Features – Page 12

Keatz: The Lonely Bird Review [PC] – Being Lonely Never Felt So Bad

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018 by Chris Wheatley, posted in Reviews

Unforgiving and unpolished, Keatz: The Lonely Bird is a dreadful story about a flightless bird whose species has been banned from the ungrateful bird community of the fowl nation – Heavens. Feeling down in the dumps and desperate to seek vengeance on all those who toss aside anyone not up to par by their standards, Keatz embarks on a 2D platforming journey riddled with flaws and errors to the core; but if dissected carefully, shows promise of much greater future endeavors from the young indie developer – Anamik Majumdar.

After a rather heart-wrenching introduction, players take over as the flightless bird, Keatz, and begin firing away with the mysterious gun they obtained in a dream. Now flightless but deadly, Keatz is able to hop around the moderately sized platforming levels in search of a variety of different coloured gems, and that precious loot we all hunger for: money. Throughout these clunky platforming levels, players may take notice that they have no ending location. They’re simply over when the player has completed the objectives mentioned on the loading screen before the level starts.

It’s easy to find the frustrations that leak through the cracks of Keatz: The Lonely Bird. The scavenger hunt to seek out all collectable items to end the level comes with its own share of miscues. Passing up important collectables only to be forced to backtrack across otherwise impossible one-way platforming obstacles is a rage-quit inducing tactic and happens frequently. The level design is unique and shows a decent amount of challenging traps and hazards, but still lacks the finishing touches to leave a positive impression.

Ouch, Those Controls Are Painful

The smooth controls in a platformer are key in creating a memorable and delightful experience for gamers. Both the keyboard and gamepad options feel clumsy, offering an unwelcome learning curve to manoeuvre around the sticky movements. When using a gamepad, the game forces players to use the left analogue stick to move left and right, but also using it to jump as well. The face buttons don’t exactly hinder the experience, but moving and hopping about the levels are often a wild beast that can be rather frustrating to tame.

Other than gems and cash to collect, there are also health packs, ammo crates and other similar useful items. Guarding many of these items are the enemy bird henchmen that fire away at Keatz on sight. Through a variety of different weapons, players will need to persevere through a relentless amount of trial and error to continue further in the campaign. There are a total of 20 levels to play through, both available in easy and hard modes. However, these difficulty settings don’t help with the obvious holes and clumsy mechanics featured in the game.

Keatz: The Lonely Bird

There’s not much to the simple platformer in terms of story – a lonely bird cast out from an overruling government wants revenge. Yes really. The story seems to strike a chord of personal feelings from the developer as a positive message to not let someone’s unwelcome judgement anchor you down. It’s unfortunate, however, that the gameplay and mechanics themselves un-apologetically anchor the story down with glaring frustrations, issues and an overall unpolished feeling. Through all of the clunky moments and my rotten words towards the casual platformer, there’s still some dim light that shines through the ever-present cracks in Keatz: The Lonely Bird.

You can find Keatz: The Lonely Bird available for PC on Steam coming this January 2018.

Azkend 2: The World Beneath Review [Nintendo Switch] – A Refreshing, Fun Match Puzzle Game

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018 by Jordan Scott, posted in Reviews

It’s no secret that I’m a little tired of mobile games being ported over to the Switch (and every other console). If you missed it, please check out my review for Dustoff Heli Rescue II and read my thoughts on the matter. Once again, I‘m faced with a five-year-old game, previously released for everything from Windows to iOS and Steam, and I have mixed feelings. Azkend 2: The World Beneath by 10tons, is yet another match-three puzzler among a million, but even though it’s ported from a mobile version, I find myself slightly addicted to it. The game isn’t perfect, and a part of me would never have paid for it on mobile, but even I can admit when something is downright fun, polished, and a good time overall.

I’m going to start by laying out the story as I always do, but why this game needs one at all is beyond me. Mini-rant time! Why do puzzle games have a story? I never understood a developer’s need to justify simple match gameplay by writing a whole convoluted backstory behind it. It’s a PUZZLE GAME, not a swashbuckling adventure. With that said, Azkend 2 actually has a nifty backstory for players, even if it has no point to the actual game.

As the protagonist, you’re sailing from Liverpool to New York, when out of nowhere, your ship is pulled down to the unknown depths of the sea. Turns out, you’ve travelled to the centre of the earth, where ancient civilizations and wonders never before seen by man await you. If this were Tomb Raider or another one of Nathan Drake’s adventures, it would be awesome, but it’s not. It’s a match puzzle game, plain and simple.

As you navigate this mysterious world via cutscenes, you must seek out and find/fix objects needed to get home. In order to do this, you simply play the game. Each completed level yields a piece of object X, which when put together, can be used to aid in your quest. Each object has some kind of power or trait that can have an effect on the game board. For instance, the binoculars, when matched three or more, will cause random tiles to fall off the board (that’s a good thing), or matching three or more dynamite sticks will cause surrounding tiles to be blown away. Although I feel the story behind finding these objects is unnecessary, the actual usefulness and implementation of them is outstanding. The collectable power-ups add another dimension to the simple match puzzle premise.

In between rounds, players are treated to beautifully drawn cutscenes that propel the story further. While in these scenes, you get to take part in hidden object minigames. This aspect of Azkend isn’t overly sophisticated but definitely adds another layer to a tired genre. With over 60 levels in story mode alone (plus time trial and medal modes), 10tons has packed a lot into this little game.

Azkend 2 plays well using the Joy-Cons, but speed and accuracy do suffer slightly (levels are timed). Luckily, this is the Nintendo Switch, and with it, comes a nifty touchscreen. The game works even better in handheld mode, and using your finger on the touchscreen is incredibly more efficient than a controller. The game plays well when docked, but I personally loved the ease at which I could match tiles while using the touchscreen. I should also note, in docked mode, the subtitles (which can be turned off), appeared to stretch beyond the edges of my television. When I played it in handheld mode, the text was normal. Most likely, a port issue, but it has zero effect on the play mechanics.

The soundtrack is described as “cinematic” by the developers, and I actually agree. The incomparable Jonathan Greer (Owlboy OST, Sparkle, etc), recorded music that you’d normally find on an epic adventure game, and I really enjoyed it. There isn’t much in the way of visuals in match puzzle games, so the fact that we get a great original score fees like a treat. It’s a little thing but goes a long way in elevating the experience.

As I have said countless times with other mobile ports, this is an old game with an even older premise. Although 10tons does offer a slightly fresh take on the genre, players shouldn’t go into it thinking they’re getting anything unique. However, as I have also stated in the past, this is the Switch, so no matter how tired a concept may be, this little wonder console can breathe fresh air into things that have gone stale.

Retro VS Modern Gaming: What We Put Up With Back In The Day

January 15, 2018 by Jordan Scott, posted in Viewpoints

I’ve been playing video games since the early ’80s, ever since I got my very first Colecovision system. Since then, I have owned countless consoles along with a plethora of games. Thinking back to the good ol’ gaming days of yore reminds me of all the things younger kids today will never know about. From getting your NES cartridge to play just right, to waiting for the next issue of Nintendo Power, gamers of this generation can’t begin to fathom what we put up with in the early days. Here are a few of the things from back in the day that the youngins of today will never know the pleasure (or displeasure) of.

In no particular order:

Blowing in the NES cartridge to get it working – We ALL had our own system getting an aging NES game to work. For me, I first had to blow in it, then, I had a specific way of inserting the cartridge that I knew would get the games working every time. Who can say if this actually increased the chances of success, and yet to this day, we all still blow in the cartridge with the hopes that our 30-year-old carts will light up screens once more. There was something special about the way we got our NES games to work over the years, even if it was all for nothing.

Cleaning kits – Continuing with the NES, who out there remembers that acidic cleaning solution you were supposed to rub on the actual chip of the cart? NES carts could get dusty if stored wrong, causing the game to load improperly. Several cleaning kits were on the market back in the day, but I‘m pretty sure they were doing more harm than good. The one I remember having, consisted of some kind of mystery solution and a flat cotton applicator. You simply soaked the cotton with the mystery solution and wiped it back and forth on the circuit board. Thinking back on it now, that sounds insane. This black gunk would always come off, but I just know I was wiping off something important. To this day, I can’t believe I put some weird chemical on my precious games, even if it got the Nintendo Seal of Approval. That was a thing, look it up!

Throwing controllers in a fit of rage – Say what you want about ’80s and early ’90s tech, but that stuff was built to last. I can’t tell you how many times I threw my controllers in a fit of rage. Those little plastic enablers bore the brunt of my wrath as I attempted some of the most infuriatingly hard games ever. If I saw someone doing that today, I think I would have an aneurysm on the spot. It costs $70 plus tax for a Switch Pro Controller, so you can better believe that thing is never leaving my hand with any measurable velocity. Come to think of it, it’s a shame, because I always found controller throwing to be rather therapeutic.

Wired Controllers – Let’s stay on controllers for a moment shall we? Back in my youth, controllers required a wire that connected them to their respective consoles. Cords were never long enough; they significantly hampered the distance we could sit from the television. Wireless adapters eventually came to market, but they were never commonplace, and I’m sure they cost a hefty buck or two. Gamers today have no idea how good they have it with the freedom of movement cutting the cord has wrought. I was actually stunned when I saw third party manufacturers offering up a cheaper, wired pro-controllers for the Switch. I know it’s significantly less money, but I just can’t see myself buying one. Once you’ve tasted the delight of wireless gaming, it’s exceptionally difficult to ever be tethered again.

The Anticipation of my next issue of Nintendo Power Magazine – Nintendo Power ceased publication a short while ago, but its legacy will last a forever. I adored that magazine and the heavenly content contained within. The covers were beautiful, sometimes containing live action pictures of our favourite animated characters. I think my favourite was this Zelda II cover (shocker), which looked like a modern day cosplayer keeping watch over a sleeping Princess Zelda. This was where we got all our news, tips, tricks, and previews for everything coming out in the near future. I can’t remember when I stopped my subscription (decades ago), but even I was teary eyed when they announced the end of publication back in 2012. It was certainly the end of an era, and gamers who never grew up with it are definitely missing out on a piece of gaming history.

Crazy peripherals – There’s one thing you can’t deny about the early days of video gaming: companies had no idea what consumers wanted. There were so many different kinds of accessories and peripherals to get people lured in. Nintendo, always the innovator, offered up some choice accessories of their own. Let’s name a few: Zapper, R.O.B, NES Advantage, Power Pad, Game Genie, Super Scope 6, Power Glove, LaserScope, NES Max, and the Joycard Sansui SSS are just a couple of examples of what the Big N released. There are dozens more to choose from, most of which, didn’t really aid in increasing the gaming experience. Sure, we have accessories and peripherals today, but none as whacked out as some of the offerings from over two decades ago.

Batteries, Batteries, Batteries – Today’s portable devices use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Once the charge is gone, simply plug in your device (or battery pack) into the wall, and boom, you have a fully charged machine in no time. This, as we all know, wasn’t always the case. If I am not mistaken, the original Game Boy needed four batteries, while the Game Gear tipped the scales at a whopping six. I can’t imagine having to keep a healthy stock of double and triple A batteries just to play my favorite games on the go. The bulk of handhelds back then were already oppressive, but with the added weight of a billion batteries, they became more cumbersome than I feel they were worth.

LAN parties! – Playing your friends online these days is as simple as turning on, logging in, and press start. As long as you pay the monthly PS Plus or Xbox Live subscriptions, you can play people all over the world in an instant, for as long as your bladder will allow. If you wanted to play your friends back in the early ’90s, however, you had to have a LAN party. For those youngsters who have no idea what that is, please allow me to explain. The internet was a fledgeling thing back then, and most companies didn’t have dedicated serves for gamers to use. Instead, if we wanted to play one another, we had to tote our computers to a friend’s house and wire them all up together. Once linked together, we could go to town on some awesome Duke Nukem 3D. I feel it’s important to mention that flat screen monitors weren’t a thing yet, so along with our heavy PC towers, we also had to lug very large and heavy monitors. LAN parties were annoying, frustrating, time-consuming, and tedious, but damn, were they fun as all can be. I love the fact that I can play anyone, at any time, and in any place in today’s gaming world, but I’ll go on record, as saying there was nothing more fun than a whole bunch of my friends coming together and playing some awesome ’90s PC greatness.

There you have it fellow gaming enthusiasts, just a few items and experiences that this generation missed out on. Wired controllers and buckets of batteries are things I can definitely do without, but sometimes I just want to sit down, play a NES game, and throw the controller while reading a Nintendo Power as I slip on a Power Glove surrounded by my friends at a LAN party nerd-fest galore. I miss those days!

Impressions of PUBG on Xbox One and X

January 12, 2018January 12, 2018 by Trevor Cripe, posted in Features

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, if you haven’t heard of it yet, you’ve must of been living under a rock for all of 2017. This battle royale/light military sim game, seemingly came out of nowhere to sell over 15 million copies on PC. Additionally, it keeps breaking Steam records for the most players on at one time, along with consistently being in the top 5 most streamed games on Twitch and Mixer. If you still have no idea what I’m talking about, I will give you a brief rundown of what the game is all about.

You and 99 other players are loaded into a plane, and are forced to jump off onto a large map, with the sole objective of being the last person standing. Once you finish your initial plunge onto land, the game immediately becomes a looting frenzy. You run in and out of many different buildings and landmarks looking for any gear, armor, weapons, frying pans, energy drinks etc. You have to gear up if you’re going to survive, and if you’re lucky enough, you might just stumble upon an M4A1 or a Kar98k.

When the initial looting frenzy ends, that’s where the real fun begins. A blue radiation zone starts to shrink the map size, which slowly pushes all the players together. This leads to some of the most intense firefights I’ve ever had in my gaming career. PUBG will honestly make you shake and sweat from intensity, make you jump when you unexpectedly get shot at, and make you holler out a victorious roar when you finally see the screen say “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.” Yeah…

Now that you know a general outline on what PUBG is about, let’s move on to the very controversial and newly released Xbox One version. Flashback to E3 2017, Microsoft shocked everyone with the announcement that PUBG is going to be a timed console exclusive on Xbox One, and it will be releasing at the end of 2017. A bold move for sure, and a move that a lot of people didn’t see coming, because at that time PUBG was still an early access title on Steam.

Then came even better news that, developer Bluehole, will have a completely separate team only working on the Xbox version. With that, came hope that us Xbox users were going to get a acceptable product when PUBG finally launched. Well… we were fools for thinking that. Last month’s launch for PUBG on the Xbox One was an absolute disaster. With Xbox 360 looking graphics, a frame rate that can drop to 10fps, textures that take forever to load, and crashes every other match.

Even though PUBG is technically listed as a “Game Preview,” (which is Microsoft’s version of Steam’s “Early Access”) this was still an unacceptable result from a game and a studio Microsoft invested so much in. If you want to see how bad it really was at launch, here is an analysis video for you from DigitalFoundry.

With all the controversy and just the embarrassing state the game was in, Microsoft and Bluehole kicked it into high gear. Since launch, Bluehole has released 5 patches in a little over a month. A pretty impressive feat to do in the console market, because every patch has to go through a certification process to make sure the patch won’t brick the console. Additionally, the game has improved in every single patch in a pretty dramatic manner. With the most recent patch that was released just this past Monday, making a dramatic improvement to the game’s overall user experience. This new patch smoothed out the frame rate, reduced crashing and added the “First-Person Perspective” to every game mode.

But, even with all these patches the game still has many problems. One of the main problems being how much better that game is on the Xbox One X when compared to the standard Xbox One. On the X, you’re not only getting a steady frame rate at 30fps for most of the time, but you are also receiving the extra quirks of 4K resolution, better draw distances, faster loading textures, HDR, and way less crashes overall. Playing on the X is honestly such an advantage to playing on the standard Xbox One right now, that I honestly think X players and standard Xbox One players shouldn’t be able to play against each other.

In conclusion, there is an outstanding game here behind all of the technical issues, even with all the issues mentioned above. I’ve played over 80 enjoyable hours of PUBG since the launch last month. This is because you can’t find this tactical and adrenaline pumping gameplay experience anywhere else, the game really is that fun. And, with Microsoft and Bluehole seemingly supporting it fantastically so far, I can honestly see PUBG on Xbox One becoming a fantastic game down the line. But, until then I would suggest holding off on your purchase until the game is in a more playable state, especially if you’re still using a standard Xbox One.

So, have you guys been enjoying PUBG on the Xbox One? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments down below!

Best Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games 2018

January 12, 2018January 12, 2018 by Nitchigamer, posted in Features

It’s fair to say the Nintendo Switch had a rather good 2017… Now we’re somehow already in 2018, leaving us to ponder like the insatiable Homo sapiens we are: what’s out this year for the hybrid console?

With giants The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey both, surprisingly, released in the Switch’s first year, not to mention an overwhelming line-up of quality (if you’ve been following) in Splatoon 2, Arms, Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (we still haven’t finished all of these), some may argue Nintendo has almost overdone it. Is there anything left?

While 2018 might not have quite the same level of killer titles – at the time of writing – here are some of the best upcoming Nintendo Switch games we’re looking forward to playing.

Fire Emblem Switch (Untitled)

The next true Fire Emblem title is coming to the Switch in 2018. And, yes, that’s pretty much all we know.

Although we do know this: Intelligent Systems produces some damn fine tactical strategy games. While Advance Wars would have been better, (where are you?) this is sure to be hot property.

Bayonetta 3

It’s not confirmed that Bayonetta 3, announced at The Game Awards 2017, will launch for the Switch in 2018, but there’s a chance it will follow sometime after the Bayonetta/Bayonetta 2 re-release due out February 16th.

Bayonetta 2, at least to this writer, is one of the finest hack ‘n’ slash games ever made. So, Bayonetta 3 has a lot to live up to.

Metroid Prime 4

Confirmed to be real in June 2017 at E3, we don’t know much about Metroid Prime 4. In fact, that logo up there is almost everything we have.

The announcement trailer was just over 40 seconds long, but that was enough to explode the internet. The confirmation that Nintendo is finally working on a new Prime game is what many fans have been waiting for – 10 years and counting.

There’s little doubt that a new adventure for Samus Aran, that happens to be a sequel to the beloved Prime games, will be a big deal. Out 2018? It’s possible.

Kirby Star Allies – March 16th

Kirby has always been seen as a bit of a B-list hero for Nintendo when compared to Mario, but there’s no doubt the pink blob brings his own unique brand of fun wherever he turns up.

Developer HAL Laboratory has proudly declared that Star Allies will stay true to its side-scrolling platformer roots, with Kirby joined by up to three companions for some co-op madness.

The World Ends With You Final Remix

One of Nintendo DS’ greatest titles, The World Ends With You, will be re-released on the Switch sometime this year. In addition to a new, Switch-exclusive scenario, The World Ends With You Final Remix will feature both touch controls resembling those of the original DS release and new Joy-Con controls.

No specific release date was given, but The World Ends With You Final Remix will be released in 2018.

Yoshi (Working Title)

A charming game for a charming character. Yoshi, that’s the only name for now anyway, is coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Cutesy platforming guaranteed the new Yoshi game looks to be shaping up rather nicely indeed – with a Paper Mario art style in tow.

Project Octopath Traveler

Square Enix is bringing some energy to the Switch: we have a Dragon Quest XI port in the works, but there’s the exclusive Project Octopath Traveler heading its way too.

Octopath Traveler is from the team that brought you Bravely Default, the acclaimed 3DS JRPG series – so this could be special. It also boasts a brand new visual style the developers are calling ‘HD-2D’.

Mario Tennis Aces – Spring

The developers of the great Mario Tennis titles, Camelot, are at it again with a Mario Tennis title for the Switch.

Mario Tennis Aces will feature the series’ first story mode since GBA title Mario Tennis: Power Tour, complete with boss battles and mission-based gameplay. The story mode looks ‘ace’…

Pokémon Switch (Untitled)

Whether you’re a huge fan of Pokémon or not, there’s no escaping the sheer power and importance of the brand. This will move consoles. Now there’s a new title coming, created specifically for the Nintendo Switch.

The Pokémon games happen to be expertly crafted affairs, so whatever Game Freak and Nintendo have planned, you can be sure it will dominate the headlines. Remember Pokémon Go?

The Other Best Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games For 2018

Other notable Nintendo Switch games coming out this year include the following:

Payday 2
The Escapists 2
Xeodrifter
Lost Sphear
Celeste
Dragon Quest Builders
The Longest Five Minutes
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
Shakedown Hawaii
Flipping Death
Wargroove
Terraria
Dandara
Pocket Rumble
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
Runner 3
Kingdom: Two Crowns
Yoku’s Island Express
2064: Read Only Memories Integral
Indivisible
Shovel Knight: King of Cards
Mulaka
Layers of Fear: Legacy
Enter the Gungeon
Shin Megami Tensei (New Title)
Steep
Syberia 3
Dragon Quest Heroes 1 and 2
Owlboy
Battle Chasers Nightwar
Dragon Quest XI
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Hollow Knight
No More Heroes 3 (Travis Strikes Again)
Super Meat Boy Forever
Light Fingers

Newly Announced

Dark Souls Remastered – May 25th
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – May 4th
Celeste – January 25th
Fe / February 16th
SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy – Summer 2018
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Summer 2018
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition – Spring 2018
Dragon Quest Builders – January 2018
Pokken Tournament DX DLC – January 31st, and March 23rd for second DLC

That’s it for now. We’ll be updating this article when Nintendo inevitably decides to share the full details of their plans for 2018.

January 2018 Nintendo Direct (Mini): Here’s Everything Announced Today For The Switch

January 11, 2018January 11, 2018 by PJ Moon, posted in Features, Nintendo, Posts

On January 10th Nintendo of America’s Twitter was aflame after this ambiguous tweet:

Gamers everywhere wondered what prompted Nintendo to tweet a picture of a flaming Chibi-Robo. Was a new Chibi-Robo game on the horizon? Nope. It turns out Nintendo was just hyping fans for today’s surprise Nintendo Direct Mini. Despite not mentioning Chibi-Robo, Nintendo did announce a slew of new Switch releases.

January Nintendo Direct (Mini) Rundown

Here’s the full rundown for you, reader:

The World Ends With You Final Remix / 2018

Pokken Tournament DX DLC / January 31st, March 23rd

New Pokémon fighters will soon appear in Pokkén Tournament DX. Battle character Aegislash will be available for download on January 31st along with the support Pokémon set Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu. On March 23rd a new battle character, the famous Blastoise, and a new support Pokémon set featuring Mew and Celebi will be available for download. Both sets of Pokémon will be released as part of the Deluxe Battle Pack now available for purchase. While you won’t have access to the new Pokémon until their release dates, you will be given a new set of avatar items upon purchase.

Kirby Star Allies / March 16th

Nintendo presented a new trailer for the already announced Kirby Switch title featuring two of Kirby’s new abilities: Artist and Spider. Now Kirby can paint Waddle Dee and other enemies into a world of pain using the artist ability, or Kirby can spin a web around foes à la Spiderman. A new co-op mode will also allow players to mix and match abilities.

Dragon Quest Builders / January 2018

Experience the world of Dragon Quest your way in the Minecraft-flavored Dragon Quest RPG. The cross-platform hit is making its way to the Switch later this month, but a demo is now available for download in the eShop as well.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition / Spring 2018

It’s both the Wii U and 3DS Hyrule Warriors in one. The Switch’s definitive version of Hyrule Warriors will include all the exclusive content featured in both the Wii U and 3DS versions of Hyrule Warriors. New to the definitive edition are Breath of the Wild-themed Link and Zelda costumes, and a same-screen co-op mode.

Mario Tennis Aces / Spring 2018

The developers of the great Mario Tennis titles, Camelot, are at it again with a Mario Tennis title for the Switch. Mario Tennis Aces will feature the series’ first story mode since GBA title Mario Tennis: Power Tour, complete with boss battles and mission-based gameplay. The story mode looks ‘ace’…

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA / Summer 2018

RPG fans rejoice! Ys VIII: Lacrimose of DANA is making its way to the Switch this Summer. Ys VIII features a real-time battle system, a base-building mechanic, anime-style cutscenes, and an epic narrative.

Super Mario Odyssey Update / February 2018

Luigi’s opening up a new world for Mario to explore in Super Mario Odyssey’s free upcoming update. The update features post-game content where Luigi sources Mario to either find or hide balloons. Finding and hiding balloons brings with it international scoreboards where players around the globe can find other players’ hidden balloons and compare high scores.

Also included in the Super Mario Odyssey update are new costumes for Mario and new filters for snapshot mode. The update will be free.

SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy / Summer 2018

SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy will feature female characters from SNK’s prolific catalogue of fighting games. Players will be able to customize fighters with different costumes and accessories.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle DLC / Spring 2018

A new challenger approaches in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and he is bringing all the jungle heat… and a banana boomerang (?) with him. Yes, Donkey Kong will be available for download this Spring.

Payday 2 / February 27th

The earlier announced Switch port of Payday 2 will release on February 27th along with a timed-exclusive new character: Joy. Joy brings with her hacking perks sure to make quick work of any security firewalls.

Fe / February 16th

This platforming adventure allows players to explore a huge 3D world. Heavy emphasis is placed on music as players use it to unlock abilities and battle foes. Fe will be available for purchase on February 16th.

Celeste / January 25th

Celeste is a 2D action-platformer featuring lovely pixel-based graphics. Play as Madeleine and help her ascend Mount Celeste using an air-dash and other abilities. Celeste lets players fully customize game difficulty allowing for both easy runs and impossibly difficult runs too.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze / May 4th

Another Switch port of a Wii U game, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze introduces Funky Kong as a new playable character with his own unique abilities.

Dark Souls Remastered / May 25th

A trailer was shown for Dark Souls Remastered, but it didn’t include any details regarding changes or new gameplay. All that’s known about Dark Souls Remastered is its release date then: May 25th, 2018.

That wraps it up for the January 11th Nintendo Direct Mini. Are you excited about any of the titles showcased? Are there any games you were hoping to see that didn’t make the cut?

The Best Upcoming PS VR Games 2018

January 11, 2018May 1, 2018 by Nitchigamer, posted in Features

Sony had a great first year with their PS VR headset, selling more than 2 million units in 2017. It’s a surprise to those that predicted VR wouldn’t quite catch on… That being said, there’s still work to be done to get VR into the mainstream. Sony can overcome that fact by releasing lots of compelling games – simple, but true for any platform.

So what about 2018? What new PS VR games can you look forward to this year, and will the support continue? Well fear not, Sony has recently just recommitted to PS VR and has stated that it will receive over 130 new games this year. (That’s 280 VR games by the end of 2018).

As for those new games, here are some of the best upcoming PS VR titles we’re looking forward to playing.

Moss

The hotly anticipated Moss, from Polyarc Games, quickly became one of the most desired PS VR games after its initial E3 2017 reveal. With platforming, a smattering of action and beautifully clever puzzle-solving on the cards, it’s no wonder.

You can try it out while you wait through the free PlayStation VR Demo Disc 2. Moss is released on the 27th February, and it’s exclusive to PS VR.

Bravo Team

Another one announced at E3 2017, Bravo Team was one of two titles shown off by developer Supermassive Games – the other game being The Inpatient, (see below!).

Bravo Team promises VR co-op play where you’ll need to take cover, go over tactics and shoot your way to victory. Bravo Team releases exclusively on March 6th, 2018.

Blood & Truth

Blood & Truth is basically a full game of The London Heist seen in PlayStation VR Worlds. That was a truly memorable experience loved by many, so Sony London Studios decided more was needed.

Blood & Truth places you into the heart of London’s organised crime syndicate and you’re out looking for revenge – I wonder if Frank is still around? Blood & Truth is coming at some point in 2018, but we don’t know when. It’s exclusive for PlayStation VR.

The Inpatient

Never want to sleep again? That’s ok, Supermassive Games has you covered with The Inpatient. Another expansion of the Until Dawn game universe, The Inpatient takes place in the Blackwood Sanatorium we all remember in our worst nightmares…

Better news: the horror title is due out this month on the 24th January 2018. It’s another exclusive for PlayStation VR.

Golem

Announced way back in 2016, Golem‘s fate suddenly became unknown. Luckily, it appeared again at the Paris Games Week press conference to much relief.

From Highwire Games, it’s a VR adventure that allows you to explore and fight your way through the ruins of the “Endless City”. Golem is due out on the 13th March 2018. Exclusive for PlayStation VR.

Star Child

Star Child is a VR science-fiction adventure featuring classic side-scrolling platforming from the ‘good old days’. That extra, awesome immersion that VR provides will encourage you to really dive into the rich, 2D world created for you by Playful Corp. You can try it out while you wait through the free PlayStation VR Demo Disc 2.

Star Child is coming at some point in 2018, but it’s another one in which the exact date remains a bit of a mystery. Of course, it’s exclusive for PlayStation VR too.

The Other Best Upcoming PS VR Games 2018

Other notable PS VR games coming out this year include the following:

Quar: Infernal Machines
The American Dream
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – Mars
Fallout 4 VR – Expected
Megalith
Megadimension Neptunia VIIR
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
Dreams (VR Support Due)
Sprint Vector
The Persistence
Transference
Windlands 2
Torn
Bow To Blood
Firewall Zero Hour

That’s it for now. We’ll be updating this article when Sony adds more games to their VR plans for 2018.

Sparkle Unleashed Review [Nintendo Switch] – Holds Its Own

January 10, 2018 by Jordan Scott, posted in Reviews

Just over thirteen years ago, I had a job as a tour guide for a large news organization in New York City. During our downtime in between giving tours, my fellow guides and I would play games and watch movies on our respective computers. One particular game I became quite fond of was Zuma, an orb-matching puzzler that was simple, fun, and a great way to pass the time. I played the hell out of that game, always trying to beat my high scores. Since those days, I have discovered that dozens upon dozens of Zuma clones have come out on a multitude of platforms. Some of the clones are identical, while others are simply wearing a shiny new skin but still maintain the basic premise.

It would seem that 10tons have decided it too needed a clone of its own with bringing Sparkle Unleashed to the Nintendo Switch. It might just be me, but there seems to be an ever-increasing amount of game knock-offs and it’s getting old. However, I adored Zuma back in the day, so at the very least, Sparkle is an above average copy that improves on the original and makes good use of the Switch’s touchscreen.

If you’ve never played Zuma or any of its billion clones, I’ll give you the two-cent tour to catch up. As I stated above, Sparkle Unleashed is an orb-matching puzzler where players must match like-coloured orbs before they reach the end of the path. Once the orb at the head of the line reaches the abyss, the game is over and you have lost. There’s some skill involved when it comes to aim and placement, but it’s a simplistic game, no matter which version you play. 10tons has added in a background story and a reason for all the orb–matching, but to be honest, it doesn’t add anything to the overall game.

There are fair amounts of useful power-ups that give players a healthy advantage during each round. Acquired via multiple colour match combos, these power-ups can slow down time, blast away orbs, and more. I rather enjoy these quick action items, as they can really help when you’re overwhelmed and about to lose it all.

Just as in the source material, Sparkle’s difficulty increases as you advance through over one hundred levels. At first, the orbs move slow and are few in number, but after you’ve played some rounds, they start to come from multiple directions and speed increases exponentially. I can attest to the fact that it can get frustrating if you miss a shot or fail to snag that needed power-up. The way your adrenaline shoots up as the orbs inch closer to the abyss reminds me of the original Tetris and how I was stressed each time my tower of blocks quickly rose to meet the ceiling. In both cases, game over is inevitable and only a miracle placement can save the day.

This port plays much better in handheld mode, as the game takes full advantage of the Switch’s touchscreen. In fact, I find it far easier to play when undocked and on the go. The Joy-Cons do a good job at aiming, but the precision the touch screen offers is far superior. This is especially noticeable as the game speeds up, and you can’t aim or shoot fast enough. In handheld mode, just tap the screen where you want the orb and it instantly heads in that direction. I’m not saying the game is impossible while docked, but players will find a significant disadvantage in playing that way.

I want to make sure players don’t go into this thinking 10tons reinvented the wheel or anything else for that matter. Sparkle Unleashed and all the other Zuma clones have been available for over a decade, but that doesn’t mean this iteration doesn’t deserve a little bit of your time and Micro SD card space.

Tiny Metal Review [PS4 Pro] – A Doppelganger Without The Flair

January 9, 2018January 8, 2018 by Nitchigamer, posted in Reviews

It would be difficult to review Tiny Metal without referencing the Advance Wars games from Intelligent Systems. Perhaps “difficult” is an understatement. The Japanese developer Area 35 has stated that the new strategy title was ‘inspired’ by the series. They wanted to make the game they desired to play, but not clone it. Honestly though, for all intents and purposes, this is fundamentally a carbon copy.

Tiny Metal Review: Black Hole Rising

Now, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s a bad game, does it? A great developer will observe others around them, use the best ideas and then create something from that for themselves. Unfortunately, Tiny Metal fails to achieve the latter part, adding little to the magic formula on its own. Ergo, it stops short of being anything truly special, even if Advance Wars has been strangely absent for so many years.

From the way the battlefield view and individual battle scenes are presented, to how the units look and behave, to the way the characters debate the existentialism of war, almost everything in Tiny Metal has been taken from Advance Wars. It’s brazen, and yet somehow respectful of the series, but without the precision.

With all that being said, both Advance Wars fans and newcomers to turn-based tactical strategy games will find something to enjoy in Tiny Metal.

Grid-Based Strategy Goodness

The single-player campaign in Tiny Metal is meaty, with 14 main missions to complete, and supplementary ones to unlock along the way. Although I didn’t find it to be of the same challenge as Intelligent System’s classic campaign offerings. The game runs smoothly in 4K, 60fps on PS4 Pro, with clean visuals and catchy tunes. There is a multiplayer mode, or will be – it’s coming later and is not available at launch – which is a bit odd.

The story, presented through slightly bloated dialogue scenes, regularly challenges and questions the mistakes of humanity. Living by your own code, not asserting your views on others, the implied fickle nature of us all – there are some surprisingly deep and meaningful discussions to be found within.

While not offering groundbreaking additions to the formula, I still enjoyed the small differences from Advance Wars as well. Yes, there are a few reader! Additions like the fact units rank up the more you battle with them, making them harder to take down. Or the option to call in special named-units with added perks and abilities – William Bishop is a fighter pilot who really excels in the air, with more expertise than standard units, for example. There’s also a “Focus Fire” command on the grid which combines the attacks of your units for bonus damage – something to consider when pushing forward.

I even got some pleasure from finding the hidden labs which unlock the aforementioned “MX” missions and extra dialogue. Although taking the time to find these can hurt your mission score, so it’s a little incongruent with the ‘finish in as few moves as possible’ central premise.

It’s a shame that Area 35 didn’t really leave their own mark on the established Advance Wars series with Tiny Metal then. A decent campaign and story, along with minor changes, aren’t enough to make this essential, but make for a solid experience nevertheless.

Fearful Symmetry and The Cursed Prince Review [PC] – Puzzling Symmetry For Everyone

January 8, 2018January 8, 2018 by Chris Wheatley, posted in Reviews

The gameplay of Fearful Symmetry and The Cursed Prince shows its teeth as a mind-twisting puzzler that forces players to think for two characters at once. The unique spin on this puzzle game is refreshing at the same time as being equally frustrating. Taking on two separate screens at once is a welcome challenge for this gamer and one that tends to keep giving throughout its short but sweet campaign. From the added challenges that begin to surface, to the new characters to unlock to help change the gameplay, Gamera Interactive is helping to introduce a distinctive spin on the puzzle-solving genre.

Taking on the role of a prince who snatched the sacred cursed scroll, you’re now compelled to escape this symmetrical universe and return the scrolls to their rightful owner. Where the puzzling comes in is how the challenges present themselves throughout the game. The screen is divided into two symmetrical sides: one light, one dark. Players control their hero on both sides of the screen, navigating each side through dangerous traps and challenges. The trick is that the character on the left makes their way from bottom to top while the right goes from top to bottom. This makes controlling both your dark and light-sided hero quite the thought-inducing challenge.

A Symmetrical Experience

Moving up on one screen will cause the other character to move down, and vice versa. Right is left and left is right, making for a unique twist on what would otherwise be a simple puzzler. As the levels continue onward, more obstacles inevitably present themselves introducing a subtle learning curve. Thinking about your every move twice is a new habit to adapt to, one that is crucial in keeping your character from perishing. There is plenty of time spent on planning your pathway and perfectly avoiding any dangers.

While at the beginning of the game where the dangerous obstacles stay stationary, more ghastly spirits and moving objects begin to enhance the strategy. Ghostly AI spawn in or fireball spitting plants cross your path, players must be abundantly aware of what’s occurring on both sides of the screen. If players are unaware of the dangers on one side of the screen or the other, a quick death most certainly awaits. A quick restart keeps the game flowing at an easy pace to keep hacking away at the correct path to success.

Numerous Ways To Play

Though travelling from one side of the dungeon to the other for both sides at once is the main objective, in each dungeon on one side rests a bonus key. Collecting these keys will eventually unlock bonus levels that present even more difficult challenges. However, these bonus levels award players with two new playable characters when specific ones are completed. On top of new and unique characters to play as these bonus levels are excellent ways to drive more hair-pulling puzzles out of your twitching fingertips.

Out of the three characters to choose, each one offers a unique twist on conquering the levels. While traversing through the standard way by walking around the spikes, fire and ghostly enemies in traditional strolling fashion, other unique abilities may be equipped when played as one of the other characters, such as the ability to teleport over obstacles. The initial campaign is relatively short – sitting at about an hour-long. Still, two characters to unlock – each with their own unique skill – and the challenging bonus levels add a bit more depth to the game.

There’s not too much to Fearful Symmetry and The Cursed Prince – but there is some addicting gameplay to be had. Taking on parallel worlds at the same time is a unique twist on the genre, great for gamers of any skill level to take on the challenge.

Is The Xbox One X Worth It For The Average Consumer?

January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 by Trevor Cripe, posted in Viewpoints

From the days of the original Xbox, I have always been an early adopter of Microsoft’s gaming consoles. I was even lucky enough to get an Xbox 360 at launch because my parents waited in line with me on release day. I’ve gone through the fat original Xbox controllers, got the red ring of death on multiple 360s, and have dealt with the VCR sized design of the Xbox One. I guess you could argue I’m an Xbox fanboy (if you have too much time on your hands). But, with the Xbox One X release, Microsoft has entered new waters in the home console market, with a mid-cycle upgrade for their current console generation. The real question regarding this new era of the home console market: is the Xbox One X a worthy enough upgrade to justify its princely $500 price tag?

A couple of weeks ago I decided to take the plunge on the Xbox One X and a new 4K HDR TV. It wasn’t cheap, but I’m the type of guy who likes to be up to date with new tech. It’s an expensive habit to have… With that being said, after fiddling with my TV settings, I found an image that suited my needs. Now, it was time to try out some games.

Xbox One X Enhanced Games

The games I currently own that are “Xbox One X Enhanced” are FIFA 18, Skyrim, Gears of War 4, and Fortnite. I’ll just come out and say it, some of these titles enhancements are pretty minor, and don’t add much to the overall experience. For example, Skyrim gets a resolution boost to an adaptive 4K resolution. But, with it being a 10-year-old game, the difference between the standard Xbox One version and the Xbox One X version isn’t that eye-catching. The same can be said with FIFA 18, in fact, the X version is no different than the PS4 Pro version. They both support a 4K resolution boost with HDR, but FIFA has never been that amazing looking of a game to begin with. These enhancements only slightly boost the overall look from the standard version.

However, with all that being said, for every game with mediocre enhancements, there are also games with amazing enhancements. Gears of War 4 and Fortnite are the only games I’ve played on the console that I would say are a night and day difference from their standard versions. Gears of War features updates across the board with resolution, upgraded textures, HDR, and new ways to play like a 60fps mode for the campaign. When I hopped on Gears and loaded up the campaign to start my Insane difficulty run, I was instantly blown away by how much better the game looked. It honestly felt like a fresh experience, even though I’ve already played the campaign upon its initial release.

What About Fortnite?

For Fortnite, the enhancements are a nice touch, with a near 4K resolution and upgraded textures, but the real benefit comes with how much better the game actually runs comparing it to the standard Xbox One version. Before I upgraded to the X, I was still using my “Day One Edition” Xbox One and she was a trooper. She had a faulty disk drive, and a Kinect that would never want to listen to me. But, throughout all my hours gaming, few games I played ran as poorly as Fortnite did. With textures not loading properly to not loading at all, to the game running at a pretty much always sub 30fps (especially in the pre-game lobby,) Fortnite was not a fun experience on my original Xbox One (I hear PUBG runs even worse). Well, I’m happy to report that since playing on the X, Fortnite has been my most played game since – it looks great and runs dramatically better.

So, with all this in mind, should the average consumer run out and buy an Xbox One X? I’m going to say no. My reasoning behind this is that I find the X to be a niche product. I say this because you can still play everything you can play on an X with an original Xbox One. Additionally, there are still more unenhanced titles than enhanced titles, with some of the enhanced titles not really making a huge difference from the standard version of the game.

Final Thoughts

If you want the best Xbox experience possible, then yes, you should run out and purchase an Xbox One X. But, if 4K graphics along with some other visual quirks don’t entice you, then no. I would not recommend you upgrade your current Xbox console. It’s not for everyone then, but if you’re an Xbox fan, then it’s worth the deep dive because you’re getting the best Xbox experience you possibly can.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Review [PS4 Pro] – Welcome Back, Captain Blazkowicz

January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 by Chris Wheatley, posted in Reviews

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is an excellent sequel to one of the most iconic shooter franchises in gaming. The re-imagining of the classic series takes players back to the Nazi regime, which in an alternate universe has successfully conquered the globe. It’s grounded by the sheer badassery of Captain William Blazkowicz, and the group of revolutionary soldiers fighting for the freedom of the people. The New Colossus beefs up the action and mayhem while taking players through a thrilling narrative filled with plenty of Nazi-slaughtering anarchy.

The Nazi regime continues onward, but the revolution is just getting started.

Coming straight off of The New Order, the story of Captain Blaskowicz and the revolutionaries continues to deliver throughout the sequel. Upon slowly recovering following the events of the predecessor, the story of the Nazi regime continues to unfold while you trail the dreadful right hand of the Führer, General Engel. Throughout her tasteless and morose personality, the writers from Machine Games have done an excellent job in creating a villain so frustratingly real, someone brimming with so much hatred, one can’t help but look forward to the day Blazkowicz finally brings her down. The adrenaline rush that guides players across the surprising and roller coaster of a story is an anchor of the Wolfenstein series; and one that seems to only ripen delectably with age.

Does This Thing Kill Nazis?

One of the biggest changes from the 2014 release is the ability to hang to all of the weapons BJ discovers. While in The New Order players were forced to start new areas and chapters off with only a limited supply of weapons, once retrieved from fallen enemies, Wolfenstein II allows Blazkowicz to keep his arsenal of unique weaponry throughout the entirety of the game. On top of this little luxury, players also have the option to upgrade each weapon with three various enhancements. Among the litany of different collectables scattered throughout the campaign are weapon upgrade gears, and once applied can completely transform the damage and shooting style of the initial starting weapon.

The enhanced LaserKraftWerk is now a powerful heavy weapon incinerating anything in its path.

Among the weapons to obtain, players of The New Order will notice the lack of the sheet-metal-melting laser weapon, the LaserKraftWerk. While it still exists along with the ability to disintegrate various metal panels, it now comes as a heavy weapon packing a much fiercer punch than before. Though the LaserKraftWerk does not sit in your weapon wheel like before, there is a new useful addition to take its place.

The DieselKraftwerk is a cannon that launches small remote-controlled explosive canisters, helpful for blasting your way through walls, or hordes of Nazi enemies. Among the rest are the usual suspects of weaponry, your shotguns, assault rifles and pistols, all with the ability to classically duel-wield for ultimate carnage.

Hunting Down The Übercommanders

Finding and scavenging for weapons, ammo, health and armour pieces have hardly been touched when compared to its predecessor, including the chance to discover Enigma Cards dropped from commander soldiers. Once obtained, these cards will help open up new side missions, which can award players with rare and powerful gear. There are literally tons of Enigma Cards scattered throughout the campaign, all of which are used to decrypt codes and locate the dreaded, Übercommanders.

New characters make an appearance in the story as the campaign shifts to the US, in towns like New Orleans and Manhattan.

Collecting Enigma Cards is as easy as looting commanders, however, that’s only first step. By using the Enigma Machine back at the home base (a Nazi submarine – Eva’s Hammer), players will need to decrypt a series of codes to gain access to the location of deadly Übercommanders. Seeking out and dealing with these strong foes helps chip away at the Nazi regime stranglehold on the United States, as well as unlock a final mission in the game if enough are completed.

Proof That Single Player Isn’t Dead

Much like the rest of the series, Wolfenstein II pits Blazkowicz against insurmountable odds, leaving no amount of outrageous and over-the-top scenarios out of the exciting campaign. Whether your smashing through a Nazi army riding atop a vicious Panzerhund, or on your way to fight the good fight in space, The New Colossus only adds to the intensity of the series, never once shying from the completely ridiculous. While most games looking to tackle a serious audience would veer from complete insanity and off-the-wall antics, Wolfenstein only strengthens itself as a series from the madness.

Return to ground zero where the Nazi regime dropped the atomic bomb on Manhatten, New York, ultimately forcing the US to surrender.

First-person shooters come a dime a dozen anymore, and with the growing industry standards to pump out FPS titles with an 80% focus on PvP multiplayer, the Wolfenstein series is a refreshing break from the online grind. The New Colossus magnifies the single-player experience with an astounding narrative throughout a magnificently gripping story, complimented with exceptional gameplay. With every intense action in The New Colossus, there’s an equally surprising reaction that keeps the game from losing its edge.

Ouch, Those Controls Are Painful

Keatz: The Lonely Bird

Fire Emblem Switch (Untitled)

Bayonetta 3

Metroid Prime 4

Kirby Star Allies – March 16th

The World Ends With You Final Remix

Yoshi (Working Title)

Project Octopath Traveler

Mario Tennis Aces – Spring

Pokémon Switch (Untitled)

The Other Best Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games For 2018

Newly Announced

January Nintendo Direct (Mini) Rundown

The World Ends With You Final Remix / 2018

Pokken Tournament DX DLC / January 31st, March 23rd

Kirby Star Allies / March 16th

Dragon Quest Builders / January 2018

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition / Spring 2018

Mario Tennis Aces / Spring 2018

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA / Summer 2018

Super Mario Odyssey Update / February 2018

SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy / Summer 2018

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle DLC / Spring 2018

Payday 2 / February 27th

Fe / February 16th

Celeste / January 25th

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze / May 4th

Dark Souls Remastered / May 25th