New Games |
- Peter Glagowski's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016
- Diablo turns 20
- Weekend deals: Metro Redux, Mordor GOTY in the $5 bargain bin
- Jed Whitaker's top lit and or turnt games of 2016 fam
- Here are Destructoid's gaming resolutions for 2017
- PREPARE TO FRIENDSHIP: Dtoid's Master Gaming Contact List
- 2016 recap: The ten most popular posts on Destructoid this year
- Nick Valdez's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016
- Xbox One S controller clearance sale at $39.99
- Luca Blight's Random Awards of 2016
- What were the hidden gems of 2016?
- So, what are the main takeaways from the legal battle between Australia and Valve?
- Ray Porreca's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016
- Josh Tolentino's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016
- The Zelda 30th Anniversary Concert album goodies look rad
- When were you first introduced to Gravity Rush?
- Get a look at the supposed Trauma Team live action pilot
- Nintendo fan game community rises up, encourages sharing and updating following Pokemon Prism cancellation
- See how Dragon Quest XI is progressing with these quick clips
- For $2,000, this half-scale Ludens statue could be yours!
- Earth Defense Force on mobile has me tapping out
- It's not too late to nab the Mythical Pokemon Arceus
- Special little places: Ever changing ever the same
- Astroneer is a minimalist No Man's Sky
- Seeing how much Heroes of the Storm has grown this year is crazy
- Mike Cosimano's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016
- Clearance deals: $49 Samsung Gear VR, $59 Asus AC1900 router
- Players pay their respects to Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: The Old Republic
- The Super Mario movie is releasing on Blu-ray again, this time with a cool case
- Nickelodeon making a cartoon of 'world famous' game
- 15 of top 20 selling games in Japan are on handhelds
- Devil's Third online servers officially dead
- Android users can now pre-register for Super Mario Run
- Nintendo Download: Mario Kart 64
- 25 reasons you need the 75-cent Doge game Montaro
- If you're in New York City, the official Nintendo store has some NES Classics in stock
- 18 cheaper-than-Steam Winter Sale deals you should check out
- New PS4 Trophies suggest a localized Puyo Puyo Tetris release
- Diablo is invading Blizzard's other games
- That Metroid Prime Blast Ball demo will be going offline soon
- Carrie Fisher secretly recorded a few lines for the first Dishonored
- The hunt for the best PlayStation 4 theme is over
- If you somehow watch Hulu on your Japanese 3DS, I have bad news for you
- Frog Fractions 2 holds a Mass Effect easter egg
- Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 just got its first DLC drop in Japan
- Mario Kart 64 headed to Wii U in North America tomorrow
- Fire Emblem Fates manga on hold, possibly dead
- PlayStation Plus is starting 2017 off right
- Destructoid's hottest game tracks of 2016
- Pokemon Go gets a quick off-screen cameo in Doctor Who
| Peter Glagowski's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016 Posted: 31 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST 2016 wasn’t the best year for gaming, at least in my opinion. We definitely saw some solid titles come out (along with the end of a decade-long wait for two games!), but a lot of the major releases this year were retreads of tired themes and genres that haven’t seen a mix-up since the last console generation. While I typically don’t play a lot of games released in a particular year until the following year, I can’t even make a top 10 list for 2016 as I just didn’t play enough quality titles. Still, I want to honor the games that really did wow me with something, so I’ve opted for a top five games of 2016. To me, these represent some of the best games from this tumultuous year that I played, even if others are “objectively” better.
Honorable Mention – Super Rad Raygun I don’t have much more to say about this title over what my review did, but I want to throw this into the list as it barely missed making the top five. The game is a love letter to the classic Game Boy along with containing a really well-thought-out plotline. The character of Rad is super adorable and his evolution into a wiser machine echoes a lot of what I’ve gone through in my own life. There is also the fact that Capcom has failed to make a Mega Man game for six years now and Super Rad Raygun nearly fits the bill. It may not have the copy ability that Mega Man does, but the open-ended world map and basic gameplay design strongly mirror the seminal Capcom series. Super Rad Raygun is a must-play for old-school fans and a pretty solid title in its own right. |
| Posted: 31 Dec 2016 08:00 AM PST Diablo released on December 31, 1996, meaning that today is the 20th anniversary of the game that wore out a million left mouse buttons. There will be events commemorating the release in all of Blizzard's games, and the developer also released a video today where some of the folks who've worked on the franchise share their memories. The developers discuss how Diablo came to be and reveal some interesting tidbits about its development. For example, Diablo was originally conceived as a turn-based RPG with claymation characters. There's also talk about some of the rumors that swirled around the game and its sequel, including the Chat Gem and the infamous Cow Level. Diablo changed a lot of people's perceptions about what a computer game could be, and although the original doesn't hold up all that well anymore, it was easily one of the most iconic games of the late 90's. Happy birthday, Diablo. And Happy New Year. Diablo 20th Anniversary Retrospective [YouTube] |
| Weekend deals: Metro Redux, Mordor GOTY in the $5 bargain bin Posted: 31 Dec 2016 07:30 AM PST You've thought about participating in the PC games winter sales this year, but your wallet's still hurting from Christmas. Happily options are aplenty and the competition in these sales makes it all the better. At around the $5 - $10 mark there are some incredible deals to be had. Everything Batman: Arkham Aslyum up to Batman: Arkham Origins is only $8.99 in Bundle Stars' Winter Sale. The collection is worth checking out considering it's $108 worth of games and DLC at list price. Beyond Batman, we've listed a dozen titles below that you should also check out. Some notables include Wolfenstein: The New Order for $5.35, ABZU for $5.05, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY for $4.49, and the Metro Redux bundle for $4.92 -- all hitting new lows. On the console side, the aggressive Xbox One S sale price continues into the New Year with $230 Battlefield 1 bundle or $223 Minecraft bundle. Newegg is also clearing out its stock of Xbox One S wireless controllers for $40 a pop (only the white color option remains as of writing). Top Weekend DealsPC Games Under $10 Winter Sales (For GMG deals, use code DEALZON15)
Console Picks
Recent Releases
Upcoming Releases
PC Game Deals
Console Game Deals
Laptop Deals
Hardware Deals
Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid. |
| Jed Whitaker's top lit and or turnt games of 2016 fam Posted: 31 Dec 2016 07:00 AM PST How do you do fellow kids? I'm sure you are all on the edges of your seats in anticipation of the most objectively correct list of the best games of 2016. Welp, here it is. Lick my chest hair and call me daddychu. |
| Here are Destructoid's gaming resolutions for 2017 Posted: 31 Dec 2016 06:00 AM PST Here we are, on the verge of a new year (unless you live somewhere in the world where the calendar has already turned over, in which case Happy New Year!!!) As is the custom, the beginning of a new year beckons us to make resolutions so as to improve our lives in the coming 365 days. Last year my big resolution was to lose weight and get a new job and I technically did one of those, even if the job doesn't officially start until next year. More easily completed was my gaming resolution, which was to buy a Vita, which I did and I love. As we depart our pre-Trump era and enter the post-Obama world, I thought it would be fun for the writers here at Destructoid to share their gaming resolutions for 2017. See what we'll be playing next year, and tell us what you're going to do in the comments below. |
| PREPARE TO FRIENDSHIP: Dtoid's Master Gaming Contact List Posted: 31 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST [Are you on The List? All the cool kids are. 242 of them, over the past five months. It's not too late to make Friendship your New Year's resolution! Touch butts with all these fabulous people. -Panda] Good New Years, my friends/robots/Gardevoir |
| 2016 recap: The ten most popular posts on Destructoid this year Posted: 31 Dec 2016 04:00 AM PST I've spent four years writing for Destructoid, so you'd think I'd have figured this shit out by now. I haven't. It's in our best interest for every article to do a lot of traffic, but I rarely know when that's going to happen. It's a lot of throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. That's why I look forward to this particular post every year. It's a final tally of what stuck. Sure, we know what performed well throughout the year, but this is when we put it in a list, compare raw numbers, and say "Oh yeah, people really like Pokemon." (I also look forward to this post because it's the only time I make good on my resolution to use more Mean Girls headers.) So take a gander at what, statistically-speaking, the most people already took ganders at this year. Click on some links if you want. Read that shit. The rich get richer. Because it seems prudent, we've separated the reviews into a category they can call their own. It's probably for the best. A lot of our reviews do a whole lot of traffic and co-mingling them with everything else would just muck up the joint. And, as a bonus, there's some other stuff we liked (but not all the stuff we liked). Without further ado, I present to you The Teenage Guide to Popularity: |
| Nick Valdez's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016 Posted: 31 Dec 2016 02:00 AM PST I took so many Ls in 2016, folks. I lost a couple of jobs, I moved back in with my parents after living on my own (across the country) for two years, we lost so many icons, and there's a good chance I'll be half of Master Blaster when the world goes to hell. But I also had victories! I got a couple of jobs (including this one!), I made a bunch of friends, and I accomplished something I've wanted to since I was a kid. There were lots of good video games released in 2016, but I really only played two of them. I'm still having fun with 2015's releases like Smash Bros., Broforce, and Mortal Kombat X. And at the of the day, I'm not sure any of them will have the same effect on me Pokémon Go did. Sure the game has its problems, and it's a "game" in the loosest sense, but I've basically become a Pokémon Master and my fourth-grade self would be so proud. |
| Xbox One S controller clearance sale at $39.99 Posted: 31 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST Need an extra Xbox One S wireless controller or two to go with your shiny new Xmas present? You're in luck! Newegg is clearing out white/black new controllers for 33% off at $40 each. These are the new controllers that have been updated for the Xbox One S. Initially the offer was for both black and white models but the black color option is now sold out as of writing. Shipping is free and sales tax is limited to only these four states: CA, IN, NJ, TN. Interestingly, Newegg is also offloading some Xbox One S bundles, with the Battlefield 1 and Minecraft 500GB models both at $229.99 a piece. The deal is actually running for over two weeks, though we suspect it'll run out of stock at this price point well before the expiration date. Xbox One S Clearance Sale
Note: While we can link to the $229 Minecraft bundle from Newegg, Antonline has a better deal at $222.99. Given it's $7 cheaper for the same exact bundle, we'll point y'all to the cheaper deal. |
| Luca Blight's Random Awards of 2016 Posted: 30 Dec 2016 11:00 AM PST [Luca Blight's game awards for 2016 are just like the ones you might see on TV - except his program is actually funny, and it doesn't feature a cringe-inducing Ubisoft presentation. For that alone it's worth a read! Do you agree with Luca? Disagree? Write your own blog and you could see it featured on Destructoid's main page! - Wes] IT'S YOUR BOY GUZMA...or Luca Blight if you wish. Anyways these awards are highlighting some weird or unusual aspects of the gaming world that you most likely won't see in any games awards ceremony. (Note: I haven't played every game this year but that won't stop me. In some regards also it's a tad spoiler-y.) Without further ado let's begin. |
| What were the hidden gems of 2016? Posted: 30 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST There's no shortage of discussion this week, civil or otherwise, about which games were the much-needed highlights of 2016. You've likely seen our staff-wide Game of the Year by now and a handful of other platform-specific picks. As we move into the new year, we've also begun posting our individual best-of lists that offer more of an opportunity to shine a light on cherished works like Kentucky Route Zero Act IV, VA-11 HALL-A, and even Keijo!!!!!!!! of all things (bless you, Josh). But what about the lesser-known treasures? What about the games that slipped through the cracks? With a holiday weekend looming, it's a particularly slow news day in a particularly slow news month. A whole lot of good games are available at good prices thanks to year-end sales. And, personally speaking, I truly need a new late-night distraction to keep me safe from Stardew Valley's clutches. So, let's chat for a bit. What are some games that more people really should have paid attention to this year? I don't have all the answers here, but I'm willing to bet we have a lot of 'em, collectively. |
| So, what are the main takeaways from the legal battle between Australia and Valve? Posted: 30 Dec 2016 08:00 AM PST Two years ago, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched a legal challenge against Valve over its treatment of Australian users of its Steam service between the dates of January 1, 2011 and August 28, 2014 (when the case first went to court). The rationale was that due to the company’s explicit policy of refusing to give refunds to buyers of goods that may be defective, Valve was in violation of Australia’s consumer laws. Back in March, the Australian Federal Court agreed with the ACCC. Valve had explicitly breached the country’s laws. Then, just before Christmas, a final ruling was handed down. The Seattle-based business must pay the Commonwealth of Australia a sum of $3 million AUD (or approximately $2.2 million USD). Not only is this figure significantly higher than Valve's proposed fine of $250,000 AUD, but the online retailer will also have to inform Australian Steam users of their consumer rights and guarantees. So, what, exactly, does this mean for Australian consumers, or potentially even buyers of digital games as a whole? What are the ramifications of this legal battle, and what sort of a precedent has been established? Before I dive into this article, I will admit that -- as the only Australian contributor on a website that primarily targets a U.S. audience -- the idea of providing a more detailed write-up of a legal battle that’s centred on the laws of this nation may come across as a little unorthodox. While this type of content might not seem to be in the interests of much of Destructoid’s readership -- as it’s not about a subject that’s as close to home as some may like -- I believe there are intriguing potential ramifications from this court case. It can also serve as a decent stepping stone to a much broader discussion about consumer affairs and the digital distribution of video games. |
| Ray Porreca's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016 Posted: 30 Dec 2016 07:00 AM PST 2016 was a wild year. Humanity got a raw deal over the last twelve months. Cool people died. Actual idiots got elected into office. Cigarette prices went up. I still can’t buy beer at a gas station in Pennsylvania. Basically, the world went tits up. But through it all, 2016 still had its fair share of small victories, especially when it came to some seriously good games. Now that we're finally putting 2016 to bed, I figured it was high time to take a look back at my favorite games all year. |
| Josh Tolentino's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016 Posted: 30 Dec 2016 06:00 AM PST It's been a pretty grim year for many people, but all things considered, it's been great if all you care about is games and anime! Thank goodness, then, that we're on a website primarily concerned with those things, which means I don't have to think about any headlines beyond a bunch of silly titles for the random awards I give out to my picks of the year. As ever, if you're into anime and want more than my paltry list, visit us at Japanator, where we dig deep into the seasons to remember, re-watch, and then tally up our favorite bits of Japanese media from the year. |
| The Zelda 30th Anniversary Concert album goodies look rad Posted: 30 Dec 2016 04:00 AM PST If you spring for the limited edition version of the upcoming Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary Concert album, you'll get a few extras for your trouble -- an extra DVD of the live event, a set of badges, and a special stand. Either way, the standard and limited sets will feature the typical Link and Zelda themes, as well as peppered bits of Wind Waker, Ocarina, Link Between Worlds, Skyward Sword, and Twilight Princess, with an encore of the Breath of the Wild theme. It's currently on sale now for a February 15, 2017 release date, priced at 4,826 yen (approximately $40 US). I'm really tempted to pick it up, as Zelda is one of my favorite overall series when it comes to musical scores. Zelda [Amazon via Nintendo Everything] |
| When were you first introduced to Gravity Rush? Posted: 30 Dec 2016 03:00 AM PST I had a thought this morning while I was enjoying the Gravity Rush 2 demo and watching the anime series over again -- how many people actually played the [amazing] first iteration? I mean, it had the horrible fate of being released on the Vita at launch in 2012, a system that scared away droves of potential fans due to the hubris of Sony's decision of adding expensive, proprietary memory cards, and taking a gamble on 3G gaming. If it just had the option to pop in a cheap SD card like the 3DS, it might still be relevant today. So for many, their first introduction to Gravity Rush was on the much more successful PS4, when it dropped on the PSN in 2015 (2016 in the west). I'm really glad that Sony decided to give this series a second lease on life, not only with that aforementioned console port, but with a full-on sequel as well, which arrives in less than a month! If you haven't played the original yet, do it! It's a wonderful light-hearted romp that's sort of a new take on the superhero shtick, with one of Sony's most likable leads to date. |
| Get a look at the supposed Trauma Team live action pilot Posted: 30 Dec 2016 02:00 AM PST Trauma Center, a series that has been on hiatus since 2010, almost had a live action pilot, The program was produced as a companion to the Trauma Team game for both Wii and Wii U (RIP), but wasn't picked up for a full series order. This YouTube leak is supposedly an early cut with placeholders for some audio cues, and it lines up with a 2010 Hollywood Reporter story about the series -- which lends credence to the fact that this isn't just a recent fan production. The pilot as you can probably guess isn't very good, but it really hits that boiler-plate procedural medical vibe of "every member of the team is unique/has an attitude!" So who knows? Maybe it would have been a hit with the older demographic that owned Wii Fit. |
| Posted: 30 Dec 2016 01:00 AM PST When Nintendo sent word over to the creator of Pokemon Prism that he was to cease his efforts on his fan project immediately, that directive technically only applied to him. Although he can't share, facilitate, update, or even talk about Prism anymore, the community has taken to reddit, provided a walkthrough, and shared a pastebin of their intentions, which include widely sharing the game and working on updates themselves to fix some major bugs. That's because Prism is very much unfinished, and with the creator unable to provide bug fixes, it's up to the community. The situation is so dire that even the videos for the ROM hack have been taken down, but that hasn't stopped anyone from acting thus far. Again, given that this was a ROM hack getting strong-armed, it's not really a typical situation -- usually Nintendo sends cease and desist orders to full-on fan games. |
| See how Dragon Quest XI is progressing with these quick clips Posted: 30 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST Over in Japan, NHK General had a Dragon Quest 30th anniversary special filled with your typical reverent type stuff, but it also provided a brief look at Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time. In it, we got a few more details like equipment management, the camping mechanic, dragon riding, and some clips of the battle mechanic. We'll see a lot more this year as it's due in 2017 on both the PS4 and 3DS -- and a Switch port is currently being worked on, but not fully confirmed/announced (Square Enix has been wishy washy with it, stating that it exists, but not listing it on their official documents for it, much like the console version of Diablo III many years back). As for me, I'd love to see Dragon Quest X make it here first. It would be a shame for a core DQ entry to not be widely available. |
| For $2,000, this half-scale Ludens statue could be yours! Posted: 29 Dec 2016 01:00 PM PST For the person who has everything, there's this: a nearly 63-inch-tall, half-scale statue of Kojima Productions' Ludens mascot. Sideshow Collectibles has opened pre-orders for the luxury item ahead of an estimated Q1 2018 ship date, and at $2,000 a pop, understandably, only 150 are being produced. |
| Earth Defense Force on mobile has me tapping out Posted: 29 Dec 2016 12:00 PM PST There's a slight burn right now in my flexor pollicis longus. This muscle is unique to humans. It's the one that controls our opposable thumbs, and for the last five days, I've been giving it a workout with Tap Wars: Earth Defense Force 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair. Please do not confuse this with Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair that was released late last year for the PlayStation 4. That game is good. Tap Wars is fucking awful. Tap Wars EDF is another free-to-play game in the somehow still popular clicker genre. After five seconds with it, I realized this is just a reskin of the equally awful Tap My Katamari that crapped itself onto the App store earlier this year. That game also tested the strength of my flexor pollicis longus but it also tested my patience. Don't trust my opinion? Just read what those in our community thought of it. It's an abomination of a game, and even with its b-movie aesthetic charm, Tap Wars EDF is just as abysmal. |
| It's not too late to nab the Mythical Pokemon Arceus Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:00 AM PST Arceus is one of those Pokémon I'd rather not think too hard about, if I'm being frank. Not because of its design, or its abilities, or whatever other criteria we might use to judge these creatures against each other. Nah. It's the lore! The uncomfortable idea that a child went out and captured a creator deity and is now more than likely holding it hostage in some random PC. Per the ever-helpful if occasionally browser-melting Bulbapedia:
Heavy stuff. That said, I can sympathize with the continued desire to max out your Pokédex, gods be damned. If you fell behind on Game Freak's distribution events this year, consider this your second chance to nab Arceus in Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. To claim The Original One, head to the Mystery Gift option in-game and enter the following code for your Arceus gift:
This specific event ends on Saturday, December 31. And then we drink. Serebii.net [Twitter] |
| Special little places: Ever changing ever the same Posted: 29 Dec 2016 10:00 AM PST [Here is the story as old as time, of swords and souls, eternally retold. Also, it's about couches. There's only a few days left in the month, no, the year, for our bloggers wanted prompt, special little places! ~ Strider] I’ve been gaming for most of my life, and I’ve gotten to play on a good variety of systems whether new or old. I recall playing every Donkey Kong Country game on a crappy old TV that had the correct input, playing Crash Bandicoot on a PS1 and continuing on from there via a PS2 and GameCube that my siblings and I played with. |
| Astroneer is a minimalist No Man's Sky Posted: 29 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST I first played Astroneer at PAX West earlier this year, and it caught my attention immediately. It's near impossible to describe without mentioning No Man's Sky (NMS), as they're both procedurally generated games that revolve around exploration and upgrading your character. Unlike the higher-profile NMS, Astroneer focuses on base building and terrain deformation, with each procedurally generated planet composed of flat-shaded polygons that can be added to or destroyed by your mining tool. The malleability of the world is one of the strongest features of Astroneer, and it's a lot of fun just playing with the mining tool, making holes or constructing giant sculptures out of dirt. I asked the developers during my PAX demo, and they told me that given enough time, it's theoretically possible to punch a hole through the world and come out the other side. What's more, up to four players can join the same planet simultaneously and work together to upgrade their bases and explore the planets. |
| Seeing how much Heroes of the Storm has grown this year is crazy Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:30 AM PST I've been playing most of the major MOBAs since launch, and one of my favorite things about them is seeing how they grow over time. Although people like to dump on the genre wholesale, part of what I love about the genre is that they persist throughout the ages. While [hot game x] is all the rage for a short while, people quickly move on to the next big thing. But developers like Riot, Blizzard, and Valve have been doing some great lowkey work on League of Legends, DOTA 2, and Heroes of the Storm respectively, adding new characters, reworking old ones, and generally overhauling how the game works mechanically. You can see how the latter game has progressed for yourself in the below video, which showcases all of 2016's major advancements for Heroes. To recap the recap, we got 16 new heroes, 24 character updates, 49 skins, 26 mounts, two extra levels, one level update (Haunted Mines), and a complete rework of the ranked system. Zul'jin is the next addition on January 3. |
| Mike Cosimano's personal picks for Game of the Year 2016 Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:00 AM PST |
| Clearance deals: $49 Samsung Gear VR, $59 Asus AC1900 router Posted: 29 Dec 2016 07:30 AM PST Verizon Wireless is clearing out its stock of the Samsung Gear VR onto the market for only $50. We've seen the Samsung Gear VR for $49.99 before, but only in refurbished condition, while this is brand new and straight from a big retailer. Amazon is currently selling refurbished SM-R322 models like this for about $60. You won't need to be a Verizon customer to take advantage of the 50% price break. Add it to your cart and the discount will be reflected. Another wireless provider with a hot accessory/tech deal is T-Mobile -- it's slashing the price on the popular Asus RT-AC68U Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router. This was the "Top Dog" router back in late 2013 and is now just something higher end at a good price. You'll need to apply promo code WIFI40 to get the discount during checkout. Verizon/T-Mobile Clearance:
Note that this is the SM-R322 2015 model of the Gear VR, whereas the latest is the SM-R323 with some minor changes. Shipping is free on the Gear VR. If you're a deal encyclopedia like us you'll note that T-Mobile offered this same Asus Router at this price during the holiday season, but eventually sold out of its stock. The similar non-T-Mobile-branded Asus router is still selling for about $150 on Amazon and elsewhere. Note that you won't need to be a T-Mobile customer to use this router and you can flash the firmware if you want more features. |
| Players pay their respects to Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: The Old Republic Posted: 29 Dec 2016 07:00 AM PST 2016 has ended on a really rough note with the death of Carrie Fisher, but she was beloved by many, as evidenced by this heartwarming tribute going on currently in The Old Republic. As of this week thousands of players have been visiting the planet of Alderann, and paying their respects to Fisher at House Organa. One person managed to create a character that looks just like her, and players from all over the galaxy have been attending a remembrance ceremony of sorts for the actress. A lot of folks are hoping that this can lead to some sort of in-game memorial, like a statue. It's been done before, and MMOs are the perfect place to do it. |
| The Super Mario movie is releasing on Blu-ray again, this time with a cool case Posted: 29 Dec 2016 06:00 AM PST I remember renting this for free when I was kid because my dad and uncle were running a video store aptly named "Big Daddy's Video" and actually enjoying it. Of course when you're a kid you have no standards except when it comes to vegetables, and I haven't seen it since. I don't plan to. If you do however, either because you like it, are a masochist, a collector, or all of the above, now's your chance. You can pre-order or just wait to buy it on its February 13, 2017 release date for £15.99 via Zavvi. Especially focusing on that back cover featuring the Bob-omb, it comes with a pretty sick steel case, regardless of the films quality. Extras from the first Blu-ray release in 2014 return, including an hour long documentary featuring the cast and film maker, a 'making of' video, and "English subtitles for Hard of Hearing," but there are no new extras on this version. I was tempted to make a joke regarding those subtitles about the movie potentially having poor audio issues or just telling people to turn the volume up, but a lot of times I don't know what the hell people are saying in movies. Especially when they whisper. Having the option to turn subtitles on or off is always better than not having the option at all. |
| Nickelodeon making a cartoon of 'world famous' game Posted: 29 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST Did you miss shows like Super Mario Super Show and The Legend of Zelda Animated Series? Well they're making a comeback with successful projects like Sonic Boom (Cartoon Network) and Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (Disney). Nickelodeon wants to jump into the realm of video games like any good competitive company should. Frederator Studios' founder Fred Seibert revealed on a Nick Animation podcast that "We have a project now that we’re doing that needs to go unnamed, based on one of the most world famous video games of the last 30 years, that we’ve had in our shop for twelve years without being able to get it started. But there were great characters and a great story, and eventually we got it going." |
| 15 of top 20 selling games in Japan are on handhelds Posted: 29 Dec 2016 04:00 AM PST Media Create Sales is taking at least this week off due to the holidays, but thanks to Famitsu we can get an idea of Japanese game sales for this past week. You'll never guess what's at number one (hint: it starts with a P). The only new releases to crack the top 20 this week are games based on the legend of Momotaro and the Mr. Osomatsu series which won't be coming west. Not until I started writing here a few months ago did I follow sales at all, so I am still a little bit surprised how strong that Pokémon train is still rolling after all these years. At least in Japan, the handheld gaming has really taken over in the past decade, likely a major reason why Nintendo is trying to make Switch a mobile and home hybrid. |
| Devil's Third online servers officially dead Posted: 29 Dec 2016 03:30 AM PST Devil's Third may have had microtransactions crammed into its online mode that could have turned people off of it entirely, but it was damn fun for what it was. "Was" being the operative word here, because it's D-E-D dead now. We knew that the servers would be going offline at some point this year, but now, several dedicated users have discovered that they're now dead. I went on myself to try to play one last game and found the same "new battles cannot be launched" message. Well, at least we have Devil's Third Online I guess? And that's free-to-play! Maybe it'll make its way overseas at some point. theGamerPad [Twitter] |
| Android users can now pre-register for Super Mario Run Posted: 29 Dec 2016 03:00 AM PST I'm really surprised an APK of Super Mario Run hasn't been crafted out of the iOS version and mass downloaded, but Android users hopefully won't have to wait too much longer to play. That's because you can now pre-register for the game on Google Play. Its release date is still unknown. It's a given that it won't do as well as it did on iOS, even without the time delay and mediocre reception. I personally got enough from a quick let's play and am satisfied to move on. How do you fellow Android users feel? Are you still interested? Super Mario Run [Google Play] |
| Nintendo Download: Mario Kart 64 Posted: 29 Dec 2016 02:30 AM PST It's the holidays, so it's expected to be a light eShop drop, but this is really light. I wonder if anyone is going to try to capitalize on the zero competition going into the Switch's release? Either way, we have Mario Kart 64 on the Wii U, and Castlevania Dracula X on the 3DS Virtual Console. That's it. There's a pair of Pokemon 3DS themes too if you don't already have enough of those. |
| 25 reasons you need the 75-cent Doge game Montaro Posted: 29 Dec 2016 02:00 AM PST Montaro is not a very good game, but had it been released in 1988 it would have been game of the year. Now, before you say this would be true of every disgusting game you own, Montaro is so simplistic that it could have been made on 1988-era hardware. In fact, it's not that different from a half-finished version of T&C Surf Designs. Instead of a skateboarding dude, you have DOGE. I found Montaro while anally rummaging through the annals of Steam best-sellers, where it has an astonishing 4,000+ overwhelmingly positive reviews. The game retails for less than a dollar and despite that it's on sale right now, and that's already two good reasons why you should check this game out. I'm going to try and list out 23 other reasons to prove that I still have motor functions in my wrists. This is going to be an exercise of madness sprinkled with a very quick strategy guide. |
| If you're in New York City, the official Nintendo store has some NES Classics in stock Posted: 29 Dec 2016 01:00 AM PST You might want to act now (and call the store to make sure you're not making a trip out to Rockefeller Plaza for nothing), but according to Nintendo's official Twitter account, they have some NES Classics in stock in their NYC retail location. It's really stupid that instead of getting stock...you know, anywhere else, it's just here, but the same thing happened with some of the amiibo shortages. I haven't been since the recent remodel, but the store itself is in a nice location, and there's plenty of room to move around in. Either way, I really hope that Nintendo of America doesn't forget about this thing after the holidays and actually lets people buy it non-scalped. Nintendo NY [Twitter] |
| 18 cheaper-than-Steam Winter Sale deals you should check out Posted: 29 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST If you missed the gigantic PC games Winter Sale roundup we tossed up last weekend, this post is for you. With competition heating up between digital retailers for the number-two slot after Steam, it's a shopping paradise for gamers. For those who don't want to dig through multiple retailers to buy the same damn Steam key for less, we've got you covered. Everything listed below is cheaper than Steam's pricing (and other legitimate digital retailers). Note that while most titles are in fact Steam keys, select few deals such as Grand Theft Auto V and The Division are for Rockstar Social and Uplay keys, respectively. Dirt-cheap stuff includes three bundled Batman Arkham titles for only $9, and Grand Theft Auto V with the Megalodon shark card ($8 mil in-game credits) for only $44. GMG Winter Sale Use Code: DEALZON15
GamesPlanet/GamersGate Winter Sale
Bundle Stars Winter Sale Use Code: WINTERSALE10
Update: some prices above changed, removed COD: Infinite Warfare cuz its kind of meh and added TrackMania 2 Stadium which is dope. |
| New PS4 Trophies suggest a localized Puyo Puyo Tetris release Posted: 28 Dec 2016 03:00 PM PST When Puyo Puyo met Tetris, magic happened. Sparks flew. At least, that's what I'm led to believe by folks like Steven who have gotten their hands on this Japan-only puzzler with Real Good genes. While Puyo Puyo Tetris made the rounds on several handheld and console platforms (even the Wii U!), Sega never brought the 2014 title to the West. Given that it's been a couple of years now with no word of a localization, it seemed safe to assume this wasn't on the cards. We'll see yet. A recent PlayStation 4 Trophy listing for the game potentially heralds an upcoming English version and, with any luck, that clutch Western release. Curiously, there's also a translated logo for the game with a subheading which reads "Frantic Four-Player Puzzle Mashup!" Could it really be happening? |
| Diablo is invading Blizzard's other games Posted: 28 Dec 2016 02:00 PM PST It's hard to believe, but the original Diablo came out 20 years ago on December 31. I remember thinking it was strange that such a huge game was coming out after Christmas, even then. My first time playing was at a friend's dorm room as I visited during winter break, and I was hooked immediately. Those big, beautiful health and mana orbs on the heads-up display were what really drew me in, I think. I just never wanted them to be less than full, so I played very cautiously at first. Anyway, Diablo's turning 20, and to celebrate, Blizzard is letting Big Red cross over with all of their other properties. Everything from Hearthstone to Overwatch is getting in on the action with limited time events and items. Blizzard has said that there may be more than what's listed here, so you may want to log in to every game for yourself, just to check.
DIABLO III As you might expect, Diablo III is where the biggest tribute to the original Diablo takes place. The Darkening of Tristram event lets players revisit the original game, and will run every January as long as Diablo III stays active. You can read our earlier article for the details on how to access the original cathedral, which will contain some throwback items as well. HEROES OF THE STORM HotS already has several Diablo themed stages and characters, but there's a new Brawl map themed around the battle for the High Heavens, as seen in Diablo III. Players will be able to claim a new Diablo themed portrait. HEARTHSTONE Hearthstone added a new Tavern Brawl, a weekly event match that has slightly different rules. The player will face a hooded stranger in the tavern. We're not sure what the reward for defeating them will be, as this one won't go live until next Wednesday. OVERWATCH Not much here, but Diablo themed sprays representing the different classes from Diablo III will be unlockable. It remains to be seen whether they'll be made available in Loot Boxes or will need to be earned, like the snowman sprays you can get from Mei's Snowball fight. There will also be a new player icon available. STARCRAFT II Even less here, but you can replace your worker's portrait with Diablo. WORLD OF WARCRAFT This one sounds intriguing. The most recent expansion, Legion, already returned demons to the forefront of Blizzard's MMO. The Diablo event looks like it'll bring even more demons to Azeroth, but this time, they'll be from the world of Sanctuary. BLIZZARD CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF DIABLO [Battle.net Forums] |
| That Metroid Prime Blast Ball demo will be going offline soon Posted: 28 Dec 2016 01:30 PM PST Metroid Prime: Blast Ball, otherwise known as the only part of Federation Force worth a damn, had a demo that included online support. It was basically the entirety of that extra mode which had amiibo support along with allowing you to transfer your save data to the full version. Anyone hoping Nintendo would at least give the demo a full year of service will be saddened to learn that the demo is to be pulled offline on December 31, 2016. You have a mere three days left to enjoy this demo online, then you'll have to shell out for Federation Force to keep on blast balling away. If you intend to play offline with friends, that will still be an option. While I wasn't so keen on how the game controlled, I did enjoy how much Nintendo seemed to have copied Rocket League. Blast Ball was also relatively inoffensive to the Metroid name, whereas Federation Force kind of misses the entire point of the series. The Federation Force Blast Ball Demo will be offline-only after 12/31 [NeoGAF] |
| Carrie Fisher secretly recorded a few lines for the first Dishonored Posted: 28 Dec 2016 10:30 AM PST Carrie Fisher, who sadly passed away this week, was mostly known for her iconic role in the Star Wars series as Princess Leia. Thing is, she rarely provided voice-over work to any games, including those based on Star Wars. It was a big deal when her lines were provided for Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but that actually wasn't the first time she recorded something for a game. Fisher had a few lines of dialog in Dishonored and finding them requires taking a pretty specific set of steps. According to a post over on Glixel, in order to hear Fisher's voice in the game, you need to kill the male propaganda officer in Dunwall Tower during the "Return to the Tower" mission. At some point later in the game, you'd then be treated to her voice over the loudspeakers talking about the proper disposal of deceased individuals. Seeing as how I never killed anyone, that more than likely explains why I never encountered this. |
| The hunt for the best PlayStation 4 theme is over Posted: 28 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST Every so often but not nearly often enough, ridiculous PlayStation 4 themes and laughably bad PSN avatars come into my life. Who keeps making these? Better yet, who's buying them? I don't know, and frankly, I'd prefer to keep it that way. Corn Love and whatever the hell these images are should remain life's great mysteries, always just out of grasp of our understanding no matter how far humankind progresses. What I do know is that on December 22, 2016, a new king was born. Meet Tropical Skeleton Dance. |
| If you somehow watch Hulu on your Japanese 3DS, I have bad news for you Posted: 28 Dec 2016 08:00 AM PST Sometimes, production companies kind of just throw everything at the wall and tries to see what sticks. For the 3DS and Wii U, nothing really "stuck" in the video department. Sure there's always that one guy that goes "I only watch videos on my 3DS!" but the adoption rate has been so low with these apps that many of them are just removing them entirely, rather than spend the effort to develop new software updates for recent firmware changes. That's what Hulu is doing in Japan for 3DS. As of January 11, the app will be removed from the eShop, and on February 14, the service will cease to operate. Ever since 2012 Hulu has been pushing out US content to Japan, showcasing Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, and The Sopranos with subtitles. The US app will keep operating for the foreseeable future, but that could change if they're phasing it out elsewhere. Daily News Update [Japanese Nintendo] |
| Frog Fractions 2 holds a Mass Effect easter egg Posted: 28 Dec 2016 07:30 AM PST Frog Fractions 2 is a game that recently launched after being shrouded in mystery for years. Along with some crazy ARG that revealed the existence of the title, the game also has some outlandish secrets for players to solve. One of the less-hidden extras is the ability to import your Mass Effect 2 save into Frog Fractions 2. I'm sure Commander Shepard has to solve some arithmetic problems while making the jump to warp drive, or something. |
| Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 just got its first DLC drop in Japan Posted: 28 Dec 2016 07:00 AM PST Inti Creates is rolling out the DLC for Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, and unfortunately, none of it involves a sequel to Mighty Gunvolt (even if Mighty No. 9 is taken out back and shot, I still want to see a follow-up with Gunvolt and Ekoro). As for the DLC that you can buy now in Japan (it'll likely come over at some point), you can get a new song, an extra recipe that boosts credits and experience earned, two score attack missions, and a speed run mode that disables the Electromagnetic Barrier as well as the save feature. Unfortunately its sold piecemeal, ranging from 150 Yen (roughly $1) to 300 Yen (roughly $2) per bit. If it ever came over here I'd buy the missions for sure, but I can probably govern my own speed run, thank you. |
| Mario Kart 64 headed to Wii U in North America tomorrow Posted: 28 Dec 2016 06:30 AM PST Mario Kart 64 is one of those games to make me go, "Wait, that wasn't already on Wii U? How?!" It's true! European players have had access to the classic friendship-ruining racer since January, but over here, nothing. Nada. Zilch. Well, until this week, that is. You'll be able to buy and play the Nintendo 64 game for $9.99 through the North American Wii U Virtual Console as of tomorrow, December 29. This version of Mario Kart 64 does not support ghost data, but that might not matter much if you prefer convenience above all else. I'm mostly in for Battle Mode, which was the one and only facet of this game I could ever hope to win. I was the embarrassingly bad driver among my group. Mario Kart 64 [Nintendo via Go Nintendo] |
| Fire Emblem Fates manga on hold, possibly dead Posted: 28 Dec 2016 06:00 AM PST In case you haven't heard, a Fire Emblem Fates manga was in the works -- anything that gets Fire Emblem into the hands of more people is a good thing in my book. Sadly, like several other video game themed pieces of literature lately, it might be going the way of the dodo. Yuusuke Kozaki, the character designer for the games, was set to lend his talents to the project (as was the Fates writer), but nothing has materialized as of yet. This recent tweet from Koazki doesn't give us much hope though, because a year and a half later, he has announced that the project is suspended -- and given that he also adds he is "deeply sorry," it might just be canceled. No reason is given for the decision, but at this point it would be weird to put out a Fates adaptation since we're so far removed from the game (it made more sense to strike while the iron was hot). Since Kozaki seems so deeply dedicated to the series, maybe we'll get a manga for the next iteration. How they're going to top Fates though, is yet to be seen. Yusuke Kozaki [Twitter via Perfectly Nintendo] |
| PlayStation Plus is starting 2017 off right Posted: 28 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST No, Sony isn't kicking off the new year with crazy first-party picks for PlayStation Plus members, but January's game lineup does have a few notable inclusions. What really makes this a solid month, I think, is the well-rounded Cross-Buy support. PlayStation Vita owners in particular should feel the love as they decide between playing Titan Souls, The Swindle, and Day of the Tentacle Remastered. PS4
PS3
PS Vita
PS Plus: Free Games for January 2017 [PlayStation Plus] |
| Destructoid's hottest game tracks of 2016 Posted: 28 Dec 2016 04:00 AM PST Burned out on Christmas music? We've got you covered! Music and sound design are very important yet underappreciated aspects of game design. I mean, we can't touch, taste, or smell games (yet), so the auditory feedback is half our of experience playing games. We'll save the more intricate discussion of sound design for a rainy day. For now let's just enjoy the music. Music also serves as a cue to how to play. The drowning music in Sonic gets you to hurry the hell up and sends you into a panic. The safe room music in Resident Evil lets you know you are no longer in danger. Game music is at its best not only when it sounds good and is used to these ends, but when it also is in harmony with the look and feel of the games aesthetics and (if applicable) animation. The music in Mario never outpaces the speed at which you run, and music in Banjo Kazooie seems as though it was made to go to the beat of Banjo's running animation. |
| Pokemon Go gets a quick off-screen cameo in Doctor Who Posted: 28 Dec 2016 03:00 AM PST I love UK Christmas specials. They're usually high quality episodes on a production budget, and have the ability to be standalone films in a way built off of the success of an established TV series. If needed, they can also provide closure, like the UK Office. But there won't be any closure for Doctor Who for a while, at least, as long as they can keep finding actors to play The Doctor. That includes the recent well received special The Return of Doctor Mysterio that aired just several days ago in the UK on BBC One on Christmas, which has a cute little Pokemon Go reference. Now, it doesn't specifically say "Go," but the idea is obvious, as The Doctor "floods the downstairs with Pokemon" as a distraction, causing people to run with their phones in the other direction. Finally, an excuse to post about this show! The Fourth Doctor is the best one by the way. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from destructoid. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
