News:: Pachter says Switch is 'easy to develop for'

Michael Pachter is a name you've probably heard a few times before, and he's well known in the industry for his repeated calls for Nintendo to go third party or otherwise second-guessing the company's business decisions. That's why it stood out to me to hear that he actually has some words of praise for Nintendo's upcoming Switch console. 

Pachter hosts a weekly show on YouTube called "Pachter Factor" where he answers letters from the audience, and the first question in this episode was about the ease of porting games to Nintendo's Switch. Pachter mentioned that since the PS4 and Xbox One use PC architecture, it's easier to port games from one system to another, but that Nintendo won't be using Windows or PS4's platform. He continued, saying he's "actually heard from developers that Nintendo is the easiest of the three to develop for. The issue's going to be processing power."

Pachter's been an industry analyst since 1982, so he's seen Nintendo at its highest highs and lowest lows. He's been very critical of the Wii U, but even he overestimated the lifetime sales numbers for the console. It's an odd job, making predictions, and you're bound to get a few wrong along with the ones you get right. 

 Nintendo seems to be eager to move to the new console, and there are rumors they're going so far as to recall Wii U units from store shelves. We've heard rumors that the Switch won't match up to the PS4 in terms of hardware, but over thirty major developers have expressed interest in developing for the Switch. Lack of third-party support can doom a console, so for Nintendo's sake, I hope Pachter's right about this one.

Pachter Factor [YouTube via NintendoEverything]
Apparently, all the Wii Us were recalled at my local Best Buy [NeoGAF] 

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News:: Dino VR adventure 'Robinson: The Journey' stomps to Oculus soon

Virtual reality is the best (and safest) way to get up close and personal with dinosaurs. And next month folks with Oculus Rift headsets can do just that thanks to Robinson: The Journey's PlayStation VR exclusivity going going extinct expiring.

Source: Crytek (PDF)

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News:: This Xen teaser for Black Mesa is a promising start

The last time we spoke about Black Mesa, the fan-made Half-Life remake, it had to do with Xen. This time, we're also talking about Xen. And next time, I'm willing to bet, we'll still be going on about Xen.

Today's news is a progress update on the not-fondly-remembered alien setting. Black Mesa is beloved for not just being a point-for-point recreation of Valve's iconic game, but instead for re-imagining the original spirit of Half-Life while also striving to rethink elements when the situation calls for it. Needless to say, it's going to be real interesting to see Xen through the lens of Crowbar Collective.

"Currently our specific focus is on gameplay: crafting a fun and cohesive experience from start to finish," reads a developer post. "We want our version of Xen to feel like it really belongs with the rest of the game in terms of mechanics, cohesion and progression. But we also want to push the boundaries and explore this unique and varied setting; to build an experience that feels both fresh and familiar to players from all walks of Half-Life veterancy. While our Xen is certainly going to be gorgeous, we are first and foremost really committed to making sure that the gameplay works on every level."

Read more...

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News:: Deck the halls and then watch team Rainbow knock them down

Ubisoft is jumping on the Christmas gaming event bandwagon by giving players the chance to earn some festive gear in Rainbow Six Siege. From the looks of it, this all involves using Uplay's built-in challenge system to fill in some progress bars and earn XP on your Uplay account. I bet you didn't know that was even a thing, did you? Turns out I'm level 31 on Uplay, so I'm doing okay so far.

None of the items up for grabs are guns or DLC (or anything really worthwhile), so there shouldn't be any claims of pay-to-win going on. I'm really curious what a "Tactical Santa" looks like, but I'm mostly wondering why a SWAT team would bother with outfitting itself for the holiday. I guess you have to take down terrorists in style, otherwise it just feels like work.

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News:: Nice! Crypt of the NecroDancer is getting a DLC prequel

Crypt of the NecroDancer is such a neat game. It's a fusion of rhythm (you need to time your movement to the beat of the music as best you can) and roguelike dungeon-crawling (you need foresight and strategy to hit enemies but not be hit back), and it is hard. But it's super good! Hearing that more content is on the way with a prequel expansion, Amplified, is decidedly pleasing.

This DLC will go through Steam Early Access first before its final release, which might raise some eyebrows, conceptually, but Brace Yourself Games' reasoning makes sense.

"Crypt of the NecroDancer is a MUCH better game because of all the great feedback we received from our community during Early Access, and we know that the same will be true of Early Access for Crypt of the NecroDancer: AMPLIFIED. Also, Early Access permits us to get the DLC into your hands more quickly, and we know that there are many of you who are anxious to start playing!"

And if you're opposed to Early Access or just want to wait until the DLC is complete with more characters, modes, items, cutscenes, and the final boss battles, the wait won't be that long. "We expect to be in Early Access for at least two months, though it could be longer if we still feel that we have valuable features to add." Amplified will also make it to other platforms afterwards.

Crypt of the NecroDancer: AMPLIFIED [Steam]

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News:: Utada Hikaru confirmed to be working on Kingdom Hearts III music

Japanese superstar Utada Hikaru wasn't a hit from the start. Her first album was entirely in English and tanked, but her second album which was in Japanese took off. She speaks and can sing in English fluently, but the only work she is known for in the west are theme songs for a couple of role-playing games: "Simple and Clean" for Kingdom Hearts and "Sanctuary" for Kingdom Hearts II.

Those two songs have been remixed and reused time and time again for the multitude of spin-offs and HD collections, including the yet-to-be-released Kingdom Hearts 2.8. For the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts III, we all expected she would perform the title theme, but now it is confirmed.

Mrs. Hikaru has begun working on music for Sora's finale, per her dad who also acts as her manager. Apparently he made a similar statement back in 2013 but then had to redact it for whatever reason.

Now let's all enjoy my favorite video of Utada Hikaru while we wait for Kingdom Hearts III.

Read more...

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News:: Oculus Rift scores Robinson: The Journey in January

There's some good news out of Crytek for a change. The studio's sci-fi adventure Robinson: The Journey, which debuted on PlayStation VR in November, is also headed to Oculus Rift in January 2017.

The basic premise is that you're a young boy stranded on a dinosaur-filled planet with an AI unit who acts as a guardian and parental figure, and you've also got this adorable baby T. rex as a pet. The spectacle is there in full force with VR, but the story (are there other survivors?) ends too soon.

To borrow a quote from my review of the PSVR version, "This is a game I was so ready to fall in love with, but it ultimately comes up short. After a couple of hours, I began to wonder, 'Is this it? Dinosaur planet sight-seeing?' Basically, yeah. And at its high price point, that's going to be a tough sell."

Even though I did get along well with Robinson and the Oculus Rift version will presumably be better, that opinion stands. If you can hold off until a more reasonable price pops up, that'd be my best advice.

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News:: Video game anniversaries of 2016

[2016 was a big year for video games across the boards. It's also the anniversary of MANY hit titles for some of your favorite series. NinjaSpped takes time to share some of these hit series with you - let the celebrations begin! ~ Stephen]

As 2016 nears its end, I wanted to look back at this incredible year of video game anniversaries. A variety of game franchises celebrated exciting milestones! These are just a few of those great video game series.

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News:: King's Quest received a bonus epilogue episode yesterday

I'm a pretty big fan of old-school point-and-click adventure games. Grim Fandango is one of my favorites and I do have fond memories of Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. You'd think I'd have been all over the episodic King's Quest game, but I somehow let it slide past me. It looks cool and all, but I guess I just got sidetracked by other games. Damn you Steam sale!

For anyone who owns the complete season, a new epilogue chapter has just been released. It was released yesterday, as a matter of fact, without so much as a shout-out or PR statement. That is cool, like developer The Odd Gentlemen is living up to its name. A tip from one of our readers says the bonus chapter is roughly half an hour long, but a free addition is great regardless of any arbitrary length.

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News:: Winter Sale picks: $21 Rainbow Six Siege, $38 Planet Coaster, and lowest No Man's Sky returns

With the solstice behind us, and now that winter has technically begun, so too have the sales. Today Steam began its massive Winter Sale while competing retailers like GMG and GamersGate refreshed their own offers to look more attractive. It's a win-win for PC gamers looking for the best price.

At a quick count, today GMG launched 662 new deals in its 2016 Winter Sale. This adds to its already ~1,000 active deals and now includes the best offers of the year on titles like Rainbow Six Siege, Doom, No Man's Sky, Dishonored 2, Far Cry Primal, and more. You can check out a full list of the deals here, or see the top deals below. Be sure to apply GMG's 10% off Winter sale themed coupon code for the best prices. You'll also receive a free "mystery game" with every purchase.

Steam's 2016 Winter Sale covers the most titles with thousands of discounts across its whole platform. As a general rule, competing retailers will try to undercut Steam prices. While Steam has long since lost its "best discount" crown, any game that is exclusively sold on Steam like ARK: Survival Evolved or Planet Coaster is getting its best offers of the year (both of those titles are at historic lows today).

Last on the list is GamersGate, whose sale isn't especially large, but has the best offers ever on Ubisoft's Steep and Watch Dogs 2. In the case of Watch Dogs 2, they've reduced the price 45%, which is blowing away the competition.

GMG Winter Sale

Use Coupon: WINTER10

• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (Uplay) — $21.41  (list price $50)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Complete (Uplay) — $66.86  (list price $100)
• Dishonored 2 (Steam) — $34.46  (list price $60)
• No Man's Sky (Steam) — $32.39  (list price $60)
• Tom Clancy's The Division (Uplay) — $23.79  (list price $50)
• Hearts of Iron IV: Cadet Edition (Steam) — $23.01  (list price $40)
• Stellaris (Steam) — $23.01  (list price $40)
• Far Cry: Primal (Uplay) — $18.99  (list price $50)
• Fallout 4 (Steam) — $17.09  (list price $60)
• Doom (Steam) — $17.09  (list price $60)
• Borderlands Trilogy Pack (Steam) — $13.76  (list price $75)
• Cities: Skylines (Steam) — $6.56  (list price $30)

Steam Winter Sale

• Megalodon Shark Cash Card ($8,000,000) — $59.99  <- yes people buy this
• Planet Coaster (Steam) — $38.24  (list price $45)
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (Steam) — $37.49  (list price $50)
• Elite: Dangerous (Steam) — $20.09  (list price $30)
• ARMA 3 (Steam) — $19.99  (list price $40)
• H1Z1: King of the Kill (Steam) — $12.99  (list price $20)
• Space Engineers (Steam) — $12.49  (list price $25)
• ARK: Survival Evolved (Steam) — $11.99  (list price $30)
• Project CARS GOTY Edition (Steam) — $9.89  (list price $50)
• BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend (Steam) — $9.89  (list price $30)
• Garry's Mod (Steam) — $4.99  (list price $10)
• Age of Empires II HD (Steam) — $4.99  (list price $20)
• Limbo (Steam) — $1.99  (list price $10)

GamersGate Christmas Sale

• STEEP (Uplay) — $35.99  (list price $60)
• STEEP: Gold Edition (Uplay) — $47.99  (list price $90)
• Watch_Dogs 2 (Uplay) — $32.99  (list price $60)
• Watch_Dogs 2 Deluxe Edition (Uplay) — $41.99  (list price $70)

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News:: Destructoid community interviews: GajKnight

[Note: If you haven't heard the news, the Community Interviews blog has been handed over to community member OrochiLeona, so here's Destructoid Community Interviews IV Shipuuden: the OrochiLeona arc. Also, don't forget about this month's bloggers wanted prompt, special little places! ~Strider]

Hi Destructoid! It's OrochiLeona, FGC punchbag and notorious fetishist (but y'all can call me Chris) bringing you the first in a worryingly long list of Destructoid Community Interviews! Shining the spotlight on our beloved community members, baring their souls for all. This task was handed to me by StriderHoang, as it was handed to him before, and I hope to get lots of you slaphappy guys n' gals up here on stage. My interviews are longer than you might be used to *shrugs* So let's get right into it...

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News:: The team behind 'That Dragon, Cancer' made a VR radio play

The folks behind the heartrending, award-winning autobiographical game That Dragon, Cancer are back with a new project. Don't worry though, because it sounds like the polar opposite of that tragic tale. In the episodic virtual reality game Untethered (told you it was different), you play a talk radio DJ. Ands such, you can talk to other characters in the game by speaking aloud. What good would a DJ-starring game be without that ability, anyhow?

Source: Google Play

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News:: RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic for iOS and Android sounds great

The original RollerCoaster Tycoon games from Chris Sawyer remain my favorite in the genre and, to this day, I still get a kick out of messing with park guests in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Anyone else? Today, Atari has put out a surprise mobile release, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, and I'm ecstatic.

This iOS and Android game "combines the best elements of both classic titles" and looks like a dream scenario as far as mobile adaptations go. It's a $6 app, produced by Sawyer himself.

"It was my long term ambition to bring the classic game to modern touch screen devices as its visual style and tactile nature are so well suited to smartphones and tablets," he said. "Working with Origin8 Technologies' development team, we have been able to modernize the classic gameplay for touch screen devices while preserving the unique graphical style of the original RCT games."

Read more...

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News:: Nyko's Miniboss NES Classic controller and extension cord are nice supplements to the woeful default option

Nyko recently sent me a few samples for its NES Classic line of products, and I'm really glad it did, because the on-board solution Nintendo gave us is pretty bad.

While I adore the Classic itself as a piece of hardware, the whole situation with the controllers is a joke. Not only are they really tough to find (going for $100+ on eBay), but they also only sport 30 inches of slack -- that's less than the originals did. As a result, people have been clamoring for third-party options, and there are some. Which ones you go for really depend on how authentic you want your experience to be.

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News:: The Assassin's Creed movie is perfectly fine if you already like Assassin's Creed

"I'm an aggressive person," Cal Lynch, Assassin's Creed's protagonist, explains maybe a half-hour into the movie. This is a bold understatement. Cal had been on death row just before Abstergo whisked him away to their science facility. Although the film doesn't fully explain it, he was convicted of some sort of murder, and murder is about the most aggressive crime there is.

That's how we can logically conclude that Assassin's Creed is an aggressive movie: Because there is a lot of murder. It's a weird conflict of interest of sorts because the entire thing is about eliminating violence from the human psyche. It's just that the means of doing so is through a lot of gratuitous violence.

Assassin's Creed doesn't play coy about this disconnect, either. Abstergo's Sophia Rikkin's voice cracks as she quips "We're not in the business of making monsters." It's that crack that tells us how uncertain she is, even though she probably wants to believe it. The audience is equally unsure.

The Assassin's Creed movie shares DNA with the first Assassin's Creed game. Before Abstergo was the bad guy, Assassin's Creed was Desmond in a room confused as to what Abstergo's motivations were. The film is similar. At every turn, it intentionally obfuscates what this organization is all about. Is it noble because it wants to end war? Or is it nefarious because it's willing to push test subjects until they die?

Although it might not have meant to, the movie brings about a salient and under-noticed theme from the games: The Assassins aren't necessarily good and the Templars aren't necessarily bad. Assassin's Creed Rogue does a decent job of presenting this theory, but that's probably the only earnest attempt. Other games broadly infer that Abstergo and the Templars are evil because they're the ones chasing the protagonist.

Interestingly, it's those people who haven't played the video games that will be more likely to have this takeaway. Assassin's Creed players will spend the entire time waiting for the other shoe to drop. They know Abstergo is the villain, and so they're already prejudiced. Newcomers might only be more likely to side with the Assassins because that's the team Michael Fassbender is on.

While Assassin's Creed smartly expends minimal effort definitively drawing sides, it unfortunately also does little to explain what the hell is going on. Major plot devices are glossed over, leaning on the assumption that the audience is mostly familiar with the series from the games. What the Animus is, why the need to relive ancestors' memories, what kind of power the Pieces of Eden hold -- these are all questions that aren't given the proper screen-time to allow new audiences to suspend their disbelief in a way that science-fiction stories require.

In this way, Assassin's Creed is almost pure fan service. There are smaller, more identifiable moments, too. Like when The Bleeding Effect first happens, there are a few beats for the viewer to think "Oh, that's The Bleeding Effect!" before someone on-screen goes "That's The Bleeding Effect." It's clever. It makes you feel smart for investing many many hours into the video game.

But it's really this entire movie's existence that's the most blatant example of its fan service, not just those one-off moments. Those without any exposure to Assassin's Creed might find that it works well enough as a popcorn flick, as long as they're okay with the enjoyment being mindless. Anyone looking for a deeper understanding will be disappointed. Assassin's Creed hides the pieces to its puzzle in an entirely different medium.

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News:: Steam's Winter Sale arrives with deals on 'Doom' and 'Watch Dogs 2'

Happy holidays from Valve: Steam's yearly fire sale is happening from now until January 2nd. So, you've got a few more days to snag a deal on Firewatch, Doom, Farming Simulator 17 and loads of other games you might have missed this year.

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News:: Level-5 is holding a big sale on the 3DS eShop

Hey, remember the two "Guild" compilations that were released on the 3DS several years back? I do! I even have my own special folder for them.

They were a great set of seven games that were originally released in Japan as two bundles, and individually on the eShop in the west. They were experimental type projects that ran a gamet of concepts like managing an airport, rolling through a D&D style dungeon, or battling bugs in World War II era tanks.

Well, in addition to consulting our reviews (linked below), you can also partake in a sale running through December 27 and experience them for yourself. Most of them were pretty cheap anyway, and the soccer senstation Inazuma Eleven also joins them for half off.

My personal recommendations? Crimson Shroud, Liberation Maiden, and Weapon Shop.

Read more...

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News:: Steam's Winter Sale just started, so go buy some cheap PC games

It's far from a Christmas miracle, more of a Christmas expectation really. Steam has started its Winter Sale today, right around the same time the Winter Sale has started for the better part of a decade now. It's practically tradition at this point.

So go buy yourself some cheap PC games if you want. Some things that caught our eye are The Witness for $20; Doom for $20; Undertale for $5; The Witness for $20; Downwell for $1; Brother - A Tale of Two Sons for $2; Deus Ex: Mankind Divided for $20; the Resident Evil 4, 5 and 6 remasters for $7 each; and The Witness for $20. If none of those sound good, there's, like, a billion other games to choose from.

Also of note is that the Winter Sale coincides with the voting period for the first ever Steam Awards. Here are the finalized nominees. Go make your day by getting some cheap games, and then go make some lucky developer's day by voting for their game. Spread that holiday cheer.

Steam Winter Sale [Steam]

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News:: The best games of 2016

The year is nearly over, and I don't think I'm alone in saying that I'm ready to leave behind the dark, twisted fantasy that is 2016.

No matter your political persuasion, social status or country of residence, you'll have felt disquieted by events at some point this year. The sheer scale of 2016's failings allows for such blanket statements. Natural disasters, mass shootings and political events have left me buffeted by wave after wave of anxiety.

Because of this never-ending cycle of unease, video games have been more important to me this year. Of course, they're always a form of escapism, but in 2016 they've had to function as a kind of digital cocoon.

Gaming has been a place to retreat. A moment of respite. Whether passing the minutes on a mindless clicker or puzzle game, losing myself for hours in grand strategies and sport sims or taking a long weekend to head out on a fantastic adventure, gaming has helped me. A lot.

Perhaps that's why I've been reacting to game delays with all the composure of a YouTube commenter. And, God, the delays have come thick and fast.

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News:: Destructoid's award for Best 3DS Game of 2016 goes to...

There was a lot of competition for the Best 3DS Game for 2016, including a handful of other JRPGs, but in a landslide victory (taking almost half the votes among nine entries), the award goes to Pokémon Sun and Moon.

There was a ton of hype for the newest Pokémon games ever since that Alolan Exeggutor was a palm tree, and it just kept building with demure Meowth and boy band Dugtrio. Heck, we liked the new and remixed Pokémon so much we wrote a whole post about our favorites.

For bringing the classic monster pocketing back into the collective consciousness with a tropical twist, Pokémon Sun and Moon are Destructoid's Best 3DS Game(s) of 2016.

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News:: Pokemon Go's Apple Watch support is here at last

There were murmurs that Niantic had dropped its long-promised Apple Watch support for Pokémon Go, but just this week, the company confirmed that news on that front was "coming soon."

Today, it has: you'll now be able to interact with Go using the wrist-based device.

• Log each play session as a workout, with gameplay counting toward personal Activity rings
• Receive notifications about nearby Pokémon
• Count distance toward hatching Pokémon Eggs and receiving Candy with your Buddy Pokémon
• Receive notifications about PokéStops nearby and collect items from them
• Receive notifications when Eggs hatch and medals are awarded

Read more...

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News:: 'Pokémon Go' is available right now on the Apple Watch

Pokémon Go has made its way to the Apple Watch, enabling trainers to receive notifications right on their wrists about nearby Pokémon, PokéStops, eggs and medals. Players are even able to collect goodies from PokéStops directly via the Apple Watch. This latest version of Pokémon Go also lets users log each gameplay session as a workout that counts toward their Apple Watch Activity rings, and it displays the distance traveled toward hatching an egg and receiving Candy for Buddy Pokémon.

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News:: Take a gander at the original map for the first Legend of Zelda

Pretty much any kid who grew up in the '80s or '90s remembers writing down notes, manually, in a pad of paper. Whether it was puzzle solutions for later playthroughs or maps to get through a tricky dungeon, before GameFAQs and video walkthroughs, you basically had to do it on your own.

It isn't quite the same as Nintendo actually made the original Legend of Zelda, but they've shared a short clip of the original design document for the world map. It's really brief, but at the very end they zoom out and show that baby in all its glory. It looks so simple when you see it in big picture form, but it took most of us hours upon hours to figure it out.

If only someone would make me this 3D print to reference every time.

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News:: 'Magic Hour' is photography 101 in VR

Take it from people who take photos almost constantly: figuring out the finer points of manual photography can be tricky, especially for folks who rock that Auto mode all the time. That's why a new bit of software for the HTC Vive called Magic Hour seems like such a good idea. In exchange for $3.50 (and with the understanding the Steam Early Access title might be rough around edges), you're plopped onto a virtual pier and given an incredibly flexible camera and carte blanche to shoot as you please.

Via: PetaPixel

Source: Steam

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News:: I really hope the final Mega Man mobile ports aren't this choppy, or ugly

Maybe it's the way the video was uploaded, but man does this Mega Man mobile footage look sloppy. I mean, we already have Mega Man 2 on iOS, and it looks better than this.

We're only a month away from the launch of the original six Mega Man games (sold individually), but this clip from Capcom doesn't really give me any hope. In addition to the aforementioned chugging footage, the UI also looks whack, and I'm not sure a few sections in some of the tougher areas are going to be particularly comfortable on that screen unless MFi (read: iOS controller) support is confirmed.

I'm also not really a fan of the "charge shot" addition on-screen, as the audio and visual cues were already present. It just looks like a big mess.

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News:: Nintendo Download: Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

It's a really brief Christmas drop for the eShop -- I guess most developers figure people already spent all their holiday cash on gifts. But then again, post-Christmas eShop gift cards are a thing! Either way, on Wii U we have Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, as well as Raidantflux: Hyperfractal, and Mario Party 2 on the Virtual Console. That's it! At least there's an all-new game on that list, that was Kickstarted and actually delivered, no less.

On 3DS we have Geki Yaba Runner Deluxe, Gourmet Dream, Hit Ninja, Ice Station Z, and Mini Golf Resort.

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News:: The best gadgets of 2016

A year ago, virtual reality felt almost like a pipe dream. But during 2016, we saw the launches of the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Daydream, a new mobile platform from Google. VR is here, and it's very much . . . well, real. We're still waiting for more games to appear and for the price of truly immersive platforms to fall, but it's an auspicious start for a category that's sometimes felt overhyped.

Of course, there was even more great stuff this year beyond VR. We've seen the steady evolution of smartphones with Google's Pixel devices, the iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung's Galaxy S7 line (with the Note 7 being the obvious exception). Both Dell and HP delivered some of the most refined laptops we've ever seen (sorry, MacBook Pro). And we can think of a few more standouts too. Find all of our favorite gadgets of 2016 in the gallery below.

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News:: This Resident Evil: Vendetta trailer is a gorgeous mess

The Resident Evil franchise is going to have a big 2017. Along with Resident Evil 7, the series is getting both a cheesy Hollywood film and a new CG entry. Set after the events of Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil: Vendetta (or Biohazard: Vendetta in Japan) features Leon and Chris fighting against Glenn Arias, the suave new threat who somehow has super zombies who listen to his orders. 

The biggest draw of this trailer, however, is an older Rebecca Chambers. She's been gone from the series for a while, so I'm wondering what finally brings her back and why she's suddenly a baddie now. Although this is a Japanese trailer, the dialogue is entirely in English so I'd expect this to hit Western shores soon after its Japanese release much like Degeneration and Damnation did years back. I'll be checking this out for sure since it honestly looks gorgeous. I just love seeing good CG...even if these films tend to be the worst. 

Resident Evil: Vendetta releases in Japan next May. 

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News:: Peek at the drawings used to design the original 'Zelda'

To quote one of my favorite video game characters: Greatness, from small beginnings. To celebrate The Legend of Zelda's 30th anniversary, Nintendo has released a handful of drawings that were used to design the first game in the franchise. They're essentially graph paper, with shaded boxes to represent walls and bottomless pits. Careful markings indicate where doors and monsters should be, while a pair of tables explain which colors should be used. Each page offers some wonderful insights into how Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka and others mapped out one of the most iconic video games of all time. Looking at them, I can't help but crack a smile.

Via: Develop

Source: Nintendo

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