News:: Gundam the Origin IV is heading to GundamInfo for a limited time

It looks like GundamInfo's YouTube channel is on a roll lately. They're streaming Gundam ZZ and we're getting two Build Fighters pieces soon. Another great thing about this wonderful giant robot stream-a-palooza is that people can watch Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin IV: Eve of Destiny on their page from August 11 to September 11.

While the original manga was an expanded retelling of the original Gundam anime, the OVA series covers the source material's arc about Char's backstory, with the fourth installment focusing on how he met Lalah. Other than that, we get to see Amuro's dad being involved with the creation of the RX-78.

Even though the fourth OVA premiered last November, GundamInfo deserves props for giving their viewers the chance to see it for free. At the same time, it'll help them get ready for the fifth episode's release on September 2. If the Red Comet's influence is strong, we might see more people use Char's Zaku in Gundam Versus.

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE ORIGIN IV Eve of Destiny Limited Time Streaming from Aug 11! [GundamInfo]

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News:: 8Bitdo's NES30 arcade stick is worth a look for Switch owners

That lovely-looking NES30 arcade stick from 8Bitdo is up for pre-order ahead of an August 20, 2017 release. It's $80 on Amazon and supports wireless play via Bluetooth, USB, D-Input and X-Input functionality, and easy modding. The company clocks the battery life at 18 hours.

While the stick is aimed at Switch owners, it's also compatible with Windows, Mac, and Android.

What about games? Aside from Ultra Street Fighter II, there's an awful lot of Neo Geo titles coming out that'd make good use of an arcade stick. Just today we got Aero Fighters 2, Gunbarich, and Strikers 1945.

I haven't settled on which 8Bitdo controller I want to get, but I'm leaning toward the SNES pads.

8Bitdo [Twitter]

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News:: Last chance on 15% off Eve PLEX as Summer Sale ends

"Back in my day, it only took one PLEX to buy 30 days of Game Time," said the old man who could have started playing the space MMO just months ago. PLEX "inflated" by a factor of 500 earlier this year in order to replace the need for Aurum (players were compensated for the currency conversion of course). While the dust was settling over the big change, we haven't noticed any deals on Eve Online PLEX. That has changed.

Tucked away as a side deal in Green Man Gaming's 2017 Summer Sale is 15% off PLEX. While this may not seem like a massive discount, one should note that when PLEX went on sale in the past it normally was 10% off. This is slightly higher and we've rounded up all the new deals below.

Eve PLEX Deals

• EVE Online: 2860 Plex — $84.99  (list price $100)
• EVE Online: 1100 Plex — $33.99  (list price $40)
• EVE Online: 500 Plex — $16.99  (list price $20)
• EVE Online: 240 Plex — $8.49  (list price $10)
• EVE Online: 110 Plex — $4.24  (list price $5)

The GMG 2017 Summer Sale is only going to be around for a limited time. The PLEX discounts will disappear on Friday, August 4 at 11:00am Eastern.

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News:: Open-world adventure game 'Rime' comes to the Switch this November

Tequila Works' highly-anticipated indie game Rime, formerly planned as a PS4 exclusive, is also headed to PC, the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. While some were worried the open-world adventure would cost more on the Switch (it won't), Rime will still take longer to arrive on Nintendo's portable console. The publishers have finally announced a release date for the title: November 14th for North American Switch owners and November 17th for European ones.

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News:: Comments of the Week 10: Double Digits

The big 1 and 0.

This is the first real milestone of the new series of Comments of the Week, good ol' "CotW Number 10" - so far so good. Everyone hitting deadlines and compiling really well-structured blogs, ZombZ flexing his creative muscles, and FakePlasticTree whipping us whenever we fall behind schedule. It's been grand, and will (should) only get better from here onward.

For such a momentous week it is only fitting that I, TheLimoMaker, am the one to bring you the best comments of the week, whether they be profound or funny, because I have the best judge of what comments are the best. This is only because I have very low standards.

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News:: The Evil Within 2 has deeper upgrade and crafting systems

The Evil Within gave protagonist Sebastian Castellanos a handful of different methods to survive. These were mostly tied to the green gel item, as Sebastian could use it to better either himself or his weapons. It was limited but functional. The sequel aims to greatly improve on this.

Bethesda has outlined the upgrade process in The Evil Within 2 and it's more divergent than its predecessor. Now, Sebastian won't have to choose between his physical ability and his armaments; they're two separate categories.

The green gel is back but this time it's only used to enhance Sebastian. There's an upgrade tree made up of five different branches, and players will have to decide where to allot the skills. The five areas are: Health, Stealth, Combat, Recovery, and Athleticism.

As for the weapons, Sebastian will have to find parts to make his tools more deadly. When it's time to upgrade, players will have to choose whether to use the parts on reload time, ammo capacity, damage, etc. Once leaning toward certain weapons, there's a crafting system to create the type of ammunition that fits the playstyle.

It's deeper than the first game but it also seems like a couple of standard fare systems. What matters is that limited resources is a hallmark of survival horror. Tailoring your style is good as long as Sebastian still feels relatively underpowered. Bethesda seems to understand this, as it wrote "You won't be able to turn Sebastian into an invincible killing machine. You can make him hardier, faster, and 'sneakier'… however, you'll still need to be smart. You'll never be safe in Union, but you can be prepared to face whatever awaits you at your own pace."

The Evil Within 2 -- Customizing Your Experience [Bethesda]

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News:: WNBA stars to appear in NBA Live 18

Lace up your high tops, kids, because this fall NBA Live 18 will be the first licensed basketball game to feature WNBA stars and teams.

In a move reminiscent of FIFA 16's inclusion of twelve women's national teams, EA Sports will be including all twelve WNBA teams in this year's annual NBA franchise. Facial scans were performed on nine star players from the league, with motion capturing performed on more, to bring the professional women's league to gamers.

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News:: You can play the first five hours of Ghost Recon Wildlands for free

Ubisoft has rolled out an extended trial for Ghost Recon Wildlands on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 that you can play alone, with friends, and even with your pals who already own the full version.

With the right group of mischief makers assembled (and PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold for co-op functionality), this could be a fun-enough way to spend several hours. The trial includes "full access" to the open world, according to Ubisoft, and your progress will carry over to the full game.

Considering how ridiculously well Wildlands is selling, they probably didn't need to do this.

Ghost Recon Wildlands – Free Trial Available Now [UbiBlog]

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News:: Q.U.B.E. 2 announced, Q.U.B.E. with a vengeance

Indie developer Toxic Games have announced Q.U.B.E. 2, a follow-up to their 2011 first-person puzzler of the same name, minus two. It's set for an early 2018 release window for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

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News:: Meet some of the cast of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Death and despair are coming for some unfortunate kids next month, so why not take the time to get introduced to them? NIS America has uploaded the first part of a roll call trailer for the students of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. While super short and not really all that informative, it does give you a quick taste of the English voice overs for the game. Maybe if I weren't such a weeabo geek, I would actually tolerate something other than Japanese.

Then again, Monokuma's Japanese actress was replaced after Danganronpa 2, so he'll probably never be the same.

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News:: Classic graphics added to Cave Story+ on Nintendo Switch

Slowly but surely, Cave Story+ on Nintendo Switch is getting even better.

Today's update doesn't introduce two-player co-op (I'm going to lose my mind when that day comes), but it does add a much-appreciated option: classic graphics. If you don't like the smoothed-over art and/or the new water effects, no biggie. You can swap over to the familiar pixel aesthetic. I didn't mind the new look at first, but now that I've seen them side-by-side, I'm changing over, no question.

The patch is live in North America and should be live in Europe soon if it isn't already.

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News:: Naughty words will get you auto-banned in Rocket League

In an effort to crack down on toxic players and racial slurs being hurled around their game, Psyonix is going to be implementing a new auto-banning feature to Rocket League next week. Using the current reporting system an AI will look through the chat and see if the offender used one of the 20 words that are grounds for banning.

But not all naughty words are created equal, certain ones carry heavier weight so you may be able to get away with one or two words if it's not too bad but some of the more severe (I assume of the racist and more hate-fueled variety) will be grounds for immediate action. After the word thresholds are reached the AI will hand out bans on an increasing scale starting at 24 hours then ramping it up to 72 hours, followed by a week and ultimately a lifetime ban on the account.

To me this is a good step in the right direction because unless they had trained monkeys working around the clock I doubt the small scale Psyonix could have kept up with the glut of reports from their runaway hit. It also looks a bit more nuanced than say Twitter's auto-banning feature where it actually allows you some leeway instead of just clamping down on the first minor offense. I don't think it will stop people from saying stuff naughty things in the voice chat but anything that lowers the toxicity of my star crossed lover Rocket League is a-ok in my book.

New ban practices and season 4 rewards update [Rocket League]

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News:: GameStop is giving out a free Salazzle for Pokemon Sun and Moon

It's not a Legendary, but it's something, I guess.

If you feel like heading over to a GameStop from August 14 until September 12, you can grab a free Salazzle. It'll sport Fake Out, Flamethrower, Sludge Bomb, and Toxic. Naturally this distribution event is exclusive to Pokemon Sun and Moon given the Pokemon in question.

I'm still really happy with Sun and Moon, though it's interesting to hear such a mixed reaction to it. Some are just sick of the formula in general, so I wonder how much of a shakeup the Switch edition will be when it eventually hits.

My suggestion after researching images for this story -- do not Google Salazzle.

Salazzle Event [Serebii.net] [image]

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News:: New Prey update targets screen-tearing and stuttering on PS4

Prey has been sitting comfortably on my to-play list. I'm confident I'll like it, but I'm also certain I don't have much patience for weird technical woes and pesky bugs. Arkane has been working to get the game to a better place, and today's update sounds like a significant improvement -- especially on PS4.

Notably, the update attempts to remedy screen-tearing and stuttering on PlayStation 4, an issue Digital Foundry summed up as "the worst instance of irregular frame delivery we've encountered."

The patch is live, so give it a try and let us know how it handles.

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News:: Nintendo Switch players are getting Rime in November

Nintendo Switch owners will have to wait a while longer for Rime. Tequila Works' puzzle-adventure title is planned for release on November 14 in North America and November 17 in European territories, priced at $30 digitally and $40 physically (with a soundtrack download code included).

Rime first launched on PC, PS4, and Xbox One back in May, with Chris settling on a solid seven out of ten in his review. "I really saw what Tequila Works was trying to do by the time the curtain closed and it ended up spurring another partial playthrough in the process," he wrote. "Even during its most underwhelming moments Rime got a response out of me, and I'll remember it for years to come."

I still haven't bought Rime, so if the Switch port runs reasonably well, I may end up waiting for that. We already know it will run at 720p whether your Switch is docked or you're playing it handheld.

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News:: Monster Hunter XX sales will dictate Capcom's Switch support going forward

By way of a Capcom investor report, we have a little more clarity on their stance on the Switch.

Earlier this year they stated that sales from Ultra Street Fighter II would influence whether or not the game would come to other systems (that sold 350 thousand units worldwide, by the way), but that was more about Street Fighter and less about the Switch. But as of this week, Capcom is apparently basing their future efforts on the reception for Monster Hunter XX.

By way of the report, a Capcom official stated: "The Nintendo Switch seems to be doing very well, and we look forward to further growth in its install base. Beginning with Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) Nintendo Switch Ver. for Japan, we are evaluating how we will support this platform in the future." It's light, but it seems pretty open and shut.

If you want more Switch games or Capcom support, consider downloading the XX demo next week on August 10. It's free, and will probably be counted as a vote of sorts for the platform, or at the very least, a localization request.

Capcom IR [Capcom]

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News:: Sonic Mania's bonus stages are nostalgic as heck

When we got word that special stages would return for Sonic Mania, I tried to name my favorite type and came up short. I couldn't name a winner, even just taking the classic games into consideration. I liked each of the special stages for different reasons. Turns out Sonic Mania is not only doing Sonic CD-style 3D running stages, but also bonus stages that look straight out of Sonic 3. That's so great!

Love 'em or hate 'em, the blue and red spheres are back. They're tricky little suckers, especially when you're only a handful of spheres away from reaching the goal and your nerves start getting the better of you. "Where the hell are they? I've looked everywhere!" It's such a good feeling when you finally track down that last set, collect them all, and get the eff out of there. You can breathe again.

As a lapsed fan, it sure is nice to be genuinely excited about a Sonic game.

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News:: Saints Row ruined Grand Theft Auto for me

My relationship with the car-jacking hooker-mugging series we all know as Grand Theft Auto began the way it does for a lot of people. Sometime when I was in middle school, a friend brought over a copy of Grand Theft Auto III. It was a weird moment for a twelve-year-old, to feel like you’re getting away with something by playing a video game, but Grand Theft Auto was taboo. It was in the media constantly at the time, the number-one game to shit on when it came to games “destroying our youth.”

For those reasons, Grand Theft Auto will always hold a special place in my heart, but that isn’t what I’m here to talk about. No, I want to talk about the game that showed me the open world career criminal game could be done better. I’m of course talking about Saints Row 2.

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News:: Tomb raiding is back in Assassin's Creed Origins

Remember those tombs that challenged your platforming skills in Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Revelations? Did you miss them in Rogue, Unity, and Syndicate? If so then good news because they're back for Assassin's Creed: Origins and like in the past they are based on real locations, this time on real Egyptian tombs and pyramids.

Creative director Ashraf Ismail told Official PlayStation Magazine "A lot of them are actually built off of the actual true tombs that we’ve researched...we put a lot of effort into recreating these tombs. Everything that is actually known we’ve mapped it out, we have images, we have research that’s been done on tombs, we actually try to replicate it as close as possible. So for example, the Greek pyramid, all the chambers, all the corridors are an authentic representation. Now, of course, we have a bit of fun and go a bit further, like, what are the secret chambers that have not been discovered yet?"

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News:: WNBA teams make their console debut in ‘NBA Live 18’

It looks like EA is finally getting the idea that women play sports and that video game fans want to see them in their sports titles. Since the video game company has women's soccer teams in soccer sim FIFA, it's now set to add WNBA teams and players to its NBA Live franchise, the latest of which launches on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in September. This is the first time the official WNBA roster will appear in a video game.

Source: EA Sports

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News:: Before you download Monster Hunter XX's region free Switch demo, get a brief look at it

As we already mentioned this week, Monster Hunter XX isn't confirmed for the west yet (though Capcom gave us their cheeky "anything can happen" type response).

Don't fret though, because this Switch exclusive will be super easy to import if you follow our handy guide for the region-free eShop -- which will help you also net the demo on August 10. If you have no intention of wading through Japanese or don't own a Switch, you can check out this cute Felyne-centric clip below instead. Or you can watch it and download the demo.

I think I'm okay missing out so long as World delivers.

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News:: ‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ arrives on Nintendo Switch August 22nd

The second episode of Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two will be released on August 15th and like the first episode, it will be available for download on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices. Entitled "Giant Consequences," episode two takes up where the first installment left off -- Jesse and company have brought back a lost adventurer, a powerful device and an enemy that the team needs to find out more about. And their next adventure takes them into an "icy unknown."

Source: Telltale

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News:: Watch a businessman run from Ultramen in the first gameplay look of City Shrouded in Shadow

City Shrouded in Shadow is a survival game that has been gaining more and more attention in the west with it's diverse cast of monsters, and now we finally have a first look at actual gameplay. From the makers of the Disaster Report series (but unrelated), City Shrouded in Shadow has you playing a couple trying to evade Godzilla, Ultraman, Evangelion units, and many more.

The live gameplay demo being played by the developers shows the young businessman protagonist avoiding being stepped on by Ultramen, shopping at a convenient store, and interacting with other survivors. Dialogue choices include caring or helpful responses, insults that provoke some to fight you, and comical options such as taking the rare opportunity to get a selfie in front of two battling Ultramen. 

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News:: Thumper will hit Xbox One this month

Thumper came out of nowhere for me.

Billed as a "rhythm violence" game I didn't really get it, until I played it in VR. It utilizes a soundtrack that's equal parts entrancing and unsettling, and combines it with a very cool roller coaster-esque gameplay loop. So far it's hit PC, PS4 and Switch, but now developer Drool is ready to unveil the Xbox One release date -- August 18.

If you haven't tried it yet, fix that, even if you check it out at a friend's house. The isolating feeling of VR is probably the best way to experience it with good headphones jacked up to the max.

 

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News:: $12 Doom, Fallout 4 plus $4 Wolfenstein in one day PC flash sale

Summer Sale is coming to an end at digital retailer Green Man Gaming and they are tossing out some of the best deals of the year to close out their "encore" phase of the sale. While Fallout 4 isn't dropping back down to its previous low price of $11.24 (hence the sweet headline image), you can still pick it up for $12. Not quite $11, but still a sweet deal in our opinion in a game that Bethesda will undoubtedly remake again and again ala Skyrim.

On the flip side, the Steam copy of Doom has now hit a new low price of $12 thanks to GMG's encore sale, and for FPS fans, you'll now have a second shot in picking up Rainbow Six: Siege Standard, Complete, Year 2 Gold at great pricing.

Other highlights in the encore summer sale includes $4 Wolfenstein: The New Order and The Old Blood, plus The Evil Within. Dishonored 2, despite all its fault, is now only $16. Best perk? Picking up any of these aforementioned title gets you a free "mystery game" as an additional bonus.

Last Chance Flash Deals

Use Code: DEALZON20

• Doom (Steam) — $12  (list price $30)
• Fallout 4 (Steam) — $12  (list price $30)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands (Uplay) — $32.15  (list price $60)
• Sniper Elite 4 (Steam) — $24  (list price $60)
• EVE Online - Premium Edition — $20  (list price $50)
• Hitman: The Complete First Season (Steam) — $19.20  (list price $60)
• Kerbal Space Program (Steam) — $16  (list price $40)
• Dishonored 2 (Steam) — $16  (list price $40)
• Sid Meier's Civilization V: Complete Edition (Steam) — $10  (list price $50)
• Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Steam) — $9.60  (list price $30)
• 7 Days to Die (Steam) — $7.60  (list price $25)
• Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition (Steam) — $7.04  (list price $40)
• Metro Redux Bundle (Steam) — $6  (list price $30)
• Left 4 Dead Bundle (Steam) — $4.80  (list price $30)
• Portal Bundle (Steam) — $4  (list price $25)
• The Evil Within (Steam) — $4  (list price $20)
• Life is Strange: Complete Season - Episodes 1-5 (Steam) — $4  (list price $20)
• Wolfenstein: The New Order (Steam) — $4  (list price $20)
• Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (Steam) — $4  (list price $20)
• The Orange Box (Steam) — $3.20  (list price $20)
• Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY (Steam) — $3.20  (list price $20)
• Left 4 Dead 2 (Steam) — $3.20  (list price $20)
• Portal 2 (Steam) — $3.20  (list price $20)
• Half Life 2 (Steam) — $1.60  (list price $10)

More Last Chance Summer Sale Deals

• EVE Online: 2860 Plex — $84.99  (list price $100)
• For Honor (Uplay) — $40.19  (list price $60)
• Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey (Steam) — $39.89  (list price $60)
• Resident Evil 7 (Steam) — $35.99  (list price $60)
• Watch_Dogs 2 (Uplay) — $30  (list price $60)
• Dead Rising 4 (Steam) — $30  (list price $60)
• XCOM 2 (Steam) — $24  (list price $60)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (Uplay) — $22.79  (list price $40)
• Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book (Steam) — $19.94  (list price $30)
• Anno 2205 (Uplay) — $19  (list price $40)
• Street Fighter V (Steam) — $19  (list price $40)
• DiRT Rally (Steam) — $17.99  (list price $60)
• EVE Online: 500 Plex — $16.99  (list price $20)
• Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (Steam) — $15.20  (list price $40)
• Just Cause 3 (Steam) — $15  (list price $60)
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Steam) — $15  (list price $60)
• Dead Rising (Steam) — $9.50  (list price $20)
• Offworld Trading Company (Steam) — $7.20  (list price $20)
• ANNO 2070 Complete Edition (Uplay) — $7.12  (list price $30)
• Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition (Steam) — $6.46  (list price $20)
• Trillion: God of Destruction (Steam) — $4.50  (list price $30)
• Dishonored (Steam) — $2.37  (list price $10)

Deals above all expire on Friday, August 4 at 11am Eastern. Don't see anything you like? Browse our full list of the sale here.

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News:: Nintendo Download: Retro City Rampage DX

Well, it's an easy breezy week for the Switch, but after some big releases, it makes sense.

Retro City Rampage DX completes its domination of every platform under the sun today as it's hitting the Switch, in addition to NeoGeo Aero Fighters 2, Slime-san, Gunbarich, Strikers 1945, Puzzle Adventure Blockle, Use Your Words, and Infinite Minigolf. VoxelMaker will arrive on Wii U and Flight of Light drops on the 3DS. Not a whole lot going on with those fronts today!

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