Earthworm Jim 2, Dig Dug II, and Mappy-Land Are the Next Nintendo Switch Online Classic Games

2 years ago

Nintendo has just added three more classic titles to the Nintendo Switch Online NES and SNES library of games, and this time, they’re all sequels. Earthworm Jim 2, Dig Dug II, and Mappy-Land are now available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to play.

Earthworm Jim 2, a platformer originally released for the SNES in 1995, is a sequel that takes place after the events of the first game. The evil Psy-Crow has kidnapped Princess What’s-Her-Name and Jim must rescue her once again.

In Dig Dug II, you must clear out enemies by inflating them until they burst or by digging up traps for them to fall into. This puzzle arcade game was originally released in 1985 on the NES.

Mappy-Land, an NES game from 1989 that is a sequel to the original game Mappy, allows you to play as an adorable mouse through four various stories. You must help the mouse, named Mappy, collect items and avoid enemies along the way.

Of course, you need to be a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber in order to play these classic NES and SNES games. The last two NES/SNES games added to the service arrived last month in February; earlier this month, a single N64 game was added to the library for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members.

If you’re unfamiliar with Earthworm Jim 2, Dig Dug II, or Mappy-Land, you can check out the Nintendo Switch Online March 2022 update trailer, which features gameplay from each of these three titles, below.

Author
Rebecca Stone

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Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters Reveals Return of Classic “Ultramarine Chant”

2 years ago

Frontier Foundry released a new trailer of its upcoming turn-based tactics game Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters.

In this trailer, we get the reveal of the remastered version of the classic “Ultramarine Chant” from the original game. Anyone who has played Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate has that music obsessively engraved into their mind, since it used to play over, and over, and over again.

You can check the trailer out below.

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters launches exclusively for PC on May 5.

Below you can read an official description and you can also check out our preview.

“Lead humanity’s greatest weapon, the Grey Knights, against the corrupting forces of Chaos in this brutal and fast-paced turn-based tactical RPG. Root out and put a stop to an insidious plot to infect the galaxy with the Bloom, an intergalactic cosmic plague capable of rotting worlds into oblivion.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Latest Trailer for Elden Ring Is All About Critical Acclaim

2 years ago

It has been more than a month since Elden Ring burst onto the scene and staked its claim as perhaps the greatest game of all time. There are still many who are enjoying the romp through The Lands Between, while others are still struggling to overcome the many dangers that await. With over 12 million copies sold, Bandai Namco and FromSoftware should be happy, which is probably why a new trailer has been released, showcasing all the praise from the critics alongside some epic and spoiler-filled scenes.

It is hard to argue with the snippets from the different press outlets, and the frame showing off all the perfect scores (including Twinfinite’s) would make anyone stand up and take notice if they have not already. The Elden Ring trailer also does a great job of highlighting the awesome boss fights and cool moves that players can pull off, albeit with the right builds and skills. Having that voiceover certainly helps too.

Here’s the trailer if you are not worried about certain spoilers:

A massive open world awaits players, giving you the freedom and flexibility to go almost anywhere and explore, discovering a world full of mysteries and dangers alike. Couple that with the excellent combat and the variety of ways you can use to approach enemies, and it has never been easier to get good.

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Jake Su

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The New PlayStation Plus Revealed: Is It Worth It? - Beyond 743

2 years ago

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Mark Medina to dig into the latest PlayStation news of the week. And of course, the biggest topic on our minds is the new PlayStation Plus subscription tiers, how Sony is altering PS Plus, and whether we have enough details yet to know if it's worth subscribing to the higher tiers.

The panel breaks down their initial reactions to the new PS Plus three-tiered system, how it integrates PlayStation Now, and where it stands as an offering for PlayStation fans. We dig into the pricing structure, the availability of older libraries, the lack of PS3 downloads and PlayStation Vita as a whole, and whether different tiers appeal to new PS5 players, longstanding PlayStation fans, or both. We of course touch on the biggest question - what the library will actually look like, and knowing that PlayStation won't release its first-party games day one on the service, we discuss what they could do to make the game libraries worth subscribing to. We also discuss whether a metaphorical sandwich can help explain the different PS Plus tiers. We also hear from the audience on some of your thoughts on the PlayStation Plus changes!

Then, we dig into some other news for the week, like April's PlayStation Plus games, the renewal of a trademark and tthe hopeful return of our one true PlayStation hero Knack, Gran Turismo 7's recent apology and economy changes, GTA+ if you wanted info on another subscription service, and a bit of Brian's Elden Ring Experience.

Author
Jonathon Dornbush

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7 Possible Berserk References In Elden Ring

2 years ago

FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki’s love for the late Kentaro Miura’s manga and anime series Berserk is the worst kept secret in the gaming industry. While he avoids explicitly discussing the connections between his games and Berserk, it’s clear that every Miyazaki-helmed project since 2009’s Demon’s Souls has…

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Ian Walker

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Microsoft reinstates direct Twitter sharing feature on Xbox consoles in latest Insider beta

2 years ago

Microsoft has reinstated the ability for Xbox users to share game screenshots and videos directly to Twitter in response to feedback it received after removing the feature from console dashboards in an Xbox Insider build earlier this month.

While the direct Twitter sharing feature never got the chop in the live build of the Xbox dashboard - meaning the impact of its removal was limited - there were certainly grumbles from Insider testers after they were forced to grapple with more cumbersome methods of image and video sharing, requiring them to first upload clips to their phones, following the changes made in Microsoft's previous Insider build.

Now, however, in response Insider feedback, direct Twitter sharing has returned in Microsoft's last Beta Ring build. "Thanks for your feedback on the Twitter share feature change we flighted in 2204," Xbox Insider program lead Brad Rosetti wrote in a tweet. "That change is being reverted to the previous behaviour from today in this new build".

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Matt Wales

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Microsoft reinstates direct Twitter sharing feature on Xbox consoles in latest Insider beta

2 years ago

Microsoft has reinstated the ability for Xbox users to share game screenshots and videos directly to Twitter in response to feedback it received after removing the feature from console dashboards in an Xbox Insider build earlier this month.

While the direct Twitter sharing feature never got the chop in the live build of the Xbox dashboard - meaning the impact of its removal was limited - there were certainly grumbles from Insider testers after they were forced to grapple with more cumbersome methods of image and video sharing, requiring them to first upload clips to their phones, following the changes made in Microsoft's previous Insider build.

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Matt Wales

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Mario Strikers: Battle League Is Up for Preorder

2 years ago

Mario Strikers: Battle League is set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on June 10. This is a souped-up soccer game that uses a very different set of rules than the more sim-ified versions of the sport. Full contact is encouraged, and Mario, Peach, and company can turn the ball into a fireball before leaping dozens of feet in the air for a special kick. The game is up for preorder from a number of retailers.

Preorder Mario Strikers: Battle League

As usual for first party Nintendo games (though there are a few exceptions!), only one edition is being released for Mario Strikers: Battle League. You can preorder it in physical or digital format from the above retailers.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Trailer

What is Mario Strikers: Battle League?

The Mushroom Kingdom is a fantastical place, so it only makes sense that their version of soccer would be a little different from ours. This is a full-contact sport, so you can use items like Bob-ombs and Koopa shells to get a leg up on the competition.

Author
Chris Reed

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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Release Date Announced, And It Was Always Right In Front Of Us

2 years ago

Click here to watch embedded media

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Crows Crows Crows
Developer: Crows Crows Crows
Release:

427 isn't just Stanley's employee identification number. The number cleverly is also the release date for Crows Crows Crows' The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe.

Author
John Carson

Microsoft Flight Simulator Freeware Boeing 737, Airbus A330, Cessna 310, & Coventry Airport Get Video & Screenshots; Concorde & More Released

2 years ago

Today third-party developers had plenty of news to share about add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

We start with Qbit, which released another video focusing on showcasing the progress done on its freeware Boeing 737-800 for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

This time around, we take a look at the flight deck, and more precisely the work done on the avionics.

If you want to follow the project’s progress, you can find Qbit at the dedicated Discord server.

Next, Aerosoft released new images of its progress on the Airbus A330, including a look at the landing gear bays and the EFB, which features SimBrief integration.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Dead Cells gets new money themed biome in its big free Break the Bank update

2 years ago

Dead Cells' already ridiculously generous bounty of stuff has expanded once more, this time courtesy of its free new Break the Bank update, which brings the likes of new money themed enemies, weapons, and a brand-new biome to PC and consoles today.

Break the Bank is all about the gold, and its centrepiece is an opulent depository for unimaginable riches known as The Bank. Mechanically, this is quite a bit different from other biomes so far added to developer Motion Twin's acclaimed rogue-like action-platformer, given that its entrance - a mysterious giant chest - will appear at random during a run.

Provided you've first completed its sole unlock criteria - reach the Hand of the King once - the chest can appear in any of Dead Cells' post-biome transition stages, and players will need to decide right then and there if they want to open it and delve into The Bank. If they decide yes, The Bank will replace the next biome along the path (it won't appear before a boss), but should they choose to forego its temptations, it won't reappear on the same run.

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Author
Matt Wales

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Dead Cells gets new money themed biome in its big free Break the Bank update

2 years ago

Dead Cells' already ridiculously generous bounty of stuff has expanded once more, this time courtesy of its free new Break the Bank update, which brings the likes of new money themed enemies, weapons, and a brand-new biome to PC and consoles today.

Break the Bank is all about the gold, and its centrepiece is an opulent depository for unimaginable riches known as The Bank. Mechanically, this is quite a bit different from other biomes so far added to developer Motion Twin's acclaimed rogue-like action-platformer, given that its entrance - a mysterious giant chest - will appear at random during a run.

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Author
Matt Wales

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Diablo 4 Boasts Five Explorable Regions With Over 150 Dungeons

2 years ago

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Release: TBA

Blizzard Entertainment released a Diablo IV Quarterly Update yesterday, and several devs chimed in on what the upcoming open-world RPG will offer players. Recently-appointed game director Joe Shely voiced that Diablo IV will be "an immersive world you can wander through and enjoy getting lost in." These words held even more weight when art director of environments Brian Fletcher and lead exterior environment artist Matt McDaid added that Sanctuary (the game world/mortal realm) boasts five explorable regions with over 150 dungeons. 

Author
Jason Guisao

Review: Arcade1up The Simpsons Arcade Machine Resurrects Two Konami Classics

2 years ago

arcade1up the simpsons arcade cabinet

Arcade1up has been around for a while now, making home arcade machines for those with the enthusiasm and floor space to give 'em a shot. In recent years, though, it seems like its reach has grown to allow it access to hard-to-license properties you can't play anywhere else. Among them? Konami's The Simpsons, a well-regarded 1991 beat-'em-up. The game made a brief appearance on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but otherwise? It hasn't been available for people to play. So die-hard fans? Yeah, they may be ready for something like this. We put the machine through its paces.

Assembling an Arcade1up cabinet is certainly an undertaking, but it’s not so bad. You generally need to set aside an evening for construction, but it’s doable for normal folk like us. Arcade1up sent over the bundle with riser and stool, and all of it comes together fairly simply. There are a few elements we'd love to see improved, but they're relatively minor. Like the plastic screen covering getting stuck in the screws! But for the most part, the company's worked out most of the kinks in the process.

Arcade1up has been iterating on its cabinet designs in some smart ways. For one? It dropped the “let’s put big logos on the front” thing in favor of decorative fake coin doors. That looks nicer in peoples’ houses! Good on ya, Arcade1up. It also feels like trial and error has led to more comfortable button spacing. When we played earlier machines, things felt a lot more cramped.

Author
Graham Russell

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Game Of Thrones Prequel Series House Of The Dragon Premieres In August

2 years ago

House of the Dragon, the prequel series to Game of Thrones centered on House Targaryen, premieres on August 21, HBO announced on Twitter today. 

The 10-episode series, which will only be streamed through HBO Max, is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when the Targaryens were still in power. However, House of the Dragon centers on the inner turmoil that led to their downfall, particularly a civil war known as the Dance of Dragons. The show draws partial inspiration from author George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book Fire & Blood.  

The cast includes Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Lady Alicent Hightower), Paddy Considine (King Viserys I Targaryen), and Emma D’Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen). Writer and producer Ryan J. Condal (Rampage, Colony) and George R.R. Martin serve as principal showrunners.

You can watch House of the Dragon’s first trailer, which premiered last October, here.


Are you excited to watch House of the Dragon? Let us know in the comments!

Author
Marcus Stewart

Genshin Impact Reveals New Characters Yelan & Kuki Shinobu

2 years ago

Genshin Impact developer HoYoverse released new art and details introducing two new characters.

Their names are Yelan and Kuki Shinobu, and they’re likely to be added to the game with the next version, following 2.6 that was released today.

You can check them out below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions Update Adds Hirado Route

2 years ago

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions Update Adds Hirado Route

A Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions update arrived and adds both a Hirado Middle School story chapter and Freestyle Match mode. But it isn’t the only new content coming to the game. There will also be more paid DLC, starting with the Episode: Rising Stars Part 1 on March 31, 2022. They are part of the Character Mission Pack, which will include 9 characters total.

The paid DLC will kick off the new pass with three new characters. Hikaru Matsuyama, Karl Heinz Schneider, and Taro Misaki will all be added. The announcement confirmed there will be IF stories for these new players. Each one will have missions with rewards. If it follows the pattern set by the previous pass and DLC, it will be $2.99 per character or the whole pass for $24.99.

As for the free Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions update’s Hirado MS route and Freestyle Mode, there are also videos going over both. With the Hirado storyline, people will follow Hiroshi Jito and Mitsuru Sano. As for Freestyle, it allows people to use items as they play to turn the tide in a match.

Here’s a trailer looking at the Hirado route and Matsuyama, Heinz Schneider, and Misaki.

Author
Jenni Lada

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Game of Thrones Prequel House of the Dragon to Premiere in August

2 years ago

You heard right, folks, the very first prequel to Game of Thrones, titled House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO on August 21. The last big news regarding this spin-off was in October of 2021 when the teaser trailer was released.

As you might be able to guess from the title, this spin-off will focus on the deadliest white-haired family, House Targaryen.

According to HBO, the show is:

Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, which is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen.

If you look up Fire & Blood itself, you get more of an idea of the craziness House of the Dragon might deliver. With the book described on George R. R. Martin’s website as:

Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why did it become so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What is the origin of Daenerys’s three dragon eggs? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel…

Author
Cameron Waldrop

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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Coming to PC and Consoles on April 27

2 years ago

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe will finally be coming to PC and consoles with a set release date of April 27, 2022, developer Crows Crows Crows announced today. The game was originally announced for 2019, but had been delayed several times throughout the years.

The new game is a remake and a re-imagining of the 2013 narrative adventure game The Stanley Parable. The Ultra Deluxe version will expand upon the world of the original game with new content, choices, and secrets. It will also be available for the first time on consoles, as the first game was only released for PC, Mac, and Linux.

“You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley,” according to the trailer’s description. “You will make a choice, and you will have your choices taken from you. The game will end, the game will never end. Contradiction follows contradiction, the rules of how games should work are broken, then broken again. You are not here to win. The Stanley Parable is a game that plays you.”

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe will be launching on April 27 for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Author
Tom Meyer

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Fire Emblem Heroes Legendary Nanna Announced

2 years ago

Fire Emblem Heroes Legendary Nanna Announced

Fire Emblem Heroes next Legendary unit will be Nanna from Genealogy of the Holy War and Thracia 776. This new version of the heroine will be a red sword-wielding cavalry unit. The banner will appear on April 1, 2022.

This marks the first time Nanna isn’t a healer in Fire Emblem Heroes. In both Genealogy of the Holy War and Thracia 776, she appears initially as a troubadour who can heal, and her standard and Scions of the Twelve alt both use staves. She wields the Lands Sword here, which increases her attack by three, gives her an attack and speed buff if her health is above 25%, stops foe’s follow-ups, prevents certain non-Special effects, and heals 7 HP after a fight.

In addition to Nanna, the following characters will also be focus units.

  • Ash: Retainer to Askr
  • Celica: Queen of Valentia
  • Chrom: Crowned Exalt
  • Lilina: Firelight Leader
  • Mila: Goddess of Love
  • Rennac: Rich “Merchant”
  • Seiros: Saint of Legend
  • Sigurd: Fated Holy Knight
  • Thrasir: Omnicidal Witch
  • Ullr: The Bowmaster
  • Wolf: Coyote’s Loyal

Here’s the trailer revealing Legendary Nanna and the other units on her banner.

Author
Jenni Lada

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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe finally gets a release date - and of course it's 427

2 years ago

Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe - the remake of the remake of everybody's favourite comedic rumination on video game agency - finally has a release date and will, after a number of not-insignificant delays, be heading to PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC on 27th April.

Stanley Parable's Ultra Deluxe edition was first announced back in 2018, with developers Galactic Cafe and Crows Crows Crows (the respective studios of original Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden and William Pugh, who co-designed the 2013 remake of the 2011 original) aiming to launch the following year. 2020 bought a second delay, and a hat-trick was achieved in 2021 - leaving many to ponder if the whole thing mightn't actually be some sort of mega-meta ruse and that the game didn't, and would never, exist.

Happy days are now here, however, with Galactic Cafe and Crows Crows Crows having finally given the Ultra Deluxe edition a 27th April release date - 4/27, of course, being the number on Stanley's near-iconic office door. And if that's not appropriately self-referential enough for you, the announcement is accompanied by a recreation of the Stanley Parable's 2013 trailer - only this time the player goes left.

Author
Matt Wales

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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe finally gets a release date - and of course it's 427

2 years ago

Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe - the remake of the remake of everybody's favourite comedic rumination on video game agency - finally has a release date and will, after a number of not-insignificant delays, be heading to PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC on 27th April.

Stanley Parable's Ultra Deluxe edition was first announced back in 2018, with developers Galactic Cafe and Crows Crows Crows (the respective studios of original Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden and William Pugh, who co-designed the 2013 remake of the 2011 original) aiming to launch the following year. 2020 bought a second delay, and a hat-trick was achieved in 2021 - leaving many to ponder if the whole thing mightn't actually be some sort of mega-meta ruse and that the game didn't, and would never, exist.

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Author
Matt Wales

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There Will Be No Power Instinct Re-Release on Its 30th Anniversary

2 years ago

Power Instinct 30th anniversary falls in 2023

Atlus' fighting game series Power Instinct will have its 30th anniversary in 2023. However, there will be no ports or re-releases during the timeframe. Keiko "Chuuko" Ijuu, the former representative director of Noise Factory and producer of the series, made the announcement on Twitter.

The first tweet revealed that Chuuko had sent petitions to the series' rights holder since November 2021. However, the holder rejected it because one of the series characters would have a high risk of triggering litigation related to political correctness.

After the first refusal, Chuuko suggested releasing the Power Instinct title by excluding the controversial character. The rights holder still refused the proposal, citing a change in trends of the era and the difficulty in re-releasing past games.

With game ports out of the question, Chuuko is now sending proposals for republications of non-game content, such as soundtrack and character background documents. She also expressed her intent to set up a one-person company to publish content related to Power Instinct.

Author
Kite Stenbuck

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A History of Every Nintendo Direct in the Switch Era and Beyond

2 years ago

Since 2011, Nintendo has cemented a new way to share information about upcoming games and projects to their audience outside of the usual summer events season promotions, the Nintendo Direct. Other companies followed suit - PlayStation State of Play, Inside Xbox, etc. - and for good reason. These shows, which range from a few minutes to nearly an hour, deliver exciting updates in a convenient way that forgoes the necessity to always hold in-person events that not everyone can attend, and they can happen at any time of year.

As Nintendo continues to use the Direct as its main way of detailing its biggest games, we thought it would be a great time to look back at the biggest moments from their long history.

We’ve chosen to focus on multi-game Nintendo Directs (no Nindie or Indie World Showcases as those have often been cyclically tied to events like GDC and PAX, no single-game or Pokemon Directs as those are also often cyclical, no Super Smash Bros. - Mr. Sakurai Presents, or the Super Nintendo World Direct) that have aired since the Nintendo Switch was released on March 3, 2017, and specifically we’re counting up the ones that occurred in North America. Don’t worry, we’ve also included some highlights of the years before as well.

As we wait for the next Nintendo Direct that will hopefully reveal more about the Breath of the Wild sequel that was just delayed to Spring 2023 and more potential surprises, let’s take a look at all the Directs that led us to where we are today.

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Dead Cells Break the Bank Update Now Live, Future DLC Planned

2 years ago

The 28th update for roguelike action game Dead Cells is out now for both PC and consoles, bringing a new biome and more to the 2018 game.

The free Break the Bank update adds another biome called the Bank, where players will be able to increase their wallets more than the other areas. This optional underground biome features three new enemies to help aid or hinder in that endeavor, such as the Gold Kamikaze bat that drops more money or the Agitated Pickpocket that will take your gold.

Players can receive three new weapons that focus on gold, such as the Dagger of Cupidity that gives critical hits after picking up gold and the Money Shooter that literally will shoot your gold at enemies. The free update adds three new mutations, two outfits, and quality of life updates all detailed in the latest patch notes.

Dead Cells studios Motion Twin and Evil Empire also revealed today that more DLC will be coming to the game “for the rest of 2022 and beyond.”

“This update marks the beginning of a new era for Dead Cells,” said Evil Empire CEO Steve Filby. “We have an array of content and ideas we are still creating on our side and it’s important to us to reassure fans who maybe thought after the last paid DLC that we were winding down on development. That is not the case, and we consider Update 28 still in the middle of the game’s lifecycle so there’s certainly more to come.”

Dead Cells is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.

Author
Tom Meyer

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The PS Plus lineup for April has leaked

2 years ago

UPDATE 30/3/22: Sony has now formally unveiled April's PlayStation Plus games line-up and, unsurprisingly given the veracity of previous PlayStation Plus leaks from French forum Dealabs, the official list remains unchanged.

That means, from 5th April, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download and play acclaimed card-battler Slay the Spire (PS4), Hood: Outlaws & Legends (PS4 & PS5), and SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated (PS4).

Sony has also warned PlayStation 5 owners that Persona 5 is being removed from its PlayStation Plus Collection on 11th May, meaning they should download it soon while the chance remains.

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Author
Ed Nightingale

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The PS Plus lineup for April has leaked

2 years ago

UPDATE 30/3/22: Sony has now formally unveiled April's PlayStation Plus games line-up and, unsurprisingly given the veracity of previous PlayStation Plus leaks from French forum Dealabs, the official list remains unchanged.

That means, from 5th April, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download and play acclaimed card-battler Slay the Spire (PS4), Hood: Outlaws & Legends (PS4 & PS5), and SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated (PS4).

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Author
Ed Nightingale

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Meta Quest Gaming Showcase Announced For April

2 years ago

The second annual Meta Quest Gaming Showcase will take place on April 20 and will give fans a glimpse at the future of VR.

The Meta Quest Gaming Showcase, which was previously known as the Oculus Gaming Showcase, will air on April 20 at 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm BST and will have "new game announcements, gameplay first-looks, updates on games coming in the next year, and a whole lot of surprises."

While no teases were given for what specific games fans can expect from the show, last year's show featured updates on Resident Evil 4 VR, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge, Pistol Whip, and Lone Echo 2.

We very well learn more about the Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed VR games that were announced last year, as well as the VR version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

The Meta Quest 2 is one of the leading VR platforms, but it will have some heavy competition in the near future as Sony is gearing up to launch PlayStation VR 2. No release date has been given for PSVR 2, but you can see how it compared to the original PSVR, Meta Quest 2, and Valve Index here.

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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The Story, and Enduring Legacy, of Resident Evil's Original Live-Action Opening

2 years ago

Greg Smith may look a little bit older now, but the resemblance is still uncanny. There’s the reddish hair, the bushy beard, and the stocky physique. All these years later, the Australian is still the spitting image of S.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) Alpha team member Barry Burton, a role he played almost thirty years ago for the original Resident Evil.

In 1995, Smith, along with five other foreigners living in Japan at the time took an acting gig for an upcoming game called, Biohazard. With development already underway, Capcom’s eventual horror classic already had character models and voice actors in place. But Biohazard’s director Shinji Mikami wanted to shoot some additional live-action scenes to bookend the experience and add to its sense of realism. This ask meant hiring a totally new set of actors who already resembled the characters and assembling a crew to shoot on location. The end result led to the now-iconic opening in which S.T.A.R.S Alpha Team arrives in the Arklay Mountains to investigate the whereabouts of the missing Bravo Team, as well as four different endings portraying the remaining survivors’ miraculous escape from the horrors of the Spencer Mansion. For Smith and the other actors, it was just another role; another way to make money while living in Japan. They couldn’t possibly have imagined what happened next.

Author
Jonathon Dornbush

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The Stanley Parable's expanded Ultra Deluxe edition finally arrives in April

2 years ago

Several years later than planned, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe finally has a release date: April 27th. It's an "expanded re-imagining" of the surprising and funny and first-person explorer about an office worker who ends up on a surreal adventure probing strange depths and crashing through the fourth wall. Now, his adventure will be even bigger. The devs claim that "the script for the new content is longer than the script for the original game."

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Author
Alice O'Connor

PlayStation Plus April 2022 Lineup Includes Slay the Spire

2 years ago

Sony announced the PlayStation Plus April 2022 lineup, and among the new games is the indie hit Slay the Spire.

Sony confirmed the PlayStation Plus April 2022 titles. This time, only three titles will appear. People will be able to pick up the PS4 games SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated and Slay the Spire. Hood: Outlaws & Legends will also appear for both PS4 and PS5 owners.

Sony confirmed the PlayStation Plus April 2022 titles. This time, only three titles will appear. People will be able to pick up the PS4 games SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated and Slay the Spire. Hood: Outlaws & Legends will also appear for both PS4 and PS5 owners.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends first appeared on the PS4 and PS5 in May 2021. It normally costs $19.99. In it, eight people are divided into two teams of four. They then attempt to steal treasure in various maps to ensure their thieves do the best.

Slay the Spire showed up in May 2019. Someone would normally need to pay $24.99 for a copy. In this roguelike, people build up a deck of actions to take part in battles as they head through a dungeon and face its foes.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated debuted on the PS4 in June 2020. Usually, people would need to pay $29.99 for it. It is the updated release of the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox platformer of the same name.

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Jenni Lada

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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Gets April Release Date

2 years ago

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe will come to Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One on April 27.

Described as a "significant expansion" to the 2013 original, Ultra Deluxe brings the cult classic to console for the first time, with the new content's script being longer than the original game.

The Stanley Parable is an experimental, narrative-driven first person game about choice, or lack thereof, and freedom. As described by developer Crows Crows Crows, "the rules of how games should work are broken" as "The Stanley Parable is a game that plays you".

Ultra Deluxe was revealed at The Game Awards in 2018 and was originally expected to launch in 2019, but following three separate delays across three years it's finally being released.

The scope of the game has grown considerably since the original was revealed, Crows Crows Crows said: "Early in development, the plan was just to bring The Stanley Parable to consoles with a few small tweaks, but as time went on we kept getting more and more excited about what else we could do with the game.

"Since The Stanley Parable was a game about surprises, we've tried to implement new content in ways that players won't be expecting."

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Ryan Dinsdale

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