Buy all your controllers on Black Friday
I can go years and years without a single video game Black Friday sale grabbing me. Sometimes it's a bunch of games I'm not interested in anymore, even if they're steeply discounted. Sometimes it's a bunch of games I was never interested in in the first place.
Here's something I make sure to do every Black Friday, though: I buy a new controller. Sales on controllers come around literally every Black Friday, and they're almost always the exact same -- usually about $20 off the normal retail price.
Which brings us to this controller sale which is... $20 off the normal retail price! Best Buy is selling Xbox Series X controllers for $40, down from the usual $60. If you want that snazzy blue one, it'll run you $45. It's the kind of sale you can set your watch to.
Me? I think I'm grabbing a couple. I play Rocket League very aggressively, and the shoulders and sticks don't hold up for an entire year. Black Friday's the best time to stock up. There will certainly be more controller sales in the coming days. Best Buy has the best discounts right now, though.
Microsoft -- Controller for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One (Latest Model) [Best Buy]
When a gun jams in Deathloop, the PS5 controller's triggers will lock up
On "N.Y. State of Mind, Nas rapped "Gave another squeeze, heard it click, 'Yo, my shit is stuck!' Tried to cock it, it wouldn't shoot, now I'm in danger. Finally pulled it back and saw three bullets caught up in the chamber." If I had a nickel for every time that happened to me...
Arkane's Deathloop might give Nas some flashbacks. As Bethesda describes on the PlayStation Blog, Deathloop has a mechanic where some of the early-game guns jam easily. When this happens, the PS5 DualSense controller will lock its trigger halfway, immediately signaling that something's wrong. Bethesda says you'll feel the jam before you see it on-screen.
The DualSense haptics have more vibration feedback, but none of them seem as important as signaling a malfunctioning gun. Some other examples Bethesda gives: the recoil and discharge of a weapon firing, the individual nails falling into some sort of nailgun when it's reloaded, the thwack as your character punches a jammed-up gun, and all sorts of mobility vibrations.
They're all nice touches, but none are as thoughtful as the controller intentionally malfunctioning as the gun malfunctions. The controller really is the simulation of a gun when it comes to shooters. Temporarily changing the way it works to reflect what's happening in-game is just [chef's kiss].
Immerse yourself in Deathloop on PS5 with the DualSense controller [PlayStation Blog]
Yakuza: Like a Dragon proves big franchises shouldn't be afraid of taking big risks
With so many popular video game franchises staying true to course, it's refreshing to see when a publisher lets a developer go wild with their ideas. The Yakuza series is long known for its brawler gameplay, but in Like a Dragon, it shifts things up with an RPG formula that really works well for the series.
That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. Chris, CJ, Dan and Occams gather around the proverbial fire to talk Yakuza, Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, the Game Award nominations, and IOI's 007 game. All that, plus a comedy of errors for one street racer, on Podtoid Episode 468.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi's next game is a 'totally new adventure with synesthesia'
Can you believe Rez is just shy of 20 years old? What a legend.
Rez originally released for the Dreamcast in Japan on November 22, 2001, and over the weekend, creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi commented about the game's 19th anniversary and what's coming next.
Yup. Today is Rez’s anniversary😎 Was released on Nov 22, 2001.
— Tetsuya Mizuguchi (@Mizuguchitter) November 22, 2020
Thanks to everyone who played Rez, Child of Eden and Rez Infinite. I and @enhance_exp is moving forward to the new project - totally new adventure with synesthesia.
Thanks for the cool GIF @turfmasta ðŸ'🻠https://t.co/Jby5GUcOK0
Mizuguchi's description – that he's designing a "totally new adventure with synesthesia" – is just detailed enough to get my imagination whirling. He's yet to make a game that didn't wow me, and as far as synesthesia in gaming goes, he's pretty much the go-to creator. I'm stoked to hear (and feel!) more.
Given that Enhance just got Tetris Effect: Connected out the door on PC and Xbox platforms, and Humanity is seemingly still aiming for "2020," the publisher has been on my mind lately. I'm interested in everything they've touched so far, and that goes triple for any Mizuguchi-directed projects.
I'm sure Lumines fans are dying for a substantial sequel, but I'm always down for a "new adventure." As for Rez, the 20th anniversary will be a special milestone. I hope they roll out the red carpet.
@Mizuguchitter [Twitter]
It is my duty to inform you that there's a new upcoming game in a widely beloved series. It's also my duty to inform you, and here's the part I wish I could put in size three font but I'm just a blogger and not an HTML wizard, it's a mobile game.
Square Enix has tasked Emerald City Games with making Tomb Raider Reloaded. It's a free-to-play action arcade game that's coming in 2021.
The Last of Us Part II has to be coming to PS5, right?
The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II both followed the exact same release arc, just one console generation apart from one another. The Last of Us launched in summer 2013, months before the PS4; The Last of Us Part II launched in summer 2020, months before the PS5.
Things are a little different this time because the PlayStation 5 has native backward compatibility. That PS4 version works on PS5 without the need for an all-new next-gen copy. The Last of Us Part II is one of Sony's biggest games in years, though. There has to be more, right?
Quite possibly. As reported by VG247, Best Buy's listing for The Last of Us Part II now includes a tag that reads "Includes next-gen upgrade." Those of you who like to stay abreast of these kinds of developments already know that Naughty Dog hasn't yet announced that The Last of Us Part II is getting any sort of special PS5 treatment.
But don't be surprised if it does. The Last of Us Remastered on PS4 seemed to sell very well, and Sony would be keen to replicate that success. A PS5 remaster-type version of the sequel could be in the works. There won't be any DLC to bundle, so it'd probably just be the same game but with next-gen enhancements. That way anyone who already owns it on PS4 could get the PS5 upgrades for free without Sony feeling like it's giving too much away.
Or, Best Buy could've just screwed up. But, given the history and how much a PS5 version makes sense, I'd bet on this one happening sometime next year.
A retail listing has revealed The Last of Us Part 2 PS5 upgrade could be in the works [VG247]
Nintendo's 2020 Cyber Deals are up on the Switch eShop and I need to pace myself
It's the classic Nintendo eShop sale conundrum: the prices aren't super competitive, but the games? The games rule. They're compelling enough to tempt me into spending more than I really ought to right now.
The Cyber Deals page is up with eShop deals from Nintendo, Capcom, Sega, Supergiant, Devolver Digital, 2K, and lots of smaller labels and indie creators. They're running through December 2, 2020.
- AI: The Somnium Files ($23.99)
- Ape Out ($7.49)
- Bastion ($2.99)
- BioShock 2 Remastered ($11.99)
- BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition ($11.99)
- BioShock Remastered ($11.99)
- BioShock: The Collection ($29.99)
- Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon ($4.99)
- Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 ($9.74)
- Borderlands Legendary Collection ($29.99)
- Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition ($17.99)
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection ($23.99)
- Broforce ($3.74)
- Burnout Paradise Remastered ($29.99)
- Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle ($9.99)
- Carnival Games ($9.99)
- Carrion ($14.99)
- Castle Crashers Remastered ($8.99)
- Catherine: Full Body ($29.99)
- Citizens of Space ($4.49)
- Coffee Talk ($9.74)
- Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled ($20.00)
- Crossing Souls ($3.74)
- Cuphead ($14.99)
- Daemon X Machina ($39.99)
- Dark Souls: Remastered ($19.99)
- Devil May Cry ($9.99)
- Devil May Cry 2 ($9.99)
- Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition ($11.99)
- Diablo III: Eternal Collection ($29.99)
- Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition ($24.99)
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition ($34.99)
- Doom ($29.99)
- Doom 1993 ($1.99)
- Doom II ($1.99)
- Doom 3 ($2.99)
- Doom 64 ($1.99)
- Downwell ($2.00)
- Dragon Quest Builders ($24.99)
- Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen ($14.99)
- Enter the Gungeon ($7.49)
- Exit the Gungeon ($6.99)
- Fe ($4.99)
- Gato Roboto ($3.99)
- Gris ($6.79)
- Hades ($19.99)
- Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix ($19.69)
- Heave Ho ($4.99)
- Hotline Miami Collection ($12.49)
- I Hate Running Backwards ($3.74)
- Inside ($6.79)
- Just Dance 2021 ($29.99)
- Katana Zero ($8.99)
- Knights and Bikes ($14.99)
- Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy - Deluxe Edition ($23.99)
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 ($29.99)
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order ($47.99)
- Mega Man 11 ($14.99)
- Mega Man Legacy Collection ($10.04)
- Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99)
- Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($9.99)
- Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99)
- Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection ($19.79)
- Minit ($4.99)
- Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate ($15.99)
- Mortal Kombat 11 ($14.99)
- Mother Russia Bleeds ($3.74)
- My Friend Pedro ($9.99)
- NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($7.49)
- NBA 2K21 ($29.99)
- New Super Lucky's Tale ($27.99)
- Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch ($14.99)
- Okami HD ($9.99)
- Onimusha: Warlords ($7.99)
- PGA Tour 2K21 ($29.99)
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy ($14.99)
- Pikuniku ($3.24)
- Reigns: Game of Thrones ($1.99)
- Reigns: Kings & Queens ($3.99)
- Resident Evil ($12.99)
- Resident Evil 0 ($12.99)
- Resident Evil 4 ($14.99)
- Resident Evil 5 ($14.99)
- Resident Evil 6 ($14.99)
- Resident Evil Revelations ($7.99)
- Resident Evil Revelations 2 ($7.99)
- Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder ($5.99)
- Ruiner ($9.99)
- Sega Ages Alex Kidd in Miracle World ($3.99)
- Sega Ages Columns II: A Voyage Through Time ($3.99)
- Sega Ages Fantasy Zone ($3.99)
- Sega Ages G-LOC Air Battle ($3.99)
- Sega Ages Gain Ground ($3.99)
- Sega Ages Herzog Zwei ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Ichidant-R ($3.99)
- Sega Ages Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar ($3.99)
- Sega Ages Out Run ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Phantasy Star ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Puyo Puyo ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Puyo Puyo 2 ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Shinobi ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Sonic The Hedgehog ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Sonic The Hedgehog 2 ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Space Harrier ($3.99)
- Sega Ages Thunder Force AC ($3.99)
- Sega Ages Virtua Racing ($5.99)
- Sega Ages Wonder Boy: Monster Land ($3.99)
- Sega Genesis Classics ($14.99)
- Shantae and the Pirate's Curse ($9.99)
- Shining Resonance Refrain ($11.99)
- Shinsekai Into the Depths ($14.99)
- Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove ($19.99)
- Sid Meier's Civilization VI ($29.99)
- Slay the Spire ($14.99)
- Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl — Gold ($29.99)
- SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy ($29.99)
- SolSeraph ($4.49)
- Sonic Forces ($9.99)
- Sonic Mania ($9.99)
- Spyro Reignited Trilogy ($20.00)
- Star Wars Episode I: Racer ($7.49)
- Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy ($9.99)
- Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast ($4.99)
- Stories Untold ($4.99)
- Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection ($14.99)
- Super Mario Party ($39.99)
- Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD ($19.99)
- Superhot ($14.99)
- Superliminal ($13.99)
- Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido ($24.99)
- Team Sonic Racing ($19.99)
- Terraria ($14.99)
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ($29.99)
- The Jackbox Party Pack 7 ($23.99)
- The Last Campfire ($10.49)
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III ($41.99)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening ($39.99)
- The Long Dark ($23.44)
- The Outer Worlds ($29.99)
- The Red Strings Club ($7.49)
- The Swords of Ditto: Mormo's Curse ($7.49)
- The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition ($7.49)
- The Wonderful 101: Remastered ($27.19)
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore ($39.99)
- Transistor ($3.99)
- Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes ($14.99)
- Two Point Hospital ($19.99)
- Valkyria Chronicles 4 ($17.99)
- What the Golf? ($13.99)
- Witcheye ($2.49)
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus ($29.99)
- WWE 2K Battlegrounds ($23.99)
- WWE 2K18 ($19.79)
- XCOM 2 Collection ($19.99)
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 ($39.99)
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country ($26.79)
- Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana ($23.99)
That's the big overview, anyway – there are well over a thousand deals on the eShop. If you're feeling overwhelmed and want to browse with more granularity, I'd suggest Deku Deals as another resource.
Should I buy Hades again on Switch? Maybe. It would be nice to have it ready to go when PC cross-saves are supported. Should you get Curse of the Moon 2? I think so. I really do. It came and went.
Nintendo's Black Friday sale is basically a chance to catch up (except we never, ever will).
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beats competition to take this week's UK Charts
After weeks, even months of stagnation, the UK Charts have finally been shaken up with debuting hardware PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Now available on UK shores, the new consoles and their respective releases have been battling it out in the Top Ten, with Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War coming out on top, at least for this week.
The '80s-set first-person shooter usurped Ubisoft's Viking adventure Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which drops to number four having spent only one week in the premier position. Sony's open-world pseudo-sequel Spider-Man: Miles Morales holds firm at number three, while Electronic Arts' endlessly selling FIFA 21 climbs back up the charts to roost at number two.
In regards to new releases, Epic Games phenomenon Fortnite returned to the Top Ten, thanks to a physical release of the DC Comics-themed bundle The Last Laugh. Nintendo's Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity only made a modest impact in regards to physical sales, debuting at number six. For some reason, given all the great titles on offer this week Ubisoft's Watch Dogs: Legion managed to climb back up the Top Ten, and sits at number seven.
With the UK mired in lockdown for the foreseeable future, retailers will no doubt be hoping that online sales will bring the lucrative Christmas cash rolling in. Given the proven ongoing trend in digital sales, this holiday season may prove to be the physical gaming industry's last hurrah.
People are still making Wario DIY chiptune covers and this Zelda: Age of Calamity one slaps
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity does a good job of making a name for itself.
Sure it's a prequel to Breath of the Wild, but it's also a new game filled with new references and characters. While the original Hyrule Warriors was mostly a celebration of the Zelda series, Age of Calamity is a celebration of Breath of the Wild. In that way, it has the propensity to be more polarizing, especially when you account for all of the Omega Force-ness of it all.
That sense of originality extends to its soundtrack, which has a few new bangers for Zelda fans. That includes the "main theme," also known as "Champions Unite." And now, that also includes this fan rendition of the song, which takes place entirely within the WarioWare D.I.Y. framework.
No, I never forgot about that classic! Released in 2010 in the west, this series was still riding high, and keeping the Nintendo DS going for a bit longer until the 3DS would begin to usurp it a year later. Regardless, there are so many DSes out there that the spirit of WarioWare is going strong. Just listen to the original and the cover below!
Squishy Pixelz [YouTube via Nintendo Life]
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War leak shows off neon Nuketown
Fans of the Call of Duty sub-series Black Ops will be more than familiar with the multiplayer map that is Nuketown. Since its initial appearance in the founding Black Ops title, this small, space-age locale has been the site of many a fast-paced, past-dying brawl for all in each iteration of the Black Ops universe.
While it's no surprise that Nuketown will be soon returning once again for the recently launched Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, what is surprising is not only have some players already cheesed their way into this digital slice of old-school Americana, but they have also already uncovered an Easter Egg within it. The world moves fast.
As discovered by player "PimpOutMyPC" - who claims they accidentally found their way into the unreleased map via a glitch in a custom game - shooting the heads off of all the creepy mannequins located around new Nuketown drops the environment into a cool, neon, new-wave vibe, complete with sexy synth soundtrack. PimpOutMyPC captured footage of the Drive-style world in action, which you can check out in the tweet below. It's pretty dang funky.
(Update) It looks like Heroes of the Storm is hosting the infamous Hogger
[Update: It's Hogger! On the day of the new World of Warcraft expansion launch, we now have a new Warcraft character entering the Nexus soon. You can find his spotlight video below, as well as his patch notes here.]
Although the new hero cadence has quieted down a bit, the developers of Heroes of the Storm are still delivering a few times a year. It looks like we're about to get our second one of 2020 soon enough, following Mei's June release.
Who is it? Well, World of Warcraft fans will instantly recognize the name Hogger, who is currently being heavily teased. The elite Gnoll was a staple of Alliance human leveling, as one of the first major elite enemies in the Elwynn Forest. Hogger has risen to fame over the past decade or so, becoming the butt of many community jokes and crossover requests. So it makes sense that he would be on "the list" of upcoming characters.
So, we're pretty sure it's Hogger. The first tease involved an ominous dead Murloc and what seemed to be the memorable pauldron of Hogger on the ground: Murlocs inhabit the region that Hogger is located in WoW. The second tease makes it much more clear. Hogger's axe is embedded in a wanted poster, which is a direct reference to his quest in-game.
So unless something goes horribly wrong and these teases are off the wall red herrings, Hogger will enter the Nexus hopefully in the next few weeks or so, following a PTR (public test realm) period. He seems like a shoo-in for a tank or assassin role.
Heroes of the Storm [Twitter]
Former Dragon Age boss forms new studio, Yellow Brick Games
Mike Laidlaw is a name you probably see pop up from time to time.
That's because he was lead designer on Dragon Age: Origins and oversaw the entire Dragon Age series; and he also had a hand in several BioWare classics like Jade Empire. But in 2017, Laidlaw departed BioWare several years before their name would become more sullied by Anthem and right after the tumultuous launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda. He left at a good time, but now we finally know what he's been up to. Enter Yellow Brick Games.
Announced today with a site that lays down what it's all about, Laidlaw is joining up with several other key developers from studios such as Ubisoft, with a mission to "deliver innovative and emergent gameplay crafted by a small, highly skilled team." Seemingly out of the AAA game, Laidlaw's studio "believes very strongly in creating digital playgrounds. The more interactivity and freedom a game can give to a player, the more immersive and compelling it can be, so long as there are clear rules that guide those interactions."
Laidlaw serves as one of the four founders of the studio, along with Frederic St-Laurent B, Jeff Skalski, and Thomas Giroux: they're based in Quebec City and are currently hiring. Like many former AAA studios, this is another one to put on your list of "wait and sees." So many developers are becoming fed up with the way conglomerates like EA and Activision are doing business, so hopefully this expanded creative freedom will lead to good things for everyone.
About Us [Yellow Brick Games]
It's a shame that VR didn't catch on: it really is.
Although I perfectly understand that it doesn't demo well, and the buy-in, especially early on, was ludicrous; we've reached a point where the PSVR and the Oculus Quest have allowed a great deal of accessibility to the once-restrictive platform.
I've been fortunate enough to have tested every major device since the release of the original consumer version of the Oculus Rift, and so many games have redefined the medium it's hard to even keep track at this point. The recently released Until You Fall is one of those projects.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp can net you 180 Platinum Points a week for little effort
Nintendo's mobile support has been rather disappointing so far. After Super Mario Run didn't seemingly hit insane internal metrics, their mobile partners turned to gacha and microtransactions. Oh, and subscription services on top of microtransactions and gacha. A few of their games are out of hand with energy systems upon energy systems.
But if you just want Platinum Points for some of the new physical rewards, there's an easy way around all that muck. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for instance can grant you nearly 200 platinum per week for almost no effort.
Here's how.
All-women's GDQ event Fleet Fatales event raises over $80,000 for charity
The Fleet Fatales extravaganza has finally wrapped. As the curtain falls on a week of daily game-busting escapades, the Games Done Quick team announced that an amazing total of $81,101 USD was accrued over the course of the seven-day, all-women's speedrunning event.
Fleet Fatales, which made its debuted in 2019, is an event which has grown out of the Frame Fatales community, supporting women speedrunners from across the globe. Over the past seven days, the socially-distanced marathon saw players smashing through great titles including Hades, Resident Evil 2, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, and Cadence of Hyrule, alongside entries in legendary franchises such as Tomb Raider, Mega Man, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
All of the proceeds raised will be donated directly to The Malala Fund, a non-profit organization that fights to ensure women and girls across the globe are afforded access to safe, free, and high-quality education, regardless of status, background, nationality or economy.
The Frame Fatales team will return in 2021 for its next event, Flame Fatales. In the meantime, you can learn more about the community and how to get involved over on the official Frame Fatales Twitter. Congrats to everyone involved - from the runners to the production team and the generous donators - in making the week's events a success.
Capcom says Monster Hunter Stories 1 isn't coming to Switch, just the sequel
Back in 2017, Capcom took a gamble on the Monster Hunter series with Monster Hunter Stories: a more casual oriented spinoff for the 3DS. I thought that sub-franchise would die there along with Nintendo's forgotten son of a portable, but Capcom proved me wrong this year.
Just recently, the publisher unveiled Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, a new Switch game that would bring the series into a new era. It truly is a new era too, as Capcom isn't very keen on revisiting the past. In other words, there are no plans to bring the original Stories to the Switch.
Speaking to Gamereactor, producer Ryozo Tsujimoto stated emphatically that "There are no plans at the moment to bring the original Monster Hunter Stories to the Nintendo Switch." Seems cut and dried! Capcom is giving this subfranchise a new lease on life, as well as a new beginning.
That motif is backed by another statement from Tsujimoto, who noted: "if anyone is worried that they need to catch up on the story because it's directly related or that they won't understand to enjoy the new game, I can put that fear to rest because there's a brand new protagonist and a new storyline." He follows that up by saying "While its set in the same world, the game has absolutely been designed so that players can jump straight into Monster Hunter Stories 2."
In that case, the whole "2" nomenclature might get confusing for some people, who will assume that they need to play the original for context. The good news is that even if you do go that route, 3DSes are dirt cheap and plentiful at this point, and the game goes for around $30 used. Gathering up all the amiibo won't be so easy though! You can also find it on mobile devices for $19.99.
There are no current plans to bring Monster Hunter Stories to the Switch [Gamereactor]
The World Ends with You is finally, FINALLY, getting a sequel
When Ice Cube rapped about having a good day, he must have been looking into the future to today, November 23, 2020. Because this was the day Square Enix, after years of teasing fans, finally confirmed the DS classic The World Ends with You would be getting a sequel. Not a port or a remix, but an honest-to-God sequel with new characters, new gameplay, and everything. And hot damn, does it look good!
NEO: The World Ends with You sends players back into the Reaper's Game as Rindo, who teams up with faces new and old to survive the game and defeat Shiba, the new Game Master. The biggest difference from the first game to this one is everything is now in 3D, and yet, still incredibly stylish. Pins still play a role in the reimagined action combat, and it looks like we're finally going to get some answers about Tsugumi Matsunae.
The maniacs went and got Doom running on a Game & Watch
As all y'all must be aware by now, tech-heads in the video game industry are on a dogged mission to get id Software's iconic shooter Doom running on as many different platforms as possible. We've already seen Doom in action on Commodore 64, a calculator, and even a home pregnancy test, but the violent FPS title is now up-and-running on Nintendo's earliest handheld hardware, Game & Watch.
Upon getting their hands on a Game & Watch re-release unit, modder Stacksmashing immediately set to work on adding the rudimentary console to the long-list of platforms that can run the 1993 DOS classic. Of course, the Game & Watch edition of Doom is somewhat more rudimentary than its contemporaries - stripped of textures and sound - but this latest port is "playable" in the very least.
The video below features a brief clip of Game & Watch Doom in action, followed by a detailed breakdown of the work required in porting the title to such a basic piece of gaming hardware. It's a fascinating watch, showcasing the ingenuity of the homebrew scene. Stacksmashing's plans do not end with Doom, however, suggesting that they will continue looking into new homebrew projects for the Game & Watch. Be sure to subscribe to their channel to see what comes next.
Today Doom, tomorrow... I don't know... Demon's Souls!
Your PS4 Spider-Man save can now be transferred to PS5 Spider-Man Remastered
Over the weekend, Insomniac Games dropped a new update on its recently released PS5 adventure Spider-Man Remastered. While the patch brings numerous tweaks and bug fixes to the web-slinger's world, more importantly it now offers players the ability to transfer their save files from Spider-Man PS4 to the next-gen remaster.
In order for the PS5 edition of Spider-Man to recognize your save file, however, you must go into Spider-Man PS4 and export it first, otherwise your data cannot be accessed by the new edition of the game. Once the export is complete, you can boot Spider-Man Remastered and import your data from the main menu. Get me Spider-Man.
Insomniac has also noted that it is hard at work on fixing the weird "Rest Mode" bug in Spider-Man Remastered. The irritating issue currently plaguing the PS5 version of the game causes the console to crash if it is allowed to enter rest mode whilst playing the acclaimed adventure.
Spider-Man Remastered is available now on PS5 as part of the Miles Morales release.
(Update) Right on cue, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity just got a physical My Nintendo reward
[Update: Nintendo is also teasing a new "Age of Calamity acrylic panel art" piece (which you can view below) that's 5x7 inches, with a thickness of 1/8 inch.
It has not hit the My Nintendo marketplace yet, but if we had to guess, it would clock in at 800-1000 Platinum Points. Currently, the most expensive reward is the Tom Nook keychain for 1000 points.]
Just recently I noticed the trend of Nintendo releasing a first-party games, then dropping physical My Nintendo rewards for them on us after launch. It happened with belated drops for Animal Crossing, Paper Mario and Xenoblade Definitive Edition: with more timely arrivals for Mario Kart Live and Pikmin 3. So it would have made sense for Nintendo to deliver at least one Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity reward. They did.
It is just one reward, but it's sweet: for 600 Platinum Points, you can grab a memo pad themed after Age of Calamity. I mean, technically it has the Age of Calamity name on it, but really, it's an extension of Breath of the Wild merch with stylized drawings of Urbosa, Revali, Mipha, Daruk, Zelda, Link, and Hyrule Castle (which are done in the style of the flashback sequences in both games). The memo pad measures in at 8.5"x5.5, and it's 50 pages. I already got one to put with the rest of my Zelda collection.
As a reminder, if you need help scrounging up some quick points, look to our Pikmin website promo guide (100 easy points), make sure you sign into the Wii U or 3DS eShop this week, or check out Super Mario Run for a hot second. 600 is in the middle of the road for physical rewards this year, so make sure you really want it before dropping all those points on it.
As a general rule, it's smart to have around 600-800 points to use on something you really want, in case it sells out quickly. A few items have been restocked, but thus far, the most expensive item (a 1000 point Tom Nook keychain) is still sold out.
Hyrule Warriors Memo Pad [My Nintendo]
The World Ends with You anime premieres April 2021, but countdown clock ticks on
Square Enix has officially announced that the anime adaptation of trendy JRPG The World ends With You will premiere in April 2021. The anime series - a direct retelling of the 2007 video game - is a joint production of Domerica and Shin-Ei Animation.
Square has also released an exciting new trailer, spotlighting TWEWY's cast of eclectic characters, along with the dimension-hopping action that will feature in this adaptation of the beloved Nintendo DS/Switch adventure. The video is set to the anime's dynamic title track "Teenage City Riot," as performed by Japanese artists ALI. Also released was a new promotional image, emblazoned with the edgy overseers known as "Reapers."
It should be noted, however, that this trailer/date was not the prize at the end of the mysterious countdown clock over on the official Square Enix website, with fans eagerly anticipating its ultimate revelation.
Ladies and gents, it is my honor to bring you this one: Prodeus. The game has just released into early access on Steam, but already feels so amazing. If you were a part of the kickstarter, then you're probably gushing like me. This game is fucking it. It's better than Dusk, Ion Maiden, any of 'em. Yeah, I fucking said that. But I'm not here to shit on those games. Prodeus is just that damn solid. Originally made by two cool guys: Mike Voeller and Jason Mojica, who used to work together at Raven Software (they've added a couple more folks since), the game has that special something. You'll know it once you're halfway through the first level. Alright, it's time for me to stop fan-boying out, and get these copies to you folks. Let's check the blurb first, so you have actual info on the game and not just my rambling:
Will IOI's Project 007 allow us to create our own custom Bond?
I've always been a big fan of the exploits of the world's "most famous secret agent" - James Bond. I have many fond childhood memories of eagerly devouring MGM's pantheon of movies, being captivated by the vehicles, locations, gadgets, music, and utterly ridiculous villains that have featured throughout the iconic movie franchise.
Of course, as the years have passed and my critical eye has blossomed, I've come more to terms with the fact that Bond movies generally should be viewed within the "Bond Filter." That is to say, many of these films do not hold up alongside other spy movies, or just other movies. Truth be told, only a few of 007 adventures are truly excellent films, (From Russia with Love), while some are downright appalling, (Diamonds are Forever). But regardless, they're (mostly) all dear to my heart. I'm in a long-time love affair with the world of 007...
...Oh, but I don't like James Bond Jr. You gotta draw the line somewhere.
And so, understandably, I was left both shaken and stirred when a new 007 game was suddenly announced out of nowhere. What's more, in one of the most perfect marriages in video game history, it was revealed the new title will be developed by Danish studio IO Interactive, whose example of stealth gameplay, opulent locales, and nerve-jangling suspense has reached near-perfection in the excellent Hitman franchise. In the wake of awful releases such as 2012's 007 Legends, and 2010's not-so-bad 007: Blood Stone, it feels as though IOI could be poised to deliver the best Bond gaming experience fans have received in decades... perhaps ever?
As this announcement is merely days old, IOI is yet to divulge the details of Project 007. All we know is that it will be an origin story - and a completely original one at that, thus eschewing the events of Ian Fleming's novel, Casino Royale. According to IOI, Project 007 will see the player "earn (their) 007 status in a wholly original story," with no details as to whether the game will star a recognizable Bond actor, or feature an original avatar that captures the style and essence of the charming and debonair state-sponsored murderer.
This got me thinking, (always a risky assignment), how would IOI create an original James Bond that players would feel instant affinity for? Which led me to a notion: What if we were allowed to create 007 ourselves? A 007 in any image we choose? Provided that the character occupies an environment that is recognizable to the Bond universe - all laser watches, casinos, and clandestine plans of world domination - then why not allow for a 007 of our own making to exist within it? Think Mass Effect's Commander Shepherd, but with less Turians and more Shirley Bassey.
While certain behavioral traits, physical abilities, and personality quirks would have to remain for authenticity's sake, Project 007 could potentially offer players the chance to experiment with Bond, making them whatever gender, age, sexuality, or ethnicity they desire. While many harumphing cinemagoers unfortunately remain staunchly opposed to seeing Bond portrayed by anyone other than a middle-aged white dude, Project 007 - with its original story and seemingly zero ties to the cinematic franchise - offers a chance to explore far beyond this militant mindset of what James Bond "should" be.
Now, it should be made clear that often when new games are announced, fans immediately get their fantasy booking on, often putting pressure on developers and risking a false narrative of what an upcoming release both is and isn't. My intention isn't to browbeat IOI that it MUST make Project 007's protagonist customizable, but only to suggest that this would be an ideal opportunity to do so. With Daniel Craig exiting the role after 2021's No Time to Die, and a new actor yet to be cast, the door is open for Project 007 to experiment with the Bond universe as it chooses. The timing is perfect.
Personally, I'd leap at the opportunity to play a new Bond adventure as a female 007. Provided we get the recognizable series tropes - espionage, cool fashions, exotic locations, a hello from Felix Leiter, maybe a little megalomania - I'm not remotely precious about playing Bond in the exact same physical guise we have seen him in, time and again, since the 1960s.
Given IOI's pedigree, Project 007 seems tipped for greatness. Self-developed and self-published, the studio remains mostly free of outside interference - save for Bond producers EON who will hopefully trust IOI's instincts and leave the developer alone. Given the exciting new venture's "blank slate," Project 007 provides the perfect opportunity to take Bond out of his (or her) comfort zone, offering fans the possibility of taking 007 beyond any world that they've seen before.
Why not take a chance? After all, you only live twice.
Review: Overcooked: All You Can Eat
Overcooked: All You Can Eat probably won't be anyone's first, second, third, or even fourth pick-up on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, but if you get around to it – when you have enough controllers on-hand – you're in for a fun, funny, maddening time. This is the best-feeling and most convenient way to play Overcooked 1 and Overcooked 2 along with their respective DLC packs and free level updates.
All told, there's a couple hundred levels to tackle, seven of which are new to Overcooked: All You Can Eat. They're a welcome challenge even for experienced players, but they won't last too long.
It's worth stressing that upfront. Games aren't getting any cheaper this gen, and even though I adore Overcooked – it's possibly my favorite co-op series... ever – All You Can Eat won't speak to everyone.
I've played a lot of insane action games in my time.
No, not "whoa that backflip into a shotgun blast was wild!" kind of insane. Like, "how was this even made?" insane. Godfall doesn't quite fit under that latter umbrella as there's a clear vision here, but I can heartily say that the amount of people I can recommend it to is a niche at best.
I also really enjoyed my time with it when it wasn't actively fighting me.
Review: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
I still can't believe that Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released over three years ago. Insanity!
It feels like it's always been here, because to many, it's a source of evergreen enjoyment. Recently I've talked about how my wife decided to play through Breath of the Wild for the first time: which we've been doing on separate Switches next to each other. Naturally, I'm discovering tons of new things for the first time. That's just what Breath of the Wild does. It's built that way.
Now, we're getting a prequel that's going to be divisive for multiple reasons: it messes with the timeline and the narrative, and it's a Warriors/Musou game, which creates an even further divide on its own. Going in with an open mind (to both story changes and Warriors shenanigans), I came away impressed.
Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now are two great ways to try before you buy
With game prices going up in the new generation of consoles, it makes more sense than ever before to check out the various gaming subscription services available. Both Sony and Microsoft have their own, and no matter which one you choose, you're bound to find some games you'll love.
That's one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Charlotte, Dan, and Occams come together to talk game subscriptions, Microsoft studio acquisitions, Streets of Rage 4, renting movies on demand, and the Xbox Series S. All that, plus fast food isn't worth going to jail for, on Podtoid Episode 467.
Cblogs of 11/14 to 11/29/2020: Destiny 2, Illusion of Gaia, and holding off on next-gen
Cblogs Recap: Week 47
-Julc3 shares his first impressions of the PlayStation 5.
-Gamingnerd focuses on a number of forgotten PS3 exclusives.
-Black Red Gaming sees similarities between Trackmania and the sport of Rock Climbing.
-Humantofu looks at the post-Activision Destiny 2 DLC Expansions.
-Shoggoth2588 is in the runoff stage in his Decade in Review blogging series.
-Gamingnerd thinks you should wait on buying a next-generation console for now.
-Reiley1sCool writes about the dilemma of ethical consumption and buying games you like.
-Black Red Gaming does a number of mini-reviews of some indie games.
-ChronoLynxx opens last week's TGIF open-forum blog for community discussions.
Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Time and again, media has utilized problematic real-life events and figures to carry its entertainment. Whether for comedic or dramatic purposes, movies, comics, books, and video games have taken recognizable personalities and world events and replicated them to offer a slice of "relatable" authenticity to their pulp fiction.
Hollywood has made a billion-dollar business out of setting fictional narratives against the backdrop of real-world atrocities, while satirical shows from Saturday Night Live to Animaniacs have lampooned political figures on every side of history's global conflicts. Ultimately, truth and fiction will forever collide in the name of entertainment, it is up to us to remain focused on the former, once the dust has settled.
Presented for your consideration: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which raised eyebrows with its much-hyped inclusion of the staunchly conservative 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. Those of an age will remember the utter terror of the 1980's Cold War era, where daily obliteration felt a mere button push away. With world leaders such as Reagan, Thatcher, and Brezhnev in power, it was easy for the people – particularly minorities and the working class – to feel that life was dangling by a thread, utter destruction at the hands of both the right-wing media and aggressive, warring world leaders.
As such, it is understandable that some audiences might find distaste at Reagan's inclusion in Cold War, as his party of war criminals gets its hands dirty in the name of freedom. But ultimately, Reagan's (fleeting) appearance is no more damaging to us than any knuckle-headed movie about political furor. Black Ops Cold War – for all of its real-life news footage and chin-stroking pontification – might as well be set in fucking Narnia, such is its loose grip on history. Reagan here is a mere NPC, and is about as reverential as the Spitting Image puppet in Genesis' Land of Confusion video.
As you chase down an escaping jet-liner with a radio-control car, pick your way unhindered through KGB headquarters, or fire a bow-and-arrow while zip-lining over a mountain pass, it seems fruitless to feel offense at Cold War's illusory take on the Reagan years. Now approaching its 20th year, Call of Duty is so utterly absorbed by its narrative that it's essentially become its own fictional universe.
In a franchise that once had JFK fighting Nazi zombies, the shadow of an uncanny-valley Reagan and his gross, outdated sensibilities are powerless to hurt our modern, enlightened eyes. We know what's right and what's wrong, and the digital ghost of '80s conservatism isn't to be feared when we have enough of our own problems today. Besides, given the increasing ridiculousness of CoD's universe, they might as well have just used The Hamburglar, and the fit would have been equally as snug.
Take to the streets in obscure brawler Zero Team, now on PS4 and Switch
If you fancy stepping outside for a little old-school ultraviolence, then perhaps this week's Arcade Archives release will be right up your back-alley. Hamster's latest coin-op classic, now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, is Seibu Kaihatsu's obscure brawler Zero Team.
Released back in 1993, amidst a slew of scrolling beat 'em ups, Zero Team has one-to-four players don the personalities of a squad of superhero-type crime fighters, including a duo of ninja-warriors, a firearm-obsessed old boy, and a gal who showed up without any pants. While Zero Team features typical face-mashing mayhem, it has a surprisingly deep combo system, neatly-designed stages, an unashamed love of procured weaponry, setting it apart from your average Final Fight knock-offs.
Check out the destructive action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Martinoz.
Go grab 100 easy My Nintendo Platinum Points with the new Zelda missions
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is out on Switch, and it just got a day one patch. It's time to play it. Or, you can play the game away from the game. Nintendo has been promoting Age of Calamity through My Nintendo, adding a new physical reward to its repertoire.
But if you need the fake scratch to actually pick it up, there's a very easy new set of missions that offer up 100 total Platinum Points that was just added this weekend.
Watch CAPTAIN MARVEL (well, Brie Larson) play Nintendo Switch in new TV ad
There's a moment in Marvel's Avengers: Endgame where we visit the all-new Asgard, relocated to a small fishing village in Norway. There we discover that not only has Thor become your mate’s impression of The Dude, but more disturbingly, Fortnite has survived the apocalypse. Is there no escape?
Regardless, it seems that Thor - along with his running buddies Korg and Miek - are not the only members of the MCU that enjoy a spot of "Where We Dropping, Boys?". As this new commercial from Nintendo demonstrates, Captain Marvel herself, Brie Larson, can be found cosied up with her Switch, killing time between feeding Goose, head-butting Thanos, and punching out Jude Law.
It's hard for me to imagine a better introduction to the PS5 than Demon's Souls – or a more unlikely one. As I said in my review-in-progress, Bluepoint's remake of a once-cult classic feels like a gift.
Tracing back the history of Demon's Souls and thinking about the way From Software has snowballed over the past decade, it's wild to think that a firing-on-all-cylinders remake from Bluepoint was greenlit and given the resources it needed to succeed as an early defining game for a new PlayStation console.
There are plenty of other worthy things calling my name – Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro's Playroom, Bugsnax, and a few PS4 games I either want to revisit (like Sekiro) or start for the first time (like Days Gone) now that they're better on PS5 – but every one of them will have to wait. At most, I'll only dabble.
I'm calling it now: for the rest of the year, I'm going to be obsessed with Demon's Souls. That seems like a safe bet. Once is never enough with this series, and the only reason I'm pumping the breaks on my New Game+ run is so that I can get this review written before I tumble further down the rabbit hole.
Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?
Duck and cover, folks. The new generation is now officially underway. While some territories had to hold off for an extra week, both Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X hardware are now officially out in the wild, ready to rock, ready to roll, ready to break. I hope that those of you who bagged a pre-order have received your shiny new boxes, and I hope you're spending more time with yours than I have with mine:
I've just been really busy... and plagued with sinus headaches. But this morning is the morning I'll finally bust it out, umping straight into brand new games like Rainbow Six Siege, Mortal Kombat 11, and Streets of Rage 4... Look, it was a good idea I purchased this, alright? No, I don't care that it's actually too big to fit in my entertainment unit...
While I pull out a calculator and try desperately to work out my budget for the coming months, I'd like you to dive into the comments and sharing your own recent gaming experiences. Whether you're all over new-gen gaming or not is irrelevant. It's all gaming and it's all good. So whatever you've been playing, we'd love to hear about it.
Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.
Contest: Win Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and a Zelda prize pack, courtesy of fun.com
In today's contest you can win a Switch copy of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and a Zelda prize pack from fun.com!
If you're going to sell licensed merchandise, board games, puzzles, and a whole assortment of nerdy trinkets, I think fun.com is a pretty apt name for your company. It's all about fun!
I keep making friends left and right, and my buddies over at fun.com wanted to spread some of their namesake onto you guys: They gave us a copy of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and a whole mess of Zelda themed merch to give away! They're really living up to their name on this one.
Pikmin 3's final boss is top-tier Nintendo game design
[There's no other Nintendo series quite like Pikmin, and this blog from Sam van der Meer illustrates that point well with an admittedly very late-game example plucked from Pikmin 3. It's our hope that Pikmin 3 Deluxe – a seven-year-later Switch remaster of the Wii U original – can help rekindle the elusive-as-ever Pikmin 4. Other underappreciated Nintendo series were able to reach wild new heights on Switch, and Pikmin should be next in line. It's finally time, Miyamoto. -Jordan]
Pikmin is very near and very dear to me. It was, basically, the first video game I remember getting, saddled with my Christmas Day GameCube (whose delivery was in itself a theatrical, magical, holly jolly charade pulled by my parents and our former tenants in the house). It's a real dollop of molasses-grade nostalgia for me, and venturing forth into Pikmin 3 Deluxe, I was maybe slightly concerned that my memories of the series were what sustained its lofty prestige in my mind. I'd played about two-thirds, three-quarters of Pikmin 3 back on Wii U, but never beat the thing, and outside of my very recent Hey! Pikmin tribunal, I hadn't played the series since.
Pikmin 3 is a masterpiece. The ways in which Nintendo prompts the player to multitask, controlling three Koppaite explorers with a particularly-relatable obsession and passion for fruit, are incredibly interesting and thoughtful, and absolutely satisfying; directing one troupe of pikmin to build a bridge and sending another to move in the direction of a sweet treat while you focus on battling some Garden of Earthly Delights-lookin' monstrosity is an exercise in time management prompted by Pikmin 3's ever-ticking clock.
Their PS5s were stolen but at least they got cat food
Big bummer for some folks in the UK; great news for felines and Charlie Day who uses the stuff as a sleeping aid. Some people have found their PlayStation 5 order to contain cat food rather than a new console.
The Guardian reports that there are stories going around the UK of Amazon customers getting heavy non-PS5 items inside their expected PS5 shipments. Stuff like bags of rice, George Foreman grills, and cat food is showing up. No one's too stoked about it.
At last, Katamari Damacy Reroll is playable on PS4 and Xbox One
Katamari Damacy is one of those games I don't mind buying over and over again. In other words, it's a classic. If you're of a similar mind – or you're simply in the mood to play something very different – then consider nabbing Katamari Damacy Reroll now that it's out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for $30.
If you already bought Reroll on Steam or Nintendo Switch, watch this trailer anyway – it's a fun surprise.
The quirky action-rolling collectathon is a one-of-a-kind gem, it absolutely holds up in 2020 in gameplay and tone, and while I'm not convinced Reroll is bringing publisher Bandai Namco any closer to greenlighting a sequel (or heck, even more remasters), its ongoing success certainly couldn't hurt.
At the very least, a touched-up version of the original Katamari Damacy is playable on all of the current platforms, and that's a beautiful thing; I wish the same could be said of more games that defined the early 2000s. I'm also pleased to see that creator Keita Takahashi is cooking up something at his studio.
The Last of Us TV show is all systems go at HBO
A terrible outbreak has ravaged the United States, and that also happens in The Last of Us. Despite the ongoing pandemic, Naughty Dog's magnum opus presses onward in TV form.
Back in March, news broke that the Last of Us movie had been adapted into a television script and picked up by HBO. It was literal days before the COVID-19 outbreak shut everything down, and that could've easily derailed this whole project. It persisted.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that HBO is moving forward with The Last of Us, going from an in-development phase to active production and planning to air it. The cadence of TV and movie production can be frustratingly slow, but this step seems to indicate that the project will almost certainly happen.
The show will be written by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, and The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann is attached as a co-writer and executive producer. No casting has been announced yet. Given that it'll tell the events of the original game (and possibly elaborate on some details and lore), nailing the casting seems absolutely paramount.
'The Last of Us' Series Gets HBO Green Light [The Hollywood Reporter]
Bungie is offering a jacket if you beat the new Destiny 2 raid by December 1
Another expansion, another Destiny 2 raid.
Although I've bowed out of the excitement a bit of new Destiny raids these past few weeks for multiple reasons, Bungie is still doing their "world first" streamer-focused events; the next of which kicks off at 10AM PT on Saturday. At that time, the first major raid (Deep Stone Crypt) of the Beyond Light era opens up.
We'll find out who wins whenever the first raid is completed on Twitter, with a congratulatory post scheduled for Monday. For Destiny 2, this has taken anywhere from less than an hour to 19-ish hours after their launch. As usual, the first fireteam of six to complete it will get a world first wrestling belt title, while anyone who finishes it with Contest Mode on by 10AM PT on November 22 will get a unique "first-ish" emblem.
The real prize (and by that I mean real-life item) is a "Bungie Deep Stone Crypt Raid Jacket," which you'll be able to buy if you clear it by 9AM PT on December 1: a much more reasonable deadline for folks who have work or family obligations over the weekend. Just know that for the jacket you also need to claim your reward code by 9AM PT on December 31, then buy it by the end of that day.
Good luck! Even if I was raid-ready I probably wouldn't be going for a quick clear on a weekend.
This Week at Bungie [Bungie.net]
GabeN goes SpaceX, sends a gnome to space because he can
Gabe Newell and I have lived very different COVID-19 quarantines. I've been chained to my desk blogging about games for the 105th consecutive month. Newell went to New Zealand because it seemed nice, became so enamored that he lobbied the government to let him move Valve there, and then got bored enough to blast a gnome into space.
The gnome, colloquially known to you and me and Gnome Chompski, got there safe and sound. Partnered with Rocket Labs, Valve's favorite lawn ornament hitched a ride to space as part of the "Return to Sender" mission. Oh, and by "safe and sound," I mean he's definitely dead (or will be soon). The rocket is designed to reenter the atmosphere and burn completely. No passengers will survive.
For anyone simply wondering "Why?" there are two good answers. First, it's the real-life reenactment of a legendary Half-Life 2: Episode 2 achievement where players unlocked "Little Rocket Man" by arduously carrying Gnome Chompski all the way through the episode before finally placing him in a rocket. It's, to put it mildly, a giant pain in the ass. Gnome Chompski also makes cameos in Half-Life: Alyx and Left 4 Dead 2. Valve likes him a lot.
(Actually, Half-Life 2: Episode 2 got a new Steam achievement as part of the Rocket Labs launch. It's called "Gnome Alone" and the description reads "If you are reading this achievement, Gabe Newell has successfully launched Gnome Chompski into space. If you did not also receive the achievement 'Manufacturing Ascent.' Newell has abandoned his plans to shoot Noam Chomsky into space." The achievement art is pretty ace.)
The second answer affects people still on this planet. Newell pledged to donate $1 to the Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand for every person who watches the launch. Right now, that tally sits around 225,000. If you want to help the kids and watch a gnome go all Sally Ride, click that video up top. Hell, refresh it a few times. Gabe's good for it.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity got a day-one patch to fix some bugs
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is out, and I'm pretty excited.
I mean, I already finished it, and then some! I'm just jazzed to hear from everyone else with the spoiler shield removed, and how they feel about some of the story choices. But before then, there's some housekeeping with a small day-one patch.
No, it doesn't overhaul the framerate (it's not the Warriors way!): rather, it shores up some game-breaking glitches, while adding Spanish audio. According to the patch notes, there were multiple scenarios that involved not being able to "proceed further," when certain conditions were met. One of them was with the use of two-player mode, and two others had triggers of changing characters and "defeating an enemy with a certain procedure."
Well then! Good thing those were cleared up before someone had to halt their progress and wait on a future patch. That patch just came!
As a reminder, Nintendo just put out a physical My Nintendo reward for Age of Calamity that's basically a Breath of the Wild tchotchke.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Updated [Japanese Nintendo]
PlayStation Store's Black Friday sale has cross-gen PS5 games and lots of great PS4 deals
The PlayStation Store Black Friday sale began today, and while the best discounts (and frankly the best games period) are still on PlayStation 4, there are cross-gen PS5 deals. Not many, but some.
On the PS5 front, there's Watch Dogs: Legion ($40.19), No Man's Sky ($29.99), Maneater ($25.99), Borderlands 3 ($19.79), WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship ($24.99), Madden NFL 21 ($34.79), and FIFA 21 ($35.99). In the case of Madden and FIFA, you'd be buying the PS4 editions (which are playable on PS5 with backward compatibility) ahead of the "PS5 version" upgrade releasing on December 4.
As for PS4 Black Friday deals, I kind of don't know where to start – tons of good picks.
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim ($41.99)
- Amnesia: Rebirth ($22.49)
- Control: Ultimate Edition ($19.99)
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time ($38.99)
- Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled ($13.99)
- Cuphead ($14.99)
- Destroy All Humans! ($27.99)
- Doom Eternal ($19.79)
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot ($23.99)
- Dreams ($19.99)
- Final Fantasy VII Remake ($39.59)
- Ghost of Tsushima ($40.19)
- Ghostrunner ($22.49)
- Hitman 2 ($11.99)
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes ($4.99)
- Nioh 2 ($24.79)
- Resident Evil 2 ($15.99)
- Resident Evil 3 ($19.79)
- Risk of Rain 2 ($14.99)
- Spyro Reignited Trilogy ($13.99)
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order ($23.99)
- Star Wars: Squadrons ($23.99)
- Streets of Rage 4 ($17.49)
- The Last of Us Part II ($29.99)
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 ($29.99)
We know that some of these games – like Nioh 2 and Control: Ultimate Edition – are getting PS5 upgrades in 2021. I hope that even more of them take that extra step. Either way, I can tell I'm going to spend a lot of time over the holiday break with PS4 games on my PlayStation 5. The PlayStation Plus Collection has already gotten me to dive into the Crash Bandicoot series for the first time. (It's... tough.)
A few other odds and ends: one-year subscriptions to PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now are $44.99 (25 percent off); the European sale is listed here; and the Black Friday sale lasts until November 30.
This is our first Black Friday using the new PlayStation Store web layout, and I'm not thrilled about it.
Here's all the info you need to play World of Warcraft's new Shadowlands expansion
World of Warcraft's next expansion is coming on Monday. For some people, this is basically how they're going to be spending a lot of their free time in the next two years. For the rest of you, you can probably roll your eyes right now or get semi-excited at the prospect of jumping into a new expansion, then leaving.
For everyone who is playing, Blizzard just put out a new "survival guide" for Shadowlands, and it's actually pretty informative. Clocking in at just under five minutes, the clip serves as a quick rundown of what to expect from the expansion. The big draw is the quick recap of the "Covenants": a mechanic that you'll encounter at max level that lets you pledge to certain in-game lore organizations.
These grant abilities, access to specific locations, and the soul binding system: which is basically a revamp of the same expansion-specific "skill tree" thing we've seen for a while. It also briefly hits on the adventure challenge dungeon angle: which seems a much more expanded island expedition system from Battle for Azeroth that got old fast.
Expect our review in progress a little after the expansion hits!
GTA Online gets a new Heist in December, and you can solo it if you're good enough
Almost a year to the day since its last Heist, GTA Online embarks on its newest foray into large-scale larceny. On December 12, 2019, we got to rob The Diamond Casino & Resort. On December 15, 2020, we keep our eyes trained on the resort angle but ignore the Ocean's 11 stuff.
GTA Online's next Heist is called "The Cayo Perico Heist." It takes place on the private island of a drug kingpin, and you're headed to his home to soak up the sun. Also, to make off with all of his "art, gold, and drug money." It's rare that people come back from vacation with more money than they started with. Then again, most people don't end up with bullet wounds after vacation. Dicey tradeoff.
What's new to this mission is that you don't necessarily need a crew to pull it off. Rockstar says this is the first Heist that's designed for players to solo it if they want. Of course, you can also approach it as a squad of four like the other Heists.
Rockstar vaguely outlined some aspects of the Cayo Perico Heist by listing these features: New vehicles and weapons, new social spaces to dance and party in, new guest DJs, over 100 new songs, and a "very large, very versatile, and very heavily armed submarine HQ."
It all goes down on December 15. How quietly or how bang-bangy it goes down is up to you.
The Cayo Perico Heist: Coming December 15 to GTA Online [Rockstar]
Sakura Revolution introduces the Flower Division's femmes
Sega has released another new trailer showing off the mech-riding gals preparing to kick names and take ass in upcoming mobile title Sakura Kakumei: Hanasaku Otome-tachi - or Sakura Revolution.
This typically off-the-wall preview shines stage lights on the squad members that make up Sakura Revolution's Flower Divisions - talented artists, warriors, and scientists who like to take time out from their muses to battle inter-dimensional demons. A common lifestyle that we can all relate to.
With the help from the trailer's teeny-tiny English translations, the eight women of the Flower Division are identified as (in order of appearance) Moemi Washu, Sudachi Sana, Benishi Hijikata, Riho Oigawa, Uchika Tateyama, Tatsuji Takasaki, Mutsuha Mogami, and finally Mana Jujimachi. We also get a glimpse at each of the ladies' strange "Spiricle Dress" mech armor. I think my favorite is the piano-powered Tatsuji Takasaki. What say you?
Someone 3D-printed Rainbow Road track for Mario Kart Live and is sharing the files
I'm still enjoying Mario Kart Live here and there.
As I noted in my impressions piece; the amount of fun you'll get out of it really depends on how much space and time you have for it. You're probably going to need a lot of space for this project.
As a "celebration of the 35th anniversary of Mario," 3D-printing manufacture BCN3D managed to craft the entire Rainbow Road track from the original SNES Mario Kart. According to them, it took "two engineers and 10 employees" to make this "ambitious" build, which actually accommodates the Mario Kart Live car.
BCN3D says that the track is comprised of "more than 4400 3D-printed pieces," clocking in at 5x5 meters. They've made all of the STL files available here at this Thingiverse landing page.
It is ambitious! I love that the track length is wide enough to fully fit the toy racer, while preserving the "hazard" of falling off. The sky really is the limit with this game, as you could theoretically raise the platform and put a soft surface underneath: penalizing drops and forcing the real-life racers to put the car back on the track.
Darius Cozmic Revelation shows off retro shmup action ahead of winter launch
Taito has released a new trailer for its upcoming retro collection Darius Cozmic Revelation, which will launch in Japan on PS4 and Nintendo Switch in February 2021, with a western release schedule for the same window.
Darius Cozmic Revelation - a sequel of sorts to the previously released Darius Cozmic Collection - features updated editions of two later entries in the legendary shmup series. G-Darius HD is a remastered port of the original 1997 release G-Darius, which is renowned for successfully transitioning the franchise from 2D to 3D visuals.
Also included in the new double pack is 2010's Dariusburst EX: Another Chronicle +, a gorgeous and pulse-pounding entry developed by genre veterans Pyramid. The Darius Cozmic Revelation edition of this arcade and Sony PSP classic will also include some all-new features, details of which are to be expected in the coming weeks.
Demon's Souls remake and Sony developers share their favorite boss fights: What's yours?
Now that the Demon's Souls remake is finally out, ushering in the new era of console gaming as the preeminent "next-gen" exclusive (that isn't available on previous generations), we can talk about it! And Bluepoint and Sony themselves are very keen on doing that; promoting the game through a recent article on their favorite boss fights that's worth a read.
For me, my "favorite boss" kind of shifts over time.
Initially, when I first played Demon's Souls sight unseen pre-release, Storm King blew me away. The soundtrack, the arena: all of it took me by surprise as I wasn't expecting that level of grandeur. Once you know the secret it's not super impressive mechanically, but the shock and the audacity at having to take down that Godzilla-esque behemoth was amazing.
Similarly, the Maneater fight was hilarious! I remember the first time playing it and struggling against it, before the surprise came out. Tower Knight is also a classy choice, as it kind of epitomizes the uphill struggle of Demon's Souls very early once you've picked off the relatively easy first demon.
Old King Allant is always good for a reliable tussle and remains one of my favorites. Since I probably have to pick just one, I think I'll go with Old King after playing through the remake.
Free-to-play shooter CrossfireX has been delayed to 2021
Developer Smilegate has announced that its military shooter CrossfireX will no longer meet its intended 2020 release date. Citing roadblocks caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the free-to-play Xbox One title is now expected to launch sometime in 2021.
"After much deliberation, and in consideration of the challenges faced by the Smilegate development team due to COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to delay the release of CrossfireX to 2021," reads a statement on the official website. "Moving our release window will allow us to deliver the Crossfire experience on console our team set to create. We'll have more to share in the future."
Originally debuting during E3 2019, CrossfireX will see two private mercenary factions battle it out in well-worn multiplayer warfare. Siding with either private military unit Global Risk, or shadowy merc outfit Black List - both of whom sound shady as fuck - players will engage in what is described as "a variety of classic and innovative modes". Without trying to sound too negative, I don't know what CrossfireX can bring to a shooter market already swimming in releases, but hopefully we'll find out soon.
