Microsoft's Elite Series 2 controller has been divisive. To its fans, the Elite is responsive, powerful and premium, the ultimate first-party controller, but its detractors can point to its high price and quality control issues to paint a different picture. That makes Sony's approach, almost diametrically opposite that of its rival, so refreshing. Rather than making an £160/$180 controller that only its most wealthy players can justify purchasing, Sony has created the £26/$30 Back Button Attachment, a snap-on device that adds the single most important feature of premium controllers - programmable rear buttons - to any standard DualShock 4 controller at an affordable price. We've been testing it for the past week ahead of its launch on February 14th, and we think Sony's approach has considerable merit.

So the Sonic the Hedgehog film debuted this weekend, and you know what? I wasn't nearly as bad as the original Gangsta's Paradise-booming, monstrosity-laden trailer had us believe.

It was a coherent, cute (emphasis on the re-designed model) family film: which is pretty much all I expect out of something Sonic related. But naturally there might be even more money to be made (especially if it keeps performing close to these box office estimates), and there's a bit of sequel table-setting.

Read on if you have no interest in seeing Sonic but are the least-bit curious as to what series tie-in Sega and Paramount have up their sleeves.

Spoilers:

As a white person, I've watched more than 10,000 hours of HGTV. Whether I'm screaming at some spoiled college student on House Hunters International or rolling my eyes every time a designer recommends subway tile, the channel is my go-to whenever I want to shut my brain completely off and sink deep into my chair, sunken place-style, as I watch Lakefront Bargain Hunt. These are shows where I foolishly believe I can design it better, and soon I'll have the chance to prove just how incorrect that thought is when House Flipper comes to consoles.

Originally released in 2018, House Flipper is a first-person home renovation game where players are tasked with turning a stinker into a stunner. Going by the announcement trailer, it's unclear if the Garden Flipper or Apocalypse Flipper DLC packs will be included in this port. 

Unfortunately, Podtoid tapes early in the morning on Sunday (for me). So I can't make this post all about how happy I am Parasite made history last night because we just don't talk about it on the show. Instead, I'm focusing on what we do talk about on the show: Mortal Kombat 11. With the EVO 2020 line-up announced, the best-selling fighter will have to sit this year out. But could that be for the better?

That's just one of the topics CJ, Chris, Dan, and Charlotte talk about on this episode of Podtoid. In addition to the MK snub, the crew touches on Tales from the Borderlands, Code Shifter, and the shift in tone for Rainbow Six: Siege. All that, plus how not to give a fake name to cops, on Podtoid Episode 432.

Choice is everything in FTL: Faster Than Light, a game I've returned to recently and would now quite happily swear to never leave again. FTL is, above all, a game about deciding what to do. Where to travel, when to buy, what to shoot - even where your little crewmember stands, if you're lucky enough to have one spare. You can drill down to the most micro of micromanagements or the broadest, most profound of overarching concepts in FTL and it will always, always come back to it. Choice, choice, choice. But where its choices really stand out - and where FTL itself stands out, even all these years after release - is when it asks you to make those choices blind.

Happy Saturday, friends of Destructoid. I hope this week has found you and yours well and that you're all geared up for a neato weekend. Whether you have plans to party with pals, take a trip out of town, or just crash at home for a bit of the old R'n'R, I hope you have a good one. And for those of you who are working, well, here's hoping it's a smooth shift and that you have plans for a great evening when it comes finally time to clock out for the day.

As you're reading this, I should be milling around Montreal, Canada - some 3,200 miles from my humble homestead - in attendance at the highlight of the Rainbow Six Siege year: The Six Invitational. I'm not competing myself, (lord knows we have to make things fair for everyone else), but hopefully I'll be getting some time with some new content on the twitchy-shooter, and maybe even sharing some romantic poutine with Caveira - like that scene from Lady and the Tramp, but with added serrated blades and sociopathy.

So while I stumble round pretending I know what I'm doing, you should jot a note below and fill us all in on what games you've been playing this week. It's been another dry seven days in regards to releases, but this at least has made for some really varied responses from you, our beloved community members. Thanks for sharing each week, I really appreciate it.

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

The full silhouette for the character that will be revealed in February 2020 is here!

The post New Mythical Pokemon’s Full Silhouette Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft and Undead Labs’ open world survival game State of Decay 2 is receiving a free upgrade with new improvements and more content with the Juggernaut Edition.

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition will include a new open world map for players to explore called Providence Ridge, a rugged logging town, alongside “a new category of heavy melee weapons that reward player skill and timing,” according to the announcement post.

The new version of the game will feature graphical and audio improvements, an improved control scheme with dodge and stealth split into separate commands, mission and gameplay bug fixes, and a better “post-tutorial experience.”

The Juggernaut Edition also includes all three post-launch add-ons: Daybreak Pack, Independence Pack, and the story-based Heartland add-on.

The upgrade will be free for all existing players and Xbox Game Pass members when it launches on March 13, and Undead Labs said those who already own the add-ons or the Ultimate Edition will receive “exclusive in-game gifts” by logging into the game after the upgrade’s release.

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition will also be launching for Steam on the same date for $29.99, and will feature cross-network play with the Windows 10 and Xbox One versions.

Sonic the Hedgehog makes a big promise to include him in a sequel

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ICYMI: It was Fire Emblem: Three Houses week at Siliconera, and we threw a content party!

The post Siliconera’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses Week: ICYMI appeared first on Siliconera.

Like all other Aardman movies, Farmageddon is made with love

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Splatoon 2 has released Valentine's Day artwork which shows off Agent 3, Agent 8, and Cap'n Cuttlefish gifting you chocolate.

The post Splatoon 2 Shares a Valentine’s Day Message from the Deepsea Metro appeared first on Siliconera.

It’s that time of the month again, which means that the NPD released its sales charts about the U.S. gaming market related to December 2019.

Once more analyst Mat Piscatella delivers the analysis and charts for the month.

As usual, the Switch is at the top of hardware sales, while we finally have an upset in the software field.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot by Bandai Namco has finally managed to dethrone Call of Duty: Modern Warfare from the top of the charts, sending it down to the second place.

The latest Call of Duty dominated the top of the charts for three months straight. 

This is the third-best launch month performance for a Dragon Ball game, behind Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai all the way back in 2002.

That being said, Kakarot marks the first debut at the top of the chart since FighterZ was beaten by Monster Hunter: World.

Incidentally, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was at the top of both PS4 and Xbox One sales, while Super Smash Bros. Ultimate topped sales on Switch.

Below you can check out the relevant charts and the full video presentation.

Goodbye, old friend

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Emphasis on ‘try’

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A cast of thousands to support Road to the Show’s sports fantasy

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Since today is Valentine’s Day, it’s not surprising that waifu-driven games are celebrating and Azur Lane is no exception.

Today we get a fairly substantial video showcasing a beautiful 3D model of Sirius as she talks to the viewer and wishes us a happy Valentine’s Day. 

We also get several mentions of other shipgirls like Newcastle, Abukuma and the recent Royal Maid newcomer Dido.

Incidentally, this 3D model was created for Comiket, but today we get to take a much more extensive look.

You can watch the full video below.

If you’re unfamiliar with Azur Lane, it’s is a free-to-play mobile horizontal scrolling shooter/RPG hybrid currently available for iOS and Android.

If you’d like to learn more about it, you can read our recent interview with Yostar’s director of operations.

Developer Undead Labs has unveiled State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition, a thoroughly reworked and expanded version of its popular multiplayer zombie survival game that's heading to PC and Xbox One on Friday, 13th March.

State of Decay 2 didn't have the best of critical receptions when it launched in 2018, with Eurogamer contributor Edwin Evans-Thirwell calling it a "poor return on the scruffy promise of its predecessor". Even so, it drew the crowds, with Microsoft revealing a player base of around 5 million in last August, giving Undead Labs ample freedom to improve on its rocky launch.

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition is the developer's most significant expansion yet, and will be available as a free update to all existing owners on Xbox One and PC, including those accessing it through Xbox Game Pass.

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Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games has been releasing plenty of new content in the game’s alpha and showing even more in weekly videos.

This week we get to see plenty of interesting goodies, starting with director Chris Roberts sitting down with Todd Papy, Sean Tracy, and Tony Zurovec, as they discuss their plans for 2020.

We then get a video showcasing the team working on the vehicle experience, more assets created for the upcoming prison gameplay coming next month in alpha 3.9, geology and harvestable assets for planets, holograms, re-entry effects, the Cutlass Blue, the Carrack and even early work on the Hercules Starlifter. 

A third video focuses on concept design, showcasing the Starr Runner and the Carrack. 

You can check them all out below.

Sony Pictures, which is already in the process of adapting Monster Hunter and Uncharted for the big screen, has a new video game movie in the works based on developer Smilegate Entertainment's massively popular free-to-play FPS CrossFire.

Although CrossFire isn't exactly a household name in the west, it's absolutely huge in China and Southeast Asia, having amassed over 650 million registered players since its initial launch in 2007, making it one of the most played PC games in the world. It's primarily known for its Counter-Strike-like competitive multiplayer mode, in which two teams - representing mercenary corporations Black List and Global Risk - race to complete different objective-based scenarios.

A new instalment, CrossFireX, is scheduled to arrive on Xbox One later this year, and Smilegate has drafted in Alan Wake and Control studio Remedy to create its single-player story campaign, which should help raise the series' profile in the west.

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Learn about the history of the original collectible card game

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It’s always interesting to take a look at the past of popular game developers, and today we get a glimpse into the memories of Tekken Director and Chief Producer Katsuhiro Harada.

Today Harada-san took to Twitter to showcase a reupload of an extremely old Flash video made sixteen years ago in the popular MMORPG EverQuest. Yes, the original one.

You can check the tweet below and the full video embedded at the bottom of the post.

Harada-san also commented todayon the YouTube video himself with the nickname “mirage1999,” revealing that he was the druid Amie, leader of Guild Mirage.  

“I was the leader of Guild Mirage, the author of this original Flash Movie, and the owner of the Mirage web site (the player name at that time was Amie). Of course, I still own the original Flash data. At the time I was anonymous, but in fact, and still as Director / Chief Producer for series such as TEKKEN and SoulCalibur.

This time, the shoes are optional

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Sparkly!

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Following its “bachelorettes” trailer released earlier today, Xseed Games released another trailer of Rune Factory 4 Special, this time around focusing on the other side.

This time around, we get to see the handsome “bachelors” of the game to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Those include Arthur, Leon, Vishnal, Kiel, Dylas, and Doug.

You can check them out below and see if you find your ideal husbando among the bunch.

Rune Factory 4 Special will launch in the west in just a few days, on February 25, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

It’s the remaster of a 3DS game that originally hit the shelves in Japan in 2012 and then in the west between 2013 and 2014. It was still the time when releases in North America and Europe of niche Japanese games could be over one year apart.

If you’d like to see more, you can enjoy the opening cutscene and tons of gameplay. 

Pelican Town still looks great in 3D

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Today Xseed Games is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a brand new trailer of Rune Factory 4 Special.

The trailer focuses on the “bachelorettes” that you can meet in the upcoming game.

We get to see Forte, Margaret, Clorica, Amber, Dolce, and Xiao Pai.

You can check out the trailer below. 

Rune Factory 4 Special will release in the west in just a few days, on February 25, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

It’s the remaster of a 3DS game originally released in 2012. If you’d like to see more, you can enjoy the opening cutscene and tons of gameplay. 

We also already know that Rune Factory 5 is coming this year also for Nintendo Switch, but Marvelous has been tight-lipped about it.

We do know that save data from Rune Factory 4 Special will net you bonuses in the new game, but for now the well of information about the new game is most definitely on the dry side.

‘I went a bit mad,’ Warren Ellis says of writing the new season

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Developer Batterystaple Games has unveiled 30XX, the slightly more pixel-y follow-up to its tremendously entertaining Mega Man-inspired procedural rogue-like, 20XX.

20XX, if you're unfamiliar, released for Xbox One, PS4, and Switch in 2018 (some four years after its Steam Early Access debut), and it's a bit of a good 'un. In essence, it's a modern reimagining of Capcom's classic Mega Man X formula, melding traditional platforming and procedurally generated rogue-like, for some endlessly re-playable hijinks.

Although the term "procedurally generated rogue-like" might cause a few eyes to roll back, it actually works incredibly well; 20XX's optionally co-operative run-and-gun action is satisfyingly tight, its two heroes feel pretty distinct, there're some great bosses, a dizzying array of abilities to shake-up each run, and the procedural generation, while a tad uneven, uses enough pre-designed level chunks to keep things interesting.

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Prove your love by committing to a Crunchyroll subscription

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UPDATE 6.45pm: Niantic has now updated its ticket pricing for Liverpool's Pokémon Go Safari Zone event.

"Previous advertising for Pokémon Gp Safari Zone Liverpool tickets didn't include the service fee and VAT costs," a Niantic spokesperson told Eurogamer this evening. "We're updating all ticket listings today.

"The ticket pricing is now listed as: '£21.60 for Early Access and £14.40 for General Admission. A £3.60 service fee will be added to each order (up to 4 tickets per order). The City Explorer Pass add-on is £9.60. All prices are inclusive of VAT.'"

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The Pokemon Company has announced a brand-new collaboration with Funko to bring several Eevee figures into the Pokemon Center online store. The new series of nine figures celebrates Eevee and its multiple evolutions.

The first product in the collaboration is this adorable Eevee figure that you can see down below that features the Pokemon in a little field of grass. Starting on Feb. 18, you’ll be able to purchase it from the Pokemon Center for just $14.99.

Every month, until October 2020, there will be a new Eevee evolution figure available for purchase; you can see those release windows down below:

• Vaporeon (expected to launch in March 2020)
• Sylveon (expected to launch in April 2020)
• Glaceon (expected to launch in May 2020)
• Flareon (expected to launch in June 2020)
• Espeon (expected to launch in July 2020)
• Jolteon (expected to launch in August 2020)
• Leafeon (expected to launch in September 2020)
• Umbreon (expected to launch in October 2020)

Here are some more cute photos of the first Eevee Funko figure down below:

Today Muv-Luv creator Kouki Yoshimune hosted âge’s weekly livestream, and he detailed another image board of the upcoming Alternative sequel Muv-Luv: Integrate.

The image board is the one you see above (you can find a version that can be enlarged below), featuring a few well-known heroines from various Muv-Luv games. 

Turns out that my analysis of the same image from a few months ago was correct, but of course, Yoshimune-san provided a lot more details (reported by Famitsu). As usual, this shows just how much thought he puts into every little detail of his games.

Tutorial improvements, quality-of-life changes — and the game’s coming to Steam, too

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A $4 Nite Ize DoohicKey Key Keychain Multi-Tool, a Jachs Outerwear Clearance Sale, and a discounted Mpow 29-Inch Sound Bar are some of Friday’s top bargains across the whole dang internet.

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We've got copies of retro action-platformer Goblin Sword up for grabs in today's contest!

Huge AAA games are cool and everything, but my favorite part of this gig is getting some spotlight on indie titles that otherwise wouldn't get much coverage on the site. It makes me feel like I'm helping passionate people out, and gives the devs some extra exposure to boost their game. Also, you lot get free games -- everyone wins!

Today we've got Switch keys to give away for indie platformer Goblin Sword. It's got great retro-inspired visuals and gameplay, and I really think you're gonna dig it. So, what are you waiting for?!

Fire Emblem has had a long and hard journey since its release back in 1990. The series has had many ups and downs and was on the brink of extinction before Fire Emblem Awakening released back in 2012. Since then, Fire Emblem has been on a steady increase in terms of popularity, sales, and recognition. This has been ever so apparent with the success of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the newest installment of the franchise on the Nintendo Switch. If you haven’t experienced this wonderful series, right now is the perfect time to do so for many reasons.

This is the kind of wholesome Destiny content we’re looking for

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For as long as there have been video games, fans of the medium have been clamoring for a hot, horrible representation of their favorite characters on the big screen, and lovers of Sonic the Hedgehog are no different (Looking at you, Brian Shea).

After a complete design overhaul of the titular character, the Sonic movie is finally here, but is it any good? Join Andrew Reiner, Brian Shea, and me as we dissect the Blue Blur's film debut and discuss what the future holds for the future of Sega on the silver screen.

If you enjoyed this debate, be sure to check out our Spoiled discussion on Star Wars Episode IX, and how you can grab some official Sonic merchandise from the new movie.

Control developer Remedy Entertainment has confirmed that it currently has three games in the works, two of which it's discussed previously - including its own spin on the live service model - and a third which remains a tantalising mystery.

The news comes via Remedy's latest financial report, in which CEO Tero Virtala revealed that the majority of the studio's 31.6 million euros revenue in 2019 was, unsurprisingly, generated by its superb paranormal shooter Control, alongside additional contributions from Alan Wake.

Looking to the future, Virtala re-confirmed that one team at Remedy is currently focussed on creating the two previously announced paid expansions for Control, with both due to release some time this year, and that three other teams are also working on their own projects.

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