On my first playthrough of Catherine, I didn't like Catherine at all. She is a powder keg, flipping from airhead to knife-wielding maniac in the blink of an eye. She's every TV/film trope of the creepy stalker/scorned mistress turned up to deafening levels. Also, I could never get my hair to do that, so of course my instincts are to hate her.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is somewhat of a weird precedent for Nintendo.
The Wii U failed, for all intents and purposes, so they're taking Mario Kart 8, a game that's not even three years old and selling it again on the Switch as a faux "Game of the Year Edition." It's an "enhanced" version of the original with a Double Item Box (and a two-item carry system as well as the re-introduction of the Feather and Boo), an easy steering mode for newcomers, three returning characters, two new characters, and Battle Mode. Does that sound enhanced enough to spend $60 on again? That's for you to decide.
At a Switch event this weekend I tried out both two-player tablet play and the contentious Battle Mode, and mostly came away satisfied.
You have to be a nerd of a certain age to remember the golden days of the LAN (Local Area Network) party, a geeky gathering where people brought their computers or consoles together in one physical location to take advantage of latency-free multiplayer. While you can still find game cafés and school networks that offer a similar experience, the practice has largely died out in the era of affordable broadband internet.
The original Splatoon was one of the smoothest online experiences I've ever had with a Nintendo release, but it's always nice to have additional ways to play. Yesterday, Nintendo of America announced that Splatoon 2 will support LAN play for up to eight players, allowing your entire squid squad to take on another without the need for an internet connection. You can still play using local wireless internet, but LAN play will help remove the issues that come about when too many people try to share the same internet connection.
In #Splatoon2 LAN Play allows you to create local Private Battle tournaments without needing an Internet connection. https://t.co/RgBPQ5iRLB http://pic.twitter.com/pdRl0PLQKS
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 11, 2017
If hooking up eight systems isn't enough, the Splatoon US Tumblr reported that up to two spectators can join in on the same network. They'll be able to get a bird's eye view of the turf war or swap between players, recording the match for posterity. You can watch a video of how that will work below.
I hope more people get a chance to try Splatoon 2 when it hits the Switch, as the original was one of the standout titles on the Wii U. Splatoon already has a Nickelodeon neon, early '90s aesthetic, so bringing back LAN play fits right in.
SplatoonUS [Tumblr]
Nintendo of America [Twitter]
SplatoonJP [Twitter]
[Thanks to Frank for the tip!]
Super Bomberman R came out of nowhere during the Nintendo Switch reveal event, after the legendary mascot had been sidelined for over half a decade. Headlined by Konami and HexaDrive (who typically works on ports, like Rez HD or Snake Eater 3D), this $50 game sports a 50-stage campaign and support for up to eight players.
But if online play doesn't take off, you'll need a way to tap into its full multiplayer potential at home.
Capcom has been pretty mum on a few details regarding Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, including the pricepoint, which is rumored to be whereabouts of $40 for the west.
While that's still an unknown right now I did get a chance to try out the Switch exclusive at a Nintendo event this weekend though, and other than a few unknowns, it's shaping up to be a decent continuation of the Street Fighter II legacy.
Dark Souls games are best experienced in the moment. Those first few months of release when the player base is active, mysteries abound, and perilous invaders lurk around every corner. Seeing the phantoms of other players, the helpful (and not so helpful) messages left by other undead, and being able to summon an ally or two for a hard boss makes the world feel alive.
Return to Drangelic is a community effort to recapture that moment. Two years since release, the Souls community hopes to rekindle the bonfire of Dark Souls 2 and once again fill the land with cooperation. Led by notable Souls community member, Illusionarywall, the event is scheduled to being on Febuary 25 and last about three weeks. A handy flyer provides some tips on linking up with other undead
Many of those looking forward to Ubisoft's For Honor have already fired up the Open Beta, which went live February 9th and runs up to the 14th - the day our new Viking v Samurai v Knight battle commences. If you're sucked into the hype GMG has a 20% price break slashing For Honor to $47.99 for the Standard Edition or from $100 to $79.99 for Gold. Not bad the weekend before launch.
The game PC gaming retailer has a solid discount on Tuesday's 2-legged game hunter Sniper Elite 4. The next edition to the Sniper Elite series shares similar prices to For Honor and GMG is confirmed to be shipping Steam keys immediately after purchase so you can participate in the pre-load.
Next week Sony has announced that participating retailers will be allowed to slash prices on the PS4 Slim bundle back to its holiday $250 price tag. A hot deal for sure coming ahead, but you can get that price already this weekend on eBay Deals PLUS the November 2016 Loot Crate bundle on eBay deals. The 11/2016 "Mythic" Loot Crate included a T-Shirt, Dragon Age Morrigan bobble head, and about half a dozen other items of interest.
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Every so often I'll come across an evil new RollerCoaster Tycoon creation that pulls me back in. The lasting power of this game and the imagination and dedication of its players never ceases to amaze.
This park comes to us from RogueLeader23, who has been playing the still relatively new (and surprisingly good!) mobile adaptation, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic. It's just a maze. One single, gargantuan maze. Now, that might not sound too impressive or original, but then you see this zoomed-out shot and happen to catch the date on the bottom right. "September, Year 20."
Trying to play an NES cartridge on Nintendo's original, 30-year-old hardware can be an exercise in frustration. The console's ancient composite cables offer terrible image quality on modern televisions, and getting games to actually run is a ballet of reseating, jostling and, of course, blowing on game cartridges. Nintendo's own NES Classic Edition and the Wii U and 3DS virtual consoles offer refuge for the casual gamer's nostalgic yearnings, but collectors looking for an authentic, cartridge-based retro gaming experience have long suffered under the dark shadow of compromise. Is it better to play on the original, but unreliable, hardware, or an NES clone plagued with compatibility issues? With the Analogue Nt mini, you may not have to tolerate either -- but at $449, Analogue's compromise-free Nintendo doesn't come cheap.
It's been another eventful week in Trump's America. The Ninth Circuit effectively administered a coup de grace to the president's Muslim travel ban after hearing from most of Silicon Valley about said ban's deleterious effects. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell censored Elizabeth Warren on the Senate floor for trying to read a letter critical of would-be Attorney General Jeff Sessions. And, despite all the work to be done forming a new government and horrific conflict of interest implications, the President found time to take Nordstrom to task on Twitter (via his personal and official POTUS accounts) for dropping his daughter's clothing line.
