October 2020

A few weeks back, Nintendo announced Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a Mario Kart game that makes use of AR technology to bring the exciting races right to your own living room. Just today, Nintendo released an overview trailer of the game, showing what we can expect from it, along with a dev interview video that dives further into the creation and development process.

You can check out the trailer down below:

And here’s the dev interview:

This year has been rough, but the novel coronavirus isn’t going away any time soon. In Japan, for example, next February’s in-person Japan Amusement Expo has been canceled.

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A very different kind of Mario Kart is set to launch in just two weeks. Today, Nintendo and developer Velan Studios has shown off a little more about what to expect.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit uses augmented-reality technology packed into tiny remote control cars. In a behind-the-scenes video, Velan Studios showed off an early prototype, from before Nintendo got to work refining the idea.

Mario Kart Live is the work of Velan Studios, the outfit set up by Vicarious Visions co-founders Guha and Karthik Bala after they departed their Activision-owned studio.

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A new charm will be available in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne through a collaboration with mobile game Monster Hunter Riders.

The post Monster Hunter World: Iceborne X Monster Hunter Riders Collaboration Rewards Players With a Kirin Charm appeared first on Siliconera.

Below is a list of ‘30 things wot you might find in Denmark’. Entries have been stripped of vowels and numbers and had any inter-word spaces repositioned*. For example, if The Little Mermaid was present it might appear as THLT TLMR MD. Hamlet would be HMLT.

*Hyphens are treated as spaces. Apostrophes are ignored. (more…)

A is for Alphabetised wargame and sim news.

Welcome to the cosy corner of RPS where the vehicular is valued, the historical is hallowed, and the paragraphs are shorter than 7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 37 L/24 barrels. While this flavour of Flare Path usually relies on the English alphabet for structure, in emergencies – in weeks when Life does its best to unscrew my monocle and turn my upper lip to jelly – I’m perfectly willing to use the dinky letter palette of the Rotokas people of Bougainville. (more…)

‘Tis the season to be spooky, and this year we’re getting the treat of a new Amnesia game. After wandering around the bottom of the sea in Soma, Frictional Games are returning to the first-person horror series which made their name, and have now given a wee look at Amnesia: Rebirth in action. Ahead of the game’s launch later this month, the trailer shows lots of familiar Amnesia things: dark corridors, a puzzle about mixing chemical ingredients, and being chased by a horrible monster which screams and froths and hisses like its lungs are hanging out its mouth. Good, lovely.

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Boost Drift is a powerful technique in Star Wars: Squadrons, one which gives your ship much greater mobility and will likely give you a real edge in combat. This quick Star Wars: Squadrons Boost Drift guide will walk you through exactly how to Boost Drift in any ship, and also when and why Boost Drifting is important.

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Star Wars: Squadrons has arrived! Are you excited? I’m excited. Are you terrible at the game right now? I was too when I first started. But no longer, thanks to these top Star Wars: Squadrons tips for beginners, which will walk you through everything you need to know about this high-skill-ceiling space combat sim, from power management to advanced movement techniques and much more.

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Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: The God of High School: Review • Video: Disney’s Secret Abandoned Airport In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 • TAY Retro: Nintendo Entertainment System - The Terminator *Unreleased Sunsoft game* [Promo Material (NA)]

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Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s daily hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today we’re going to revisit some of the chillest gaming beats around: David Wise’s music for Donkey Kong Country 2.

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13 years after its release, Team Fortress 2 has received a brand new update.

Four new community maps designed to celebrated Halloween - sorry, "Scream Fortress XII" - have been added to the game. These are: Megalo, Bloodwater, Hassle Castle and Moldergrove.

22 new community cosmetics have also been added, plus 19 new community effects and 15 new community war paints.

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I admire what Flick Solitaire is doing. It isn't doing anything radical like reinventing solitaire, because why would you? But it is trying to shine a light on some interesting people and things.

Flick Solitaire does this by using decks of cards created by different artists. There are pixelated decks, there's a cool comicky deck from Media Molecule artist Rex Crowle, and there's my favourite, an Ugly Medieval Cats deck, which I think is inspired.

More importantly, there's a brightly coloured Drag Deck, and this October, in honour of UK Black History Month, there will be a new deck each week created by a different black artist.

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Yesterday's news Minecraft characters will join Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. was an announcement more than five years in the making.

Talks to get Minecraft's Steve and Alex in Smash began "at least five" years ago, according to Mojang's former production designer Daniel Kaplan.

"Guess when these discussions started?" Kaplan, now at Goat Simulator developer Coffee Stain Studios, wrote on Twitter last night. "Any taker?"

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You’ve got a full month to perfect your outfit

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Another Konami game's on GOG. Silent Hill 4: The Room can be found on the storefront.

The post Silent Hill 4 Comes to GOG appeared first on Siliconera.

Yes, you can play with friends in Genshin Impact! Check out our guide to find out how.

The post How to Access Multiplayer in Genshin Impact appeared first on Siliconera.

Activision Blizzard esports CEO and Overwatch League commissioner Pete Vlastelica is stepping down after little over a year. ...

After an overwhelmingly popular launch of its newest graphics cards, which saw people and possibly bots snapping up everything available, Nvidia has made the decision to delay the launch of the last card for its 3000 series in order to avoid stocking issues.

Originally scheduled for October 15, the new launch date for the RTX 3070 is now October 29.

The 3070 is the "budget" model of this year's impressive 3000 graphics cards series. Despite being the weakest card of the three, the RTX 3070 - which will go on sale for $499 - boasts a better performance on paper than the RTX 2080 Ti that launched with a $999 price tag. It's a huge step up in regards to "bang for your buck" and Nvidia is expecting high sales numbers, so it listened to its fans and pushed the launch back to make more units available.

Speaking in a press statement, Nvidia said:

Production of GeForce RTX 3070 graphics cards are ramping quickly. We’ve heard from many of you that there should be more cards available on launch day. To help make that happen, we are updating the availability date to Thursday, October 29th.

We know this may be disappointing to those eager to purchase a GeForce RTX 3070 as soon as possible, however this shift will help our global partners get more graphics cards into the hands of gamers on launch day.

Konami's ultra-unnerving survival horror sequel Silent Hill 4: The Room is now available to purchase on PC from classic game retailer Good Old Games (GOG). You can pick up the nightmarish adventure, DRM-free, for $9.99 USD.

Originally released in 2004 for PC, PS2, and Xbox, Silent Hill 4 sees the body-horror action relocated from the titular town to the fictional locale of Ashfield. It is here that everyman Henry Townshend finds himself suddenly unable to leave his metaphysically labyrinthine apartment, locked down by a terrifying, unknown menace.

Eventually leaving his room, Townshend begins a truly disturbing journey through multiple alternate realities, encountering numerous characters who will offer our protagonist help or hindrance. But in the horrifying world of Silent Hill, what and who do you trust, especially when almost everything exists outside of the realms of both science and sanity?

Silent Hill 4: The Room is available now on PC via GOG.com.

Mario Kart Live is out very soon, and I know some people are still confused as to what it even is, so I'll break it down.

In short, it's an AR-based real-life toy that has a giant camera attached to it, which links up to your Nintendo Switch to simulate a digital racetrack. You'll scoot the actual toys around the floor of your house while you watch the screen: which divines all sorts of magic like imaginary question mark blocks and other CPU racers.

Effects like getting hit with an item will spin you out in real-life and the game, and you create the course yourself by placing "gates," and the app will take care of the rest. The kit is $100 per kart and at launch, you can bring Mario or Luigi onto the track for solo or multiplayer experiences. Assuming it all works, that's it. The video above explains it visually.

But beyond that basic rundown, Nintendo also had a few extra details to share with us today. First up Nintendo recommends you have an area of roughly 12' x 10' as a "recommended" play area, which can be restrictive for a lot of people. The "main" mode has also been revealed: a Grand Prix consisting of eight cups and 24 different races, which will feature themes such as "underwater, volcanic and retro."

As the above video points out, the speed classes include 50cc, 100cc, 150cc and 200cc, which directly impact the speed of your real kart. There's also a metagame to chase, in that coins you collect will grant you customization options and costumes for your digital kart.

The highly anticipated Baldur's Gate 3 is finally heading into early access very soon (October 6). Right now, developer Larian Studios is planning on releasing the game on Steam, Stadia and GOG, but there might be some light at the end of the tunnel thanks to information from a forum post today.

The post itself deals with cross-save and cross-play capabilities, which will henceforth be linked to a Larian account. Yes, another account. The post states: "It’s early days, but signing up now helps us stress-test the service as we roll out more features. It’s entirely optional (you don’t need an account to play Baldur’s Gate 3), but in the future it’ll be the account that links your adventures together. For example, your account will be how we facilitate cross-saves for Baldur’s Gate 3 across Steam, Stadia, and GOG, as well as potential future platforms if and when released."

There's two key takeaways here. If you're content with playing Baldur's Gate 3 solo (or with someone on the same platform) and on one device, you can ignore this account entirely: which is a step up from some major publishers. Also, the "potential future platforms if and when released" is very telling, as Larian seemingly is waiting to announce console editions in the near or far future.

Either way, this is something to be aware of going forward. No one likes to make new accounts on a weekly basis, but this seems like it's one of Larian's only options to facilitate cross-save, at least.

Introducing the new Larian Account ahead of Early [Larian Studios Forums] Thanks Jeff!

Today Larian Studios sent in a press release detailing Baldur’s Gate 3’s character creation including races and classes.

We get to see plenty of example of custom characters with lovely visuals enhanced by 3D scans of actors and models.

In early access there will be 150 heads to choose from across 16 races and subraces.

You can check them out below.

The press release includes a comment from Lead Character Artist Alena Dubrovina, who described the process of creating the faces.

“When the cinematic dialogues were introduced for BG3, we realized that we need to make a huge quality leap for the character art. We wanted to make characters look their best and put the bar very high. We had to be innovative to make such a large range of heads at the quality that we wanted.”

“We decided to use scanned faces in our production to create characters as realistic as possible. We scanned 40 people of different ages and ethnicity. While scouting for models we focused on features that would fit one of the fantasy races, we looked for faces that either had something unique about them or were very versatile to fit different characters.”

Remothered: Broken Porcelain is set to give players a scare later this month, and a newly released series synopsis trailer aims to make sure both newcomers and older fans are all caught up for the occasion.

Streamed through publisher Modus Games’ official YouTube channel on Oct. 2, the trailer gives a quick and dirty overview of the first game, detailing who its key players were and how they related to the overall plot.

Through an unknown figure’s narration, it is revealed how the first game’s protagonist, Rosemary Reed, discovered sinister happenings involving an old notary named Richard Felton and his personal nurse, Gloria Ashmann. While trying to uncover the whereabouts of Felton’s adopted daughter, Celeste, she discovers Felton has been driven insane by the use of Phenoxyl, an experimental drug meant to repress past traumas with dire side effects.

In his madness, he murdered his wife and took on a dual-personality. Not only that, but he was manipulated into doing so by Gloria Ashmann, who was the sole survivor of an experiment wherein a religious convent used to test the drug in the past. She survived the ordeal, and sought revenge for the pain inflicted upon her home and the cover-up that kept it a secret.

After learning the truth, Reed managed to put an end to Ashmann, who then revealed Celeste was alive and in hiding from her family. Where she is now, though, is unknown, leaving Reed to continue her search.

Today  Codemasters released a brand new gameplay trailer of its upcoming racing game Dirt 5.

This time around we go to China to see a point-to-point Rally Raid event through paddy fields and old villages.

You can check it out below.

Here’s how Codemasters describes the track.

“Rally Raid is just one of our point-to-point event types in DIRT 5, combining split routes, different terrains and incredible landscapes for some awe-inspiring races.

Here, you’re seeing a Rally Raid event in China, hurtling through paddy fields, iconic monuments and traditional villages to create an epic off-road route.

This Rally Raid event also shows off cars from DIRT 5’s Modern Rally class, including the Skoda Fabia R5 and the new Ford Fiesta R5 MKII! Trucks, buggies and many more vehicles can also participate in these events, with up to 12 vehicles on track.”

Dirt 5 will release on PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Stadia, with the old platforms getting it on November 6 and the Xbox Series ones on November 10 as a launch title.

Nintendo has released a new trailer for Pikmin 3 Deluxe that gives new players the rundown on what a Pikmin is and what to do when you first encounter these tiny, mysterious, and loveable (easy to kill) creatures.

Pikmin 3 isn’t a new game by any means, but this Deluxe version comes with a slew of new features such as having the ability to play the entire game in co-op, new missions, and quality-of-life changes like being able to play the game at a more relaxed pace.

There’s no doubt that tons of folks will be experiencing the joy of the Pikmin series for the first time thanks to this suped-up Switch port. So let’s go over what these little critters can do and how you can use them to your advantage in-game.

First thing you need to know is that Pikmin are your partners. They grow in the ground and you need to pull them out in order to add them to your ever-growing army. They can also pick up items, fix bridges, destroy walls, and just basically do anything for you.

Pikmin are also your bodyguards, but they can die very, very easily. Watching a Pikmin die is not fun but hey, you’ll get used to it.

And last but not least, there five differeent types of Pikmin. There are Red Pikmin, Blue Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, Rock Pikmin, and Winged Pikmin. Red can withstand heat, blue can swim, yellow isn’t phased by electricity, rock can easily destroy things when thrown, and winged can fly.

You can watch the “What are Pikmin?” trailer down below to see all of the tips for yourself:

Today PrimaryOrbit and Clouded Leopard Entertainment announced a simultaneous worldwide release date for Märchen Forest.

The charming dungeon crawler JRPG will come for PS4, Nintendo Switch, & PC (via Steam) on January 28, 2021.

It will cost $34.99 and a limited edition including a figurine of the protagonist Mylne will be available only in Japan and Asia.

The opening theme of the game will be performed by Mylne’s voice by Ayana Taketatsu.

Below you can check out screenshots, artwork, and the figure from the limited edition.

If you’re unfamiliar with the game, here’s an official description.

“Once upon a time, in a forest far, far away, there lived many mysterious beings…

This is the tale of a young girl’s adventure in that mystical forest she calls home.

Mylne, an apothecary, searches the Mysterious Forest for ingredients so that she can brew her potions. But things soon take a dramatic turn from simple errands—eventually, Mylne finds herself caught up in an unsolved mystery, requiring her to take on what lies in the Underground Ruins, deep beneath the forest.
This charming, dungeon crawler and fantasy RPG is an exciting adventure you won’t soon forget!

Mylne, the Heroine and Forest Apothecary

Today Production Exabilities and Clouded Leopard Entertainment announced a simultaneous worldwide release date for Wing of Darkness.

The game is also receiving a Nintendo Switch version on top of the previously-announced PS4 & PC (via Steam) versions, and it’ll come on February 25, 2021.

It’ll also get physical and limited edition versions, even if unfortunately those will be available only in Japan and Asia.

The game will be priced at $29.99.

Below you can check out the limited edition, a few screenshots, and the key art.

If you’re unfamiliar with this gorgeous narrative-driven 3D shooter, here’s an official description directly from the press release.

“Between high-octane action sequences and dramatic cutscenes, the Frauleins’ war unfolds…

This weekend is for rummaging around my closets to see if I have anything I can sell only so I can afford the PlayStation 5 I pre-ordered. It’s also for starfighting in starfighters.

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A week after Konami dropped a trio of classic Metal Gears games onto GOG, the Japanese publisher is back with another just in time for the spooky season: Silent Hill 4: The Room.

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New underground building spaces are coming to Fallout 76 sometime later this year, but the best and biggest will be gated behind its premium currency.

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Fall Guys' second season will land next week, on Thursday 8th October.

Developer Mediatonic announced the date this afternoon, along with word that season one will perhaps unsurprisingly conclude then, too.

Season two will have a medieval theme, add new rounds "inspired by the middle ages" and obstacles such as drawbridges, giant swinging axes and siege ramps.

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One of the internet's biggest sites for gaming mods has banned all submissions with political themes until after the US election.

NexusMods' ban covers all "mods relating to sociopolitical issues in the United States" and will last until "sometime after the next President of the United States has been inaugurated" - so not until the end of January 2021, at the earliest.

NexusMods' decision was announced today in a weary-sounding update from the site's staff. "To be blunt, we do not care how this looks," read the statement posted to the site.

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Aging survival horror Silent Hill 4: The Room has been re-released today on GOG, priced £7.19.

Originally released in 2004 for PC, PS2 and Xbox, Silent Hill 4 left behind the familiar town of the same name and spent a lot of its time elsewhere.

It was another mostly fun, creepy entry in the series, but one remembered more for ditching its original setting than anything else.

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There are moments in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time where you will come to a crossroads. Not the literal kind, of which there are actually many, the levels forking and pickling your brain on more than one occasion, but the spiritual. The kind that defines you, that reveals your exhausted, thousand-death weathered heart and shows you who you really are. Crash 4 is a game that forces you to look deep, deep down into your soul and ask yourself: just how bad do I want that one extra crate?

Crash 4 is hard, basically. Bastard hard. Toys For Bob, the former Skylanders studio that's since turned its hand to the recent Crash and Spyro trilogy remakes, and leads the way here, clearly sees that original trilogy's infamous difficulty as the template. Crash 4 is a direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Naughty Dog's last proper entry. All the Crash platformers since then - including another one directed by Mark Cerny! - seem to have been quietly redacted, as Activision goes big on the jortsy, VHS-fuzzed nostalgia of the mid-'90s PlayStation.

Whether or not you think outrageous difficulty, of the window-smashing, gripping-a-controller-until-its-plastic-audibly-creaks variety is what makes or breaks a Crash game will likely define your experience with Crash 4. Playing through it with artificial speed certainly exacerbates things, but there are moments where it moves from being challenging to simply awkward, the challenge derived from intentional clumsiness baked into one of the game's many new mechanics. At times the frustration can drown out everything the game offers, but it is only at times, and what it offers is really an awful lot.

Complete tasks to get a special Pokémon encounter

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Get ready to go medieval

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