New Games |
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD graphical comparison
- Review: StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void
- Hearthstone's League of Explorers is probably my favorite adventure yet
- Electronic Super Joy Wii U team talks self-censorship and the ESRB
- Such a tease! Mother 3 is headed to Wii U in Japan
- Pokken Tournament strikes Wii U spring 2016
- Bravely Second journeys west next spring
- Dragon Quest VII and Dragon Quest VIII finally coming to North America and Europe
- Fire Emblem Fates will have three different versions
- Cloud Strife is the newest Smash Bros. character
- Golden Mega Man amiibo confirmed, with exclusive challenges for Mega Man Legacy Collection
- Linkle confirmed for Hyrule Warriors
- Final Fantasy Explorers Collector's Edition is the real deal
- Star Fox Zero launches for Wii U April 22, 2016
- Lucas and other amiibo are coming January 22
- Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow are coming to 3DS
- Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam finally has a release date
- 'Free to start' Pokemon Picross is coming in December
- New Splatoon map coming out tomorrow
- Finding new Super Mario Maker levels gets easy in December
- Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon looks to please its fans
- Zelda: Tri Force Heroes gets a lot deeper next month
- Twilight Princess HD's Wolf Link amiibo looks hot
- Zelda: Twilight Princess HD confirmed for Wii U
- $260 refurbished Xbox One up for grabs from Newegg
- Documentary Telltale Games: Story Mode tells Telltale's tale
- As a reminder, Destructoid does not attend industry review events
- Klei's games are free to play on Steam this weekend
- System Shock 3 might happen, but a remake of the original is coming first
- Xbox One backward compatibility is out right now, here's how it works
| The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD graphical comparison Posted: 12 Nov 2015 12:00 PM PST Check out the above video that compares The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD's graphics to the original releases for Wii and GameCube from 2006. I can't believe it has been nine years already, and it is hard to believe how bad the original visuals were. The Wii's graphics were very outdated the day it was released. The HD coat of paint looks nice on the upcoming release, but it certainly doesn't look as good as the HD mod for the Dolphin emulator, which is far closer to the Zelda Wii U tech demo shown at E3 2011. |
| Review: StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void Posted: 12 Nov 2015 11:00 AM PST When I last left StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, I had completed most of the story. Having now played it all, I've walked away satisfied, not only from this expansion, but from the series as a whole. Decades after its inception, Blizzard is still at the top of its class in terms of cinematic storytelling, and the new game modes don't hurt the appeal of the overall package in the slightest. |
| Hearthstone's League of Explorers is probably my favorite adventure yet Posted: 12 Nov 2015 10:30 AM PST Blizzard does a great job with its single-player expansions for Hearthstone. I dug Naxxramas despite the high price point, and I really enjoyed Blackrock. League of Explorers, by comparison, is a bit less straight-faced, aping films like Indiana Jones at every turn, and it's all the better for it. |
| Electronic Super Joy Wii U team talks self-censorship and the ESRB Posted: 12 Nov 2015 10:00 AM PST It pains me that some game publishers and developers feel the need to arbitrarily add or remove sexual content to their games in order to make them more marketable, but that need is an inevitable part of any art business. If you're a game publisher, your job is to try to bend luck and fate in your favor so that your products sell better than the other guys'. Tacking otherwise unnecessary sexual content on to your game is definitely one was to do that, though in recent years, we've seen game developers move more in the opposite direction, presumably in hopes of broadening their target demographic. There is a reason why Playboy recently removed nude photos from its magazine, and it's not because of a perceived need for self-censorship. It's because the editors have good reason to believe their magazine will sell better without those images. Censorship is a more applicable word for times when publishers or developers feel like they have to be dishonest with their true intentions and/or alter their creations in order to kowtow to some outside power. That's the theory, anyway. In reality, there is a fine line between voluntarily changing your game so that it has a better chance of selling, and altering to meet the standards of some overarching entity. In games, the ESRB is often the place where that line is drawn. We recently talked with Electronic Super Joy creator Michael Todd and Wii U port-smiths Jan Hackl and Felix Bohatsch of Broken Rules (And Yet It Moves, Guacamelee: STCE for Wii U) about that line, and why they drew it where they did. |
| Such a tease! Mother 3 is headed to Wii U in Japan Posted: 12 Nov 2015 09:50 AM PST There was at least one noticeable difference between today's Nintendo Direct in North America and Japan, and of course it involved Mother 3. The latter region is getting the treasured role-playing game on the Wii U Virtual Console next month. It's not our year, apparently. Will it ever be? Perhaps in my lifetime. The port will be available digitally in Japan on December 17, 2015. |
| Pokken Tournament strikes Wii U spring 2016 Posted: 12 Nov 2015 09:42 AM PST The Wii U version of The Pokémon Company and Bandai Namco's fighter Pokkén Tournament will debut in Japan on March 18 and sometime in the spring across Europe and North America. An amiibo card for Shadow Mewtwo will be included with first-run copies of the game worldwide. Nintendo says the creature can also be unlocked sans card "after you fulfill certain conditions." |
| Bravely Second journeys west next spring Posted: 12 Nov 2015 09:15 AM PST Earlier this year, Nintendo announced plans to bring Bravely Second to western shores in 2016, but now we have a better idea of when the follow-up to Bravely Default will be arriving: Spring! The role-playing game has been available for Japanese audiences since April 23, 2015. Here's a look at a European collector’s edition, which will include a miniature Agnès figurine, an art book, and soundtrack CD alongside a standard copy of the game for Nintendo 3DS: |
| Dragon Quest VII and Dragon Quest VIII finally coming to North America and Europe Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:52 AM PST Good news, eveyone! Nintendo just announced plans to bring the Nintendo 3DS versions of Square Enix's Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King to western shores next year. The former will arrive in early summer, while the latter will be turning up at an unspecified date sometime before year's end. Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I'm going to go do the happy dance. |
| Fire Emblem Fates will have three different versions Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:47 AM PST Nintendo's Bill Trinen detailed the release for the upcoming Fire Emblem Fates. When the 3DS strategy title releases on February 19, 2016, it will come in two flavors: Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest and Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright. Each version will cost $39.99 and will tell the story of one side of the conflict. Players who buy one retail copy can then get the second side for $19.99. Later, a third story path will be available via Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation. It is recommended to play this one last, as it will explain a lot from the other two versions. A Special Edition will contain all three versions of Fates, along with an art book and a 3DS pouch. |
| Cloud Strife is the newest Smash Bros. character Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:43 AM PST This is not a drill. Nintendo has announced the newest Smash Bros. character, and it’s only god damn Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII. The trailer up top shows both his FFVII and Advent Children costumes, as well as plenty of raw gameplay footage of him absolutely demolishing the rest of the roster. Not only that, but there will be a new stage based on Midgar from the game. Yes, this is real. We will add more info as it is made available. For now, you can see the trailer posted up top. Yep. Cloud. In Smash Bros. |
| Golden Mega Man amiibo confirmed, with exclusive challenges for Mega Man Legacy Collection Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:43 AM PST The upcoming Mega Man Legacy Collection for 3DS will have exclusive extras including challenge levels that can only be unlocked with a Mega Man amiibo. A gold Mega Man amiibo will be available exclusively as a pack-in with the collection for 3DS. Reminder: spray paint is cheaper. |
| Linkle confirmed for Hyrule Warriors Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:40 AM PST Looks like those eagle-eyed internet sleuths were right. Linkle, the woman version of Link who was previously revealed as a cut character from the game, will be making it to the upcoming 3DS re-release of Hyrule Warriors as a standard character. She'll also be available in the original Wii U version of the game via DLC. Though Linkle's design is based on Link, she's a unique character in her own right, armed with dual crossbows and a spin kick special. It looks like she's a hunter from a town that's overpopulated with cuccos, which we can guess will factor into some new story content for the game. I wonder if she'll end up saving a prince or fighting a red haired woman named Shanondorf? Pinkle, one of Nintendo's previous attempts at an alternate, gender-bent version of a pre-existing Zelda character, was not met with the warmest reception. We can hope Linkle has an easier time winning over audiences when she debuts in Hyrule Warriors Legends early next year. |
| Final Fantasy Explorers Collector's Edition is the real deal Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:38 AM PST Final Fantasy Explorers was shown off today during the Nintendo Direct, and man does it look great. It's coming to North America on January 26, 2016, and will come with all the DLC that's been released in Japan, for free. A special edition was also announced, and comes with the game (duh), some weapon DLC, limited edition art book and box, a music sampler, and a 3DS case. Dang! Now that's what I call a worthwhile collector's edition. The game itself still looks great, with a ton of customization options and nostalgia thrown in for long-time Final Fantasy fans. |
| Star Fox Zero launches for Wii U April 22, 2016 Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:31 AM PST Star Fox Zero was initially supposed to launch this year, but the space shooter suffered bit of a delay. Now we know just how long we'll have to wait. During today's Nintendo Direct, the publisher announced plans to release the game in North America and Europe on April 22, 2016. |
| Lucas and other amiibo are coming January 22 Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:28 AM PST Nintendo is putting out another batch of amiibo figures and cards on January 22, 2016, as announced during today's Nintendo Direct. Good luck securing your Lucas amiibo! Wouldn't want Ness to feel lonely. |
| Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow are coming to 3DS Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:27 AM PST I am so bleeding pumped right now, you can't even believe it. Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow and coming to the 3DS eShop in Europe and North America on February 27, 2016. Yes, that's right, they're really finally coming. Link cable functionality in the original game has been updated, so you can now trade and battle over your 3DS wireless connection. While it has not been explicitly stated, it seems likely this will be local only. So, who's ready to catch them all? Well, a small portion of them all at least. I just hope the Mew capture glitches still work. |
| Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam finally has a release date Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:25 AM PST Hey 3DS Mario fans, we finally have a firm release date for Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. During today's Nintendo Direct presentation, we learned that the game will be releasing in Europe on December 4, 2015 and North America on January 22, 2016. We also got a really lengthy trailer for the game, showing off a bunch of ways to fold up paper. It's not online yet, but we're sure to update here as soon as the trailer is available. So, who's excited for the newest flat, thinly folded Nintendo adventures? |
| 'Free to start' Pokemon Picross is coming in December Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:23 AM PST In the first Nintendo Direct in a long time, Nintendo has announced that the popular puzzle series Picross will be getting a Pokemon-themed makeover in early December, with the release of Pokemon Picross digitally on the 3DS. The game will be "free to start," so don't go expecting to actually be able to play the thing for free. What exactly this entails won’t be known until it comes out, but still… Pokemon Picross! |
| New Splatoon map coming out tomorrow Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:20 AM PST During today's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced the immediate DLC plans for its hit multiplayer shooter Splatoon. Starting today, an update with new gear will be rolling out. The bigger deal is the new map, Museum d'Alfonsino. It comes out tomorrow, just in time for the weekend splatting. A second map, Mahi-Mahi Resort, was also shown, which features changing water levels, making the last part of the match more unpredictable. It almost has a Super Mario 64 Wet-Dry World idea going for it, but with more paint and squids. |
| Finding new Super Mario Maker levels gets easy in December Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:19 AM PST A new website for Super Mario Maker is going to be released in December to make it easier to find levels and queue them up to be played the next time you're at your console. The site will be available on both PC and Mobile. Players can search for various parameters to find the kinds of levels they want. More details to be revealed closer to launch. |
| Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon looks to please its fans Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:17 AM PST Plenty of information on Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon was shown off on today's Nintendo Direct, some new and some known. Footage depicted players teaming up with legendary Pokemon like Groudon while walking around, which looks silly considering the size difference. They also showed off the Connection Orb, which allows players to acquire new quests as they progress and befriend more and more Pokemon. Coming with the game's release on November 20 is a free 3DS theme for those who purchase the full game. I'm not a big fan of the Dungeon series, but I have to admit that the theme does look slick. |
| Zelda: Tri Force Heroes gets a lot deeper next month Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:11 AM PST Your Tri Force Heroes co-op adventuring will grow considerably come December 2. Nintendo just announced during its Direct that the Den of Trials update is coming soon for free. According to Nintendo's Bill Trinen, Den of Heroes adds a 30-stage challenge dungeon that's considerably bigger than anything currently in the game. Progress is barred off until you and your team pass each and every stage. Fortunately, there are checkpoints so long runs won't be entirely wiped due to one incompetent teammate. |
| Twilight Princess HD's Wolf Link amiibo looks hot Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:09 AM PST Nintendo just announced a new amiibo depicting Wolf Link (and Midna) from Twilight Princess. The figure will launch in North America on March 4, 2016 bundled alongside Twilight Princess HD, which can be pre-ordered today, and comes with the title's official soundtrack as a pre-order bonus. The toy will be available in Europe after the HD remaster's release, according to Nintendo UK. Nintendo also says data from Twilight Princess HD can be carried over to the new The Legend of Zelda for Wii U using the amiibo, though the type of functionality this entails wasn't specified. |
| Zelda: Twilight Princess HD confirmed for Wii U Posted: 12 Nov 2015 08:08 AM PST After a short message about the tragic passing of Nintendo president Satoru Iwata earlier this year, Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aimé dove right into some news in today's Nintendo Direct presentation. First up, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD for Wii U. It's happening! The new version will have amiibo support (including a new Wolf Link figure) and release on March 4, 2016. Pre-orders are now open. By putting money down early, you'll score a copy of the soundtrack. |
| $260 refurbished Xbox One up for grabs from Newegg Posted: 12 Nov 2015 07:45 AM PST For those who absolutely can't wait for Black Friday, or simply don't want to budget $300-$350 on an Xbox One, Newegg is unloading inventory of certified refurbished Xbox Ones at a cool $259.99 price tag (you'll need to do one of those add-to-cart-to-see-price thingies). If you're wondering what "certified refurbished" means, these are actually Microsoft factory refurbished units. They even come packaged like-new in a refurbished-specific box too. So unlike other deals you may have seen, these aren't "brown box" refurbished units, and being able to buy from an authorized established retailer has its usual perks too. While no warranty info is listed in the eBay listing, past experience tells us that factory refurbished Xbox Ones come with a 90 days parts/labor warranty. This refurbished Xbox One deal is pretty spartan all things considered. Packaged in the box you'll also find one Xbox One wireless controller, HDMI cable, power supply, and the standard chat headset. Shipping is free and sales tax is limited to CA, IN, NJ, and TN -- where Newegg has warehouse locations. Available units are at 500, as told to us from eBay and as of writing 180 or so have been sold. At the current pace, it should sell out before the end of the day. Hmm... wait for Black Friday or break out the digital wallet? |
| Documentary Telltale Games: Story Mode tells Telltale's tale Posted: 12 Nov 2015 07:30 AM PST Telltale Games is a big deal these days. It employs over 300 people who work with huge franchises like Game of Thrones or Minecraft. But it hasn't always been that way. Released today, the documentary Telltale Games: Story Mode details the creation and evolution of the studio, beginning with Dan Connors and Kevin Bruner working on classic adventure games at LucasArts, all the way through to today's more narrative-focused experiences like the fantastic Tales from the Borderlands. It begins with a quote from Connors, highlighting how crazy the core ideas were at the time. Back in the late '90s, digital distribution, episodic gaming, licensed games, and interactive narrative were either too pie-in-the-sky or too passé to be relevant to most developers. Telltale was built on those tenets, and it eventually saw success with them. The documentary highlights Telltale's major catalog, beginning with Telltale Texas Hold 'Em and going all the way through to the current series Minecraft: Story Mode. It also explains the changes along the way. Naturally, The Walking Dead is given a lot of screen time as the title that proved Telltale's format can work. Before that, Jurassic Park is highlighted as one of the first games to really usher in the shift away from classic adventure gaming. Connors explains the transition. "Our problem with the traditional adventure game was puzzles stopping plot progression." There is even a section in the video on Telltale's response to the claim that what it makes are not games. It's a nice watch for those with a half hour to burn. I especially appreciated the shout out to Puzzle Agent toward the end. As much as I have enjoyed some of the more recent narrative-focused titles, it could be nice to get back to good old fashioned puzzle solving too. And when puzzles are the narrative, there's no worry of them getting in the way of one another. |
| As a reminder, Destructoid does not attend industry review events Posted: 12 Nov 2015 07:15 AM PST As you may have heard, major publishers often run "review events" for big games, seeking to gather up members of the press into one location. These events are located in highly controlled environments, with near-perfect settings that do not emulate a home environment, the type readers experience. While I would trust most of my peers to still make a solid judgment regardless of whether or not they attended such an event, it's Destructoid's policy to not score games based off them -- in fact, we haven't even had a reviewer attend one for ancillary purposes like video capture since I took over as Reviews Director in 2013 (time flies!), and my predecessor, Jim Sterling, was against them as well. Why am I bringing this up? Well, a lot of people are unclear as to where we stand on them, and the answer is in our score guide and policy section -- and right here, front and center. There was a lot of controversy regarding the Metal Gear Solid V event as Konami basically forced people to race to beat the game for a scored review -- we did not attend that one either, and after being accused of attending, I even placed a disclaimer in the review itself. Most recently, EA hosted a Star Wars Battlefront event in Redwood Shores, California, which we again, did not attend. For the foreseeable future we will continue to decline these events. |
| Klei's games are free to play on Steam this weekend Posted: 12 Nov 2015 07:00 AM PST Between Don't Starve and Mark of the Ninja, there's a lot of love for Klei around these parts. The studio is now a decade old, and it's celebrating that milestone with a Steam promotion. You can play these titles for free on Steam until Sunday at 1:00pm Pacific:
Try Invisible, Inc. if you have a knack for tactical or stealth games. It's super rewarding. |
| System Shock 3 might happen, but a remake of the original is coming first Posted: 12 Nov 2015 06:45 AM PST System Shock is a series that has exerted its influence on a good number of modern games. BioShock has always been said to be a spiritual successor to System Shock 2; BioShock is certainly known for the way it helped shape and direct a lot of titles during the last generation of gaming. That wouldn't have been possible without System Shock. The point is that System Shock is deep-rooted in modern gaming history whether many know it or not. For anyone who missed it the first time 'round, they're going to get another opportunity to play it. Developer Night Dive revealed that it has the rights to the franchise now and that it will remake the original System Shock. It's unknown at this time exactly how much polish and modernization will go into the project. Night Dive says that it'll be talking more about the remake "soon." Taking the defibrillator to the series might shock new life into it. Night Dive says that it's "having some conversations" about the possibility of System Shock 3, but admits that the undertaking would need publisher funding. One step at a time, and the first step is this remake. @NightDiveStudio [Twitter via PCGamer] |
| Xbox One backward compatibility is out right now, here's how it works Posted: 12 Nov 2015 06:30 AM PST The New Xbox One Experience rolled out today, and for me and many others, the transition has been painless. I simply booted up my console, downloaded a roughly 1GB update, and the UI popped right up after a restart. I think some of the complaints regarding the aesthetics are very much ado about nothing, as the NXE feels roughly the same, but I do have one small complaint -- pins are now oddly limited on-screen, which is a pain if you own a lot of games. As of right now, backward compatibility is live, and naturally, I took it for a spin. It's crazy how simple the process is -- you just check your games and apps section, and if you own any of the 104 supported titles, they're just...there in your list. If you want to buy something that's supported, you go through Xbox.com. The very first game I tried was Ikaruga (was there any other choice?). After clicking on the icon it started up, displayed a quick "Xbox 360" splash screen, and it was go time. There's no annoying subroutine menu like the Wii U -- no clunky reboot process -- it works, and you're easily able to get back to the main UI by clicking the Xbox button. You can also save media like screenshots too, which are normally supported by Xbox One titles. So far, this rollout is going far smoother than I expected. While people have been dumping on the Xbox One constantly since its launch, it really has come a long way when it comes to functionality. Between backward compatibility and Windows 10 integration and streaming this year, I'm enjoying my Xbox One more than any other console. Good on Microsoft for following through on this. |
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