Nintendo Switch Online’s Free NES Games For March Now Available
March’s free NES games for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers are now available. This time around, the lineup is almost entirely different depending on your region. The West receives Kid Icarus and StarTropics, while Japan gets Kid Icarus along with two unlocalized Famicom titles: Yie Ar Kung-Fu and Fire Emblem.
On top of this month’s new games, Nintendo has added special save states for two previously released titles, Kirby’s Adventure and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The former allows you to play through the more difficult Extra Game from the outset, while the latter starts you off with Link’s Attack, Magic, and Life stats already maxed out.
Nintendo has been gradually expanding Switch’s NES catalog with more games every month. In February, the company added Super Mario Bros. 2 and Kirby’s Adventure, while January brought Zelda II and Blaster Master. More games are on the way next month, although Nintendo hasn’t revealed what those will be just yet.
The NES catalog is one of the perks Switch owners receive for subscribing to the Nintendo Switch Online service. It offers unlimited access to more than 30 NES games for as long as you have an active membership, with added online multiplayer support for every title.
Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Other perks for subscribing include the ability to play Switch games online with others, save data backup via the cloud, and exclusive offers such as Tetris 99, which is free to download for NSO members.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-onlines-free-nes-games-for-march-n/1100-6465553/
Spyro Reignited Trilogy Finally Adds Subtitles
The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is finally receiving subtitles and the option to toggle on and off motion blur following months of fans requesting these features.
Included in the patch notes for the Reignited Trilogy’s PlayStation 4 Patch 1.03 and Xbox One Patch 1.02, Developer Toys for Bob has added subtitles in all supported languages across the three games for previously unsupported cinematics. This includes character headers to identify active speakers, succinct line splits for readability and colored text for improved character association in most languages – while unconfirmed, this seems like it would make Spyro’s text purple, Hunter’s orange, etc. Subtitles can be toggled on and off in the options menu.
Yoshi’s Crafted World: Late-Game ‘Be Afraid of the Dark’ Stage Revealed
Our IGN First coverage of Yoshi’s Crafted World continues with another new stage reveal from Nintendo’s upcoming platformer. Here, join us as we make our way through ‘Be Afraid of the Dark’ and its relentless new enemy. And then we play the “flip side” of the stage, trying to speedrun through it while finding all three Poochy puppies!
IGN First is our monthly, purely editorially driven initiative where we take a deeper dive into the games we’re most excited about. We’ll have more stages to reveal and costumes to show off in Yoshi’s Crafted World both next week and all month long, leading up to our review and its release later this month. And if you enjoy the video above, feel free to also check out our first new stage reveal from last week, which showcased the ‘Weighing Acorns’ stage.
Hyper Light Drifter Devs Reveal New Game
Heart Machine, the developer beyond Hyper Light Drifter, has announced its follow-up game, Solar Ash Kingdom.
IGN can exclusively announce Solar Ash Kingdom, published by Annapurna Interactive, alongside the debut trailer, which you can watch below.
Few other details of Solar Ash Kingdom have been announced, but, as the end of the trailer suggests, the Hyper Light Drifter follow-up will be coming to the Epic Games Store on PC.
Heart Machine’s Alx Preston said the studio is aiming to set Solar Ash Kingdom apart from its predecessor thanks to “a whole new set of incredible tech and key innovations.”
And while Heart Machine has been silent on this follow-up until now, the studio does not intend to stay that way.
source http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/13/solar-ash-kingdom-hyper-light-drifter-devs-reveal-new-game
Why Did a First-Time Game Developer Turn Down 12 Publishers?
Wlad Marhulets seems to be one of those people who’s just good at everything. He’s traditionally made his living as a composer, writing everything from clarinet concertos to the score for an upcoming VR film about Eminem (I don’t know either). You’d think he’d be happy with the several awards he’s won for that work but, in 2015, he decided to try something new in his spare time, a little creative hobby project. “I downloaded Unity and learned a little bit of coding and 3D modeling”, he tells me over email. “A month later I had a little demo – it was 2-3 minutes of gameplay maybe, it was barely playable.”
What he’d created was the first version of Darq, a horror-soaked puzzle-platformer about a boy who becomes aware that he’s inside his own nightmare, and uses the fluidity of lucid dreaming to get out. After a friend urged him to create a trailer and upload it to the now-defunct Steam Greenlight, it became one of the top 10 most upvoted games on the service (of almost 2,000) within two weeks. Articles were written, social media discussion was had, and Marhulets made the fairly radical decision to turn Darq into his full-time job.
Correction: Fortnite Cross-Platform Play Pools Reorganized
Editor’s note and update: An earlier version of this story inaccurately and falsely explained the latest changes to Fortnite’s cross-platform play feature. The article previously and incorrectly stating cross-play had been restricted on the Nintendo Switch to only be functional with mobile players, which is not in fact the case — the starting pools of cross-platform players is what has been adjusted.
IGN regrets this error and apologizes to our readers for this incorrect information. An updated story follows.
Epic Games revealed in their V8.10 patch notes that the starting pools for Fortnite players engaging in cross-platform play has been adjusted.
source http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/13/fortnite-cross-play-on-switch-no-longer-supported
Xbox One/PS4 Versions Of Monster Hunter-Like Dauntless Has Been Delayed
Phoenix Labs has announced the console release for Dauntless has been delayed. The developer also released further details for what’s included in the Hunt Pass Season 3–which went live today–for the PC version of this free-to-play action RPG.
Currently only available on PC via Steam, Dauntless was originally being ported to Xbox One and PS4 for release in April 2019, with a versions for Switch and mobile later in the year. The Xbox One and PS4 versions have now been delayed to Summer 2019, with Phoenix Labs stating it is using the “additional time to polish gameplay, stress-test for scale, and complete additional features.” The PC version of Dauntless is also scheduled to migrate from Steam over to the Epic Games Store, a move which has also been delayed to coincide with the release of the game on Xbox One and PS4.
Currently in open beta on PC, Dauntless will officially launch when it releases on Epic Games Store, Xbox One, and PS4. All of your progress from the beta will carry over, regardless of which system you choose. As Phoenix Labs plans on having all Dauntless players’ saved date be tied to an Epic account, the game will support cross-platform play and progression across all systems. Cross-platform support will extend to the Switch and mobile versions of the game as well when they eventually launch.
The third season of Dauntless Hunt Pass, titled Overgrowth, is now live. Listening to the community, Phoenix Labs has decreased the number of Title rewards you can unlock while increasing the number of Transmog rewards. You’ll earn 500 platinum for completing all levels of the pass, with an additional Elite track costing 1,000 platinum. The new season also brings several aesthetic changes to Dauntless. The snow has completely melted and spring has begun, with moss and vines covering buildings and giant green leaves hanging from the trees and other tall vegetation. Season 3 adds a new weather effect too–rain–as well as new items to find and plenty of collectibles to unlock. Overgrowth will continue until April 16. Complete details about the new season can be found on Dauntless’ website.
Similar to Monster Hunter, Dauntless takes place in a fantasy setting where you hunt down massive creatures in order to collect loot and craft new weapons and gear. Hunts can be lengthy affairs, taking anywhere from a few minutes to nearly half an hour. Like Monster Hunter World, Dauntless can be tackled completely solo or in a team of up to four people.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-oneps4-versions-of-monster-hunter-like-dauntl/1100-6465555/
Dead Cells Update “Rise Of The Giants” Release Date Announced
Dead Cells has been receiving a steady stream of updates, adding features like custom runs and overhauling major systems based on player feedback. Developer Motion Twin has now announced its first big free expansion, Rise of the Giants, will arrive on PC on March 28. Console release dates haven’t been announced.
The major addition is an entirely new area to explore. To access the new area, you’ll have to have bested the tough-as-nails action game at least once. That will grant you access to the Cavern, a new area with new traps and enemies, lava pools, and a new boss.
The DLC adds a lot more besides the new area, though. It will include a new skinning system with 50 outfits, giving you more loot to collect from blueprints dropped by enemies and bosses. It also adds three new skills, including a flying pet and a scroll that reveals a current map. It also brings 10 more weapons, like the Giant Killer, Boi Axe, and Thunder Shield. The Prisoner’s Quarters will include a new Specialist Shop where you can buy Hunter’s Grenades, along with skins and a new map. Finally, it will add a hidden level, with a completely new ending for those who can defeat the hidden boss.
Though the update hasn’t hit yet, Motion Twin has already released the patch notes so you can read and prepare yourself. Dead Cells was named one of our best games of 2018.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-cells-update-rise-of-the-giants-release-date-/1100-6465554/
New Black Ops 4 St. Patrick’s Day Update Is Now Live On PS4
Activision has announced a two week-long St. Patrick’s Day-themed celebration for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The event is already live for PS4 and will continue until March 26. Activision hasn’t yet announced dates for Xbox One or PC, other than to say–in a blog post–that information would be coming soon.
The new event, called Shamrock & Awe–which returns from Call of Duty: WWII–adds new content to Blackout, Zombies, and Multiplayer mode in Black Ops 4, as well as St. Patrick’s Day-themed goodies in the Black Market. Also, simply logging into Black Ops 4 during the event will unlock the “Precious” gesture and a new animated calling card for free.
In Blackout, the battle royale has undergone a few green-colored updates. All smoke–whether from grenades or supply drops–is now colored green, as are the eyes of the zombies scattered throughout the map. The foliage on the map has entered spring, with flowers blooming and brown leaves becoming green again. Hidden caches of bronze pots have been hidden throughout Blackout’s map as well. And if you’re looking for something to hunt other than enemy players and zombies, following the noisy jingle of dancing Leprechauns will allow you to track the little imps down. Finding and destroying them before your enemies do will reward you with “a wide variety of goodies.”
Shamrock & Awe makes less severe changes in Zombies and Multiplayer. For the former, you can now find and use the Homunculus transformation, and certain zombies now have a “distinctly different hue around their sunken eyeballs.” Defeating these zombies offers a mysterious reward. In Multiplayer, Fracture has returned with a new name, Stockpile, and enemies now drop shamrocks–as opposed to dog tags–that need to be collected in order to win.
If you’re looking for even more St. Patrick’s Day goodies, you can head to the Black Market and buy the Shamrock Bundle. The limited-time bundle includes ten item crates, the “Glorious Day” gesture, St. Patrick’s Day-themed warpaint, and the “Luck of the Irish” jump pack–which gives you a new wingsuit to use.
Black Ops 4 is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. As stated before, Shamrock & Awe is currently only live on PS4, but the celebration is coming to other systems eventually.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-black-ops-4-st-patricks-day-update-is-now-live/1100-6465552/
