Sunday, April 30, 2017

News:: A young disabled girl can finally play Mario Kart thanks to the smart steering feature

For a lot of elitist gamers, the worst "change" in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the introduction of "Smart Steering" and "Auto Accelerate". The two options are pretty self explanatory, but they allow you to either have the game auto steer or leave the gas pedal down. It lowers the skill ceiling for new players by letting them focus more on learning the courses or using items without having to fiddle with anything else. It can definitely automate the experience a bit, but it hardly ruins it for "expert" players.

What most people fail to realize is that these options can be used as accessibility features for disabled gamers. One such example comes from Reddit where a man named Keith has described how his young daughter, Molly, is now finally able to play Mario Kart with her siblings thanks to these new features. Molly is four years old, but she had suffered a stroke just after being born. It has left her with limited mobility in her right hand, hence how these new features have helped her play Mario Kart.

"Thanks to Mario Kart’s new Auto Drive feature," Keith explains, "she can now steer with her left hand and let the game drive for her or vice versa. I’m sure this feature will be an annoyance to many, but for my daughter, who would otherwise not really be able to participate, it is the best feature ever added to a Mario Kart game. She is currently sitting in my living with my other 2 kids and my wife and all of them are playing Mario Kart and laughing their heads off. This is truly a day I won’t forget thanks to Nintendo."

A young disabled girl can finally play Mario Kart thanks to the smart steering feature screenshot

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News:: Review: Die With Glory

When it was recently reported that Nintendo made more money off Fire Emblem Heroes than it did Super Mario Run, it disappointed me. Not because of how it will possibly affect its future mobile endeavors but because of the message it could sending to every other mobile developer, that creating a premium priced game isn’t worth it. I hope I’m wrong and that isn’t the message being received because I would hate to miss out on future premium games like Die With Glory.

Review: Die With Glory screenshot

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News:: Portal 2 is hands down the greatest sequel ever made

The games industry, like the movie industry and apparently the television industry, is one that thrives on sequels. Just look at the list of upcoming games for 2017. You can barely swing a cat without hitting some follow-up. Some of these games look to improve upon the first entry, others exist solely to continue the story and some basically start from scratch, going back to the drawing board to give players something completely new. Every sequel has a chance of outshining the original, but let’s be honest: no sequel will ever shine a bright as Portal 2.

I didn’t play the original Portal until just before the release of the sequel. As a Mac owner, the game came free for me with the download of the Steam client. I fell hard for Portal, both figuratively and literally. I literally fell out of my chair in midst of celebrating my triumph over GLaDOS and hit my head on the floor. That brain injury did nothing to temper my anticipation for the follow-up.

There is always the worry a sequel will be a letdown, that our experiences with the original create unjustifiably high expectations for anything that follows it. Portal 2 took exactly 10 minutes for that worry, the fear of the overfamiliar, to melt away. It did exactly what I believe a good sequel should do: take what worked with the original, get rid of what didn’t, and make worthwhile additions.

It’s tough for me to say which addition Portal 2 is the best. The story, and yes stories can make video games better, helped build the world around Aperture Science and create motivation for its characters. New physics concepts intensified the puzzles standing between Chell and Wheatley, and the co-op mode provided some of the most fun I’ve had working together with a friend. Oh, and I can't forget the beautiful mod support for the game. All of this bundled created a package far more complete and engaging than the original. That’s why it’s a clear, inarguable fact that Portal 2 is the gold standard for sequels in this industry.

Portal 2 is hands down the greatest sequel ever made screenshot

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News:: Call of Duty: WWII's campaign is all about the bros, but in multiplayer you can make it ladies' night

Female playable characters in Call of Duty games have become the norm. As more women enter into combat roles in the armed services, it only makes sense that games taking place in the near and distant future would include them. It's how things are and how they should be, but what about games set in the past? Should developers take a less historically accurate approach to games set in the early 1900s for the sake of including women in roles they traditionally wouldn't fill?

Of course they should, who the fuck cares it's a video game. That was my exact response when I saw Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games confirming female characters will be playable in the Call of Duty: WWII's multiplayer mode, and I'm somebody who paid attention in history class and knows of the contribution women made to the war effort in countries other than the United States.

Call of Duty: WWII's campaign is all about the bros, but in multiplayer you can make it ladies' night screenshot

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News:: GameCenter CX - Episode 191 - Crazy Climber



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Saturday, April 29, 2017

News:: That ludicrous Shaq Fu sequel is coming to Switch

Its been so long since we've heard anything about Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn that I honestly forgot it was in development. The game barely squeaked by on its Indiegogo campaign in 2014 and was officially announced at The Game Awards in 2015 for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Wii U. While there isn't an outright confirmation that the Wii U port has been cancelled (although, let's face it), the game will be making its way to Switch.

Saber Interactive (the developer behind the game) CEO Matthew Karch confirmed this news to Nintendo Everything along with telling them that the Switch will be receiving, "a new motocross title," from them. They also are working on some cooperative shooter that is claimed to be, "perfect for the platform." Nothing further was mentioned, although Nintendo Everything will be posting their full interview with the studio sometime in the near future, so maybe we'll actually get to see some new gameplay.

Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn lives, coming to Switch along with other Saber Interactive games [Nintendo Everything]

 

That ludicrous Shaq Fu sequel is coming to Switch screenshot



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News:: Hideo Kojima on his cinematic influences, 'Death Stranding' and VR

If you're starting a new gaming festival, having Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima aboard is a good way to prove you mean business. That was the case for the inaugural Tribeca Games Festival, which featured Kojima in a keynote conversation tonight with Geoff Keighley, producer of The Game Awards. The wide-ranging chat covered Kojima's cinematic influences -- of which there were many -- and his progress on Death Stranding, his long-awaited upcoming project.



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News:: These weekend game deals are Prey-ing on your wallet

Fan of futuristic horror FPS? Bethesda thinks it's time for another with next Friday's release ofPrey. One of the best price on PC is 20% off at GMG after logging in or creating an account. Xbox One and PS4 gamers are also 20% off if you're a paid member of Best Buy's Gamers Club Unlocked program - in addition Best Buy is also tossing in a SteelBook case bonus for those who pre-order a copy of Prey.

On Thursday Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III graced its presence on Steam for $59.99. If the price looks a bit steep, you can still play over the weekend with a discount. GMG is showing a 25% price drop to $44.99 as a launch week discount. Those fifteen bucks in savings gets you a solid trip for two to Starbucks, baby.

Another recent release getting a good deal over the weekend is Mass Effect: Andromeda. The Xbox One and PS4 console versions are 33% off dropping to $39.99 for the first time ever over at GameStop. If you prefer a different retailer, Best Buy should follow suit with a similar discount starting Sunday tomorrow. On PC, the discount isn't as high as what we've reported in the past, but there is still a 23% off offer available for the Origin copy of Mass Effect: Andromeda over at DLGamer for $45.99.

Finally, further down the list we're spotting some first few discount on Nintendo Switch titles, with Newegg offering a $5 discount on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Bomberman R. It's not a big discount, but its about what we're expecting for Nintendo platform deals.

Top Weekend Deals

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Nintendo Deals

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Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

These weekend game deals are Prey-ing on your wallet screenshot



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News:: Rumor: Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is getting a 3DS rerelease

With the recent announcement of the New 2DS XL, Nintendo is doubling down on its commitment to its family of handhelds for the foreseeable future. In its sixth year on the market, there is a bevy of really good looking games coming out for 3DS line over the next few months, including some we'll get our first look at this E3. Nintendo isn't saying anything yet about these unknown games, but hackers be hacking.

Pokémon dataminer @SciresM recently posted two alleged eShop listings, one for Ever Oasis (which I can't wait to play) and the other for the yet-to-be-announced Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga DX.

Rumor: Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is getting a 3DS rerelease screenshot

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News:: Recommended Reading: The genetics of better beer

You Want Better Beer?
Good. Here's a Better
Barley Genome

Adam Rogers,
Wired

The beer industry certainly isn't hurting for money these days, but a group of scientists are trying to figure out how to make the beverage even better. They're doing so by breaking down the genome of barley, a key ingredient in the brewing process that that turns starch into sugar for yeast to transform into alcohol during fermentation. Wired has the story of how the geneticists could be on the way to improving suds for all of us to enjoy.



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News:: Buy a Nintendo 64 Mini for less than $64

Having trouble tracking down a Nintendo Mini, or can't wait for the inevitable Super Nintendo Mini? How about building your own PlayStation Mini? It's tempting for the bragging rights alone, and some are on sale from $19 plus the cost of the Pi and controller. Just search for "raspberry pi case" on Etsy or Ebay and you'll find a ton of kits that you can easily assemble yourself. If you have access to a 3D printer you can also download and print your own for free or make a very convincing one out of LEGO bricks. I like this one but there's a Nintendo 64 kit that really takes the cake.

The idea of an HDMI port directly on an N64 gives me such a nerd boner:

Buy a Nintendo 64 Mini for less than $64 screenshot

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News:: PREPARE TO FRIENDSHIP: Dtoid's Master Gaming Contact List

[After a break for personal reasons, the List is back to updating! With Heroes of the Storm giving away so much free stuff, now's a great time to get all those Battle.net ID's added to your friends list. I, for one, definitely need some people to carry my worthless behind through some matches. The List will be updated into perpetuity -Panda]

Good morning/afteroon/tomorrow, my friends/robots/Gardevoir

It has been made aware to me that, just perhaps, you all enjoy video games. It might even be said that you... like to game with others? Now now, don't be that way, I don't mean to lump you into some sort of box. You're all just such lovely folks, it pains me to watch you, struggling in vain to connect with each other, striving to engage in...

PREPARE TO FRIENDSHIP: Dtoid's Master Gaming Contact List screenshot

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News:: The Morning After: Weekend Edition

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Life imitating art imitating...life? Netflix's series about prison is involved in an actual crime, and Elon Musk is going back into the tunnels. We'll explain.



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Friday, April 28, 2017

News:: Review: Kamiko

It isn't every day that we here at Destructoid review imports, but like Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 which I also reviewed, Kamiko also features an all lady cast and offers an English translation if you grab it from the Japanese eShop. For a mere 500 Yen, which Google tells me is currently $4.60 USD, it was worth making a Japanese account and taking a chance on. 

Also, if should be noted that as of writing, Kamiko hasn't been announced for release outside of Japan, but it's highly unlikely that it won't be. But if you're like me and can't wait, you can either buy it with a credit card off the eShop if your card supports it, or if it doesn't, you can grab Japanese eShop credit from Amazon Japan pretty easily. 

Review: Kamiko screenshot

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News:: Star Trek Online raises the stakes in its Season 13 update

These are the voyages of Star Trek Online, and if the latest content "season" is anything to go by, they're about to get quite a bit more competitive. Cryptic and Perfect World have beamed down Season 13, "Escalation," and change is afoot for the long-lasting licensed MMO.

Season 13's party piece is a long-awaited balance update for space combat in STO (ground combat got its rebalance in the previous season). The changes are aimed at applying a cortical stimulator to the game's quiescent PVP scene, as well as introducing improvements to matchmaking and new content focused on objective-based "competitive co-op."

The more solo-inclined aren't left completely cold, however, as Season 13 also continues the ongoing story arc, this time sending players deep into the Alpha Quadrant to investigate the Tzenkethi threat, as well as unravel an old mystery involving the newly introduced aliens, the Lukari. As ever, all this is free to access for players, but those willing to pay can snag some spiffy new spaceships to fly, such as zippy Escort vessels designed by the cat-like Caitians and their jerk cousins the Ferasans, or a slightly less absurd take on Star Trek: Nemesis' Scimitar warbird. 

The update is live now on PC, and should show up on console platforms within a few weeks, based on the pacing of updates so far.

Star Trek Online raises the stakes in its Season 13 update screenshot

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News:: Oh dang, Persona 5 is getting a vinyl set

The next vinyl from iam8bit is a big one: Persona 5! It's such a good candidate that I can see it pushing people into game vinyl ownership for the first time -- assuming they have the money.

There will be two sets, both of which will ship in Q4 2017:

  • The Essential Edition ($100) with four records featuring a curated track listing.
  • The Deluxe Edition ($175, limited to 1,000) with six records featuring all 110 songs.

If you're wondering about the strange cover, that thing is just a placeholder.

For this vinyl release, iam8bit is bringing fans behind the scenes with videos, photos, and interviews chronicling its creation, from mastering to test presses to vinyl production and packaging. And at the end of it all, we'll see the final album art, which will be "the result of an intimate collaboration between iam8bit, Atlus, SEGA and a to be announced, top secret artist."

Persona 5 Vinyl Soundtrack [iam8bit]

Oh dang, Persona 5 is getting a vinyl set screenshot

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News:: Joker puts a smile on that face in newest Injustice 2 gameplay trailer

Taking a bit of visual influence from multiple incarnations of the character, Joker has a pretty strong showing in his Injustice 2 debut. While Richard Epcar (who also provided the voice of the Joker in Injustice: Gods Among Us)'s voice doesn't quite gel with the new design, everything else is neat. It might be the crazy lighting of Joker's mad house stage, or the little touches of blood on his person, but this new Joker seems pretty vicious. 

Sharing some moves from the previous game, at least there seem to be plenty of new things that should make Joker fans happy. That super is probably the best we've seen yet, too. Seeing as how Joker is presumably the final addition to the initial Injustice 2 roster (we've already seen the first DLC character, Darkseid), what do you think of the lineup? 

Are there any characters you hope will be added in the future? Do you care about those Source Crystals

Injustice 2 is out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One May 16.

Joker puts a smile on that face in newest Injustice 2 gameplay trailer screenshot



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News:: Nintendo talks NES Classic discontinuation: 'we don't have unlimited resources'

The NES Classic has sold 2.3 million units worldwide, according to Nintendo. And now the nostalgic little device -- which was originally meant to be "a product for last holiday" -- is discontinued. Were you able to get your hands on one? I tried once, online, but my "F5" mashing wasn't quick enough.

Speaking to Time, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé provided the updated sell-in figure and some slight elaboration on why the company is done with the Classic despite its popularity.

"Even with that extraordinary level of performance, we understand that people are frustrated about not being able to find the system, and for that we really do apologize," said Fils-Aimé. "But from our perspective, it's important to recognize where our future is and the key areas that we need to drive. We've got a lot going on right now and we don't have unlimited resources."

It's probable that Nintendo will one day bring back the device or an updated version of it, but as things stand today, there are "no plans to produce more NES Classic Edition systems for NOA regions."

I wasn't all that heartbroken about missing out on this, but if the SNES variant becomes a reality and they're similarly hard to track down, I'm liable to spend way too much money getting one second-hand.

Nintendo Says it Sold Over 2 Million NES Classics [Time]

Nintendo talks NES Classic discontinuation: 'we don't have unlimited resources' screenshot



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News:: An old man and some kids dressed up to sell you this Dragon Quest PS4

Sometimes marketing can go horribly wrong. Writing a commercial that involve a crazy old man telling the story of Dragon Quest to a pair of children, then proceeding to orgasmically playing a gaming console is a example of when it can go perfectly right.

All of this is to peddle yet another special edition PS4 -- a blue special edition with another adorable slim latched onto it. It's sexy for sure, as is the blue controller with the fairly muted Dragon Quest symbols on it (the PS4 theme is pretty nice too). 

Naturally it's exclusive to Japan and will likely stay that way, but you can import it if you really want.

An old man and some kids dressed up to sell you this Dragon Quest PS4 screenshot

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News:: Strafe is getting three collector's editions because why not?

The upcoming retro throwback Strafe is going to have three different collector's editions available for purchase. Even though I've been enjoying the game ahead of review, I don't know how I feel about all these crazy collector's sets; at least they look super neat. There is also a PS4 edition, which I didn't even know existed (I thought the game was PC exclusive).

The first bundle (going for $44.95, limited to 1,000 copies) is called the Strafe Throwback Collector's Edition and it includes a download code for the game, '90s era floppy disks, pogs, "indoor" sunglasses, the soundtrack on cassette and some pins. The second bundle is called the Strafe Vinyl Collector's Edition and it contains the soundtrack on two records (available in regular or limited Red/Yellow discs) along with some bitchin artwork and a download code for the game. The final version is PS4 Collector's Box ($24.95, limited to 2,000 copies) which contains the game on a Blu-Ray along with a download code for the PC version.

As for the game, proper, it will be launching May 9 for $19.99 on Steam for PC and Mac. If you pre-order the game now, you'll unlock some weapon that I have no idea about. The specific weapons aren't really that important, so don't feel too bad if you miss out.

Strafe is getting three collector's editions because why not? screenshot

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News:: Tekken 7 on the Switch? Fat chance, says producer Harada

GameSpot had a chance to talk to Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada about getting Tekken 7 on the Switch, and prospects do not like good.

According to Harada, "Officially, we can't really comment on that because our company has strict policy about which titles we talk about for Switch,. But personally, we've been so busy with trying to master up Tekken for the current platforms that we haven't really had enough time to study the hardware. We couldn't even buy it -- it was sold out every time we went to look for it."

That's so bizarre to me! This giant publisher can't get some random employee to find them a unit or borrow one -- but that's a common story, especially among larger indie developers. In terms of going out of their way for a Nintendo platform it's obvious that Bandai Namco felt kind of burned by Tekken Tag Tournament 2 on the Wii U, so these comments, whether they're true or not, indicate that they don't really want to jump into the platform with a fighting franchise just yet.

Even Capcom is kind of half-heartedly dipping their toes into the water with a 2D fighter that shares a lot of the same content as a release from a few generations ago.

Tekken 7 Boss [GameSpot]

Tekken 7 on the Switch? Fat chance, says producer Harada screenshot



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News:: Dynasty Warriors 9 news is just on the horizon

So uh, is Dynasty Warriors 9 still coming? We haven't heard anything really since December of last year. Naturally, this article should be a clue -- yes, it is!

Series producer Akihiro Suzuki caved after all of the clamoring on Twitter, and provided the following statement: "I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long. Further information on Dynasty Warriors 9 will be released starting in May!"

Well, it's a little light in terms of an announcement, but it's something. This is a project that I'm very interested in seeing with the move to an open world, something Koei Tecmo rarely, if ever does (based on the teaser art it seems to be a larger scale than Dragon Quest Heroes II's hubs). While they've muddled the market a bit with so many sequels to so many spinoffs, you can usually count on the core Musou series to deliver.

I'm in "wait and see" mode here -- I just hope that open world isn't full of icons and junk.

Akihiro Suzuki [Twitter]

Dynasty Warriors 9 news is just on the horizon screenshot



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