News:: Pyramid Head has joined Super Bomberman R

Just last night I was thinking that it had been way too long since I last played Super Bomberman R, a decent game that has seen noticeable improvements since launch. Instead, I started Mad Max. But tonight will be different! With the new update installed, you can now play as Vic Viper Bomber, Simon Belmont Bomber, and yes, Pyramid Head Bomber. I am all about these weird cameos.

Patch 1.4 also has:

• Four VS stages: Conveyor Belt Classic, Panic Factory, Plain Floor, and Desert Fort.
• Two new accessory lines: the Item and Snowflake series.
• "Other than Battle Royale, the Team Battle is now available as a Battle Rule. In this mode, the team with the last survivor wins the match."
• "There are now more ways to win Gems and more Gems available. (Previously Gems could only be earned in the League Battle, but now all VS modes provide Gems.)"
• Adjustments to the movement speed of the Power Zone.
• Misc. small bug fixes.

This game continues to be a pleasant surprise out of Konami. The rest of its properties? Yeah...

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News:: Gorn is the perfect name for this ridiculous gladiator sim

Gorn is a good-ass name for a video game about clobbering buff gladiators until their meaty heads fall off. Honestly, I'm not sure it can be topped (that's your cue to do your thing in the comments, gang).

This is another collaboration between Free Lives and Devolver Digital, who previously teamed up for Broforce and Genital Jousting. It's coming to Steam Early Access on July 10 for Vive owners.

Part of me wishes we'd move away from these short-lived VR experiences in favor of more substantial games, but that's tricky to fund and oh who am I kidding. Gorn looks so ridiculous and fun.

Gorn [Steam]

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News:: Nintendo reveals new details on Twilight Princess' Midna

To build anticipation for this week's Breath of the Wild DLC, Nintendo has been posting blogs about the design process they've taken for each piece of content in the expansion. One of the more interesting pieces, focusing on the "Midna Mask," details where Twilight Princess' Midna originated from and how she may have potentially been the star of her own game.

According to Satoru Takizawa, art director for Breath of the Wild, Nintendo was working on a secret project before shifting gears towards Twilight Princess. This game featured a "goblin/devilkin" type character who had qualities reminiscent of Midna's personality. Takizawa mentions that some of the concept art included details like "the appearance looks like a monster or a child" and "sometimes selfish, but sometimes cute and naïve."

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News:: The End is Nigh looks right at home on the Switch

It hasn't even been a month since Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel announced their squishy wall-clinging platformer The End is Nigh, and in just two more weeks, it'll be out on PC. I'm jazzed. Well, as jazzed as I can be about a game that will almost certainly break me like Super Meat Boy before it.

If you missed the teaser trailer, this off-screen footage of the Switch version will help fill you in.

The End is Nigh is said to have over 600 levels and "loads of hidden extras and endings that you will probably see someone else find before you." This early portion looks doable. I'm curious to see how hellish things will get further in, particularly with the collectible retro game cartridges.

Nicalis also has some footage of the second chapter and is planning a physical Switch edition.

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News:: Elite Dangerous is available now on PS4, and Elite was a bloody masterpiece

Elite Dangerous was released June 27, 2017 on the PlayStation 4 after enjoying a long run on the PC and Xbox One. Frontier has been working hard to keep providing updated contact for the massive, procedurally generated space trucking simulator with expansions adding planetary bases and exploration, transportation missions allowing players to play Crazy Taxi in space, user avatars, the horrifying and mysterious Thargoid alien presence, and a multi-crew ship mechanic encouraging multiplayer and co-operation in what is typically an extremely cut-throat online community.

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News:: Come see Star Wars Battlefront II's loot crate system in action

Star Wars Battlefront II will have a single-player campaign and its post-launch maps won't be tied to a way-too-expensive season pass that divides the player base. Those weren't my only concerns for the sequel, but they were the important ones -- the things DICE absolutely needed to get right.

In exchange for new maps, modes, weapons, and characters arriving as free updates, the studio has shifted to the lucrative loot crate model for Battlefront II. It's a trade I'll accept, assuming the drops are tuned properly and unlocks come at a halfway reasonable rate. You can get an early sense of the progression system in this EA-sanctioned video from YouTube user BattlefrontUpdates.

It works as you'd imagine. With credits earned in-game, you can buy crates of different rarities that drop items like equippable Star Cards, credits, and crafting parts, the latter of which are used to craft new Star Cards or upgrade your existing ones to the next, more powerful rarity tier. To that end, any duplicate drops you get from crates will be converted to crafting parts. They won't go to waste.

Big picture, I'd say this seems tolerable. I'd prefer to have crates dole out cosmetic unlocks instead of gameplay-affecting gear, but I'd also rather have this approach than a base-splitting season pass.

[Via reddit]

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News:: Xbox is gearing up for another Ultimate Game Sale

Like most platform-holders, Xbox is throwing a massive sale during the dog days of summer. Why wouldn't it? It's the perfect time of year when the seasonal lull leaves people bored enough to pick up some new games if the prices are right. The video game industry's schedule is cyclical, and summer sales have become a staple.

Beginning on June 30, Xbox's latest Ultimate Game Sale goes live. This particular title is reserved for Xbox's biggest discount event, so we can probably infer that these will be the most significant savings until Black Friday.

However, we don't yet know exactly what will be discounted. That information's coming in a day or two. All we know for know is: A handful of the titles that will be included, that Xbox Live Gold subscribers will save up to 75 percent on some games, and that the sale runs through July 10. 

Here's a list of some of the stuff that will be a part of the promotion:

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News:: Rick and Morty lick, lick, lick some balls in Rocket League DLC

To celebrate the second anniversary of Rocket League, developer Psyonix has teamed up with Adult Swim to make some Rick and Morty themed customization items. Unlike previous cosmetic pieces, these will all be free common drops for completing offline matches, meaning most players should be able to get them without a lot of effort.

Coming July 5, the DLC will include toppers themed after the titular duo and other characters like Mr. Meeseeks, a Cromulon ("SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT") and Mr. Poopy Butthole. There will also be an "Interdimensional GB" rocket booster and the "Sanchez DC-137" wheels. Well, wubba lubba dub dub, indeed!

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News:: Playdead's two masterpieces are getting a unified physical release

Playdead is, in baseball terms, batting a thousand. The Danish developer has stepped up to the plate twice, and both times it has knocked the ball out of the park. The sample size is small, sure, but it's impossible to deny the impact this indie studio has had on the games industry over the past decade or so.

Now, both of those masterpieces are getting bundled into a physical edition. On September 12, a two-pack consisting of Limbo and Inside will release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It's being published by 505 Games, and this is just its newest effort to have a more significant presence. 505 has been making some moves lately.

While it's obvious that these games are lauded enough to get this sort of release, the price point is somewhat suspect. The bundle is priced at $30, which is typically the floor for a physical product. And it's technically the cost of both titles on the PlayStation and Xbox storefronts ($10 for Limbo, $20 for Inside). But, most people have already had the opportunity to pick up Limbo for cheap or free over the years. It's one of those games that's everywhere. That alone will make some folks averse to the $30 cost.

Still, this is a nice commemoration of Playdead's efforts to date. For anyone who has gone this long without playing either of these, there's value here. Just know that there are usually better offers out there if you're willing to go the digital route rather than the physical one. 

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News:: The Xbox Game Pass library grows a little bigger this weekend

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription service was (and hopefully continues to be) a pleasant surprise. For $10 a month, it gives you access to 100+ games. Some are Xbox One titles, others are backward-compatible Xbox 360 games, and instead of streaming, you're actually downloading them.

For the right type of person, that's a dang good value. Where do we go from here, though? The next batch of games will join the Xbox Game Pass on Saturday, July 1. Here's the fresh meat:

• Dead Island Definitive Edition
• Resident Evil 6
• F1 2015
• The Flame In The Flood
• Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition
• Bard's Gold
• Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine

This group is not too terribly excited for my tastes, but, anyone and everyone should play Guacamelee.

I feel like you'd need to play a ton of games to get the most out of a yearly sub, but that's always the way with these services (anyone remember GameTap?). Nothing wrong with subscribing intermittently.

More Games Being Added To Xbox Game Pass On July 1st [Major Nelson]

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News:: Retroid talks about the SNES classic tonight

Hello everyone,

Nintendo announced the SNES Classic on Monday, easily the biggest retro news of the year so far. Before the announcement though, our own Jonathan Holmes did some investigative journalism and broke the story early. Was his article the reason the system was announced on Monday? Who can say? But he'll be on Retroid tonight to talk about the miniature console this evening along with Topher, Alex, and special guest Stella Turvey. 

We're interested in what you think of the mini SNES. Nintendo's made it clear this time that it'll be a limited-time promotional item, but have vowed to make more of these than the NES Classic, which was sold out everywhere last year. As of this writing preorders haven't yet opened in North America, but if you can risk taking a break from hitting F5 on Amazon's preorder page, why not ask us a question below?

If you've missed any of our previous episodes you can listen to them here or subscribe to our RSS feed. You can also ask questions and follow the show @RetroidPodcast to be the first to know when an episode is posted.

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News:: People are still having issues with NieR: Automata on PC

Look, there might be a bit of NSFW content involving 2B and a donkey below, just saying.

Bayonetta came out on PC recently and was lauded as a pretty good port over all, but not without its issues. There were annoying performance problems, unexplained frame drops, and generally a bunch of dicking around in the games settings needed to be done in order to get it in a playable state for many people.

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News:: Zen Studios announces Pinball FX3, featuring multiplayer matches

The mega popular Pinball FX series will be getting a new installment this year. Aptly named Pinball FX3, the game will contain all the zany antics fans have come to expect along with a brand new multiplayer mode featuring competitive play. How that works should be interesting to see, since pinball is typically a solo endeavor.

If that doesn't tickle your fancy, then fear not! Zen Studios also makes mention of a variety of single-player challenges that should push even the most skilled pinballers to their limits. No specifics have been given, but the game will be landing on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Windows 10 with three tables at launch.

That may seem paltry, but Zen Studios makes mention that a majority of the DLC for Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX2 will carry over into this new entry. That should definitely help alleviate concerns about a lack of content.

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News:: PS Plus' July offerings are pretty dang good

If you haven't played Until Dawn, I highly recommend you do so. It's one of the funnest games with a room full of people, and lacking that, a room where you can turn all the lights off and just generally get creeped out. It's obviously leading the pack for July's PS Plus lineup, but it's not the only big entry. 

With that, PS4 owners can also nab Telltale's Game of Thrones (just in time for the new season), PlayStation 3 users can get Tokyo Jungle (where's my sequel) and Darkstalkers Resurrection (RIP). Both of those are last gen gems, for sure. 

Here's the full line-up:

• Until Dawn - PS4
• Game of Thrones - PS4
• Tokyo Jungle - PS3
• Darkstalkers Resurrection - PS3
• Element4l - PS Vita
• Don’t Die, Mr. Robot - PS Vita (Cross Buy on PS4)

Don't forget to look through Sony's big PSN sale too. Some pretty dang good stuff going on there as well. 

PS Plus: Free Games for July 2017 [PlayStation Blog]

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News:: You can smell Dead or Alive Xtreme with Sense VR

To a lot of Western audiences, Japan seems plain weird. Anime can be super off putting, sexuality seems more prevalent and the general consensus is that Japanese people are just plain crazy. While that isn't true, something like Sense VR doesn't help diminish that misconception.

According to Famitsu (translated by Siliconera), Dead or Alive Xtreme Sense is a VR adaptation of the volleyball spin-off that will allow players to get splashed by and smell the leading ladies of the game. Everything about that description makes me feel like I just wrote a synopsis of a bizarre porno.

I'm guessing this works similar to those "4D" attractions you can visit at Disney World in that there will be some pre-selected scent that sprays out during certain scenes. Hopefully it isn't just sun tan lotion and sweat, because that would be plain unpleasant.

If you live in Japan, you'll be able to partake in this "attraction" at the new VR Sense amusement center. I can't find an exact location, but it should be available sometime this summer. God only knows how long the lines will be.

Dead or Alive Xtreme Sense Will Let Players Smell Girls And Get Splashed In “Sense VR” [Siliconera]

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News:: Here are a few places you can pre-order the SNES mini

Nintendo has done it again. They announced a piece of hardware that broke the internet -- a follow-up for the NES Mini -- the SNES Mini.

But this time a lot of prospective buyers are a little more fanatical about the whole affair thanks to the reveal that Star Fox 2, a game that's never been released in an official capacity, will be loaded on it. That, and the lineup in general is far more fierce than its NES predecessor -- we're talking multiple "all time greats" here.

So where can you pre-order it? Nowhere at the moment, but a few placeholders are up and ready for your F5 key. Best Buy usually sells out of Nintendo hardware quickly, Amazon doesn't typically list anything Nintendo until day zero, and Walmart is low key one of the easiest places to pre-order. We'll add more as additional listings pop up.

Good luck!

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News:: Revamped Twitch app streams live from your phone

As useful as the Twitch mobile app can be, it still falls short of what you're used to on the desktop, especially if you're a broadcaster. Would you believe that you have to switch apps just to stream live? Thankfully, it's shrinking that gap today. It's starting to roll out a Twitch app overhaul that adds some of the features you take for granted while refining the interface. For creators, the biggest deal is simply direct mobile streaming -- you can livestream to your channel without any go-between software. While phone-based broadcasting was certainly possible before, this could easily lead to more IRL streams from your favorite streamers.

Source: Twitch

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News:: 10 characters who need to be in Dragon Ball FighterZ

I've been constantly thinking about Dragon Ball FighterZ ever since its E3 reveal. Arc System Works has found the perfect property to show off their engine, and I'm hoping it's going to be a great experience for Dragon Ball and fighting game fans alike. 

But what about the roster? The Dragon Ball Z games have become infamous for their bloated character rosters, but in that same breath, are also beloved for including obscure choices like Devilman and Android #8. I'm sure the FighterZ roster is going to be much tighter, but I still have a few characters who I think need to be included. 

To make this a little tougher (and more entertaining to write), I stuck to Dragon Ball Z as I'm not sure the other series will be included. I also stayed away from "obvious" choices like Piccolo and Krillin because it would've been too easy (and I would've just written Yamcha ten times).

Here are the ten characters who need to be in Dragon Ball FighterZ.

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News:: An extra 10% off PSN credits for the PlayStation Mid-Year Sale

The PlayStation Mid-Year sale was announced this week. You can get up to 50% off dozens of games on the PSN Store for regular users or up to 75% off for PS Plus members. These discounts are decent on all fronts (especially for Vita titles) but on top of all the savings, there's a way to take an additional 10% off PSN store credits with a coupon/voucher code.

PSN Credit Deals

Use Code: 10OFFPS4

• PSN Credit $50 — $45  (list price $50)
• PSN Credit $20 — $18  (list price $20)
• PSN Credit $10 — $9  (list price $10)

While the coupon doesn't work directly on the PSN Store, it does allow you to pick up three different denomination of PSN credits at a cheaper price at digital retailer GMG. There you'll find instant email delivery PSN Credits 10% off after a voucher code marking down a $50 card to $45, etc.

Turning around and using the credit in the PlayStation Midyear sale will net you the best possible deals. The PSN voucher/coupon code will end on July 2 at 10am Pacific time. The aforementioned PlayStaSale Mid-Year sale runs through July 11 at 8am Pacific.

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News:: GymHuntr lets you pinpoint Pokemon Go raids without fear of being banned

For about a year now modders have been furiously writing scripts and programs that augment themselves to Pokemon Go and add features the developers haven't implemented or have taken out -- like actual creature tracking and the like.

Niantic has banned the use of those apps periodically (sometimes claiming that they slow down their infrastructure and cause crashes), including ones that are full-blown cheat programs that spoof their location so they can access Pokemon or Gyms that they aren't physically located at. But if you're so inclined, GymHuntr has been updated to showcase raid locations without any risk to your account.

You just head to the website, put your location in, and you're good to go. A Google Maps-esque aerial view will show you local gyms and raids, as well as the timer on each so you know if you have enough time to grab lunch before taking down a boss. In my experience it's fairly accurate, so give it a try.

GymHuntr [Twitter]

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News:: Review: Baby Driver

Edgar Wright is a director with a specific vision, and it's led him to make some of the funniest, most genre-bending films in the past decade. It's also led him to leave Ant-Man. How do you bounce back from someone not letting you express your directorial vision on a film? Make a movie that is all directorial vision. One that bends genre boundaries and does something lesser directors shouldn't even attempt.

Much like he did with Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and The World's End, Wright has taken a genre film and turned it on its head by shoving it in another genre. Baby Driver, is at its heart a car chase film, but it's also a musical.

Yeah, you read that right. 

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News:: Apply now for Engadget’s $500,000 immersive art program

We're just two days away from the official deadline to apply for Engadget's unreal arts program for unreal times. But what is time, really?

In the spirit of breaking with convention, we've extended the deadline to apply for Engadget's Alternate Realities grant program an entire week. If you're an artist working with emerging technologies like AR, VR or AI, you have until July 7th to apply for one of five grants of up to $100,000 a piece. If you hadn't heard, we're funding immersive art projects (no, they don't have to be AR or VR specifically) that focus on the theme of Alternate Realities. Those projects will debut at the Engadget Experience, a one-day event exploring the future of creativity at the historic United Artists Theatre in downtown LA on November 16th, 2017.

For more information you can check out our event page or apply here.

Source: The Engadget Experience

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News:: The best SNES games EVER vs. the SNES mini library

Destructoid's staff voted on the best Super Nintendo games ever a few weeks back in anticipation of the now-confirmed miniature SNES Classic. Things got a little heated. 

Niero: "Dude, you voted for 31 games."
Holmes: "I was drunk on power."

We assumed 30 games would be bundled with the system, but at an $80 price point the 20 games is reasonable if they were the best SNES games games ever. All peculiar and rare games were considered, and 106 games were nominated. Let's see how our staff's list of must-have games compares to the resold internet roms that Nintendo will be packing in. Oh, and we're going to do this on a single page, because we're not assholes.

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News:: My Nintendo gets some Pikmin themed rewards to get ready for the new game

Ah My Nintendo.

The service I like to keep people abreast of even if everyone hates it. Well, some people like it which is why so many folks like to check up on these articles -- but maybe that's just because inquiring minds are hoping that there will be something worthwhile? This check-in isn't going to be your salvation.

My Nintendo just added some Pikmin related rewards, including access to the Pikmin short films, wallpaper, a 3DS theme (described as "adorable"), and select discounts or free map packs for Pikmin 3 (with precious and slow-going gold coins).

When will Nintendo kick this program into gear and get Switch rewards into the mix? Stay tuned.

Rewards [My Nintendo]

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News:: Anime and 8-bit inspired The Count Lucanor is coming to Switch

I think this is starting to become a trend. A lot of really cool looking indie games kind of come and go, but as soon as they're announced for the Switch, everyone turns their gaze.

That happened for me this week when it comes to The Count Lucanor, an 8-bit inspired game with an incredible art style. "The Legend of Zelda, Yume Nikki, Silent Hill, and Dark Souls" are cited as influences, but for me the character designs (in the cutscenes especially) remind me of the anime Utena.

It's currently on Steam and the reception seems to be overwhelmingly positive, so I hope the port is up to snuff. In the meantime you can check out an older trailer below for the PC edition.

Ratalaika Games [Twitter]

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News:: Splatoon 2 is getting a new ranked mode centered around teams

Glixel had a chance to sit down with the development team for Splatoon 2 and clear up a few eSports related topics.

For one, the game will be getting a brand new competitive mode called "League Battle," which focuses on groups of two or four. Over a two hour period you'll be battling it out with other teams for points, and at the end a giant leaderboard will be posted. It's kind of like the Trials of Osiris mode in Destiny.

According to the team Salmon Run (the new co-op horde mode) is "intentionally" difficult, to appease folks who want to have more of a local experience this time around that expands beyond the campaign. There will be an online rendition of Salmon Run though, you just need to get level 4 online before you unlock it.

The interview has a few other interesting tidbits like how the developers worked around a voice chat requirement with signals and pings (like many popular MOBAs) and the fact that Salmon Run is built around not having voice chat.

After months of talk of Splatoon 2 but very little in the way of specifics, I'm ready to just dive into it headfirst.

'Splatoon 2' Makers on Esports and Why the New Salmon Run Co-Op Mode is so Hard [Glixel]

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