News:: Run the Jewels' video game tour continues in 'FIFA 18'

Killer Mike and El-P, collectively known as Run the Jewels, are no strangers to video games. Previously they appeared in Gears of War 4 as multiplayer characters, and now the duo are lending their talents to FIFA 18. Or, at least, their iconography. You can outfit your virtual footballer in kit featuring the group's trademark fist and gun logo on a teal jersey reminiscent of the album art for Run the Jewels 3, and there's also a black variant. More than that, the soundtrack features and exclusive track from the group, "Mean Demeanor."

Source: Dibbie75 (Twitter), Electronic Arts

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News:: This 1998 BioShock demake is something else

This gets my vote for today's coolest thing (that isn't new but is new to me).

98DEMAKE is a YouTube creator who takes modern video games and imagines what they might've looked like had they originally released in 1998. I've seen plenty of screenshot and gif mockups for demakes, and those are all well and good, but this recent effort for BioShock is seriously impressive.

"This one especially took a ridiculous amount of time to create," notes the creator.

In a Q&A video from August, 98DEMAKE said "Some videos take 40 to 50 hours and some take 10." In particular, "the newer ones take a lot more time [to get them] looking more like actual gameplay."

He's also got videos for Rocket League, Assassin's Creed, and Portal, among others.

98DEMAKE [YouTube via NeoGAF]

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News:: Virtual On and Assault Suits Valken join Senko No Ronde 2 Cast

Man, Virtual On seems to be getting everywhere these days! Senko no Ronde 2 was never going to set the scene aflame but it's carving a niche for itself and its good to see that the developers are still very keen to keep it updated and healthy. 

The latest news is that there will be two new characters available as DLC. Temjin from Virtual On and the Valken from Assault Suit Valken, better known in the west as the SNES game Cybernator. The units will be shown off at the Tokyo Games Show at 15:00 Japan time so be sure to check out the twitch stream as I suspect that they will be on stage then. After that, we can only hope that they release both units to the west. Honestly though? If they give Temjin the "in the blue sky" theme, I'll pay up just for that!

[via gamers.ne.jp]

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News:: Review: SteamWorld Dig 2

I was pleasantly surprised by 2013's SteamWorld Dig, a 2D throwback that borrowed some of the best bits of Spelunky and Terraria and combined them into a charming, snack-sized platformer. The main gameplay loop is more fun than it sounds; you dig as deep as you can to find rare and more exotic ores, then sell those ores topside to buy upgrades that help you dig even deeper.

My only real complaint about the original SteamWorld Dig was that I wanted more. Fortunately, SteamWorld Dig 2 delivers more of everything that made the original great, and does a fantastic job expanding the universe Image and Form has created.

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News:: Super Bomberman R is getting another update with new characters and modes

Despite all the negative initial reception, Konami has been consistently updating Super Bomberman R to become a pretty solid game. We've seen the introduction of a higher framerate, better online netcode and even new characters. It's almost as if someone cares about the game they made! That care isn't stopping as Super Bomberman R is going to get even more free content in a new update.

Announced at the Tokyo Game Show, a brand new "Grand Prix" mode will be coming to the game alongside 3 Vs 3 battles for multiplayer. A new ruleset called "Crystal" will be introduced as well as three new characters. You'll be able to play as Reiko Hinomoto from Rumble Roses and Anubis and Jehuty from Zone of the Enders. At the rate they're going, they might as well call this Konami All-Stars and slap Solid Snake in the game.

I've gotta say, these constant updates are tempting me to actually pick up the game. I've always had a fondness for Bomberman, but I was disappointed to hear that the release version of R was poor. I suppose this game could be an indication of where the gaming industry is currently at (with games releasing in unfinished states), but if all the updates are free, then I can't complain too much.

Super Bomberman R reveals new Grand Prix Mode, new characters [Nintendo Everything]

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News:: Tak Fujii is back with Gal Metal, a drumming game for Nintendo Switch

Former Konami producer Tak Fujii (Ninety-Nine Nights II, Frogger 3D, Blades of Time) is just the best. We can't get enough of the guy and his unabashed excitement and silliness. If you've been wondering what he's been up to lately like I have, look no further: he's working on a motion-centric drumming rhythm title for Nintendo Switch at DMM Games that calls to mind another infamous E3 moment.

You're a drummer for a metal band, there are aliens, and yep, it's on you to stop them.

Tak Fujii was in attendance at the Tokyo Game Show and oh how I've missed him.

Fantastic drum-playing metal game for Switch by @Tak_Fujii. Nothing's right or wrong, play as you feel. Really nice one. Skeded for Feb. http://pic.twitter.com/PDYFSl50CW

— Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) September 21, 2017

Gal Metal is planned for release in Japan this February. I haven't seen any indication of a localization, but I feel like the Switch has had a fairly steady stream of games like this make it over.

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News:: Comments of the Week 17: Puns of Liberty

Welcome back to Comments of the Week! I'm Perro, and I'll be your host for the best comments of the week from 9/11-9/17! This past week has been an interesting one, given that Nintendo's latest Direct stream showed off more of Xenoblade 2, Mario Odyssey, as well as other goodies. With great announcements comes great comments, and I'm here to present you all with my personal picks of the best comments this past week! Join me now as we take a look at the tears, the joy, the lewd and insane, brought to you here with a little Metal Gear-inspired twist!

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News:: Square Enix shows off new figures at TGS

Square Enix may be best known as video games publisher but the company has its fingers in many pies from manga publishing to running arcade stores in Japan. But aside from their home video games, their next best known products are probably their figures and merchandising from their titles.

And at Tokyo Games Show, they went and showed off some of their future products. Some are actually reworkings of previous releases to reflect newer titles, such as Terra Bradford and Lightning now looking like their Dissidia NT design or Cloud Strife in his "new" Final Fantasy VII remake design (remember, that's still a thing!). Others are new, such as the Wanzers and Vincent Valentine.

But there are two particular displays which pique particular interest. Firstly are the figures of 2B from NieR: Automata. I know many people have been asking "where are the 2B figures?" even since the game was released and Square Enix have gotten out of the gate first with an unpainted fixed pose figure and a Play-Arts, excuse me, Bring Arts kai figure. I'm sure those will be very popular, even if Play-Arts Kai figures in general aren't all that.

The other thing of note is actually the same as what they showed at the Summer wonder festival but it's still worth noting. And that is lineart of a Bring Arts figure for Weltall from Xenogears! Does this mean anything for the game itself? Unlikely, but it should be noted that Square Enix doesn't usually release figures from a title just randomly. We got new Wanzers along with a reveal for Left Alive, which is set in the Front Mission universe so who knows? Don't hold your breath for a sequel or continuation though. The licensing rights for the series as a whole is all over the place, but a re-release or remake? 

Tantalising thought, isn't it?

[via Moeyo]

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News:: Oh yeah, I'm down for Earth Defense Force 5

It wouldn't be Tokyo Game Show for me without a new EDF trailer. It just wouldn't! We've got four and a half minutes of footage from Sandlot's latest entry, Earth Defense Force 5, and it's a hoot.

The battle scene at 2:35 with the hulking humanoid invaders really sealed the deal for me, to say nothing of the Gigantic Unloader Barga mech repeatedly clocking a kaiju in the face at 3:40.

Will I grow tired of blasting the (mostly) same old insects? Not anytime soon! Which is good, because on top of EDF5, there's also Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain in the pipeline for next year.

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News:: Suda 51's The Silver Case sequel remake is headed west for the first time ever

The 25th Ward was an episodic sequel to Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture's first title, The Silver Case. It was only released on now-obsolete flip phones in three chapter sets of five episodes apiece. Since The Silver Case was finally localized for the first time last year, now its sequel is coming west as well in 2018, published by Nippon Ichi Software (NIS).

Rather than the original episodic release, the game will come bundled together as one package. The remake will even feature a new story segments as well as improved visuals, sound, and controls.

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News:: The Xbox's original 'Duke' controller is making a comeback

The original Xbox's original controller, the Duke, frightened me at the time. It kinda still does!

There's been talk of bringing the gamepad back for Xbox One and Windows 10 and that initiative -- led by Xbox designer Seamus Blackley -- is moving forward with help from Hyperkin. It's approved.

#NewDuke has gone to tooling and is approved by @Xbox THIS IS HAPPENING! http://pic.twitter.com/zSVA4TFh08

— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) September 20, 2017

The Xbox logo in the center of the controller is a full-on display (complete with an animation), and Blackley says the pad will have "many improvements but the same old feel." While I'm not at all in the market for this beast, I have to imagine some folks out there have a soft spot for the Duke.

We don't know the price or date for this limited-edition controller, but Hyperkin will take pre-orders.

[Via reddit]

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News:: Fire Emblem Echoes' Celica joins Fire Emblem Warriors

Musou games have only gotten better with big licenses like One Piece, Berserk, and The Legend of Zelda taking the exaggerated beat 'em ups and escalating them even further with their own distinct flair. I'm not a huge Fire Emblem fan by any means, but I've always been a fan of its universe and character design. 

Namely its super cute waifus like Celica from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Although you only get a brief look at her musou attack in Fire Emblem Warriors' TGS trailer, it's all I need. 

Fire Emblem Warriors releases on 3DS and Switch September 28 in Japan, and October 20 in North America and Europe. 

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News:: 'Resident Evil 7' DLC trailer offers the first look at Chris Redfield

Chris Redfield has had a long and storied career as the fictitious protagonist in many installments of Capcom's Resident Evil video game series. The Raccoon City policeman starred, along with partner Jill Valentine, in the original 1996 game, and has appeared as a major character in Resident Evil Code: Veronica, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: Revelations. He also has a cameo in the latest installment, Resident Evil 7: biohazard, and will show up in the free, downloadable expansion Not A Hero, this December 12th. A new gameplay trailer, just released at the Tokyo Game Show, shows off a bit more of his role in the upcoming release.

Via: Gematsu

Source: Capcom/YouTube

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News:: Here's a few minutes of The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia

Can you believe that earlier today I had no idea there was a video game in development based on the Showtime documentary series from that guy who got really fat and almost died off McDonalds back in the day, and now I know that's still the case, despite some initial confusion at first? What a roller coaster.

The Seven Deadly Sins is actually a Japanese comic book that got turned into a cartoon, and is now getting its first-ever console game in the form of PS4 exclusive from publisher Namco Bandai. Above is gameplay from The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia looking like very much like a Namco Bandai anime brawler, except with characters I've never seen. 

Or so I thought.

In fact my pal has been texting me photos from this cartoon, which his wife has been watching. "This giant chick has got some fat nats," one caption reads. There's another photo of one of the anime girl showing off her panties, and apparently a previous storyline about missing panties. I am actually an expert in this show, now. What a rollercoaster!

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News:: Review: Kingsman: The Golden Circle

I think I open up every post I write about the original Kingsman movie like this, but what an effing surprise it was. In a rare occurrence I didn't catch the flick in theaters, and despite the positive reviews I still thought it looked pretty dumb. A Matthew Vaughn directed spy parody trying to cash in on the comic book adaptation craze? It just looked like nothing much at all, and I'm a huge James Bond fan. Then, about a year after its release or so, I was flipping through Netflix (or maybe Hulu) and just decided to watch it.

Guys, it's so good.

The movie had just the right amount of snark, charm, and self-awareness to actually be one of the better "spy" films to come out in a while. It got a lot of its charm from playing itself straight while still being ridiculously over-the-top, and of course being crammed full of Vaughn's signature action direction. It played with conventions, but not in a cheesy sight gag sort of way (think Austin Powers). Its cast was fantastic and played their roles with a sly wink to the camera, and everything just worked.

An now we have a sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Can the perfect balance of parody and playfulness be recreated or, like many sequels, does more not necessarily mean better?

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News:: The new Pokemon game is for babies

I know what you're thinking: all Pokemon games are for babies. And you're right! But the Pokemon Playhouse Android and iPhone app is straight billing itself as the, "first-ever official digital Pokémon experience for preschoolers." Does that mean you can't play it? No. This is America. I use "baby wipes" for my asshole and I'm not a baby; America is just a backwards, savage hellhole that isn't civilized enough for bidets. 

There are 50 pocket monsters for babies to hatch out of eggs -- not catch -- in the app and it includes activities like "Pokemon Grooming," which is not meant to inspire a new wave of DeviantArt users. You can also strengthen "the bond between players and their Pokémon pals...by starting a musical band, feeding them tasty treats, or taking them to an interactive park." It basically sounds like Pokemon minus the violence. Well, except that it's free and doesn't have in-app purchases. So it's even better than most mobile Pokemon games!

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News:: Yakuza Kiwami 2 looks absolutely stunning in this TGS story trailer

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a huge Yakuza fan. Ever since playing Yakuza 3 roughly seven years ago, I can't get enough of the series. I'm eagerly awaiting Yakuza 6 and having finished Kiwami roughly a month ago, I still pine to get more. When the rumored remake of Yakuza 2 ended up being true, I was elated. As more footage comes pouring in, I honestly don't know if I'll be able to hold out for confirmation on a localization.

This new trailer sets up the original plot for Yakuza 2 while also giving us more information on the bonus Majima Goro scenario that the game will include. While I don't necessarily think the ending of 0 left any lingering plot threads around, it's nice to see a returning character and potentially get a resolution on Majima's story arc.

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News:: Wes Anderson's totally Wes-Andersonian Isle of Dogs has its first trailer

Look, by this point there are two types of people in the world. People who like Wes Anderson films and people who don't like Wes Anderson films. You can't fall in the middle. This is the Internet, there are no middle opinions.

I fall in the like category, and as such Isle of Dogs, looks absolutely wonderful to me from the get go. Anderson's previous animated film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, captured childhood wonder and excitement in a way few other films can, and tossing in adventuring dogs and hipster Japanese stuff just makes it all the better. Which is where, I think, those who do not like Wes Anderson may actually enjoy this one.

First off, everyone likes adventuring dogs (again, no middle ground here), and secondly, while this does look incredibly Wes Anderson in style, it also feels a bit more accessible to me. Maybe that's just from being animated, but the trailer opens up into a movie that looks just a little less like his usual fare. 

Then again, Yoko Ono voices one of the characters so this could be the film equivalent of a single plum, floating in perfume, in a man's hat. 

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News:: Mario + Rabbids is the Switch's best-selling third-party game

Contrary to what we've been led to believe, the Rabbids are perfectly welcome in the Mushroom Kingdom. Their invasion hasn't been chaotic and destructive, but prosperous instead. Turns out merging the two wasn't a bad idea at all.

According to a report from Eurogamer, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is the best-selling third-party title in the relatively-brief history of the Switch. This really isn't too surprising. Putting Mario on the box of any game is going to significantly boost sales, regardless of whether Nintendo developed it or not. It also helps that Mario + Rabbids is actually good. 

All of this comes with some important caveats, though. First, this is based on NPD data from the US and Australia, and Chart-Track GFK data in the UK; the rest of Europe is unaccounted for. (Release in Japan is set for January 2018.) Also, these reports only represent physical sales; digital sales figures are a mystery.

Hazy as these statistics are, Mario + Rabbids is only the current king because we know nothing about one of the juggernauts. Minecraft launched digitally on Switch on May 11 and nothing has been reported about how well it's selling. However, a physical version is coming later this year and that's when we can probably expect Mario + Rabbids to be definitively dethroned as the best-selling third-party title. Nothing in the history of Minecraft has suggested that people will stop buying it anytime soon.

Mario + Rabbids temporarily won the Kingdom Battle but it won't win the Kingdom War. And that's okay! Considering that the court of public opinion derided this as a joke and a failure before it was even announced, the game really did turn out to be an unmitigated success. Mario + Rabbids earned its spot in the limelight.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is Switch's best-selling non-Nintendo game [Eurogamer]

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News:: Watch over 30 minutes of The Evil Within 2 gameplay

You've seen the trailer. You've read Jordan's tepid preview. Now you can watch over a half hour of pure, uncut The Evil Within 2 footage for yourself. It's the classic third step before step four, buying the game and never playing it and playing Dota or some shit instead. Awoo!

It looks very pretty on a technical level, but should be letterboxed.

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News:: Original Xbox's huge controller is returning for current platforms

Original Xbox owners got a powerful yet eccentric machine in Microsoft's first stab at console gaming. The system itself was a massive VCR-sized slab of circuits and plastic, but it was the comically oversized controller that most baffled gamers. Yet fans look back fondly at the beastly peripheral, nicknamed "The Duke." Unbeknownst to most, one of its original designers has been secretly working to revive the controller for Xbox One and Windows 10 -- and Microsoft just gave it the green light.

Via: Polygon

Source: Seamus Blackley (Twitter)

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News:: First gameplay look at the Yakuza Fist of the North Star game is very promising

The first gameplay of Hokuto Ga Gotoku was shown at the 2017 Tokyo Game show and it certainly looks like a Yakuza game. Kenshiro walks around the city of Eden and gets into some fisticuffs with other burly men. He even catches a crossbow-fired arrow between his fingers and flips back into the forehead of the shooter.

New details on story, characters, and gameplay have also been translated. Four newly announced characters include Jagi, Souther, Nadai, and Uighur (who I doubt is an actual Uighur). In a post-apocalyptic world, Kenshiro is "was defeated by Nanto Seiken user Shin, and his beloved fiancee Yuria was stolen from him."  

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News:: D&D Reader app brings paper reference books to your tablet

Dungeon Masters can rest a bit easier now that the library of Dungeons and Dragons core rulebooks will soon be available in an easy-to-lug digital edition. Instead of a stack of heavy paper-bound volumes, you'll be able to take your iPad or Android tablet to your next gaming session loaded up with the upcoming D&D Reader app, which should be available this fall.

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News:: Grab Outlast for free through Humble right now

It's too early for the spooky season, seeing as how autumn doesn't even technically start until tomorrow. And it's really not close to Halloween considering that's at the end of October. This promotion doesn't make a ton of seasonal sense, but it doesn't have to. Free stuff never goes out of style.

For the next 40-some hours, Humble is giving away Outlast and its DLC Outlast: Whistleblower for free. Just hit this link, go through the checkout process, and get a pair of Steam keys. Certainly nothing too arduous for the value.

Generous as the offer is, this promotion is almost definitely aiming to drum up interest in Outlast 2 which released in April. After all, Halloween is right around the corner and it will likely bring with it a renewed wave of sales for Outlast 2. Now people will have a few weeks with the original beforehand, and developer Red Barrels surely hopes that it'll convince some folks that they need the sequel too. "Give them a good game for free and maybe they'll want to buy the also-good sequel" is a perfectly fine marketing tactic. Keep 'em comin'.

Outlast Deluxe Edition [Humble]

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News:: Capcom shows a glimpse of Resident Evil 7's 'Not a Hero' DLC

How do you talk about an epilogue DLC pack without spoiling a relatively new game for potential fans? Earlier this year, Capcom didn't give a flying crap and just spoiled the potential twist ending on their Twitter account. Me, though; I'm going to lightly dance around the fact and warn everyone before they accidentally watch this video.

What I can say is that the teased Not a Hero DLC from the end of Resident Evil 7 is still on track for a release this year. If you've been eager to see how Capcom would be transitioning one of their classic heroes into a different perspective, then you'll get a glimpse of that below.

For everyone who hasn't beaten Resident Evil 7 (which includes me, sadly), I'd advise not watching the trailer. I'm not sure if the ending is worthy of such secrecy, but I don't want to potentially ruin the surprise for anyone. I'll also hide the trailer below another tacky image of Resident Evil. This is your last warning.

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News:: Four Halo games are backward compatible on Xbox One

A slew of Halo games for Xbox 360 are now playable on Xbox One through backward compatibility, and if you don't own or don't care to mess with The Master Chief Collection, that's darn good news.

Halo 3, H3: ODST, Halo 4, & Halo: CEA have arrived to @Xbox One Backward Compatibility with free DLC for all titles! http://pic.twitter.com/YRWtG6i2UN

— Halo (@Halo) September 21, 2017

The timing here works out rather well. I've been getting some unmistakable Halo campaign vibes from Destiny 2's story missions, and while I'm not exactly looking to run through these games right this moment, it's nice that the option exists going forward. I still have all my old discs!

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News:: Hijack a Wanzer in Square Enix's Left Alive

The Tokyo Game Show trailer for Left Alive, Square Enix's upcoming Front Mission spin-off shooter, gives us an awesome first look at what the game looks like and how it will play. Footage includes fighting against Wanzers, which you can even hijack to pilot yourself.

But hold on, if you thought the game was starting to sound too cool and unique let me inform you that the core objective is "survival" and there are crafting elements. Oh and the route to any destination is "up to you."

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