Tuesday, March 21, 2017

News:: Bloodstained kills its Wii U version, jumps over to Switch

In yet another death spasm for Nintendo's second-newest console, the Wii U version of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has been cancelled. Instead, developer Inti Creates is pivoting to a version for the Nintendo Switch. No other platforms have been affected.

The news was revealed today as an update on Bloodstained's Kickstarter page. In it, director Koji Igarashi explains that production on Wii U was canned because it was "difficult to receive the necessary support from the hardware maker." Nintendo's relatively-sudden emphasis on the Switch left the Wii U as an afterthought.

This is a troubling development for some people who backed Bloodstained on Kickstarter specifically because a Wii U port was a stretch goal. For those people, Inti Creates is offering a few choices. First (and easiest), they can get it on Switch; it seems as if the current system will automatically transfer Wii U orders to Switch so no further action is necessary. Or, they can move their order to any other platform. If none of that sounds satisfactory, Wii U backers are eligible for a refund of their pledge.

For those who signed up for a Wii U copy, you'll probably want to visit the Kickstarter page to get a more in-depth look at your options. For everyone else, it's just another step toward the inevitable and impending conclusion that the Wii U is entirely a thing of the past. For us, just another opportunity to use our "Canceled on Wii U" tag.

Development Update -- Bloodstained for Nintendo Switch [Kickstarter]

Bloodstained kills its Wii U version, jumps over to Switch screenshot



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News:: Horizon Zero Dawn adds the option to buy in bulk

Listen, I know it's not the sexiest thing, but it's still weirdly attractive. Horizon Zero Dawn now has the ability to buy stuff in bulk and it has some people very excited. This is why places like Costco continue to thrive (although I suspect that's more about saving money than just purchasing large quantities).

Guerrilla Games rolled out a Horizon Zero Dawn patch today that implements a multi-buy system at vendors. All that's required is to hold down the X button to decide how many you want. Suddenly, a trip to the store is much less tedious.

Is it just me or does this seem like the exact kind of feature that a lot of triple-A games end up circling back to? Inventory management often goes overlooked and then addressed in an update. The quality of life changes come after players pipe up about why the current system is so needlessly limiting.

Anyway, Horizon Zero Dawn: Now with a much simpler and quicker means of buying lots of wire. It's not the only change, though. Here's Guerrilla's long list of fixes in today's patch:

Horizon Zero Dawn adds the option to buy in bulk screenshot

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News:: How to unlock Mass Effect: Andromeda's missing tech skill

Newly outset Pathfinders in Mass Effect: Andromeda are free to customize their Ryder in whatever ways they see fit. From appearance to weapon loadouts to skills and abilities -- Andromeda does enough role-playing game stuff to allow you to tailor your own approach.

Those who have skill points to spend can put them into any of the game's 36 different abilities spread across the combat, biotic, and tech categories. Well, almost. There are actually only 35 abilities available at first, with one of the tech skills being locked off as unknown. It'll take a bit of advancing through the story and a commitment to a sidequest before this one opens up.

Here's how you get that last tech skill. Shortly after acquiring Asari companion Peebee, she'll send an email about a secret project she's working on. She needs Ryder to go to the planet Voeld to acquire a piece of Remnant technology. The encounter is a typical throwaway Mass Effect: Andromeda battle. Just wipe out a handful of baddies and recover the Rem tech. It shouldn't take long.

With that in tow, return to your ship and deliver it to Peebee. She'll say that she needs a bit of time, but that you should meet her in her apartment on the Nexus. Immediately fly there and jog up to her living quarters. When she opens the door, you'll see what she has been working on. It's a Remnant enemy that she has reprogrammed to fight for your side. She named it Poc and it's kind of cute.

Now that unknown skill has been filled in. It's called "Remnant VI" and it can be upgraded just like any of the other abilities. Put enough points into it and Poc can make a real difference for your team, almost like having a third companion.

One of Mass Effect: Andromeda's defining features in an absolutely staggering amount of side content. It often feels impossible to know what's a priority and what's not. Helping Peebee out with her secret project should be on your to do list. It'll offer some interesting insight as to what makes Peebee tick and you'll also end up with a new Remnant buddy. That seems like a good use of your time.

How to unlock Mass Effect: Andromeda's missing tech skill screenshot



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News:: PSN is a running an 'Only on PlayStation' sale

Not that you or your packed game library really need it, buuut Sony is holding an Only on PlayStation sale over the next week, and with it comes yet another chance to pick up the likes of Until Dawn ($10), Resogun ($3.74), The Unfinished Swan ($3), and God of War III Remastered ($6).

Those are some of the best-sellers so far. For my part -- and this is going to sound like a broken record (because it totally is!) -- I'll add that the easily missed Tokyo Jungle is a fine game of animal survival in a post-apocalyptic, post-human world and it is also well worth getting into for $3.

If I say that enough times, maybe they'll remaster it for PS4? Or greenlight a sequel? If only!

PSN is a running an 'Only on PlayStation' sale screenshot

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News:: 'Overwatch's' four-legged tank hero is here (for casual players)

Overwatch's new badass robot centaur Orisa makes her official debut today, but players hoping to climb those Season 4 ranks with her are going to have to wait. Blizzard is disabling her from Competitive mode for one week, according to the game's official forums and Twitter account, so people can get to know her a little better first.

Via: Polygon

Source: Blizzard



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News:: Tripping through Songbringer's spiritual adventure

Songbringer exists at the intersection of nostalgia and innovation. Within the game's pixels are millions of unique worlds. It's The Legend of Zelda by way of Hyper Light Drifter, with one important distinction. Every player must input a six-letter code, which generates a dynamic landscape to explore.

Random generation and game-specific love letters aren't uncommon in the indie space. Songbringer, with its overworld exploration and numerous dungeons, can be seen as developer Nathanael Weiss' send-up to Zelda's oblique adventure. But despite player-seeded environments and a familiar structure, Weiss' singular vision shines through in a litany of personal touches.

Tripping through Songbringer's spiritual adventure screenshot

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News:: Play as a ladybug or a traffic cone in 'Everything'

Think of anything that exists. For example, a bear, an atom, a galaxy, a three-leaf clover, and so on. That's what you can control in the game Everything, which was just released for the Playstation 4 today.

Source: PlayStation Blog



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News:: This is the first of the Xbox One 'Tech Series' controllers

Microsoft has a fancy new Xbox One gamepad coming out next month.

Aside from the "military technology"-inspired design, this Recon Tech Special Edition controller has a textured diamond rubberized grip on its backside. It'll be out on April 25, for $70, and according to Microsoft, it's just the first in a line of "Tech Series" wireless controllers for Xbox One.

I splurged on an Elite Controller so I'll continue sticking with that, but I do like the grip on this.

Introducing the Xbox Wireless Controller Tech Series [Xbox]

This is the first of the Xbox One 'Tech Series' controllers screenshot

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News:: The hidden depth of mobile puzzle game 'Where Cards Fall'

We're sitting in a circle on the floor of a decadent San Francisco hotel lobby, crowds of people milling around the couches and stairways. The young men of Snowman, the studio behind Alto's Adventure, watch as Sam Rosenthal sets up a small iPad, preparing to show off his latest game, Where Cards Fall. Rosenthal is the co-founder of the Game Band, a small Los Angeles studio working with Snowman to bring its new project to iOS, Apple TV and Steam this autumn.

Rosenthal flips through a slideshow of character designs, explaining the premise as he goes. Where Cards Fall is a top-down, 3D puzzle game that has players build houses of cards to navigate tricky environments. It follows a handful of teenagers over the course of 10 years, from adolescence to college and finally adulthood. The art is cartoonish yet polished, as if the designs of Oxenfree had been transformed into 3D.



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News:: Let it Die is giving out a booster pack to PS Plus subscribers

Every so often I'll check on my PlayStation 4 downloads and see that Let it Die is doing its thing. As much as Grasshopper Manufacture's hack-and-slash title made a good first impression (the setting and aesthetic are super compelling to me), I abruptly stopped playing early on and haven't gone back. So, the game is still installed, it's still regularly updating, but I'm not motivated enough to return.

I don't think I'm alone, either. GungHo America is hoping to get more people in the door and keep them there. The publisher is holding a "Direct Hell Booster Pack Plus" promo for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Today through April 18, you'll be able to get this stuff with your sub at no extra cost:

  • Death Metals (10) — These allow you to continue upon death and expand your storage.
  • 1-Day Express Pass (2) — Passes provide a small taste of what our 30-Day Express Pass offers.
  • Kill Coins (20K) — Kill Coins can be used to purchase weapons, armor, and Skill Decals.
  • SPLithium (20K) — A special resource used to craft equipment and strengthen various elements of your Waiting Room (home base).
  • Solo Shelter (2) — A tent-like item that can be used to take quick breaks from gameplay preventing enemy attack while replenishing HP.
  • Barbmeat Full Portion (3) — This full portion of meat replenishes 100% of your max HP.

Which, yeah, that'd help. I've heard tales about Let it Die's free-to-play structure and rising difficulty conspiring against players further up the tower, all but forcing a dreadful grind to stand a chance.

There's also a relevant promo running now through March 31 where if you buy a year of PS Plus from the PlayStation Store, you'll get an extra three months worth of subscription added on top.

PS Plus: Let It Die Booster Pack, 3 Bonus Months [PlayStation Blog]

Let it Die is giving out a booster pack to PS Plus subscribers screenshot



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News:: Radiant Historia returns with Perfect Chronology on 3DS

Atlus isn't done with Radiant Historia!

First released for Nintendo DS in 2010, the time-travel RPG is getting a 3DS remake with touched-up graphics and a new "Sub-History" to play through (from the start, if you'd like). While the teaser site for Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is mostly barren right now, Famitsu has more details.

"Thanks to everyone's longstanding support, the build up of wanting to release this title has has risen even within Atlus," said game director Mitsuru Hirano, as picked up by Gematsu. "Since providing a world experience is essential in an RPG, we kept in mind not to change that impression. We reviewed the playability and improved it overall."

Perfect Chronology is out in Japan on June 29, 2017, with no word yet on a localized release.

【先出し週刊ファミ通】『ラジアントヒストリア パーフェクトクロノロジー』タイムトラベル・ファンタジーがふたたび降臨(2017年3月23日発売号) [Famitsu]
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology announced for 3DS [Gematsu]

Radiant Historia returns with Perfect Chronology on 3DS screenshot

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News:: Here's when Splatoon 2's Global Testfire will run this week

If you haven't already, go download the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire demo from the Switch eShop. You can't play it, but when the flood gates do open you'll have one step over and done with if there are any technical issues. With that said, you can find the times below for the Testfire, which will run intermittently from this Friday, March 24, to Sunday March 26.

Splatoon 2 isn't due until summer 2017 at the earliest (it doesn't have a date yet and could easily be delayed), so odds are there will be another test if you're out of town this weekend. To prepare people Nintendo provided the below instruction manual, which showcases the controls -- and remember, Pro Controllers do support motion aiming if that's a thing you're interested in.

If you're not, you can still turn it off. I typically do that for most Nintendo shooters, but I might experiment a bit with Pro motion, as it could be the best of both worlds. I tried it out at a Nintendo event a few weeks back and enjoyed it more than I did on the Wii.

Here's when Splatoon 2's Global Testfire will run this week screenshot

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News:: Dark Souls III is getting a new patch that increases its framerate on the PS4 Pro

This has happened before, but it's still weird to see us entering an era of "PS4 Pro exclusive patches."

The next one on the docket is Dark Souls III, which will be rolling out patch 1.11 soon across all platforms, but the PS4 Pro specifically will be getting an extra benefit -- an enhanced framerate. It wasn't announced exactly how much of a boost it would be, but it's happening. It's the "pre-DLC" patch for the Ringed City add-on that hits on March 28, and will bring a bunch of extra bug fixes in as well.

Can we get that frame fix for Bloodborne next? That's one Souls (esque) game that would benefit from it the most, and it's a PS4 exclusive -- what a perfect match!

Dark Souls III [Steam]

Dark Souls III is getting a new patch that increases its framerate on the PS4 Pro screenshot

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News:: Orisa is off limits in Overwatch's competitive mode for a week

It's not unusual to see a new character, in say, a MOBA, disabled from the roster until a week after their launch. As a lot of developers recognize, it can be jarring, jumping into a competitive mindset and having players first-pick the new character with no experience or regard for their team. That's what's going to happen with Orisa, who's arriving today in Overwatch.

Blizzard notes that they want people to play her a bit to really understand how she works before she moves over to the competitive side. It's not just learning how she plays either, but how she can be countered that really matters when making picks in competitive. She can be picked/played/fought against in basically every other mode, and she's free for existing owners, so it's a more than fair tradeoff.

Scott Mercer [Battle.net]

Orisa is off limits in Overwatch's competitive mode for a week screenshot



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News:: Bojack and Zamasu coming to Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 via 'DB Super Pack 3' DLC

This April's DB Super Pack 3 DLC will focus on Dragon Ball Super's Future Trunks Saga, including three new characters: Bojack, Zamasu, and Goku Black Rose. Wait. I haven't followed Dragon Ball Super but "Black Rose?" Really?

Bojack will also be available as a Master once you acquire his clothing, which is now available via the TP Medal Shop. Also included are three new Parallel Quests, five new skills, four new costumes, five Super Souls, and two emotes. 

Bojack and Zamasu coming to Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 via 'DB Super Pack 3' DLC screenshot

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News:: A recap from GDC and PAX East

Ooh, this episode is a little late. See, I was on vacation, and the ol' crew decided to up and record an episode without even telling me. You know what that means? No Hot Dish!

Even so, it's worth listening to, probably. I listened to parts of it. Podtoid newcomer Ray Porreca joined Steven Hansen and Brett Makedonski to talk GDC, PAX East, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nier: Automata, and more. My favorite part was when the three of them fumbled through an eighth grade math problem. (In case y'all were wondering, scientist Brett got the correct answer.)

Don't worry, next episode will have a Hot Dish. I promise.

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or download it here.

A recap from GDC and PAX East screenshot

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News:: Fire Emblem Echoes will support all Fire Emblem amiibo, is getting a limited edition

Nintendo is not known to handle special editions well. Minutes after many go on sale they're sold out for good, and if you want one, get ready to pay double or triple price. The only way to get Fire Emblem Fates on a triple-pack physical cart was by way of a special edition, one of their most egregious ideas yet.

I hope that Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (the remake of the second) game is easier to find. It's also getting a special edition for $60 for its release in May, which comes with a hardcover artbook, an audio CD, a pin set, and a reversible cover. The base game is $40, so I'd say it's worth it.

In amiibo news each one (Alm and Celica) will activate their own "exclusive dungeons." They can nab loot and level up in them by way of a menu from the overworld map, or you can use them to summon illusions of themselves for a single turn based on the amiibo's stats. Super Smash series amiibo will work too as summons, including Marth, Ike, Roy, Robin, Lucina, and Corrin (?). "All amiibo" will summon a monster.

That's good enough for me. Now about Corrin.

Fire Emblem Echoes will support all Fire Emblem amiibo, is getting a limited edition screenshot

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News:: There's now a GameBoy emulator for the Apple Watch

The last place you'd probably want to play a video game is on an Apple Watch. The wearable has a tiny screen, almost no buttons and can only be operated with one hand. It's a completely impractical gaming device, but developer Gabriel O'Flaherty-Chan made a Game Boy emulator for it anyway.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: GitHub



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News:: PSA: Starting a new Zelda: Breath of the Wild game will delete all your old saves

Weeks ago when reviewing Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I toyed with the idea of restarting entirely after conquering the final boss. But after inspecting the "new game" button I found a warning explaining that my previous data would be overwritten, so I held off. Instinctively I tried it out on my UK and Japanese profiles (created to access other areas of the eShop), and they were good to go.

Since this warning has been shared across the web this week, I figured I'd chip in and do my part. There's nothing worse than losing a save file of a massive open world game with stories that you've created over weeks at a time. It's not a new thing for title updates to swoop in and alter this, or even add save slots -- Shovel Knight did it, for instance, among many others. Hopefully this is addressed at some point, but for those of you who didn't think it would actually wipe all your data, consider this a warning.

PSA: Starting a new Zelda: Breath of the Wild game will delete all your old saves screenshot



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News:: Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker's Memory releases 2018 in west

Localization confirmed, Cyber Sleuth pack-in not so. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker's Memory will release in the west in early 2018 per Bandai Namco. It will feature Japanese voices with English/German subtitles. The PS4 version will be available both physically and digitally, but the Vita version is digital only in Europe.

The story follows Keisuke Amazawa, "the main protagonist accused of a crime he didn’t commit, who will have to dive into the Digital World and investigate to prove his innocence, even if that means joining a group of hackers and help them to solve the troubles threatening this mysterious universe…"

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker's Memory releases 2018 in west screenshot

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News:: Switch gets pricey Seiken Densetsu Collection

It's official: Seiken Densetsu 3 will be on the Nintendo Switch, included in the Seiken Densetsu Collection along with Seiken Densetsu 1 (Final Fantasy Adventure) and Seiken Densetsu 2 (Secret of Mana). The collection will be 4,800 yen in Japan (~$43). There is no word yet on a localization, but since the Switch is region-free you could play it if you can read Japanese or use a translation guide.

For a pack of three ancient games without any significant visual upgrades, the price is a bit much, but for those waiting for the third game this package perhaps provides some hope. The most I can do is report on it.

Switch gets pricey Seiken Densetsu Collection screenshot

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News:: Meet the first fighters of Nintendo's newest franchise, 'Arms'

The Switch blew us away when it launched earlier this month, but our enthusiasm for the console's possibilities has been tempered by its seriously limited game library. Lucky for you fighting game fans, brand-new 3D brawler Arms is coming to the console this spring. Nintendo dropped a pair of videos teasing a few characters and mechanics from the upcoming title, which looks about as gleefully competitive and bizarre as you'd expect a first-party Switch game to be.

Via: Polygon

Source: YouTube



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News:: Review: Everything

At first glance, a game with a title like "Everything" seems like it might be difficult to describe. Like trying to pitch a show about nothing.

Fortunately, things get quite a bit easier if you break it down a bit. Everything is a game about Every Thing. Simple, right?

Review: Everything screenshot

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News:: GameCenter CX - Episode 194 - Wizards & Warriors



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