Author: Nitchigamer

Kung-Fu UFO Mega Drive

Meet Kung-Fu UFO, A New SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis Game

by Nitchigamer, posted in Posts

Kung-Fu UFO — a new SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis game — is launching on Indiegogo next month. It’s an original title for the SEGA console and will be released physically on cartridge next year.

Kung-Fu UFO – Mega Drive

It’s the ’90s, you are a humble boy from a small country who never knew his father. One night an alien reaches out to you through your old ZX Spectrum computer to give you a mysterious message.

Yes, Kung-Fu UFO is a story-driven adventure heavily inspired by sci-fi, martial arts films and video games from the ’80s and ’90s.

Inspiration appears from some obvious places too: Streets of Rage, Battletoads, Prince of Persia, and Mortal Kombat. That’s including retro and obscure games such as The Way of the Exploding Fist and The Way of the Tiger on the C64 and ZX Spectrum.

The game intends to follow the steps of previous crowdfunding success cases, such as Tanglewood and Xeno Crisis. The team intends to give new life to an old, but beloved console.

Key Features

Some key features of the game include the following:

  • A 16-bit cartridge – It’s playable on the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis consoles and compatible clones (PAL, NTSC-US, NTSC-J)
  • 16-bit pixel art – Features handcrafted and animated graphics and cutscenes.
  • 16-bit chiptune – A rocking soundtrack with a variety of songs and sound effects.
  • Story-driven gameplay – Mixes different genres: platformer, beat’ em up.
  • Vehicles to drive and boss fights to win – Because running around all the time isn’t that fun, you’ll also be able to drive a motorbike, a plane, more.
  • Different stages – Not only graphically, but also in terms of gameplay mechanics.
  • A wide variety of enemies – Keeping the gameplay and the game’s progression diverse in every chapter, from beginning to end.
  • Difficulty levels – Everyone can enjoy and finish the game.
  • Password system – Bringing back the almost forgotten, yet thrilling experience of getting a pen and a piece of paper and writing down a code…

Kung-Fu UFO materialises from developers Retro Nerve. Who said your Mega Drive collection was complete anyway?

Streets Of Rage 4

Streets Of Rage 4 Is A Reality, Axel And Blaze Return

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

The award for the most unexpected announcement of the month has to go to what we’re now calling Streets of Rage 4. A game that most – at this late point – would only expect as an April Fool’s joke is really happening.

Announced earlier today, Streets of Rage 4, (a sequel 24 years after the last title), is being developed by Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games and promises hand-drawn visuals, new mechanics, and a plot that hopefully features Mr. X once again controlling the city.

It’s unlikely the game will see the return of Yuzo Koshiro, the man behind the truly awesome soundtracks of the first three SEGA masterpieces – but we live in hope.

Streets Of Rage 4
Streets Of Rage 4

Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding will return at a yet unspecified date, on a list of unspecified platforms…

Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase Summer 2018 Round-Up

Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase Summer 2018 Round-Up

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Not seemingly content with their earlier presentation just over a week ago, Nintendo announced some more indie titles – Nindies – coming to the Switch today.

Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase Summer 2018 Round-Up

Here’s everything that was announced during the rather elongated moniker: ‘Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase Summer 2018’. Yes, you can breathe now.

  • Hyper Light Drifter is due out September 6th – it’s a special edition with some exclusive content
  • TowerFall is heading to Switch on September 27th – it includes playable Celeste characters
  • Treasure Stack is out this Winter
  • Zarvot will launch first on Switch October 2018
  • Mineko’s Night Market will launch first on Switch Early 2019
  • Samurai Gunn 2 is out Early 2019
  • Bullet Age (console exclusive) out November 2018
  • The World Next Door launches Early 2019
  • LevelHead is out November 2018
  • King of the Hat launches Early 2019
  • ‘Untitled Goose Game’ is out Early 2019
  • Desert Child is out December 2018
  • Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut is out September 13th
  • Bastion is out September 13th
  • The Messenger hits the Switch August 30th
  • Undertale is out September 18th
  • Jackbox Party Pack 5 is out October 2018
  • Transistor is out November 2018
  • Dragon: Marked for Death is out December 13th
  • Light Fingers is out September 20th
  • Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is out October 2018
  • A dedicated indie channel is launching for the Switch – it will feature new Nindie games and news.
  • Into the Breach is out today – it’ll help the wait for Advance Wars.

Nintendo ended the showcase by once again thanking indie developers directly for their ongoing support of the hybrid console:

So, are you happy with the announcements today or are you left feeling a little blue instead? Let us know below.

Nintendo indie highlights

Nintendo’s Latest Indie Highlights: Here’s Everything Announced

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Nintendo decided to hold an ‘indie highlights’ showcase today – as randomly and unannounced as one might expect from the company.

Nintendo Indie Highlights

Without further ado, the 16 indie announcements coming to the Switch are the following titles:

  • Night Call – From Raw Fury – Early 2019
Night Call
Night Call
  • Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom – From FDG Entertainment – November 6th
  • The Gardens Between – From The Voxel Agents – September 20th
  • Streets of Rogue – From tinyBuild – Winter 2018
Streets of Rogue
Streets of Rogue
  • Bad North – From Raw Fury – Out Now
  • This War of Mine – From 11-Bit Studios – November 2018
  • Children of Morta – From 11-Bit Studios, Dead Mage – Early 2019
  • Everspace: Stellar Edition (Expansion Included) – From Rockfish Games –  December 2018
Everspace: Stellar Edition
Everspace: Stellar Edition
  • Baba Is You – From Hempuli – Autumn 2018
  • Slay the Spire – From Humble Bundle – Early 2019
  • Windjammers – From Dotemu – October 23rd
  • Windjammers 2 – From Dotemu – 2019
Windjammers 2
Windjammers 2
  • Terraria – From Re-Logic – 2019
  • Prison Architect: Nintendo Switch Edition (Two Expansions Included) – From Double Eleven, Introversion Software – Out Now
  • Prison Architect Escape Mode – Summer 2018
  • Morphies Law – From Cosmoscope – Out Tonight UK Time 18:00, 19:00 CEST
Morphies Law
Morphies Law

Nintendo also announced that these indie games will be playable at Gamescom this year:

Gamescom Indie Titles
Gamescom Indie Titles

Here’s the full indie highlights presentation:

More indie games news for the Switch is expected shortly – according to Nintendo, that is. Stay tuned.

Simon - Smash Bros

Simon Belmont And King K. Rool Join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

As the Smash Bros. series inevitably ages, with Nintendo’s core cast very much present and accounted for, it’s up to obscure and third-party characters to take on the duty of being all-important newcomers. And what a new pair we have.

Simon Belmont, King K. Rool – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Nintendo Direct today revealed famous ‘vampire killer’ Simon Belmont from the legendary Castlevania series and Donkey Kong’s arch-villain King K. Rool.

Simon Belmont - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Simon Belmont – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Simon’s inclusion seems to be a long time coming, especially as Castlevania was synonymous with Nintendo platforms for years. King K. Rool, on the other hand, is fan service through and through – he’s one of the most highly requested characters in Smash Bros. history.

Masahiro Sakurai, let’s be honest, Nintendo’s personal curator, stated that his music team adores Castlevania’s tunes, so, naturally, they decided to add 34 tracks to Simon’s stage – Dracula’s Castle – alone. Simon obviously fights with his famous holy whip and can use moves such as ‘holy water’, ‘uppercut’ and ‘axe’.

Simon Belmont - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Vampire Killer strikes again

Moving on, King K. Rool was announced as a surprise, right at the end of the Direct, and can be seen using famous moves like his blunderbuss and crown toss, which recalls memories of playing Donkey Kong Country and controllers being smashed on the floor in anger while doing so.

King K. Rool in action
King K. Rool in action

Other Characters Shown

Other rather obscure characters, in the form of Echo Fighters (characters with different models, same moves) announced include:

Ritcher Smash Bros. Ultimate
Richter returns
  • Richter Belmont – Rondo of Blood
  • Chrom – Fire Emblem: Awakening
  • Dark Samus – Metroid Prime series

Assist Trophy characters shown include:

  • Alucard – Castlevania, Symphony of the Night design
  • Zero – Mega Man
  • Knuckles – Sonic The Hedgehog
  • Krystal – Star Fox
  • Klaptrap – Donkey Kong
  • Kapp’n – Animal Crossing
  • Chef Kawasaki – Kirby
  • Gray Fox – Metal Gear
  • Nikki – Nintendo Letter Box
  • Shovel Knight – Shovel Knight
  • Moon – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
  • Rathalos – Monster Hunter World

You can check out the full Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Direct below:

The roster is looking ultimate indeed. Now, can we just have Capcom’s Phoenix Wright announced for the cherry on the cake – before December 7th?

The World Ends With You Final Remix Switch

The World Ends With You: Final Remix Lands On Switch This October

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

The Worlds Ends With You finally has a release date for Switch: October 12th.

The World Ends With You – Final Remix

Released way back in 2007 on Nintendo DS, the beloved game featured touch controls, a real-time combat system and microphone screaming – if you desired.

Here’s the new trailer – that announced the release date – from Square Enix:

The Worlds Ends With You made it to iOS and Android devices in 2012 and 2014 respectively, but the Switch’s Final Remix version apparently includes a ‘sizeable new scenario that gets right to the heart of the story.’

Whether that lure is great enough for fans to double dip remains to be seen.

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission PS VR

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission Will Be Released October 3rd

by Nitchigamer, posted in Posts, VR

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission will be released on October 3rd exclusively for PS VR, it has been announced.

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission PS VR

Astro and his kind will be familiar to those that played Sony’s The Playroom VR experience – it contained an impressive VR mini-platformer that reminded us of a certain portly plumber’s adventures. Essentially, that idea has now been expanded into a full game.

Key Features

  • The game takes full advantage of PS VR with gameplay unfolding around you in 360 degrees. In VR, every jump can be judged with accuracy.
  • There are 20 levels, each one populated by traps and enemies. Run over city rooftops, explore dark caves, lush forests and even take a mine cart ride inside a burning volcano.
  • The DualShock 4 controller becomes the host of a bunch of gadgets ranging from a hook shot used to cross ravines, a water cannon, slingshots and even deadly ninja stars.
  • In addition to the main story, you can unlock a further 26 challenge stages that will put your platforming skills to the test.
  • Coins you collect in the game can be redeemed in a crane game to create an interactive diorama of your past adventures.

Here’s the official release date trailer for you:

It could potentially be another great PS VR title for your collection. We’ll find out soon enough.

Off Topic Main

Off Topic: Druckmann meets a hero at E3, Reggie faces Keighley again

by Nitchigamer, posted in Features, Nintendo, Posts

Here’s a few random musings on E3, plus stuff you may have missed at the event.

Neil Druckmann, the Vice President of a small company called Naughty Dog, got the chance to meet a hero of his at E3… Can you guess who it was? That’s right, some unknown guy called Shigeru Miyamoto. The bearded Druckmann shared the following enthusiastic tweet of the notable meeting between the pair:

Druckmann And Miyamoto

Druckmann himself is a big Super Mario fan, but what about Miyamoto? Has he played The Last of Us and the Uncharted games, for example? At the very least, we’d like to think both of them spoke about their enjoyment in creating some of the highest rated games of all time.

No doubt it’s a great look for the, seemingly, maturing industry.

E3 Is Changing, Reggie And Keighley Play Aces

Aside from the solid showings of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate., the Xenoblade 2 – Torna: The Golden Country DLC and Fire Emblem: Three Houses, it was still a muted E3 for Nintendo.

That might be down to the fact that new games are now announced all year round and, crucially, the old formats are changing – in fact, from everyone. With random Nintendo Directs every few months, loaded PlayStation Experiences at the end of the year (PSX), and other major shows taking announcements away every year, I don’t believe the event carries the same weight it once had.

I know, tell that to Microsoft at E3… hats off, Phil, that was some impressive stuff.

Moving on, another ‘historic’ meeting took place between Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aimé and games journalist Geoff Keighley. It’s a tradition at E3 that both of them meet and play against each other. This time they managed to squeeze in some Mario Tennis Aces. You can check out the video here:

It’s always desirable to see execs show a human side and Fils-Aimé’s more formal appearance takes a bit of a break in the video. With that said, Reggie’s no stranger to keeping that sense of whimsy going at all times. Not bitter, nor too saccharine about it, he simply stated last year at E3 that Nintendo wasn’t interested in conflating games with the continual bleakness of modern politics:

‘Making political statements are for other people to do. We want people to smile and have fun when they play our games.’

Mario Tennis Aces itself is out this week. Going from the free online tournament demo, it’s much better than whatever the insufficient Ultra Smash was trying to be. The online mode in Aces is stupidly intense, with crazy skill levels on show. The single player RPG-style content seems to have meat on its bones as well (invoking Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the GBA back in 2005).

Anyway, that’s all I have time to muse on, if you got this far, thanks, as always, for reading.

The Delicious Last Course

Want more Cuphead? The Delicious Last Course has you covered

by Nitchigamer, posted in Posts

Get ready because more Cuphead is on the way. ‘The Delicious Last Course’ features Cuphead and Mugman, who are now joined by Ms Chalice – obviously – for a new adventure. The DLC was announced at Microsoft’s well-received E3 conference.

The Delicious Last Course

From StudioMDHR, the extra content features new weapons, new charms, new bosses and we’re sure, quite a bit of challenge for your thumbs too. It’s out next year on Xbox One and PC.

Alisa thought Cuphead was ‘Devilishly Good’ in her review…

Battletoads

Battletoads returns in 2019 from Dlala Studios

by Nitchigamer, posted in Posts

Microsoft has revealed that a new Battletoads game is on its way – no, it hasn’t been that long already, right? Due out exclusively on Xbox One (and PC), it’s being developed by Dlala Studios.

Here’s the quick teaser we saw:

Battletoads Returns In 2019

No gameplay has been shown, but we know that it will feature three-player couch co-op and that it’ll be enhanced in 4K for Xbox One X.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps out 2019, new trailer shown

by Nitchigamer, posted in Posts

Originally announced at Microsoft’s E3 2017 conference last year, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, from Moon Studios, has received a brand new trailer.

You can check it out below:

Ori And The Will Of The Wisps Out 2019

The charming game follows Ori, a guardian spirit, and Sein who serves as the guide. The title is heading exclusively to Xbox One, (it’s X enhanced), and PC next year.

Command & Conquer

Command & Conquer is back! Sort of…

by Nitchigamer, posted in Posts

Before anyone gets too excited about the headline return of Command & Conquer, (wasn’t that franchise dead?), myself included, it’s probably worth remembering that the new game, announced at EA’s E3 conference today, is for mobile only:

Command & Conquer Is Back?

Shown live on the stage, Command & Conquer Rivals is a competitive, multiplayer mobile title. You fight for points on the map, harvest resources (like the old days), and can build classic units like the Mammoth tank. GDI and Nod are back too. So is Kane, apparently:

Command & Conquer
Kane

You never know… it might be quite good. The bigger question is: does this signal a full return for C&C in the future? Time will tell.

Rivals is out on iOS and Android this year.