Cooking Mama: Cookstar is a new game in the cooking series that started on the Nintendo DS back in 2006. It will be the eleventh Cooking Mama game, and the announcement frames it as a reboot. The last game in the series was Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop for the 3DS.

Cooking Mama: Cookstar is due to arrive this fall on Nintendo Switch, and will be the first console game to integrate blockchain technology.

Although this was actually announced back in February, it went under the radar until now, when a listing on the Australian Classification website alerted folks to the game’s existence. The game, originally called Cooking Mama: Coming Home to Mama, seemingly went through a name change at some point.

“Each purchased copy of the game will have unique IDs which will be managed directly through the game’s internal wallet storage,” the announcement read. “Players will be able to focus on Cooking Mama’s user experience rather than cryptographic key management.”

This will be used to make every copy of the game “subtly different and personal to a user”, allowing the game to “change expression algorithms for characters, ingredients and cooking methods.”

Of course, since this press release came out in February, it’s possible that these plans have changed.

Beyond this, the real meat of the announcement – pardon the pun – is the addition of a new, optional vegetarian mode, which will allow players to ditch meat in favor of meatless recipes. This is the first game in the series to do so, and aims to make the game more palatable to potential vegetarian fans.

Players will be able to switch between and cook in both ‘traditional’ and ‘vegetarian’ modes. Cooking Mama: Cookstar will use a mix of motion gestures and traditional controls in its recipes.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cooking-mama-cookstar-brings-both-vegetarian-meals/1100-6469011/

The XIII remake, originally announced for a 2019 release back in April, has been delayed into next year.

The cult classic shooter was originally released for the PS2, Xbox, GameCube and PC in 2003, and the remake is set to update the game for a modern audience. It’s now coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC in 2020.

François Coulon, Head of Production at publisher Microïds, announced in a press release that while they are “thrilled” with the work developer PlayMagic has put into the game, “additional development time is needed to reach the level of polish we’re aiming for.”

No specific time frame within 2020 has been set for the game’s release.

The original XIII was published by Ubisoft and developed by Ubisoft Paris and Southend Interactive. It cast players as Thirteen, an amnesiac enigma accused of assassinating the president, who must discover who is he is and untangle the wider conspiracy he’s caught up in. The concept art posted on the PlayStation Blog alongside the remake’s announcement suggests that the game will be receiving a dramatic visual overhaul. We’re yet to see any footage from the remake, so it’s unclear just how extensive a remake it will be.

While our original review of XIII (published all the way back in 2003) was less-than-glowing, arguing that “the total package isn’t one that will hold the interest of most first-person shooter players”, the game built up a fanbase after its release because of its ambitious narrative and stellar art design.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-xiii-remake-has-been-delayed-into-2020/1100-6469009/

Every Sunday, New Releases breaks down the upcoming week in games. As we near the halfway point of August, Nintendo Switch continues to stack its library with the Grandia HD Collection and its own port of Friday the 13th: The Game. Sci-fi fans can take flight with Rebel Galaxy: Outlaw or platform through a virtual computer with Exception. On the fantasy side, Dicey Dungeons also rolls out this week.

Friday the 13th: The Game – Ultimate Slasher Edition — August 13

Available on: Switch

Apparently August is the month for horror games, at least on Switch. The Ultimate Slasher Edition includes all of the previously released DLC, giving you plenty of movie costume options for Jason. One player will take control of Jason himself, while the others play as Camp Crystal Lake counselors, trying to survive the night.

More Coverage:

• Friday The 13th: The Game Review

• Friday The 13th Approaches 2 Million Copies Sold; Dev Feels “Confident Moving Forward”

Rebel Galaxy: Outlaw — August 13

Available on: PC

While the original Rebel Galaxy limited how you could steer your ship, the sequel lets you fly in full 3D, where pilot Juno Markev must contend with space truckers, criminals, and more. There are plenty of options for spaceship colors and weapons as you zoom through space and engage in dogfights.

More Coverage:

• New Rebel Galaxy Outlaw Trailer Makes Playful Jab At Star Citizen

• Rebel Galaxy Outlaw – 16 Minutes Of Gameplay | PAX West 2018

Exception — August 13

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

Exception sees you playing as a computer program tracking down an evil virus. As you might guess from the screenshot above, that means plenty of platforming and combat as you flip through each rotating stage. What’s more, you can compete for high scores on each level through online leaderboards.

Dicey Dungeons — August 13

Available on: PC

As the name implies, you play as a die in Dicey Dungeons. Each of the six classes has its own special abilities, but no matter which you choose, you’ll still have to build a strategic deck as you venture through procedurally generated dungeons. Dicey Dungeons is a roguelike, so prepare to roll the dice in more ways than one.

Grandia HD Collection — August 16

Available on: Switch

The Grandia series is pretty beloved, and now you’ll be able to play Grandia 1 and 2 anywhere. The first game is turn-based, while the sequel sports a different battle system that lets you move around during combat. Both games also feature prettier graphics–this is an HD collection, after all.

More Coverage:

• Grandia Review

• Grandia II Review

August has plenty of games to come, and next week New Releases will take a look at the latest from two well-known studios. Double Fine is launching its new action game Rad, and the up-and-coming Tokyo RPG Factory is releasing Oninaki.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/top-new-games-out-on-switch-ps4-xbox-one-and-pc-th/1100-6468997/

After bursting onto the scene in July 2015 and having a free demo for a few years, Lab Zero Games’ Indivisible has finally nailed down a release date for this year. The forthcoming action-RPG/platformer hybrid is set to launch on October 8 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Along with the release date announcement came a new trailer that highlights Indivisible’s hand-drawn and animated art style as the trailer jumps between gorgeously-rendered cutscenes and vibrant gameplay environments. Despite the rest of the consoles getting definitive release dates, the Nintendo Switch version is said to be “coming soon.” Check out the announcement trailer below.

Indivisible is available to pre-order now on PC, with console pre-orders “coming soon.” Pre-ordering on Steam nets you the “Follow me, Roti!” bonus, allowing the protagonist’s pet tapir, Roti, to follow you around during your treacherous adventure to challenge the darkness and harness the cosmos. You’ll also receive character skins based on popular Valve games like Half-Life, Portal and Team Fortress 2. Lastly, pre-ordering Indivisible on Steam gives you a Portal Companion Cube.

Developed by Skullgirls creator Lab Zero Games (the core team from the now-defunct Reverge Labs), Indivisible follows Ajna as her life becomes chaotic when her home is attacked and a mysterious power awakens within her. After checking out a hands-on demo of Indivisible earlier this year, we said, “What we’ve seen already is a promising start, blending genres in a new way that makes the marriage of fighting and RPG elements feel natural.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/action-rpg-indivisible-launches-this-fall-gets-new/1100-6469007/

Nintendo has revealed the next batch of NES titles coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service. This month adds another pair of legacy games to the system’s slowly expanding NES library, one of which has never been officially re-released before.

August’s free NES titles are the co-op beat-’em-up Kung-Fu Heroes and the action game Vice: Project Doom. The latter is particularly notable, as it hasn’t appeared on any other console since it first released on NES in 1991, making this its first official port in nearly 30 years. You can see a trailer for the games below.

Both titles will join the service on August 21, bringing the system’s NES software count up to 48. Nintendo adds a handful of classic titles to the NES library each month; July brought Donkey Kong 3 and Wrecking Crew (as well as a helpful rewind feature), while June’s additions included Double Dragon II and City Connection.

The NES library is one of the perks included in the Nintendo Switch Online service. 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. Nintendo also offers an annual Family Membership, which costs US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts, even on different Switch systems.

In addition to the free NES games, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can now pick up a freebie for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Nintendo is also holding a free trial period for Mario Tennis Aces. NSO members can play the sports game at no charge until August 13. The game will also be on sale in the Eshop until August 20, and any progress you make during the free period will carry over to the full title.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-onlines-free-nes-games-for-august-/1100-6469005/