affect many people, but it’s nonetheless worth mentioning.

The Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo’s (awkward) solution to voice chat functionality, which isn’t natively available on the Switch itself. Those who subscribe to the Switch Online service can access this and unique game-specific features like Smash Bros. clip sharing through the app.

Via: Eurogamer

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Vancouver-made Disney Mirrorverse is a charming, if repetitive, romp

When I was a kid, one of my favourite games was Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. An action-RPG featuring customizable parties of some of my favourite characters? That’s right up my alley.

Now, Vancouver-based Kabam is giving similar treatment to other Disney-owned characters in Disney Mirrorverse. And while it’s certainly not as in-depth or engaging as Ultimate Alliance, given that it’s a free-to-play mobile game, it’s certainly fun enough.

The premise is simple: when a supernatural force known as the Fractured threatens the multiverse, Mickey Mouse must use his magical powers to assemble heroes and villains alike (known here as “Guardians”) from the worlds of Disney and Pixar.

We’ve seen such a story concept many times before, and Mirrorverse unfortunately doesn’t really make the most of it. Occasionally, you’ll get a few basic text-based cutscenes in which characters interact, like Tangled’s Rapunzel getting annoyed with Pirates of the Caribbean‘s Jack’s obsession with treasure. It’s by no means exceptional writing, but it adds at least a little character to the proceedings. Overall, though, you don’t get much of this, and the lack of any voice acting for these characters only further makes them feel a bit lifeless in terms of characterization.

Thankfully, Kabam has quite clearly flexed its creative chops when it came to designing the war-ready aesthetic of each character. Using the multiverse conceit, the developer has dreamed up some truly unique and charming takes on iconic characters. For example, Monster’s, Inc.’s Sulley sports battle armour and a giant shield made out of a scare door. Snow White has a plant-covered “Thornhammer” that looks somewhat like Thor’s Stormbreaker from the Avengers movies. And Toy Story Woody looks downright dapper in a full sheriff’s getup that’s not unlike what Will Smith wore in Wild Wild West.

Disney Mirrorverse Sheriff Woody

I wasn’t expecting Woody to ever look *cool,* but here we are.

Discovering the little quirks that Kabam has given each character is a real highlight of Mirrorverse, and it further encourages you to unlock them all. The diversity of properties represented is also quite solid. You’ve got heavy hitters like Toy Story (Buzz, Woody and Zurg), Frozen (Anna and Elsa), The Little Mermaid (Ariel and Ursula) and Aladdin (Aladdin, Genie and Jafar), and more offbeat picks like Wall-E’s Eve, Onward’s Ian Lightfoot and Inside Out’s Anger.

The surprising badassery of each character extends to combat, which consists of real-time movement mixed in with tapping onscreen attack buttons. Each is broken down into one of three categories — Melee, Ranged and Tank. As a Ranged character, it was fun to see Merida — clad in Scottish warrior clothing — alternate between shooting flurries of arrows from afar and throwing magic axes. Likewise, Sulley running up to an enemy and using his shield-door to literally scream at enemies is also always enjoyable.

All told, the novelty of seeing these characters in action and mixing and matching them to create your ultimate party of three is quite entertaining. Unfortunately, it only goes so far before repetition starts to settle in heavily. Specifically, it’s the structure of levels that are the biggest shortcoming. Essentially, you clear one wave of enemies, your heroes automatically run to a second area, and then there’s a tougher enemy in a third and final arena. Rinse, lather and repeat for virtually every battle. While your characters do level up, that just improves their stats; there are no further RPG mechanics like unlocking skill trees or equipping new gear.

Disney Mirrorverse party of Ariel, Buzz and Oogie

Even the game’s optional content, like Supply runs (used to farm XP motes to level up characters), Events (timed quests themed around certain characters, like Buzz and Tron vs. Zurg) or Dungeons (a series of floors to work through to earn artifacts) all amount to the same “two regular battles, one boss battle” getup. At the very least, it feels like the game needed some sort of hub area to walk around in and talk to your characters to shake things up just a little bit.

That said, if the game’s simple and repetitive combat can feel like a steady grind at times, that so far hasn’t been the case when it comes to unlocking characters. While you’re bombarded often with offers for discounted microtransactions or even main page idle screens with Guardians you haven’t unlocked, the game otherwise gives you new characters at a decent pace. Over the course of playing for maybe an hour, I had a roster of six characters, with many more still to unlock using ‘Crystals.’ These resources can be purchased using ‘Orbs,’ which you earn from completing missions but can also purchase using real money. It remains to be seen how balanced the distribution of rewards will be later in the game, but so far, I haven’t felt obligated to spend any cash.

Disney Mirrorverse combat

In the end, Disney Mirrorverse doesn’t quite feel like it capitalizes on the potential of a Disney multiverse story, and its fairly simplistic combat frustratingly doesn’t change over time. That said, those who primarily play on mobile will no doubt have fun with this easy-to-pick-up-and-play nature, and everyone can admire the imaginative twists of beloved Disney and Pixar characters.

Disney Mirrorverse is now available on Android and iOS. Kabam is promising regular updates of new story content, characters, limited-time events and more.

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PlayStation Store running multiple sales, offering up to 60 percent off

The PlayStation Store is offering a variety of deals right now as part of multiple ongoing sales.

Altogether, the ‘Mid-Year Deals‘ promotion offers up to 60 percent off, while the DLC-focused ‘Level Up‘ sale features savings of up to 50 percent. There are also miscellaneous ‘Hot Deals’ up for grabs.

See below for some of the most notable deals:

All of the deals end on July 6th.

Image credit: 2K

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Sun and Moon Ultra Beasts are coming to Pokémon Go Fest

Get ready for the release of Ultra Beasts from Pokémon Sun and Moon in Pokémon Go later this summer.

Pheromosa, Buzzwole and Xurkitree are the three Ultra Beasts coming to the mobile game’s Pokédex. Players attending Pokémon Go Fest events in Berlin, Germany, Seattle, Washington and Sapporo, Japan will get to take part in special research tasks that offer all three Ultra Beasts first.

The scheduled events will kickoff as listed below:

  • Pokémon Go Fest Berlin runs July 1-3, players receive Pheromosa
  • Pokémon Go Fest Seattle runs July 22-24, players receive Buzzwole
  • Pokémon Go Fest Sapporo runs August 5-7, players receive Xurkitree

A new Poké Ball called the Beast Ball will also be added to Pokémon Go following the addition of Ultra Beasts, followed by a finale event on August 27th.

Pokémon Go Fest tickets are currently on sale for all three events:

Seattle – $25 USD (about $32.33 CAD)

Berlin – €32.13 EUR for early admission (around $43.96 CAD), €24.99 EUR for general admission (about $34.19 CAD).

Sapporo – ¥3,000 JPY (approximately $28.50 CAD)

Other Pokémon Go players that are not attending the event receive the Ultra Beasts when the events are over.

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YouTuber makes enormous Xbox Series X that’s the size of a fridge

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X looks like a fridge.

It really does, and in fact, the ongoing joke even inspired Microsoft to get in on the fun with its own Xbox Series X fridge.

However, why someone would want to make a fridge-sized Xbox Series X is perplexing. Michael Pick, a YouTuber known for creating a massive functional Nintendo Switch, is back at it again — this time, with Microsoft’s current-gen console.

The massive Xbox Series X is 2.08m (roughly 6.82ft) tall and 0.7m (about 2.41 ft) wide and weighs 113kg (approximately 250lbs). Undeniably, this monstrosity is a big boi that starkly contrasts the homemade PS5 slim I recently covered.

In the video, Pick details that the most difficult part of creating the giant Series X was copying the console’s curved top that’s full of dozens of cutouts. He said he was able to create the look by printing out tiny sections and then gluing them together, which took him a total of two weeks just for that particular part of the project.

Of course, the giant console functions as a standard Xbox Series X despite its massive housing. Even its iconic Xbox button works by sending a signal to an Arduino microcontroller that presses the button on the actual Series X inside it. The creation also holds the Guinness World Record for the largest Xbox ever made.

Image credit: Michael Pick (YouTube) (Screenshot)

Source: Michael Pick (YouTube) Via: Polgyon