Tag: extra

Video Game Music Box

Lull Yourself To Sleep With The Video Game Music Box Collection, Available Now

by Chris Wheatley, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Taking classic video game nostalgia in the form of vintage gaming tunes and presenting them in relaxing lullaby fashion is exactly what Materia Collective has gracefully accomplished with their latest set of albums.

Ranging from The Legend of Zelda to Final Fantasy VII, Video Game Music Box features a slew of memorable gaming soundtracks and re-envisions them with an expertly crafted wave of music box allure with the new series, Music Box Classics.

“Music Box Classics will be a lifelong project, with each new album dedicated to a single game title or game theme (…) Each album will feature pure music box sound with no additional instruments. This is perfect for relaxing or falling asleep. And for those gamer parents who want to introduce their little ones to videogame music early on, these will be the perfect albums.” – Video Games Music Box

Have a listen to one of the tracks from The Legend of Zelda album below:

Here are all seven available albums to help ease you (or your precious little one!) to sleep:

  • Remember the nostalgic adventures with the perceptible score from The Legend of Zelda series re-living the classics in an all-new style.
  • No video game soundtrack collection would be complete without a trip to the world of Super Mario Bros. featuring some of the most memorable scores in gaming.
  • Chrono Trigger is well-regarded as one of the greatest games in history and the beloved soundtrack only adds to that very proposal.
  • The gothic vintage tunes from the Castlevania series join in the collection and recreates a stunning benevolent atmosphere.
  • Perhaps one of the most cherished scores in gaming comes from the talent behind Final Fantasy VII and charms its way into the Music Box Collection.
  • Undertale joins in and invents a new vision in how to enjoy the unforgettable soundtrack behind one of the most remarkable gaming journeys in recent years.
  • Last but not least, the Pokemon album recreates some of the most iconic songs from the series and leaves you itching to jump back into classic Pokemon Red/Blue titles from when it all began.

You can score these exceptional treasures from the Music Box Collection from Materia Collective at a variety of digital music sites, such as Bandcamp, iTunes or Spotify.

Hello Neighbor Review [Nintendo Switch] – Great Idea, Little Satisfaction

by Jordan Scott, posted in Reviews

One would imagine that if you backtrack before the release of Hello Neighbor by Dynamic Pixels, before coding and artwork, before storyboards and script writing, someone, somewhere had a great idea for an amazing game.

Hello Neighbor [Switch] – Great Idea, Little Satisfaction

They wrote pages and pages of scribbled notes on a napkin sitting at a diner booth in the late hours of the night, drinking coffee and eating a cold plate of fries. This budding game designer would feverishly jot down ideas for a wild new concept that would revolutionize a genre. As their fries got colder and the napkin count rose, a fully fleshed out world would start to take shape.

I am sure whatever was written on those grease-stained napkins was pure genius, but that genius never made it past the face towelette stage. Hello Neighbor, a self-professed “Stealth Survival Horror” game, might have sounded like a spectacular idea at the start, but what we got will more likely make you weep then shake in your boots.

Hello Neighbor Review
Hello Neighbor Review

The main objective is to sneak into your shady neighbor’s house and find a way to break into the basement to discover his dirty secret(s). You have the option of going through open bedroom windows, the front door, via the roof, and more. Be careful though, if the evil neighbor catches you, he’ll throw you out on the street. If he sees you lurking outside, he’ll jump through the closed window to boot you onto the curb. Magically, the window gets fixed in an instant.

Sounds easy enough, but as you find different ways of infiltrating, the Neighbor finds new ways of stopping you. The A.I. in the game is meant to counter your every move. Where once the front door was open and clear, now there will be cameras watching. Certain windows will have bear traps to stop you, or the Neighbor will find new shortcuts to get to you before you complete your mission.

If you manage to make it in the house, you can hide in cabinets and under tables as your enemy searches frantically to no avail. The house itself grows with new rooms and ways of getting lost, which I found to be pretty neat.

Hello Neighbor Review
Hello Neighbor Review

It should all be fun and innovative, but instead, feels clunky, buggy, and frustrating. For instance, you can stack boxes to reach a window, but the physics engine seems to be off. The boxes are infuriatingly easy to knock over before ever getting anything done. It reminds me of a late ’90s virtual reality game that you think is going to be really awesome but ends up disappointing your childhood.

The colour pallet looks as if Thomas the Tank Engine had a baby with Marge Simpson, and then gave it up for adoption to Gumby. It’s not that I hate the way everything looks, it’s just that it has this uncomfortableness about it.

Hello Neighbor Review
Hello Neighbor Review

There was one thing I did like about the game, and that’s a rather interesting auditory experience. If you listen carefully, you can hear the Neighbor’s footsteps as he walks inside and outside of the house (and it’s easy to differentiate between the two).

You can hear him as he is using the kitchen or bathroom sink, snoring in the living room, or grumbling to himself. The Neighbor will even turn on a record player or a broken TV, which you can then turn off by sneaking in through a window. Eliminating the extraneous noise allows the player to hear better and locate where the Neighbor might be at a given time. Out of all the things the developers were going for, I really enjoyed this one specific play mechanic the best. It isn’t perfect, but it’s fun.

Truth be told, I never made it too far into unlocking the mystery of it all, but that’s mostly because I stopped caring. I know this review sounds harsh, but that’s probably because I feel the concept is actually really cool, just poorly executed.

I Love the idea of an A.I. that learns and makes things harder minute by minute. I love the idea of using your senses to avoid the enemy and solve the puzzle. I am a huge fan of using your surroundings to aid in the quest. I just wish it all came together better.

Hello Neighbor Review
Hello Neighbor Review

Broken Sword 5 Is Hitting The Switch

by Jack Boyles, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Paris in the fall, the last months of the year and the end of… Oh sorry, didn’t know you were listening to me then.

Broken Sword is a masterpiece of a franchise with ‘Shadows of the Templars’ sitting as my second favourite game of all time and if I ever have a son, I would name him after George Stobbart.

So, when they originally announced Broken Sword 5 a few years back I was over the moon and when I played it, it was glorious. Enough fan service to make me squeal and enough originality to keep me interested. Originally released as a two-parter on mobile devices and PC, later seeing console ports, we now see it come to Nintendo Switch.

This time George and Nico get mixed up in a shooting at a gallery and in a typical Broken Sword fashion, this ends with a historical conspiracy leaving George and Nico to save the world whilst everyone else is just enjoying tea or Countdown.

You will visit various locations with puzzles just for you to wrap your head around – plus witty dialogue that makes Nathan Drake look like a crappy sitcom. On the way, you’ll meet so familiar faces as well as some new ones, one of which is the best character in the Broken Sword series.

The Switch port will be released on September 21st with a new interface-like touch screen, interviews and behind the scenes clips. This is a must-have for any fan of the franchise or adventure game fans. Let’s hope we see more from Revolution in the future.

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.

5 Likes And Dislikes Of Octopath Traveler

5 Likes And Dislikes Of Octopath Traveler

by Chay Madison, posted in Viewpoints

Octopath Traveler really takes me back to the old days of gaming, which is probably why I spent 30 hours of my vacation week playing it through.

Oddly, I am not a fan of the RPG game genre. I’ve never even played a Final Fantasy title. Initially, I had reserves when playing the demo version earlier this year. Despite those reserves, I purchased a copy of the game and gave it a try.

5 Likes And Dislikes Of Octopath Traveler

It turns out that I really do enjoy Octopath Traveler. With that being said, nothing is perfect. Here are five things that I love about Octopath Traveler and five things that I don’t.

5 Likes And Dislikes Of Octopath Traveler

Positives

  1. You choose your path
    • At the start of the game, I was able to choose one of eight characters. Each which their own unique backstory and abilities. As the player, it was nice to find the character that suited me best. Shortly thereafter, I began to add the other characters to my party as I progressed. Who I chose and when was completely up to me and it made me feel like I was in complete control of my journey.
  2. The game is beautiful
    • As I mentioned earlier, Octopath takes me back to the 90’s with its 2D sprites mixed with 3D modelling. It really shows off the beautiful landscapes and the artistic touch. What I really love about the setting is that each area looks completely different. The grassy areas really come through with the sunlight and shadows. The snowy areas are covered in white giving you a completely different tone. The game just looks amazing.
  3. Combat is easy to pick up
    • The combat system was easy to pick up but challenging enough to keep me coming back. Each enemy has a weakness that I could exploit with a given attack. If I hit that weakness enough times, it created a break in the attack flow. This gave me an extra round to attack and took one away from the enemy. This type of combat made me experiment with different attack types to find as many weaknesses as I could. Boss fights really put me to the challenge as they forced me to think my attacks through. Coming from someone who doesn’t play RPG’s, I had to grow into my strategy.
  4. Path actions
    • Each character has something called a path actions to use to their advantage. I started the game with Therion who can steal items from townspeople. He is also equipped with a talent of picking locks. Both come in handy for gathering useful items in battle or when I need a little extra money from selling items. There is another character named H’aanit who can provoke people into battle. She can also capture the beasts that she battles and use them to fight by her side. This really came in handy for building her HP and gaining a power boost in battle. Each character has their own unique ability and if used right, they all add something positive to the team.
  5. The soundtrack is amazing
    • The soundtrack is amazing! What else can I say here? That is all!

5 Likes And Dislikes Of Octopath Traveler

Negatives

  1. Random battles
    • One of the things I have always disliked about RPGs were the forced battles. I know it’s these battles that help you progress but ultimately, they waste time. Octopath has random battles throughout and it can be frustrating when advancing toward a boss. If there was a mechanic to turn it off, I would probably use it at certain points…
  2. Interaction among characters
    • Despite having eight characters to choose from, they hardly interact with one another. They meet initially and agree to join each other on their quests. As I played the story, rarely did they have dialogue other than a minor thought exchange here and there. I am unsure if they will ever truly come together and mesh as a unit. I guess I will have to find out but, so far, the story lacks an engagement.
  3. Grinding
    • I must say it was tough to start the game without any type of boost. In 2018 it’s rare for a game to force a player to grind. Loot boxes and microtransactions are aplenty today giving players boosts and power-ups in games. Octopath stays true to the word as I could only grind my way to the top, just like the old days. As of this writing, my top character is at level 31 and I think the top dungeon is level 45. I still have a way to go.
  4. Stories can drag
    • There is a lot of dialogue in this game which was expected. In the beginning, it especially drags. Most of it comes from the back story of the characters and how much dialogue is needed to introduce them. I decided to gather all eight characters one after another, so it really dragged early on for me. Maybe If I played through a few bosses before going to gather everyone, it would have been a bit different.
  5. Gameplay variety
    • I enjoy the gameplay, but there isn’t much variety to it. The premise is basically the same with each character. You find a character, you use your path actions, you fight a boss and you move on. I understand the need to introduce each character’s story and actions but, it could have been introduced in a more enticing way.

5 Likes And Dislikes Of Octopath Traveler

Overall, I really do enjoy Octopath Traveler and I commend Square Enix for their contribution. For any Nintendo Switch owner, I would say that this is a must-have game.

For me, it’ll have me taking a second look at the RPG genre. I need to know what the hype is around Final Fantasy. It’s time!

Eerie Adventure Game, Call Of Cthulhu, Release Date Officially Announced

by Chris Wheatley, posted in Posts

Plunge deep into the Lovecraft universe and bring to life the mysterious RPG with Cyanide Studio’s upcoming release, Call of Cthulhu.

The investigative sci-fi mystery-RPG has finally been handed an official release date, and it’s only a couple of months away.

Call Of Cthulhu Details

Below are a few details about the upcoming thrilling adventure game:

  • Players will explore the depths of Darkwater Island as Private Investigator Edward Pierce in a chilling first-person view discovering the dreadful secrets that lie within the twisted community.
  • You will make your way through haunting asylums, underground bars and plenty of secret areas and passageways all scattered throughout the eerie community of Darkwater Island.
  • Players have the decision to tackle all investigations at their own pace using their own methods. Gain intel by conversing with the many civilians populating the island, or perhaps have your own personal discoveries and observe every detail buried in the surroundings.
  • Control Pierce’s sanity which can warp his mind – a mind that has become ever-so-fragile after The Great War – and see how long he can last during the terrors of Darkwater, as well as the disturbing truths seemingly hidden around every corner.

Fans can expect to see Call of Cthulhu released right around Halloween on October 30th, 2018. Scary stuff. The game is coming to the PS4, Xbox One and PC.

the inner friend

The Inner Friend… Is Awakening – It’s Out This Year

by Jack Boyles, posted in Posts

Audio can sometimes distort the meaning, can change the perception of something. We can witness an event, but we hear someone else’s story or whilst we are witnessing the event the ambience can alter what we have clearly seen; we doubt ourselves.

Sometimes we just need to cut the talking and just watch, a picture can tell a thousand stories and gazing upon a canvass, silent movie or a photo is when we truly find something about ourselves; no external influence, only our internal thoughts to delight or dismay us, we, you, I…

The Inner Friend

The Inner Friend

The Inner Friend is a game developed by Montreal ‘s Playmind studio. Previously working on AR, VR and interactive installations, they have taken their experience on these projects onboard to develop The Inner Friend, a narrative told through the visual exposition of surreal landscapes – based on the psychology of a child and supported with an ambient/cinematic score.

As you go into the subconscious mind you need to restore memories but the further you drive the darker the world becomes – you must escape or fight horrid creatures.

The Inner Friend

Can The Inner Friend accomplish its goal? Will its minimalistic and surreal visuals draw us into the world? Will the puzzle and combat help to compliment its meaning or will it hinder it?

Like gazing upon the canvass… We will all walk away with our own thoughts and our own interpretations.

The Inner Friend

A picture can tell a thousand stories. The Inner Friend will release this year on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Desert Child game

Racing RPG Desert Child Due Out Q3

by Jack Boyles, posted in Nintendo, Posts

The heat is exhausting out here, the only time you get shade is when the sun sets and then, you still want to be under an umbrella. For me, well I just get on this hoverbike over here and ride, for pleasure, for pay; it makes no difference.

Racing RPG Desert Child Game

The hot air turns cool. Of course, it can get pretty hot then let me tell ya – but when I ride, it’s like, what’s the word, Zen, you know… Free. It’s then I forget about the earth and its bullsh… ha, sorry kids, its nonsense. That’s not the life for me; the life for me is up there, Mars; and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there. Me and my trusty Judy here, my hoverbike.

Desert Child game
Dine on a range of interplanetary cuisine with sweet buffs to help you win

Hell, I’ll race, hunt bounties and deliver drugs; whatever it takes… Oh, you don’t like that? Listen, kid, you may snarl away to yourself as you’re reading this on your phone, tablet, but out here you do what you can for a buck. Breaking the law? Nah man, it’s survival. It’s the difference between having a meal and rummaging in the bins for scraps.

To me, I see as I’m playing some RPG, life-sim, racing game; the more points I get, the better the ranking, the bigger the taking. Man, I sometimes see the scores with my very own eyes I get that absorbed in it. Pfft, don’t look at me like that, I’ve got rent to pay and noodles to eat. I might even customize I, Judy, here.

Desert Child game
Race, shoot, and get better! Designed for replayability, with secrets that keep you coming back

I know you don’t understand but look, kid, if you want to survive out here you should do the same, earn what you can and get your ass to Mars.

You’ll see me soon kid, by Q3 you’ll understand and if you see me, you’d better shoot first kid; like I said, just think you’re on your PS4, Switch, Xbox One or PC… It makes it easier.

Desert Child game
Hunt bounties, deliver drugs, throw races – do anything you can to earn cash

“Desert Child, that’s who I am. And that’s who you’ll be”.

Afterparty for Switch

Night School Studio introduces Afterparty in all its drunken glory

by Chay Madison, posted in Nintendo, Posts

E3 has ended for another year, but luckily many awesome indie games were shown, none of them as unique as Afterparty for Switch and PC.

Created by the developers of Oxenfree and Mr. Robot:1.51exfiltrati0n, Afterparty gives you a reason to drink your problems away. You take control of Milo and Lola who are best friends who attend the last party of their college lives. They suddenly die and find themselves in hell. There is one way back to the land of the living and that is to outdrink Satan himself.

This adventure takes Milo and Lola into different bars as they attempt to figure out how they got there in the first place.

Afterparty’s E3 Gameplay Trailer

Drinking is the game and each drink has a different effect on Milo and Lola’s characters. These options change the dialogue and relationships throughout. If this is anything like Oxenfree, these choices will also determine the game’s ending.

Play beer pong, have a dance-off, sing karaoke or have a chugging competition with the demons of hell. How you spend your time in the underworld is entirely up to you. It’s looking rather great.

Afterparty will release for Switch and PC in 2019.

F2P MMO, Dead Frontier 2, gets Early Access launch on Steam – coming in August

by Chris Wheatley, posted in Posts

A grizzly survival horror packed with an MMO punch hits Early Access on Steam next month in the latest from indie developers Creaky Corpse: Dead Frontier 2.

Dead Frontier 2

Slay tons of gruesome abominations and survive in an online world where pairing up with friends may be your only hope of staying alive. Check out the battered and exceedingly bloody trailer for Dead Frontier 2 below:

Along with the announcement of the August Early Access period are tons of gameplay revealing features covering the infected-slaughtering cooperative game, such as:

  • Players will need to make every shot count and scavenge for every viable resource in this massive online survival shooter pitting the player against waves of zombie-infected horrors in a dark and twisted atmospheric environment.
  • Player driven economy has players trading with one another for survival supplies, rare equipment and weapons, or perhaps teaming up with each other to fight off the hordes of undead.
  • PvP action and punishing cooperative global events are coming soon to Dead Frontier 2, featuring both unreal boss battles and outpost defending carnage – or take on the hordes alone. The team also plans to bring in the option to barricade safe houses to keep what you don’t want in out.
  • Take advantage of a true free-to-play game with the option to upgrade your uniquely customized character with rewarded skills and abilities, or make them stand out with purchasable cosmetic wardrobes and other items.

Dead Frontier 2 will have players slaying and slaughtering hordes of deadly infected together come August 31st, 2018 via Steam Early Access.

Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition announced

by Trevor Cripe, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Do you guys remember the classic SNES fantasy sports game Mutant Football League? Well, a remake of MFL was successfully funded through Kickstarter, and the remake launched late last year.

MFL was released on PC, PS4 and Xbox One to a surprising amount of success for a budget title. And, with these new found funds and fanbase, developer Digital Dreams is looking to capitalize on MFL’s success by making their game even better. Let’s get you guys caught up:

  • Earlier this week Digital Dreams announced a revamped version of last year’s Mutant Football League. This new version will be called Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition.
  • This new version of MFL brings a new mode, six new teams, new stadiums and is releasing on a new console.
  • The main draw of Dynasty Edition is the new game mode simply called Dynasty Mode. This is where you become the General Manager of your favourite MFL team, and try to build them up to potentially take the MFL championship.
  • Although these new features are a cool addition to an already well-established sports title. The biggest surprise from this announcement is that Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition will be coming to the Switch. Yes… that’s right, the Nintendo Switch is finally getting a football game!
  • Mutant Football League: Dynasty edition launches on September 18th, and will retail for $29.99

Will you guys be picking up this new version of MFL? Or do you think it is an unnecessary release? Let us know in the comments below!