Tag: Video games

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Mobile Syrup

Golf now included in Nintendo Switch Sports

Golf has finally arrived on Nintendo’s Switch Sports. 

Nintendo Switch Sports, which was released in April 2022, came out without Golf as a playable game. At the time, Golf was planned to be added to the title in Fall 2022, but was delayed. Now, Golf is available to download as part of the free Nintendo Switch Sports ‘version 1.3.0′ update.

The golf update features a total of 21 holes from the Wii Sports Golf mini-game, alongside a ‘Survival Golf’ mode that allows for eight-player online gaming in a knockout-per-hole format, and a local LAN game mode.

Read the Nintendo Switch Sports version 1.3.0 update patch notes below:

Golf

  • Golf has been added. It can be enjoyed in all modes: Play Globally, Play Locally and Play with Friends.
  • We added a Shot Assist mode in Golf to make it easier for beginners to play. To use it, go to Options → User Settings → Other.
  • This setting only applies to Play Locally and Play with Friends.
  • Please be aware that even if you have Shot Assist mode on, your setting will revert to Normal in Play Globally mode.

Play with Friends

Overall

  • Several issues have been fixed to improve the gameplay experience.

Head to 3:26 in the video below to check out the Golf update.

Image credit: Nintendo Switch Sports

Source: Nintendo Switch Sports

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Mobile Syrup

Nintendo’s Dragalia Lost mobile game is dead

Dragalia Lost, one of Nintendo’s less popular mobile titles, is shutting down as of today, November 30th.

The game first launched back in 2019 and was heavily criticized for its gacha mechanics. Nintendo announced Dragalia Lost would shut down back in March 2022. The game’s campaign ended earlier this year, and after November 30th, it will no longer be accessible on Android or iOS.

Rather than being developed directly by Nintendo, Cygames, best known for Granblue Fantasy, is behind the title. It’s unclear how much money Dragalia Lost earned during its lifespan, but given it’s being shut down, it’s unlikely the game has come anywhere near earning as much as Fire Emblem Heroes, which made $1 billion USD (about $1.36 billion CAD) in revenue as of June 2022, according to Sensor Tower.

Like Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Super Mario Run, Dragalia Lost is free to play, unlike Super Mario Run’s outright cost of $13.99. Nintendo also shut down Dr. Mario World, another one of its mobile games, in 2021.

Back in 2017, rumours circulated that Nintendo was working on a mobile version of The Legend of Zelda, but the game has yet to be officially announced.

Source: @DragaliaLostApp Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft’s custom Xbox Elite Series 2 hasn’t broken on me yet

If you follow me on Twitter or have read my MobileSyrup coverage, you’ll be aware that even though I’m a fan of Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2 gamepad, I also hate the controller with a passion.

The gamepad feels incredible and is heavily customizable; overall, it’s one of the best controllers I’ve ever used. But unfortunately, its hardware is nearly always faulty directly out of the box. Thankfully, Microsoft’s new custom Design Lab Elite Series 2 gamepad seems to solve most of these issues (or maybe I just finally got lucky).

Read this story for a full recap of my experience, but I’ve been through roughly seven to eight of the old Series 2 controllers. Sometimes the gamepad’s shoulder buttons or the Y button fail, or occasionally, the face buttons just don’t work. In one case, the left joystick stopped clicking. It’s always a different problem, but with every standard Elite Series 2 I’ve used, there’s an issue out of the box as soon as I start gaming with it.

No, I’m not buying a new controller every time and have mostly gotten the gamepad replaced under warranty, but this is still unacceptable given its $229 cost.

Here’s where the new custom Xbox Elite Series 2 gamepad comes in. I’ve been using the Custom Elite Series 2 gamepad since early November, and so far, my experience has been flawless. The face buttons continue to work, and the Y button remains responsive. I’ve probably used the controller for roughly 20-30 hours of sweaty Halo Infinite ranked action, and everything has been smooth.

It’s unclear if Microsoft’s parts supplier or manufacturing process has changed with the Design Lab Elite Series 2. However, if my gamepad is an accurate indication, it seems the tech giant may have solved the controller’s issues — at least as far as the custom version is concerned (it’s also really cool to be able to fully customize the Series 2gamepad).

I’m not sure if Microsoft’s Series 2 Core gamepad also fixes the high-end gamepad’s issues, but if this video is an accurate indication, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The Design Lab Elite Series 2 starts at $149.99 for the base controller that doesn’t include paddles or additional thumbsticks. The version that offers all of the accessories (which is probably the one you want because that’s the point of the gamepad) starts at $209.99.

I’ll update this story if I start to run into issues with the Elite Series 2. Do you own a custom Elite Series 2, and have you run into any issues with the gamepad? Let me us know in the comments below or tweet me @Patrick_ORourke.

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Mobile Syrup

God of War Ragnarök is PlayStation’s fastest-selling first party title

Sony’s Santa Monica Studio’s God of War Ragnarök is the fastest-selling first-party game in PlayStation’s history, and this is no shock.

Sony tweeted an infographic with the details, stating that the game has sold more than 5.1 million copies in its debut week, which also sets a God of War franchise record.

I’m absolutely thrilled to learn about all of this. God of War is probably among one the best games I’ve ever played, and I’m about three-quarters through Ragnarök.

Brad Shankar covered the game for MobileSyrup and said that it’s “a genuinely moving narrative and sweeping gameplay improvements across the board make Kratos’ latest outing an absolute masterpiece.”

Shankar and I also hosted a SyrupArcade Cast episode focused on God of War Ragnarök.

Source: PlayStation

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Mobile Syrup

Netflix hiring jobs for ‘brand-new AAA PC’ game in first-generation of original titles

It looks like Netflix is trying to push its gaming business further.

The streaming giant recently posted job listings for a game director, art director and technical director at its Los Angeles-based studio, as first spotted by Mobilegamer.biz.

All roles mention that they involve working on “a brand-new AAA PC game.” Additionally, the game director role features details that mention that job involves being the “creative leader of one of Netflix’s first generation of internally developed original games.”

While Netflix isn’t new to games, this would be the first time the streaming company has considered a PC title. The streamer added games to its mobile app last November and has launched quite a few titles since then. In a recent investor letter, Netflix said it’s currently developing 55 new games.

“We’re focused in the next few years on creating hit games that will take our game initiative to the next level. More generally, we see a big opportunity around content that crosses between TV or film and games,” wrote Netflix.

Netflix has also previously stated that it’s considering launching a cloud gaming platform, and in September, the company formed its first in-house game studio in Helsinki, Finland.

Further, Netflix’s vice president of games, Mike Verdu, has also hinted that the streaming giant could expand into the PC gaming space.

Image credit: Netflix

Source: Mobilegamer.biz Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Got World Cup fever? FIFA 23 is 50 percent off for Black Friday

The World Cup is here, and that means suddenly, there’s far more interest in soccer football video games than there typically would be with a normal FIFA release.

With that in mind, if you’re on the hunt for a great deal on EA Vancouver’s FIFA 23, we have you covered.

Below are the deals and offers on FIFA 23 we’ve been able to find:

On Amazon, FIFA 23 is on sale on sale for $44.96 (50 percent off, regular $89.96) on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, $39.95 (50 percent off) on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and 34.95 (36 percent off) on the Nintendo Switch.

Walmart is also offering the game for the same price, alongside Best Buy. The soccer game is also on sale digitally in the Xbox Store ($53.99), PlayStation Store ($47.99) and Steam (PC – $53.99)

FIFA 23 is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch and PC.

For a round-up of all of our Black Friday deals, follow this link. You can find all of the top deals at Canadian retailers here.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

Image credit: EA

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Mobile Syrup

Here are some of the funniest Pokémon Scarlet and Violet glitches

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the latest titles to come out of Game Freak’s and The Pokémon Company’s mainline series.

The two titles feature some of the best gameplay concepts, Pokémon designs and storylines we’ve seen in the series in years. Unfortunately, the game is also plagued by rampant glitches, poor animation and generally bad performance, making it feel more like a Bethesda title than something from The Pokémon Company.

Pokémon is the largest-grossing game series in the world, and even though it’s running on the admittedly underpowered Nintendo Switch, titles like Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are open-world games that perform a lot better than Scarlet and Violet.

While I’m an avid Pokémon fan, and I’m genuinely enjoying my experience in the Paldea region, I wouldn’t recommend the title (which I’ll explain in my more in-depth look at the game coming soon). During my time with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, I’ve encountered a couple of crashes, nearly minute-long loading screens, frame-rate issues, pauses that make me feel like the game is about to crash, and weird screen glitches — and this is all on top of poor animation.

Granted, I think a lot of these issues could be fixed with a few patches.

Here are some examples of a few of the top glitches I’ve seen people record (to be fair, most of the issues I’ve encountered haven’t been this bad):

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Mobile Syrup

The Nintendo Switch Sports Golf update drop on November 28

Switch Sports gamers will be pleased to know that golf is finally making its way to the motion-controlled game.

Golf arrives on Nintendo Switch Sports on Monday, November 28th, and will be added to the game as a free update.

The golf update features a total of 21 holes from the Wii Sports Golf games.

Users would be able to play Golf locally, while a ‘Survival Golf’ mode would allow for online gaming where eight players can battle it out in one knockout-per-hole format.

Nintendo Switch Sports released in April 2022. The Golf update for the title was initially planned to come out in Fall 2022, but was later delayed to “Holidays 2022.”

Elsewhere, since its release in April, the game received a free update that allowed users to strap a Joy-Con to their legs to play soccer, making the experience far more realistic. The addition of Golf will be the title’s second major update.

Image credit: Nintendo

Source: Nintendo

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Mobile Syrup

Hyperkin is remaking the Xbox 360’s iconic gamepad for modern consoles

Accessory maker Hyperkin is releasing an officially licensed remake of the original Xbox 360 gamepad, offering those who spent time with Microsoft’s golden era console a blast from the past.

The ‘Xenon’ gamepad, named after the Xbox 360’s first internal development codename, looks the same as the now 17-year-old controller, only it now features ‘Menu,’ ‘View’ and ‘Share’ buttons, alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C charging. The gamepad is available in ‘White,’ ‘Black,’ ‘Pink,’ and ‘Red.’

It’s unclear how much Xenon plans to charge for the gamepad, but given its massive Duke controller remake costs roughly $120, expect to pay a lot of money to relive your childhood.

bHopefully, Hyperkin has fixed some of the classic gamepad’s key issues, including its splitting joysticks and wonky D-pad that often leans to one side. This is a tough sell for me, even as someone who has fond memories of the Xbox 360 era. Microsoft’s Xbox gamepad hasn’t changed much over the years and has mostly been refined between generations. The Series X/S gamepad is near perfect, and I don’t want to relive the slightly less comfortable Xbox 360-era controller in 2022.

Hyperkin’s Xenon is compatible with the Xbox Series X/S and Windows 10/11 devices. It’s unclear when the gamepad will release.

Image credit: Hyperkin

Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Sonic Frontiers races to $30 discount in less than 2 weeks

Sonic Frontiers, the supposed triumphant return of the chilli dog-eating, human woman dating hedgehog, has already dropped to $49.99 from $79.99 ($30 off) at Amazon (PlayStation/Xbox/Switch) and at Best Buy.

The game is also available for $59.99 at several other retailers depending on what platform you buy the game for, including GameStop.

When Sonic Frontiers released earlier this month, the title received middling reviews across the board. While critics liked how the game experiments with the blue blur’s typical formula, it suffers from serious graphical issues and an overall bland presentation.

Still, at $30 off, Frontiers is a far easier sell, especially given its shortcomings.

Sonic Frontiers is available on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

Image credit: Sega