Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga – is Nintendo planning a new game? (pic: Nintendo)
Developer Alphadream may be no more but it looks like Nintendo still has plans for more games in the Mario & Luigi RPG series.
When developer Alphadream went bankrupt back in October last year it was widely assumed that they would take the Mario & Luigi series of role-playing games with them, since they’re the only ones that have ever worked on them.
Nintendo were criticised by some for not helping out more, although in hindsight it seems as if the remasters of Superstar Saga and Bowser’s Inside Story on 3DS may have been exactly that.
Given the old school 2D graphics, and the fact that the games have only ever appeared on portable consoles, it seemed reasonable to assume the Mario & Luigi series was dead, but website LetsGoDigital has discovered a new trademark filing for the name in South America.
As with any trademark filing, this may simply be so that Nintendo can keep the name and they have no intention of using it any time soon. But the timing certainly is interesting.
The Mario & Luigi games are spin-offs from the Paper Mario franchise, with crossover Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. from 2015 being the last time the Mario & Luigi series saw a new game.
With both series on a low ebb it does make sense for Nintendo to try and revive one or both of them, but without Alphadream it’s unclear who they’d get to do it. And even if Alphadream was still around they don’t have any experience making big budget games.
Perhaps Nintendo will try to hire a few ex-members and take care of the tech themselves but until there’s an official announcement we’ll never know.
But we’d certainly welcome both franchises being restored to their former glory.
Call Of Duty is helping to raise money (pic: Activision)
Games publishers and players alike are trying to help with the crisis in Australia, from indie developers to the makers of Call Of Duty.
The apocalyptic scenes of out-of-control bushfires in Australia have brought out the best in video game makers, with several them pledging money and helping to raise more.
Ubisoft has already donated the equivalent of £23,000, after fans suggested they create special in-game items that could be bought by players and used to raise money.
As Ubisoft points out though, that takes time and so the cash donation is to tide things over until the in-game items can appear.
The bushfire crisis has devastated communities across the nation and the scenes of loss are heartbreaking.
We’ve heard the calls requesting we create in-game items to encourage donations, however this takes considerable development time and we feel immediate action is required. pic.twitter.com/7JPg0QPOqQ
Activision is following a similar approach, donating all proceeds from its Outback Pack DLC to the wildlife crisis fund. Anyone that’s already bought the DLC will automatically have their purchase diverted towards the relief funds.
The idea first came from fans, who made the suggestion to Activision on Reddit. Similar suggestions have also been made for fund-raising in-game items in Apex Legends and Overwatch, although create a brand-new skin does take time so it’s unclear if that’ll happen quickly enough.
Meanwhile, Bungie has gone the simpler route and will be selling a limited edition Destiny 2 T-shirt from 16 January. The first half of all profits from it will be donated to WIRES, Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation, and the other half to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
It’s not just the big publishers though, as indie company Cryptivo, makers of The Universim, will be donating all revenue from its online store and 30% of its Steam sales for the next two months.
Meanwhile, indie developer Jez Kabanov from New South Wales will be donating all money from game Bushfire Rescue Tactics, which has been created to raise awareness about bushfires and how to prevent them.
Attacking Fire enemies pushes them, make sure you check the direction of the wind so no one gets hurt. Defeat fires by pushing them into rocks, water, each other. That's how fire works right? Coming really soon now! #gamedev#BushFireCrisisAustraliapic.twitter.com/3PqUM1Ssnx
If you insist on playing Super Smash Bros. as nature intended then a fan-made mod for the old GameCube controllers could be for you.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch has been the most successful entry in the Smash Bros. series so far, and one of Nintendo’s biggest games ever, but the second game on the GameCube will always have a soft spot in fans’ hearts.
Super Smash Bros. Melee is still played professionally by many and whenever a new entry comes along Nintendo always releases a new version of the GameCube controller for hardcore fans to play it with.
There’s one for the Switch (and a number of third party copies) and so an enterprising fan has done what now seems blindingly obvious: cut it in half and turn it into Joy-Cons.
Except rather than using a controller designed for the Switch, modders at Shank Mods have taken an old GameCube era Wavebird controller (the first Nintendo joypad to be wireless) and used that instead.
The process was so difficult it’s involved a number of famous modders from the community, including Bassline25 and Madmorda, and while they have provided the instructions for other people to follow it’s not something you want to be attempting without a bit of experience.
But if you want to prove just what a hardcore fan you are, you could always sign up for an evening course in electronics and make it your pet project.
As for Smash Bros. Ultimate itself, fans are keenly awaiting news of the fifth DLC character, with the current best guess being that it’s Dante from Devil May Cry. Although there’s still no clue when the DLC will be announced.
Call Of Duty: Mobile – season 3 is about to begin (pic: Activision)
Season 3 of Call Of Duty Mobile Battle Royale is about to begin and its bringing with it the MQ-27 Dragonfire combat drone from Black Ops 2.
After years of trying, Activision has finally made a successful mobile version of Call Of Duty and season 3 of the Battle Royale is already getting ready to start.
As you’d expect, the new season will introduce a number of new maps, modes, scorestreaks, and ranks, with Activision already adding one major new feature: the MQ-27 Dragonfire drone from Black Ops 2.
They’ve also revealed that a new Scrapyard map will be added in season 3, based on the classic of the same name from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2.
Also confirmed will be a time limited mode called Rapid Fire, which gives you infinite ammo and grenades, as well as quickly recharging skill cooldowns and scorestreaks.
Yep, that’s a scrapyard (pic: Activision)
When does Call of Duty Mobile Season 3 start?
The only official start date is sometime in mid-January, but current rumours suggest season 3’s update will be released on Friday, 17 January and that servers will go live on Monday, 20 January.
Although it’s not confirmed, other rumours include the addition of two new weapons: the G36C assault rifle (which turned up in PUBG last year year) and the Barrett .50 sniper rifle.
Season 3 will also bring a variety of new skins, items, and rewards but until Activision decide to spill the beans we won’t know what any of those are.
Call Of Duty Mobile came out last October, when it enjoyed the biggest launch ever for a mobile game – with 148 million downloads and £42 million in revenues.
Predictably, a number are still upset over Dexit – the fact that not every single pre-existing pokémon is in the games – and have been complaining that the DLC is forcing them to pay to add them back in (even though it still doesn’t add all of the missing ones).
One particular fan managed to get under producer Junichi Masuda’s skin on Twitter, where, according to a translation on ResetEra, he shot out with, ‘It’s my birthday and a holiday, can you let me relax?’
The fan had been complaining about ‘removing old pokémon to sell them as DLC’ but was replying to a tweet that was merely wishing Masuda happy birthday.
Technically it’s the first time Masuda has commented on the topic on Twitter, even though there have been lots of other similar complaints.
Game Freak developers received death threats from some supposed fans when news of Dexit first broke, although thankfully things haven’t got to quite that same level of toxicity yet.
The expansion pass includes two major updates, one of which will be released in June and the other in the autumn.
Between the two of them they will add over 200 existing pokémon that weren’t in the original game, many of which can already be identified given the information Game Freak has already released.
The expansion pass costs £26.99 but those that don’t buy it will still be able to get the newly added pokémon by trading with others that do buy it.
Time to start saving for next Christmas (pic: Lego)
The Theatre of Dreams has been replicated in Lego form, as Manchester United’s iconic stadium celebrates its 110th anniversary.
If you’re a Man U supporter and you’ve also got a thing for Lego then you’ve suddenly got a lot of saving up to do.
Lego has just announced the giant-sized Creator Expert set for Old Trafford, which is made up of almost 4,000 bricks and measures 47cm (18”) long, 39cm (14”) wide, and 18.5cm (6.5”) high.
It’s as authentic a replica of the hollowed grounds as you could hope for at its 1:600 scale and… the fact that it’s made out of Lego.
Stadia within stadia (pic: Lego)
The completed model includes key details such as the United Trinity statue and the Munich memorial clock.
It looks great but that many bricks doesn’t come cheap and the whole set – including a giant-sized instruction book with photos and historical information – will set you back £249.99.
‘Our Old Trafford stadium is as iconic as Manchester United itself and we are proud to be able to bring it to life in LEGO form,’ said Manchester United’s Director of Partnerships, Sean Jefferson.
‘I think everyone has played with Lego bricks at some point in their life, however it’s still amazing to see the level of detail the Lego designers have managed to recreate in this piece. We are sure it will be hugely popular amongst Manchester United and Lego fans alike.’
If you can’t visit it, at least you can build it (pic: Lego)
The set will be available at the Lego website and retail stores from Thursday, 16 January – but only if you’re a Lego VIP member. Although you can sign up for that for nothing here.
If you don’t the set will be available for everyone from Saturday, 1 February, which just so happens to be the stadium’s 110th anniversary.
Whether that means this is going to be the only stadium to get its own Lego set isn’t clear, but if it proves popular it could well end up as the first of many.
Pokémon Go – you need to find a trading partner (pic: Niantic)
There was a major update to Pokémon Go over the weekend, as Unova region pokémon including Karablast and Shelmet are added to the game.
When Pokémon Go first launched, in the summer of 2016, it bore very little resemblance to the original console games. You could catch pokémon and… that was about it really, and even then you didn’t have to fight them.
But over the years more and more ideas from the original games have crept in, including battling and trading with other players.
The latter has always been the heart of the console games and one of the many ways it works is with certain pokémon that only evolve when you trade them with someone else.
This has never been a part of Pokémon Go before, where they’re just evolved in the usual way, but now the likes of Haunter and Machoke have been retrofitted to work the way they always used to.
As a result Gen 1 critters Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler, and Haunter now have to be traded if you want to evolve them into their final form.
You can still use the old method if you insist, or really can’t find a trading partner, but the cost has now greatly increased, to up to 200 candy.
But what’s also been added over the weekend is a bunch of Gen 5 pokémon from the Unova region (i.e. from Pokémon Black and White) and that includes Karrablast and Shelmet, who have the most specific evolution requirements of all.
They’ll only evolve if you trade them at the same time – so one person gives up Shelmet and the other Karrablast (because in-universe Karablast uses the armour of Shelmet for its evolution).
Other Gen 5 pokémon added at the weekend include Boldore and Gurdurr, who also evolve by trading, and around 30 others including the rock-like Roggenrola, tadpole pokémon Tympole, hermit crab Dwebble, and Trubbish – who is basically a bin bag full of rubbish.
There’s also new bug types Venipede and Joltik, plus rare spawns Axew, Tirtouga, and Archen.
Since breeding isn’t yet a thing in Pokémon, the only way to get Gurdurr’s starter form Timburr is as a 10km egg via a raid.
Finally, a bunch of pokémon have been made exclusives to certain parts of the world, although you’ll forgive us if we take Niantic’s word on these:
North America, South America, and Africa: Throh (also available in 10 km eggs)
Europe, Asia, and Australia: Sawk (also available in 10 km eggs)
Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America: Maractus
1 (1) Pokémon Sword/Shield (NS)
2 (2) Luigi’s Mansion 3 (NS)
3 (5) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS)
4 (4) Minecraft (NS)
5 (6) Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (NS)
6 (7) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NS)
7 (8) Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training For Nintendo Switch (NS)
8 (9) Super Mario Party (NS)
9 (10)Tsuri Spirits: Nintendo Switch Version (NS)
10(3) Ring Fit Adventure (NS)
(C)2019 Enterbrain, Inc. All rights reserved.
U.S. all formats chart - November
1 (1) Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (XO/PS4/PC)
2 (-) Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (XO/PS4/PC)**
3 (-) Pokémon Sword (NS)*
4 (-) Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield dual pack (NS)*
5 (-) Pokémon Shield (NS)*
6 (4) Madden NFL 20 (XO/PS4/PC)
7 (-) Death Stranding (PS4)
8 (5) NBA 2K20 (XO/PS4/NS/PC)
9 (-) Need for Speed Heat (XO/PS4/PC)
10(3) Luigi’s Mansion 3 (NS)*
*does not include digital sales
** does not include Steam sales
Note: U.S. charts are organised by revenue not unit sales
The chart above lists our best reviewed titles of 2019, as of the end of June, but as usual does not include remakes, remasters, expansions, re-releases, compilations, games not yet released in the UK, or versions of games previously released on other formats.
An announcement that Sony will not be at E3 this year is expected later today, as the fate of the long-running trade show remains in doubt.
Rumours suggest that Sony will not be at this year’s E3 event in June, despite the release of the PlayStation 5 later this year.
They already skipped last year’s event, claiming they didn’t have enough new games to make it worthwhile. That seemed reasonable enough at the time, although it was part of a pattern of behaviour that had also seen them disengage from Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and their own PSX event.
The suggestion that they’ll also skip this year’s event makes less obvious sense, as they’ll have not only a mountain of new games to show off but a new console too.
But both Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier and Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad seem to think that Sony will not be there this year, with the latter suggesting an official announcement later today.
If Sony do snub E3 then they automatically put the whole event into jeopardy, as last year several other publishers – including EA and Activision – also failed to have a booth at the show, although they were both there in a reduced fashion.
Publishers don’t like E3 because it costs an awful lot of money to put on a decent show and so they’re often keen to talk it down, even though, despite fluctuating attendee numbers, the amount of people watching it live on Twitch and other services has skyrocketed in recent years.
Traditionally, E3 has been a trade-only event, meaning on industry professionals and journalists can attend, but in recent years organisers have also opened it up to a limited number of the public, although entrance is extremely expensive.
That’s always felt rather half-hearted though, so if E3 is forced to reinvent itself, or replaced by a similar event, it’s likely to be more firmly in one direction or the other.
For now, we’ll have to wait on official word from Sony, which if it doesn’t attend E3 is sure to have an event of its own sometime in the spring or summer.
Microsoft did attend E3 last year and have implied they will again this year, although they’re also likely to have their own Xbox Series X reveal event before then.
There will be no PS5 at E3 this year, as Sony skip the world’s biggest video game show for the second year running.
Sony has confirmed they will not be at E3 for the second year in a row. Instead preferring to show off the PlayStation 5 at ‘hundreds’ of different consumer events.
Sony confirmed the news to GamesIndustry.biz, saying that, ‘After thorough evaluation SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment] has decided not to participate in E3 2020.’
‘We have great respect for the ESA [organisers of E3] as an organisation, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.
‘We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favourite content. We have a fantastic line-up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans.’
As you can see, the explanation is very vague in terms of both the reasons for not attending and the alternatives, with no indication of when and how the PlayStation 5 and its initial line-up of games will be unveiled.
Although the news had been expected Sony’s attitude towards E3 is surprising given how much they’ve benefited from the event in the past, with key appearances during launch year 2013 and 2015 (which saw the reveal of The Last Guardian, Shenmue 3, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake) cementing their leadership of the current generation.
By contrast, Microsoft has struggled to make an impact at E3 in recent years and yet it has already confirmed it will be attending this year, albeit at a site next to E3 rather than at the L.A. Convention Center itself.
But if Sony’s decision also encourages other publishers not to attend E3 in full, as it did last year, it could well signal the beginning of the end for the trade show.
Although for now the big question remains: when and where will Sony unveil the PlayStation 5?
Two games in one
First it was that terrible name and now it’s the completely bizarre decision to not have any exclusives for at least a year. Are Microsoft trying to lose this next generation before it’s begun? At this rate all Sony will have to do is sit there and do nothing (again) and they’ll win without having to lift a finger.
I cannot think of one single good reason not to have exclusives. The given reason, that they don’t want to upset Xbox One owners, is possibly the strangest part. For starters, what Xbox One owners? The console was a failure and I’d think all involved would just like to forget it. But more importantly, everyone understands the concept of generations. No PlayStation 4 owners are going to be surprised or upset when the new games start drying up over the next couple of years and it’s the same with any format.
I know what the Microsoft guy is getting at, that the games will just look better on the new console, even though they’re the same thing, but there’s no way that’s not going to compromise the design. Every time Microsoft are thinking about making a new game they’ve got to think, ‘Will this run on an Xbox One?’ and that’s going to limit it whether they want it to or not.
I guess you could imagine they’re going to make two completely separate games but… why? I just don’t get it. It’s a dumb idea that just gives more leverage to Sony without them doing a thing. Just bizarre. Baker
All or nothing
So that Microsoft announcement was… unexpected. Is that the most diplomatic way to put it? I’m really struggling to understand the logic to be honest, or what they hope to gain from it. Surely they want the best possible graphics to show off the new machine, so why limit themselves having to make sure it works on the old console?
And if they think it’s a good idea why stop doing it after a year? Either releasing on Xbox One makes sense and they should do it all gen or it’s some kind of weird stop gap that just lasts a year or so and is a really bad idea. I know what it sounds like to me.
I know Microsoft has Game Pass to brag about at the moment but that’s not exactly a difficult idea to copy, especially for a company that has a far better line-up of exclusives. I’ll wait and see but the last few things to have come out of Microsoft have not been very encouraging to me. Raisen
Paper over it
I don’t know how you’d really do a Mario & Luigi game on the Switch, since a lot of its charm came from the low tech graphics and almost indie feel. I guess you could keep it 2D and release it at a lower price, which I’d be fine with, but I’d much rather they pull a finger out and do a proper Paper Mario. And by proper I mean an actual role-playing game with stats and combat, not whatever the hell the series had turned into by the time of Color Splash.
The first two games were great and had really good graphics that would work well with modern tech – 2D characters running around a normal 3D world. It’s a great idea but for some reason they keep taking the role-playing gameplay out, even though everyone keeps saying they like it and they hate the replacement.
It also needs to be funny. Like really funny. The Thousand-Year Door was the funniest thing Nintendo has ever done and they need to be aiming to up that, not just throw in the odd joke every few hours. I’ve no idea if this is something they’re thinking of but Nintendo don’t seem to like to leave a franchise and let it go to waste, so here’s hoping it’s something that’s announced this year. Reboot Paper Mario! Silas
The ravages of time
I’m a big fan of Naughty Dog’s games and particularly love the worlds they create. I only really got into Uncharted with the fourth one though, having previously played the third and been put off by the imprecise gunplay. Thought I’d give the Uncharted collection a go, seeing as it was free on PS Plus and holy moly what is going on with the camera in the first one? It’s all over the place! The cover system and gunplay is also terrible to the point the game is nearly unplayable.
It’s unbelievable how far games have come on even since the PlayStation 3 days. The graphics seem almost prehistoric compared to Uncharted 4. Not really complaining, it just shocks me how quickly technology moves. My grandkids will probably look at this the way I looked at my dad’s Pong game when I was kid! Scary.
Looking forward to The Last Of Us Part 2… Chris
GC: We never liked the first one all that much.
The eyes have it
RE: David looking forward to buying his new 8K TV. I’ve mentioned this before in the Inbox, but it’s worth repeating: 8K in a home setting is literally pointless, because unless you’re sitting about a two feet away from a 90 inch screen the human eye can’t physically resolve the difference between 4K and 8K. And that’s with absolutely perfect vision, which few people have. (Just remember that IMAX cameras frequently only shoot in 7K.)
Anyone thinking about getting an 8K TV would be much better served spending the money on a really good 4K TV instead. Sparky the Yak
Both sides of the story
I’m close to finishing the Resident Evil 2 remake, having done Leon A, as well as Claire A/B (so I’m mid-way through Leon B) and I’ve been thinking.
I have been thoroughly enjoying the game, don’t get me wrong, but I’m also a bit disappointed when it comes to some aspects of the design.
If you remember the original, the A/B scenarios were mostly separate from one another. In the A scenario you would fight G1, G2, and G4. In the B scenario you would face off against G3, Mr. X and eventually G5.
Though I’m not certain about the exact combination, my point is that the paths were interlinked but designed in such a way that they really did feel like two halves. Though a small number of puzzles were repeated, or doors were locked that shouldn’t have been (because the other character would have unlocked them by that point), those felt more like limitations of the hardware rather than a design oversight.
Meanwhile in this remake, most of the puzzles are repeated between the two scenarios. Claire has her specific bosses as does Leon, but both also share some of the bosses – and some of those bosses don’t make sense due to events that happen to the other character. When they leave the RPD through the exact same path, the outside is completely different depending on the character.
Basically, I felt that the original was more cohesive when splitting the story, though there were a couple of places where that fell down, whereas in the remake the story split is anything but cohesive.
It’s a shame. It’s an amazing game, but it feels obvious that there is also a lot of room for improvement in areas that actually feel quite simple. Joseph Dowland
GC: It was always an odd decision. All we can say is that at least Capcom admitted to it long before the game was released.
3D window
Talking of 3D games in the Inbox could GameCentral or readers recommend some 3D games on the PlayStation 3 please?
I still have a PlayStation 3 and a 3DTV as I like to buy the 3D versions of films, as some of the latest films are still released on 3D Blu-ray. Andrew J.
GC: Child Of Eden, WipEout HD, Call Of Duty: Black Ops, Uncharted 3, Super Stardust HD, and MotorStorm were some of the best ones we remember. But most first party Sony games of the time worked with it and so did most major third party titles… for a year or so.
Not day one
Maybe I’m not seeing the full picture here but, the announcement that Xbox Series X won’t have first party exclusives for a year or so leaves me wondering what I’m sure many others are: why buy one at launch?
If you’re into Microsoft IP, just as a lot of gamers buy Nintendo for Nintendo software and PlayStation’s runaway success this gen could be attributed to a steady stable of exclusives, I’m a little lost as to why we would spend out on a new Xbox Series X when there are cheaper models on the market?
Surely the smart thing to do here would be to hold fire, see Sony smash the competition and await an imminent Xbox Series X price drop?
Can we assume Microsoft will continue to manufacture the Xbone long after Xbox Series X releases? Is that even feasible? It’s getting trounced out there!
The idea that they want the Xbox brand to hold value in the long run makes sense, but this first step could be a massive risk that only a company as big as Microsoft could afford to gamble on.
I traded in my Xbox One for a second Switch for my niece, as it wasn’t being used – this was way before initiatives like Game Pass existed. I was ready to throw my wallet at Microsoft for the high end Series X at launch, patiently waiting to try Halo Infinite and other potential cross-gen titles but now I’m considering extending my patience further.
I wonder if this move backfires or whether we’ll see another Microsoft U-turn on this strategy come E3.
I mean it is what it is, I love our hobby but I’m prone to keep up to date with video games more so these days than actually playing them, so it’s all the same to me. But I really thought MS was going to knock it out the park this time, after the let-down I personally believe the Xbone was. I’d never traded in a console before, I still have my Commodore 64 and at least one console for every generation following that up to the Switch for crying out loud.
This time I just wanna be sure, so I won’t be making a purchase day one next gen, unless I hear some news, and see proof, that I won’t be dissatisfied.
Between Wii U and Xbone I could’ve saved a small fortune on consoles that were only used every so often. Bad Edit
PS: Currently/constantly playing Dr. Mario World, it happens to the best of us, I guess.
Inbox also-rans
I’ve checked the latest gaming charts and noticed Tekken 7 and Project Cars 2 have jumped into the top 10 at numbers four and five. Coincidently, over the weekend I got both games for Xbox One from Currys for the knock price of £5 for the two. Ste C
GC: That’s not a coincidence.
I still can’t get over the idea of someone issuing death threats over Pokémon. I mean Pokémon! I’m beginning to think you should need a licence to use the Internet. Coolridge
This week’s Hot Topic
The question for this weekend’s Inbox is simple, but not easy to answer: what is your favourite video game of the last decade?
We offered up our top 10 list over Christmas but what is your favourite from the years 2010 to 2019? You can name just one game or several, but we want to know what you enjoyed the most during the last decade.
Was your choice a big hit at the time and how influential was it in terms of the decade as a whole? What do you think were the most notable traits of gaming during the 2010s and how well does your pick exemplify them?
The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
Of course, that’s really Square Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers, by the teams behind Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, which is why despite the usually poor reputation of licensed games it was actually looking quite good when we went hands-on with it last year.
The game was previously scheduled for 15 May on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC but will now not be out until 4 September.
Unlike Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s delay that doesn’t put it in direct competition with any other games. In fact, it now becomes the only current big-name game with a confirmed release date in the second half of the year.
Developer Crystal Dynamics offered a typical vague explanation for the game’s delay, although it seems to have broken their website, which is currently down. However, this was the message in full:
To our fans,
At Crystal Dynamics our ambition has always been to deliver the ultimate Avengers gaming experience. In order to achieve that goal, we have made the difficult decision to move the release date of Marvel’s Avengers to September 4, 2020.
As fans ourselves, it’s an honour and a privilege to work with these legendary characters and we know what these Super Heroes mean to us and True Believers around the world. When we set out to bring you our vision for Marvel’s Avengers, we committed to delivering an original story-driven campaign, engaging co-op, and compelling content for years to come. To that end, we will spend this additional development time focusing on fine tuning and polishing the game to the high standards our fans expect and deserve.
The worldwide teams working on Marvel’s Avengers sincerely appreciate the support you’ve shown us. We thrive on your enthusiasm and feedback and we can’t wait to show you more. We apologise for the delay. We’re confident it will be worth the wait.
Although the core combat of the game seemed solid enough when we played it (the game has the lead combat designer of God Of War working on it) there’s been no more clarification of how the online play or monetisation works, which is likely to be where the issues are.
Original descriptions of the game compared it to Destiny, in terms of co-op options and its ability to have people coming back to replay it on a regular basis, but none of that has been seen in public yet.
There were also complaints about the graphics when it was first shown at E3 in June, in a rather unconvincing unveiling ceremony, although even by August at Gamescom they’d got notably better, so we’re not so worried about that.
Although apparently some of the later levels have an open world elements, which also hasn’t been show yet – so that could be another reason for the delay.
Epic Games Store – it’s not going anywhere (pic: Epic Games)
There’s no end in sight for Epic Game’s free game giveaways, or their policy of trying to sign up exclusive games…
It’s been controversial since the moment it opened but now that it’s just over a year old, Fortnite creator Epic Games has been showing off just how well their online store has been doing.
According to details released today the Epic Games Store has 108 million customers worldwide, who have spent the equivalent of £522 million. Although that figure seems to include Fortnite purchases, as only £193 million was spent on non-Epic published games.
On the face of it, that suggests Epic Games Store has more customers than Steam, which recently announced it had 90 million monthly active users.
That’s probably not equivalent to Epic’s 108 million though, which seems to include anyone that’s ever bought an in-game item in Fortnite – rather than proper active users.
The good news, from Epic’s point of view, is that their policy of buying exclusives, so they don’t appear on Steam for at least the first few months, is working and the top-selling games are all exclusives.
As such, their best-sellers (seemingly in no particular order) include World War Z, Satisfactory, Dauntless, Metro Exodus, Untitled Goose Game, The Outer Worlds, Borderlands 3, The Division 2, and Dauntess.
The good news from ordinary gamers’ point of view is that they’re going to continue to give away free games every week and already have enough planned for the whole of 2020, after giving away 73 different titles last year.
Current freebie is Sundered: Eldritch Edition, which will be available until 16 January, at which point it will be the turn of indie game Horace.
Date wars
Wowzers, those are some pretty serious delays going on there. Five weeks isn’t much in terms of time for Final Fantasy 7 Remake but all of a sudden it’s sandwiched between two massive games and perilously close to Cyberpunk 2077. They were always the two biggest games of the first half of the year but now they’re right up against each other and people have got to make difficult spending decisions, not to mention how they’re going to spend their spare time.
Something’s going to lose out there but it’s a difficult call as to what, especially as you kind of lose perspective as a fan as to what really has the most mass appeal. I’m going to guess that a first person cyberpunk game by the makers of The Witcher 3 has the edge. But then again, as GC pointed out in one of their interviews, Blade Runner and things like it have never really been that popular so who knows. Maybe the weird haircuts of Cloud and co. will fare better.
One thing is clear yet again though: companies need to get a lot better at picking release dates and sticking to them. What’s the betting that something else is going to end up coming out the same week as Marvel’s Avengers, even though they fine well knew it was coming out then? Klevin
Splitting apart
I’d like to say that Sony are going to end up regretting not going to E3 but they probably won’t. I can’t see the PlayStation 5 being anything other than a massive success and even if it’s not I doubt anyone’s going to trace its failure back to not turning up at E3 this year.
I do think it’s a shame though and a warning sign that Sony is back to its old, arrogant ways. One of the best things about E3 is how inclusive it made the industry feel, with everyone trying to outdo each other but still competing on more or less the same level.
Now we’ll just a bunch of sperate announcements at random times of the year, half of which will turn out to be duds. At least with E3, if something was a disappointment there’d be another show in a few hours to try again. I think it’s a shame and I hope Xbox can help to keep things together. Nate
Fame game
I still think Minecraft makes the most sense for the next Super Smash Bros. character. I don’t know that Dante is really all that well known, and he’s much less famous than anyone from Resident Evil, so I don’t know why Capcom wouldn’t go with Jill Valentine instead – especially with Resident Evil 3 coming up.
But Minecraft is super popular on the Switch and is very Nintendo, plus it has a very unique art style and potential for moves. At the end of the day Dante, Jill, and a lot of the others are just going to be person with gun or, even worse, person with sword. The thought of yet another Fire Emblem character just seems a complete waste of a slot.
My outside bet would be for Crash Bandicoot. Again, it’s very Nintendo friendly and the remakes have been on Switch recently, so it’s more legitimate than Persona definitely. I’m also sure it would give Nintendo a secret wry smile to have what many consider a Sony mascot in Smash. Korbie
Bigger numbers
Thanx sparky, for the advice, but you don’t know what size TV what model or anything like that. Appreciate the advice, but I’ve read reviews online from many different websites and all of them have said you can see the difference as long as you have the right TV.
Yes, 8K content is a long way off but not only am I buying PlayStation 5 day one the TV upscales everything, so 1080p becomes 4K and 4K becomes 8K. You can’t say it’s not worth it without knowing about the TV I’m buying and what it can do. There is so much choice out there with 8K and so many different models.
And as four your eyes, eyes don’t see in pixels but if they did they would be in 44K. I’ve read up about it and this Saturday I’ll have my TV and waiting for my PlayStation 5. David
GC: Upscaled 8K really isn’t the same thing. Everything we’ve seen and heard agrees more with Sparky the Yak’s comments.
Forgotten toys
Regarding 3D games on the PlayStation 3, you forgot to mention the criminally overlooked Puppeteer. It’s arguably the best of the lot as it doesn’t suffer from the cursed jagged edges that blighted a lot of the other titles plus it’s a fantastic game regardless of the 3D option.
Full of invention, charm, wonderful art design, and sheer oddball madness. It’s a shame it didn’t reach a wider audience. One of favourite games of the last generation. If I remember GC reviewed it and enjoyed it. Andee
GC:We did, although sadly, like Sony themselves, we’d forgotten all about it until you mentioned it.
Important exclusives
Microsoft obviously don’t really care where you play their games. So long as you play them. They’ve opened up to PC gaming and now talk about no Xbox Series X exclusives for a couple of years, which underline this point.
If you develop a game for PC you’re used to having the game easily scale up or down depending on different graphics cards, CPUs, etc. So I don’t necessarily think this is a bad move. Other then the vocal ‘core’ gamers online (who are in the minority of overall console buyers) I don’t see this being a problem.
Much more important is the Xbox Series X pricing and the quality of the exclusives. If the rumoured upper tier Xbox Series X is more powerful than the PlayStation 5, that will win over some ‘core’ gamers too. Jaz
GC: The Xbox Series X is the upper tier console, the other one is presumably going to be called Xbox Series S.
Unnecessary trouble
I have to agree that Microsoft’s last couple of announcements have been puzzling to say the least. I really don’t see any need for the exclusivity ban at all. What’s the point of reinventing Fable for a new generation if it has to be built to work on the old generation (and if it comes out after the ban lifts that’s not exactly great either, get a move on! Fable needs to come out very early on in the new Xbox’s life and live up to expectations).
I can’t see any positives for anyone in the idea and while you could argue it won’t make that much of difference it’s certainly not helping in any way. The name is in a similar situation. Sure, they might be able to work around it and make people forget but what kind of attitude is that? Why not just pick a sensible name in the first place?
Ultimately I still think Game Pass, Project xCloud, and Microsoft’s willingness to lose huge amounts of money to beat Sony will eventually see them do well but they do like creating problems for themselves. Although I suppose that’s not much different to most games companies… Waites
Inbox also-rans
It’s so obvious Square Enix’s Avengers games was some horrible lootbox monster originally and they suddenly had to scrap all their plans. I guess that’s a good thing but it still puts me off. Insance
I always missed the Sony E3 conference, it was always on much later than the others. Gifford
This week’s Hot Topic
The question for this weekend’s Inbox is simple, but not easy to answer: what is your favourite video game of the last decade?
We offered up our top 10 list over Christmas but what is your favourite from the years 2010 to 2019? You can name just one game or several, but we want to know what you enjoyed the most during the last decade.
Was your choice a big hit at the time and how influential was it in terms of the decade as a whole? What do you think were the most notable traits of gaming during the 2010s and how well does your pick exemplify them?
The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore – one of gaming’s oddest crossovers (pic: Nintendo)
The latest Wii U port to arrive on Nintendo Switch is the surprisingly successful crossover between Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem.
We’re not sure what anyone was expecting when a crossover between Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei was announced for the Wii U back in 2013, but we’re pretty certain nobody envisioned something like Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. But as strange as the game’s concept is, it turned out to be one of the best role-playing games on the Wii U and the closest thing to a modern Persona game on a Nintendo format.
Shin Megami Tensei is the parent franchise from which the now much more famous Persona is derived (Shin Megami Tensei 5 was announced as a Switch exclusive during the console’s unveiling but has never been heard about again since). The games are normally – but not always – set during the modern day and involve some manner of demonic apocalypse, but Tokyo Mirage Sessions is a little more laidback than that, with a story revolving around interdimensional beings called Mirages who suck out the ‘Performa’ energy from pop stars. Really.
If you’re wondering where Fire Emblem comes into that the answer is that it doesn’t very much and the various character cameos are little more than that, with certainly nothing in terms of gameplay that is in anyway similar to the likes of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Other elements are more familiar though and if you happen to be a fan of both franchises then there’s a lot of fun references and fan service to be had.
As you might gather, Tokyo Mirage Sessions is, in the best traditions of Japanese role-players and anime, a very odd game. And while the main characters are a little bland the story as a whole has an earnest energy that draws you in and protects you from the duller – and sillier – moments. There isn’t the thematic depth or characterisation of a regular Persona game, but the attempt to celebrate the creative spirit is done in a charmingly forthright and unpretentious manner.
The combat works much like any standard Japanese role-player, except with Fire Emblem characters transforming themselves into weapons or being used as summonses. The rock, paper, scissors style relationship between different weapons is pure Fire Emblem though, and the strategy series has also influenced the importance of attacking from different directions. But otherwise it’s largely the same style of turn-based combat as any other Shin Megami Tensei game, including elemental weaknesses and trying to set up combos with other characters.
To be honest though, the combat was always the least interesting element of Persona and it’s still not enough to carry a whole game, especially the wearyingly difficult boss battles and dungeon crawling missions that involve a lot of backtracking and not being sure where you’re supposed to be going. In that sense it’s much closer to Persona 3 than the more modern games, although some interesting puzzle elements prevent it from being too one-note.
Persona works because there’s a lot more going on beyond just the fighting, but here there’s no demon fusion and the social link elements, where improving your relationship with characters outside of battle helps when you get into a fight, is greatly simplified. There’s not even much meaningful exploration or side quests, although this new Encore edition does address that somewhat with some new story segments that weren’t present before, that include new dungeons.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore – Persona feat. Fire Emblem (pic: Nintendo)
The Encore edition isn’t very different from the Wii U original but it does add a new song, and some new covers, and several new outfits and costumes that include nods to the likes of Persona 5’s Joker, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, and Etrian Odyssey Nexus. A wider range of characters can now be brought in as party characters and there’s also all the DLC released for the Wii U, including more new costumes and support dungeons for when you just want to grind up a few levels of experience.
They’re minor but welcome additions and also include a few quality of life improvements, such as noticeably quicker load times, a mini-map, and the ability to skip battle animations. We’re not sure that that’s going to tempt many people to double dip, but it’s at least good to see this isn’t just a straight port.
All the voice-acting is still only in Japanese, but we definitely see that as positive given the setting and how bad a Western voice track would likely be on a low budget release like this.
To be honest, we were always surprised that Tokyo Mirage Sessions was released in the West at all, given how to the casual observer it’s not obvious it even is a crossover. But now it’s made the trip twice and while it only skims the surface of what both franchises can do at their best it’s still an enjoyably bizarre experience that isn’t like anything else on the Switch.
In Short: It doesn’t have the depth of standalone Persona and Fire Emblem games, but this is a fun crossover that will please followers of both, and Japanese role-playing fans in general.
Pros: Fun story and characters with great graphics and presentation. Combat and customisation systems have some interesting influences from both games. Not just a straight port of the original.
Cons: The dungeon crawling, and particularly the boss battles, can be frustratingly difficult. Simplistic characterisation and storytelling, and a limited number of non-player characters and side quests.
Score: 7/10
Formats: Nintendo Switch Price: £49.99 Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Atlus Release Date: 17th January 2020 Age Rating: 12
Full power
I know console wars bring out the worst in people but I’ve just been reading a bunch of people describing the PlayStation 5 as having exclusives as ‘anti-consumer’. I assume they were all Xbox fanboys but the whole thing was just bizarre. Not only are exclusives the default (Nintendo would literally die without them) but they’re… the reason you buy a console!
I’m really not sure what I’m supposed to be buying an Xbox Series X for if not to see the new graphics and things it can do. But if those things are going to be purposefully limited by Microsoft so games also run on the Xbox One then what’s the point? Nothing about this decision makes sense to me, especially since, as one reader has already pointed out, they’re going to start making exclusives a year after anyway. Either they want exclusives or they don’t want exclusives, which is it?
For me the best explanation is that they’re somehow behind on the work and are trying to hide the fact that’s nothing ready. It’s just not a decision that makes any sense as a something you’d willing do, but is it to cover up another problem.
The idea of trying pretend that Sony are the ones being weird by having exclusives is some next gen spin though, I’ll give you that. If anything I’d say Microsoft were being anti-consumer by not unleashing the full power of their console. Maybe they can sell it for half price until it’s running games at full whack? Zod
Clouded judgement
Like many people this week, I’ve been trying to get my head around Microsoft’s recent admission that Xbox Series X titles (at least) from their first party studios will still work on the older Xbox One platform. Personally, I’m pleased as I wasn’t in a rush to upgrade anyway.
A lot of people think this is a backwards step, as it could hinder these games from a design aspect, and that could certainly happen. But I think Microsoft is smarter than that and it’s actually all about the future. That future is in the shape of Project xCloud.
It’s on record that Microsoft are using the Xbox One S as the technical template for their xCloud service. There will be literally thousands of these set up in data centres across the globe. Even with Microsoft’s deep pockets I’m sure they aren’t in a rush to bin that tech and replace it before the service has been officially rolled out.
In order for xCloud to be a success and a legitimate way of playing games, it has to play host to the very latest titles and it’s for this reason why I believe Microsoft is supporting Xbox One. If it proves to be a hit then Microsoft can start updating and replacing the tech in its data centres, it could even be where the less powerful Lockhart Xbox rumour originated from. A lower specced Xbox in the cloud makes perfect sense, seeing as no one will be playing games in 4K on their phone. Animated Jak
Cloud theory
Loving all the speculation at the minute around the new consoles. Personally, I think Microsoft’s stance on everything being cross-gen is due to Project xCloud. Their whole strategy for the last few years has been building towards playing what you want, wherever you want. If Xbox Series X has its own exclusives then these wouldn’t be streamable as Cloud is basically a rack of Xbox One S’s so everything has to run on the base machine to keep this strategy intact.
As a result, I don’t think you’ll see next gen exclusives on Microsoft’s console until they’ve been able to upgrade xCloud.
This also makes me think that Lockheart is the upgrade for this rather than a retail console. I mean what’s the point of a lower powered entry level next gen console if there are no next gen games to play on it? How would you sell this alongside the Xbox One X?
These are just a few of my theories, and likely all wrong, but it’s all part of the speculation fun. Adam
GC: There might be something to what you say. But the lack of exclusives is only this year and next, and Project xCloud isn’t expected to be a mainstream concern for several years – by Microsoft’s own admission.
All the Ks
RE: David. Whilst the human eye may have a ‘resolution’ of 44k (whilst stationary, it drops significantly during eye movement), that’s actually irrelevant to the resolution of the screen that you’re looking at. What is important in that instance is the angular distance of the object you’re looking at compared to your eyes’ angular resolution. Basically, the size of the pixels and how far away from them you are.
So whilst I don’t know what kind of screen you’re getting, I can tell you categorically that if you’re more than five feet away from an 80 inch screen, you will not see any resolution improvement over 4K, and even closer than that you will only see slight improvements. To get the full benefit of 8K on a screen that size you would have to be two feet away. This is a good site where you can plug in the screen size and get the optimal viewing distance for different resolutions. https://carltonbale.com/home-theater/home-theater-calculator/
You may well see improvements in the image over an older TV, but that will be down to HDR and other technical advances, not resolution. In the end though, it’s your money to spend as you wish. I just don’t like to see the TV manufacturers throwing out bigger numbers as if it means something in an attempt to sell more TVs. They’ll be talking about 16K by the end of the decade, I guarantee it! Sparky the Yak
Content issues
RE: David. Even on an 85” or 100” TV, you will need to be sat literally within a couple of feet to truly appreciate all the extra detail available with those extra pixels, when compared to a 4K screen.
Upscaling streamed 1080p image to 4K on a 50” TV results in macroblocking and looks poor compared to a native image on a 1080p TV, so imagine this on a screen double the size with four times the number of pixels. Add in that nearly all TV content is still in 1080i/p still, whilst there’s going to be no AAA games on PlayStation 5 that will run at 8K, as currently you would struggle to get 8K 30fps on some current gen titles with SLI RTX Titans (I’ve seen videos of Shadow Of The Tomb Raider at max settings, crawling along at anywhere from 10-30+ fps+).
The PlayStation 5 won’t come close to this level of raw GPU power available to one of these GPU, let alone two of them. At best you will get some indie games running at 8K. Just because it can output at 8K, doesn’t mean it will in general. The Xbox One S outputs up to 4K, but it rarely does 1080p even in AAA games.
To sum this up, you will have a few indie games running natively; the majority of your TV content at 1080p, that will look less sharp than your 1080p TV unless you sit back 10 foot; some upscaled 4K content that looks worse than native 4K unless you sit further back, ultimately defeating purpose of an 8K screen; and a huge hole in your bank account. Happy Shopping
They’ll be fine
While the news of Sony not attending E3 this year may come as a disappointment to some, I feel we should withhold judgement and see what exactly Sony does to make up for its lack of attendance at E3 this year. While this has happened before you can be assured that Sony most certainly is in the process of working on getting its PlayStation 5 system ready and has already confirmed that it will have exclusive games, something which Microsoft doesn’t seem to be doing with the new Xbox. This alone is one advantage the PlayStation 5 has, although I will admit that what Sony decides to do with making up for their lack of attendance at this year’s E3 will be interesting.
If Sony choose to do their own conference to show off the PlayStation 5 that will at least give them the advantage to not worry about the audience being split in the arena they showcase the PlayStation 5 off, in with E3 giving the disadvantage of having competitors showing off their games. If Sony go the separate conference route they won’t also have to worry about any limitations such as time of broadcast and could choose to broadcast their own conference at a more suitable time for everyone.
I will most certainly be waiting to see what games Sony will offer to convince me to upgrade and will most certainly be interested to see what other features they didn’t announce and are holding back until the big reveal. It will be up to developers what new titles we may see on the PlayStation 5, as Sony can only do so much, but I really do hope we won’t just get a few exclusive launch titles, as that may mean it could be many years after the PlayStation 5’s launch before we see any more exclusives. gaz be rotten (gamertag)
GC: Nobody’s worrying about Sony, they’re worrying about the future of E3.
Tetromino drops in!
I realise that by the time this gets seen and printed the reveal may well have already happened, but given how random Nintendo can be, I’m wondering if the surprise fighter will turn out to be… the Tetris block! All its attacks will involve it changing orientation or configuration and it’s smash attack will be something to do with blocking it’s opponents in and clearing them with a completed line of blocks.
I’m not going to be surprised when it isn’t, but somehow, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea… yourhomeisatrisk
GC: The Direct isn’t till 2pm today.
Burn the heretic
Unpopular opinion, but I’ve put 20+ hours into Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (which I’ve only just got around to playing) and find it a bit boring. I can’t seem to see the invention around every corner that earned the game universal praise. Shrines, repetitive enemies, and lots of empty space. I’ve completed one divine beast, which had less impact than I might have thought, because I was perhaps expecting the game or story to pick up a bit of momentum at that point.
But there was a cut scene or two, some text dialogue, then I find myself pottering again. I’m still hoping that I just haven’t ‘got’ it yet because I actually do want to like it and would welcome suggestions on how to get the most out of it. Or you can just tell me how wrong I am if you’d prefer. Nathan
GC: Maybe you just don’t like it, there’s nothing wrong with that. Although expecting a complex story from a Zelda game is always a mistake.
Sucker for punishment
Long-time readers will be aware of my inability to complete role-playing games, and my plight even became a long running joke in the old Underbox.
So was it wise to get Dragon Quest 11 for Switch? I’ve never played any Dragon Quest game before, but it was worth a punt at only HK$300 (£30), Chinese version, but includes all the major European languages.
Since the last email I sent about my problem (I think back in the last gen!), I’ve STILL only completed Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, one of the Mario & Luigi titles (can’t remember which), and The World Ends With You, i.e. no more since!
The long list of role-playing games that are stuck in my backlog include…
Final Fantasy 9, Baten Kaitos, Skies Of Arcadia Legends, Pokémon Black, Pokémon X, Bravely Second, Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, Mass Effect Trilogy Pack (didn’t even start playing 2 and 3!), Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, and Pokémon: Let’s Go Eevee!
I love the epic adventures role-playing games take me on, but I inevitably get tempted to buy other games before I complete the story… will Dragon Quest 11 be the first role-playing game I complete since the DS days? ttfp saylow (gamertag)
Now playing: Luigi’s Mansion 3, Red Dead Redemption 2 (will start Dragon Quest 11 once I complete Luigi’s Mansion!)
GC: Have you considered the possibility that you just don’t like role-playing games? Especially as the only ones you have completed are quite atypical for the genre.
Inbox also-rans
Just a reminder, a game on my Steam wishlist is free from today on PC on Epic Games Store until next Thursday. The game is Horace, as mentioned in the news story on Tuesday. Andrew J.
GC, any idea if Resident Evil 3 will have any connection to 2 via a save on your console? I mean, like when you go through the police station will the damage carry over or doors be unlocked, etc.? Just a thought. Bobwallett
GC: It’s a good thought, but there’s been no indication so far.
This week’s Hot Topic
The question for this weekend’s Inbox is simple, but not easy to answer: what is your favourite video game of the last decade?
We offered up our top 10 list over Christmas but what is your favourite from the years 2010 to 2019? You can name just one game or several, but we want to know what you enjoyed the most during the last decade.
Was your choice a big hit at the time and how influential was it in terms of the decade as a whole? What do you think were the most notable traits of gaming during the 2010s and how well does your pick exemplify them?
The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
It seems like BioWare might finally be making a Mass Effect remaster – either that or they’ve just put out a very random tweet.
It’s not been a good generation for BioWare. It started off well enough with cross-gen game Dragon Age: Inquisition but then their first current gen game – asynchronous multiplayer title Shadow Realms – got cancelled, Mass Effect: Andromeda became an industry laughing stock, and they followed that up with Anthem…
There’s an obvious way out of their current situation though: make a new and better game and people will quickly forget the previous mistakes. But that takes time and there’s still no real clue as to when Dragon Age 4 will be out or how far along it is.
And then there’s Mass Effect, which fans have been saying for years should get a remaster. But if that’s not what this tweet is teasing, we don’t know what it’s supposed to be about.
The embedded trailer (which doesn’t appear on BioWare’s various YouTube channels) starts with the text introduction to the first game and then segues into what sounds like a remastered version of the main tune.
No explanation for the short video is offered, just the hashtag #MassRelays, which doesn’t seem to relate to anything specific beyond general Mass Effect lore.
The mass relays are what give the series its name and which power faster than light travel in the games, but they’re not in the video clip itself so it’s an oddly specific hashtag to invent.
The problem with Mass Effect remasters, and probably the only reason they haven’t happened already, is that all three entries are interlinked by the same save data and they’re all very big games.
Also, it’s Mass Effect 2 that is the really good one (even making our top 10 of the decade list) whereas the first, which is arguably the obvious one to do if you’re only doing one, is quite a bit different than the more action-orientated sequels.
And yet publisher EA did recently promise they were making ‘exciting remasters of fan favourites’, which definitely seems to describe Mass Effect.
There are two other possible explanations for the tweet though, one of which is that it’s a tease for a brand new game.
BioWare have said they’re planning to do another, especially now that original creator Casey Hudson is back working with the company, but it’s always been assumed it’d come out after the new Dragon Age.
The other explanation is that it’s just a random bit of nostalgia, which BioWare can be prone to – but usually not quite this random. Especially as it’s not the first game’s anniversary or anything like that.
The original Nintendo Switch console has been out of stick since Christmas and it’s still going to be a few weeks before more come in.
If you were waiting till 2020 to pick up a Nintendo Switch you’ll already have discovered that nobody seems to have them in stock at the moment.
The Switch Lite is still available, but the original Switch (the one that actually switches) isn’t available at Amazon, GAME, Smyths or most other major retailers.
They’ll all happily take your money as a pre-order but Smyths estimates there won’t be any available till the week beginning 27 January, while Amazon suggests one to three weeks from now.
Even the Nintendo website doesn’t pretend they’ll be available any time before 31 January (which is a Friday).
When will Nintendo Switch be back in stock?
The Switch was the best-selling console of the year in the US and Japan. It almost certainly was in Europe as a whole too, although how it fared in the UK specifically is impossible to tell without specific sales figures.
The Switch’s current lifetime total (including the Switch Lite) was 41.67 million at the end of September, but that would’ve greatly increased in the run-up to Christmas and may already have overtaken the Xbox One. Although given Microsoft refuse to release hardware sales figures we’ll never know for sure.
The Switch isn’t the only hardware Nintendo has run out of lately, with keep fit game Ring Fit Adventure constantly going out of stock worldwide – particularly in Japan, where it’s proven especially popular.
It’s also out of stock at most retailers in the UK, although GAME are currently selling it for a marked up price of £109.99.
In the least shocking reveal of the year, the makers of Roblox have confirmed that rumours of its closure are just fake news.
Perhaps it’s some form of early onset existential angst, but many younger gamers are obsessed with making up stories about their favourite games being shut down.
Long before the Fortnite: Chapter 2 reboot there were endless stories and rumours about Epic Games closing down Fortnite for… reasons that were never sensibly articulated.
Perhaps it’s kids realising that free-to-play games will only stay around for as long as they’re profitable. Or maybe it’s just that Fortnite shutting down is the worse thing they can possibly imagine. Either way, the same nonsense is now being spouted about Roblox.
Although direct comparisons are difficult, Roblox is now believed to be more popular than both Fortnite and Minecraft, and so by that fact alone you can guarantee the creators have no intention of shutting it down.
Let’s set things straight: Roblox isn’t “shutting down.” The same hoax (with a few details changed) goes around every year or two.
Remember: don’t believe everything y’all read on the internet! 😆
Not for the first time, Roblox Corporation has had to send out a statement confirming that they’re not going to shut up shop this year, after an article at React2424 – which allows people to make fake news stories – pretended otherwise.
The article has been taken down now, but the rumour has been so persistent that Roblox had to post the tweet above.
Considering Roblox has over 100 million monthly active users and has made over £770 million in revenues nobody should need a tweet to tell them that the game isn’t going anywhere.
Still, as Roblox sagely points out: ‘Don’t believe everything y’all read on the Internet!’
At least the intro animation was fun (pic: Nintendo)
The latest Nintendo Direct has finally announced the fifth DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and it’s Byleth from Fire Emblem.
So… that was a little disappointing, eh? So much so that we weren’t sure at first whether having Byleth as the fifth DLC fighter wasn’t some sort of joke – especially when director Masahiro Sakurai acknowledged the character as just another swordsperson.
But in the end, there was no trickery and Byleth really is the fifth DLC addition. If you don’t know who Byleth is, they’re the player character from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, who can be either male or female but is essentially mute throughout the entire game.
All the other player characters from recent Fire Emblem games have become fighters so Byleth was perhaps inevitable, and with the announcement of the Fighters Pass Vol. 2 you could read it as Nintendo getting that obligation out of the way now and moving on to more interesting picks later.
It’s also a useful promotion for the new Fire Emblem: Three Houses Cindered Shadows DLC, which was revealed at the end of the Nintendo Direct.
Byleth’s big gimmick is that they’re not technically just another swordsperson but can switch between four Hero’s Relics weapons from the game: the Sword of the Creator, the lance Areadbhar, the axe Aymr, and the bow Failnaught.
The new stage is Garreg Mach Monastery from Three Houses, which moves between four separate locations: the marketplace, reception hall, bridge, and cathedral.
Various lead characters (and fan favourite the gatekeeper) can be found lurking about in the background, and quite a few scenery objects are destructible. But yeah, it’s not terribly interesting either.
You also get 11 new music tracks, including two new arrangements of the main theme, which will also automatically be added to all the existing Fire Emblem stages.
There’ll also be a new Spirits board for Three Houses characters, as there has been for other DLC fighters, as well as a new classic mode route called A Heroic Legacy.
This will end with a showdown with Master Hand and Crazy Hand and some sort of surprise that Sakurai seemed to think players would find amusing.
Byleth will be released on Wednesday, 29 January and will cost £5.39 separately or you can get them together with the other four DLC characters with the £22.49 Fighters Pass Vol. 1.
A new batch of Mii Fighter costumes will also be added on the 29th, including full costumes for Cuphead and Altaïr from Assassin’s Creed.
Finally, two new amiibo will be out tomorrow, 17 January, namely Dark Samus and Richter from Castlevania. Separate male and female versions of Byleth will also inevitably be released as amiibo at some time in the future.
