News:: Live Show: The GTFOMLG Show Episode 8.0

Remember that scene in the original Star Wars movie where Luke is hopping through those purple caves, while avoiding bouncing boulders and shooting giant pill bugs in the face? Yeah, neither do I... Get ready to set aside whatever you THINK you know about the movies as we explore Star Wars for the NES tonight at 7pm PST on Dtoid.TV.

I've always loved the SNES versions of these games, but have never played this title. Ever. And after an hour or so of checking it out, I think I know why. So far, it's an abomination, but we'll see if it grows on my during the show. After that, stick around as we cleanse our palate with a bit of the recently released Sonic Mania. See you there!

[The GTFOMLG Show airs Monday through Thursday at 7p.m. Pacific on Dtoid.TV. Watch Rick 'King Foom' Olson play a variety of retro games, chosen by the viewers. With a heavy focus on community interaction, you can be as much a part of the show as anything else.]

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News:: Deal: Agents of Mayhem and August release titles up to 26% off

It's been a long summer dry spell of new releases, but Volition's Agents of Mayhem has broken the ice with its release today. PC gamers can pick up deals as high as 26% off from various digital retailers. Console gamers? Your best bet is either Amazon Prime's 20% off, or Best Buy's similar Gamers Club Unlocked discount.

For the Steam copy of Agents of Mayhem, one of the best deals is at digital retailer GMG for $44.27, which is offering a 10% off discount code for titles releasing in August - which of course includes today's title published by Deep Silver. The open-world action shooter has climbed to the #3 top-seller spot on Steam with mostly positive reviews. You can also find the game available at GamesPlanet for about $43.73 after currency conversion.

August Releases

Use Coupon: AUGUST10

• 08/15: Agents of Mayhem (Steam) — $44.27  (list price $60)
• 08/16: War Tech Fighters (Steam) — $9.75  (list price $15)
• 08/22: The Escapists 2 (Steam) — $15.29  (list price $20)
• 08/29: Warriors All-Stars (Steam) — $38.24  (list price $50)
• 08/29: Dead Alliance (Steam) — $30.59  (list price $40)
• 08/31: Life Is Strange: Before The Storm (Steam) — $15.29  (list price $20)
• 08/31: Life Is Strange: Before The Storm Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $19.12  (list price $25)

Other noteworthy August titles include Life is Strange: Before the Storm along with The Escapists 2 - both of which are highly anticipated for their respective fanbase.

For those wondering, we tried the code on the August 29 release of XCOM 2: War of the Chosen and unfortunately it's a no-go. Having said that, GMG does offer the expansion for 25% off at $30 which is close to its lowest price since pre-orders become available earlier this year.

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News:: Cities: Skylines out now for PS4

After waiting patiently since the Xbox One release of Cities: Skylines in April, PlayStation 4 owners can now jump into the massively popular city builder. Ported over from the PC thanks to Tantalus Media, the game is bundled with the Night Life expansion that brings buildings such as casinos and luxury hotels that weren't included in the base game. No word on when or if the other expansions will make it over to the PS4 but if I know Paradox like I think I do, they are in this for the long haul so expect DLC for years to come.

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News:: Dance it up as Ariana Grande in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius

In one of the weirdest crossovers that I've ever seen Square Enix announced today that a character based on Ariana Grande would be available during the cleverly titled "Summer Ariana" Final Fantasy Brave Exvius summer event. The character who I guess looks like Ariana Grande if she were made of pixels goes by the name of "Chic Ariana" and will be available during the event that runs from August 18 through September 1.

In order to get the pop star you will need to complete a portion of the "Musical Showdown" event which I'm sure involves lots of creepy old men and forgotten stage moms living vicariously through your character. In addition to the new character, players will battle a new "Epic Bard" boss as well as enter into a contest for two tickets to Grande's Dangerous Woman tour. The contest that is being run through the game's Facebook site only requires that you take a picture of your team and fluff up Grande and Square with how much you love both of them. The kicker? You gotta go to Taipei or Singapore for the concert on your dime.

Surprisingly enough this isn't the first time these two entities have collaborated. A few months ago a similar event ran where players could get "Dangerous Ariana." It's really weird to see Square going so full-measure with these product tie-ins after shunning tie-ins for years. We've seen Lightning Prada, Cup Noodles in Final Fantasy XV, where does it go from here? Me personally, I can't wait for Sora to take a big old gulp of Crystal Pepsi in Kingdom Hearts 3 and look at the camera to say "Nothing like the refreshing taste of Crystal Pepsi to clear the darkness away."

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News:: Burnout-inspired Danger Zone headed to Xbox One

Three Fields Entertainment followed up its destructive golf game Dangerous Golf with a destruction-centric driving game, Danger Zone. What'll they have us wreck next? I'm curious to find out. In the mean time, the studio is working on porting the latter game over to Xbox One.

Danger Zone explodes on to @Xbox this Fall. 12 new levels. 3 new cars. Enhanced for Xbox One X including native 4k. Follow us for news/vids http://pic.twitter.com/JofVArQIqa

— Official TFE (@3FieldsEnt) August 15, 2017

I like the types of games these folks are making. It's just a shame they're falling below expectations.

"Mainly, my biggest complaint is just that Danger Zone isn't long enough," Peter wrote in his review. "I really do want more, either through more traffic venues or an expansion into regular racing and multiplayer action. For what the game provides, it is perfectly fine."

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News:: Final Fantasy XV's Prompto VR shooter mode has been canceled

Originally revealed last year at E3 2016, Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XV would be playable in VR, in the form of the “VR Experience.” It was showcased as a first-person lightgun-style mode, in which you play as Prompto (who was sporting a snazzy PlayStation VR headset) and shoot enemies in their weak spots and teleport around the environment.

However, over a year later, Square Enix has confirmed that this “technology demo,” as they put it, will no longer be released to the public and is effectively canceled.

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News:: Resident Evil 2 is getting a board game

Steamforged Games, the company responsible for the Dark Souls board game, has announced a new partnership with Capcom to bring a tabletop adventure based on Resident Evil 2. 

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game will be launched via Kickstarter in late Autumn of 2017, although I'm still a little perplexed as to why Resident Evil 2 was chosen over the first game. No other Resident Evil board game exists to my knowledge unless we're counting the deck-building game.

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News:: Blow stuff up and fight evil as ‘Agents of Mayhem’ on console and PC

In the age of online-only Overwatch, you might think to yourself, 'I'd love this hero shooter stuff if it was in a single-player campaign.' You might want a game that had great cartoony art as you blow enemies away. You might want it to be funny and a bit crass -- say, written by the studio responsible for the bizarre sandbox series Saints Row. If you checked those boxes, Agents of Mayhem is probably right for you, and it's available now for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Source: Agents of Mayhem (Twitter)

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News:: What's up with ReCore? We find out in five days

You'd be forgiven if you thought ReCore was dead. For months now, it's existed akin to a heart rate monitor that blips the faintest beat just often enough to indicate there's still some life left. We'll find out in five days what that pulse amounts to.

This afternoon, nearly three months since its last public Twitter update, the ReCore account revealed that there's an announcement coming on August 20. Sunday's an odd day for news, but it lines up perfectly with Xbox's gamescom plans. Tucked in between Xbox One X and Crackdown talk will be the future of ReCore.

For those who haven't kept up with the ReCore saga, it's looking likely that this announcement will be for a "Definitive Edition" of a game that currently has no DLC. The German ratings board outed the existence of this version back in March, but we haven't heard anything about it since.

What this edition is likely to contain (apart from patches and the HDR update) is the game's fifth robot that was ripped out of the final product. Microsoft acknowledged the missing tank frame soon after launch, asking people to "stay tuned for news." In December, developer Armature released a tank trailer that stated the final robot would come in early 2017.

Now, 11 months since ReCore's release, it's looking more likely that the add-on and the Definitive Edition will target the game's one-year anniversary. Presumably, ReCore's finished product is right around the corner. But, presuming anything about ReCore thus far has only ended in disappointment and more waiting. We'll find out what's up on Sunday.

@ReCoreGame [Twitter]

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News:: D&D's revamped RPG companion site is live

Back in March, Wizards of the Coast announced a new digital toolset for Dungeons & Dragons that would eliminate the agony of paperwork in the pen-and-paper game. Players can still gather around a table and roll their own dice, but the web-based D&D Beyond will handle all their characters' stats, skills and modifiers to streamline play. Today, the toolset is available for everyone with both free and paid tiers. Time to assemble a party, adventurers.

Source: D&D Beyond

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News:: Are You Afraid of the Orc?

Submitted for the approval of the Mordor Society, I call this story: Here's a New Middle-earth: Shadow of War Trailer Where One of the Tribes Is Really Scary.

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News:: XCOM, Borderlands and more in 2K Games Humble Bundle for PSN

If you have a participating PSN account, then there's currently a very cool 2K Games bundle available over at the Humble Bundle site, bagging you a lot of great, classic titles, across various Sony platforms, for very little cash.

Currently, just five dollars will get you XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Civilization Revolution II for the PS Vita. Alongside these titles you also get BioShock, The Bureau, Spec Ops: The Line, Mafia II, XCOM: Enemy Within, and Borderlands 1 & 2 for the PS3. If that wasn't enough the $5 deal also includes Battleborn and Evolve for the PS4. That's eleven games in total!

Stepping up a tier to twenty dollars will also add the excellent XCOM 2 for the PS4. That's a hell of a lot of good games for a pretty slim amount of cash, the proceeds of which can be donated to the current charity, Covenant House, which helps the homeless youth.

As usual the current bundle will be available for the next two weeks. It is required that you have a PSN account registered to one of the countries listed here. Be sure to check the link before you put down your money to avoid disappointment, followed by rage, then possibly structural damage.

Humble 2K PSN Bundle [Humble Bundle]

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News:: Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder looks wild

Either I've been asleep at the keyboard or ACE Team and Atlus haven't had much to say about Rock of Ages 2 as of late, because I completely forgot this game was happening. That's maybe for the best, though -- the sequel looks as weird as ever, and I want to play it as soon as possible.

Thankfully, it's releasing soon: August 28 on PC and PlayStation 4, and August 29 on Xbox One.

Gaze into this art-fueled madness:

If you're new to the series, Rock of Ages is about rolling a boulder down a hill, dodging obstacles, and ramming yourself into the enemy's castle. There aren't many "rolling" games these days, so it has that going for it, but it also has a crazy good aesthetic that draws from a wide range of art periods.

I had a hard time figuring out which screenshot best represented Rock of Ages 2. They're all so good!

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News:: Metal Gear Rising slices onto Xbox One backward compatibility

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is now available to play on Xbox One. I honestly don't even need to write anything else, since fans of the game will probably be immediately jumping back into the fray with the sombrero clad Raiden to take out Senator Armstrong on his quest to "make America great again." Honestly, did everyone just forget about Rising when Trump was running for president?

The wacky antics of Raiden aren't the only thing coming to Xbox One today. ScreamRide, a sort of spiritual successor to RollerCoaster Tycoon, is also now ready to play on Microsoft's current box. While I have no qualms with the game, it is an odd choice as an Xbox One port exists. I suppose if you happened to buy the last generation version, you won't need to upgrade now.

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News:: Telltale Games looking for a 'Nintendo Compliance Specialist'

Telltale Games currently has a job vacancy listed for a Nintendo Compliance Specialist, to work with the acclaimed adventure game developers on some upcoming projects.

With Minecraft Story Mode: Season One recently announced for the Nintendo Switch, fans were hoping that this could see a new trend of Telltale's games being ported to the platform. This new role, advertised at the weekend, lends a lot of support to that hope.

The successful candidate will be Telltale's in-house expert on all Nintendo platforms, and will work alongside creative teams, project managers and QA testers to ensure compliance and certification "for our upcoming IPs and current award-winning titles."

That seems like pretty snug assurance that the company has big plans going forward. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before Nintendo fans see more of the company's wares, new and old, arrive on the Switch, 3DS and/or WiiU platforms.

TellTale Games job vacancy [Indeed.com]

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News:: ‘EVE: Valkyrie’ won’t require VR come September

EVE: Valkyrie was one of the first games Oculus used to show off one of its Rift prototypes, and since 2014, the game has been associated exclusively with virtual reality. That's changing. The game's "Warzone" update will strip the VR headset requirement, allowing anyone with a PlayStation 4 or powerful enough PC to play the game. If you're keeping track at home, that means true cross-platform multiplayer is here; you'll be able to battle folks on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PC, PS4 and PSVR.

Source: EVE: Valkyrie

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News:: Did you know Sonic Mania has unlockable goodies?

As fans have finally gotten a hold of the wildly anticipated Sonic Mania, they are discovering the game has a couple of secrets up its sleeves for those willing to take on the bonus stages. In particular, a mode based on a long-running joke for the franchise has finally happened. A mode so great, I don't see why you would play anything else afterwards, unless you chuckle like Sonic.

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News:: Atari partners with LGBT Media to make more inclusive games

Atari is making good on its promise to stake part of its strategy on LGBTQ apps. The company has formed a partnership with LGBT Media, the company behind the social app LGBTQutie, to reach more of the community. The deal will see LGBT Media acquire and "re-launch" Atari's city-building game Pridefest by taking advantage of its connections to the LGBTQ community, including an expansion of the title's social side. Ultimately, the two hope to create a "new standard" for gaming in a demographic that they see as underserved.

Source: Marketwired

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News:: Review: Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition

I remember the Video Game Violence senate hearings like they were yesterday. Who knew that my bright pink Lethal Enforcers light-gun would turn me into a raging psychopath? Or that the clunky Mega Drive port of Mortal Kombat was such a threat to society? Then there was Night Trap, the Mega CD game that rewarded players for assaulting teenage girls. Or something.

It's easy to look back and laugh at the ridiculousness of such a furor, but it really wasn't funny at the time. As a gamer it was fucking annoying being treated like a sociopath by the media, whilst having to defend your hobby to your parents, who now thought you were huddled upstairs over Murder Simulators. Thank God gaming is treated with less hostility and more reverence today... right?

For anyone who missed out on that particular period of hysteria, indie-outfit Screaming Villains have just the flashback you need. 25 years since it was pulled from Toys 'R' Us, the lobbyist-worrying and youth-corrupting Night Trap is back, ready to ruin a whole new generation of children's minds. Has time been kind to this game, which is a staple of many "Worst Game Ever" lists? Let's dive headlong into a plume of dry ice and find out.

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News:: Swery's new game is a mystery RPG where people turn into cats

We were supposed to have to wait until PAX West to find out what Hidetaka "Swery65" Suehiro and his new studio White Owls are up to. Those plans have been accelerated, as game crowdfunding platform Fig sent out an email announcing Swery's next title The Good Life.

The Good Life is about a photographer named Naomi who's stuck in a rural English village. That town is hiding quite the secret though: Come nightfall, everyone in the town turns into a cat. Here's the full description that was included in the email blast:

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News:: Destiny 2's PC beta starts at the end of this month

Those eager to get some early Destiny 2 gameplay going will be delighted to know that the PC beta for Bungie's sci-fi space opera will be held from August 29th to the 31st. If you pre-order the game through Battle.net, you can get an extra day of game time to test out the sequel.  The beta will include the very first mission of the game, the co-op Strike "Inverted Spire" and two maps for PvP action.

Along with that information, Nvidia has released a 4K trailer of the game to showcase its graphical prowess. The beta, itself, will feature uncapped framerates, a large selection of adjustable settings and even 21:9 ultra-widescreen monitor support. Sounds like a proper PC port, at least.

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News:: Tencent backs Player Unknown's Battlegrounds developer Bluehole

Tencent, the ever growing Chinese internet holdings company has backed Bluehole Studio Inc., the South Korean company that developed a little game called Player Unknown's Battlegrounds, maybe you're familiar with it.

It's unclear exactly how much the investment was, but they initially planned to acquire Bluehole, but that offer was turned down.

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News:: Off-camera, Banjo Tooie houses some pretty creepy stuff

YouTuber Shesez has a pretty neat little program called "Boundary Leak," where they take a look at off-camera objects in retro games.

As we've seen many times before developers either house holdover objects in random places they assume players would never be able to access, or place Easter eggs in certain zones that will be discovered years later. No one knows for sure what these Banjo Tooie discoveries fall under, but they're interesting nonetheless.

If you've ever finished any given retro game from back to front with a 100% rating this series is worth watching -- if only just to see secrets that have been right under your nose for decades.

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News:: Pikachu hijacks Pokemon Train to hearten children after 3/11 quake

More than six years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region of Japan on March 11, 2011, the "Pokémon With You" initiative continues to work to bring smiles and hope to affected children, many of whom are still living in provisional housing. Pokémon With You has continually made school and home visits, among many other events, to cheer kids up.

One of their many attempts to bring happiness with the Pokémon With You Train, which was decked out with various types of Pokémon and started running in 2012. Now the trains two cars have been renewed and plastered with Pikachu. Only Pikachu. The communication car is basically for actually sitting down, while the playroom car lives up to it's name with lots of Pikachu dolls of differing sizes along with a fake driver cab and engine room.

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News:: You can now watch the full first episode of the new Ducktales on YouTube

Maybe you knew, maybe not, but there’s a Ducktales reboot. The original series ran from 1987 to 1990 and was most definitely a kid’s show (I would know, I was one). The new iteration tries something a little different, but includes some of the original dialogue! (“I made my name being tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties.”)

Watch the first episode of Ducktales here.

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News:: The Nintendo Famicom Mini is somehow still stock

There's nothing like rolling out of bed and playing Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari, amirite? That roughly translates to Hot-Blooded Downtown Story or Downtown Fever, which was later localized as River City Ransom: One of the best NES games ever. Unlike the American game you know, here's a chance to flee from the original high-school-uniformed sprites and into the most terrifying Tokyo situation possible: A Japanese restaurant that doesn't have an English menu.  

If you missed your chance to grab an NES Mini and don't want to pay an Ebay scalper four times its value? Want to brush up on your Japanese? The Nintendo Classic Famicom Mini is in stock at Play-Asia for $110 at the time of this writing. You won't need a foreign voltage converter, but it doesn't come with a power brick. Instead, it comes with a puzzling USB Micro-B to USB-A plug (like most Android phones).  Maybe you'll want to "splurge" on a surge protector. Actually, you're a goddamned monster if you don't already have an uninterruptible power supply behind your television. Speaking of pain, the controllers were also shrunken and hard-wired with comically short cords like the original, as shown in the photo above. This is strictly for nostalgic Japanese denizens, collectors, and my kind of fetishists. On the bright side, the emulation blows away the Wii U virtual console by a landslide.

Here's the full list of games included, with Youtube links to the import oddities:

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