Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Story Trailer September 29, 2022
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One of the first major third-party publishers to support the Nintendo Switch was Ubisoft when they announced their famous Rabbids franchise would be crossing over with Super Mario. The newest game in the Mario + Rabbids crossover franchise is coming next month. If you want to know how these unlikely groups need to face, give this a watch.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is coming October 20th, 2022 exclusively to the Nintendo Switch.
Stadia is Dead September 29, 2022
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This official statement has just been posted on the official Google Blog. They are ending Stadia support in January 2023. Google says they will refund all hardware purchases made through the Google Store.
I have to admit, this is disappointing but hardly unsurprising news. In my opinion, a streaming game service will only be a good consumer option if sold exclusively on a subscription basis. That way, in the event the service ceases, the user will simply stop being charged their monthly subscription fee. Stadia sold entire games at full retail price through their service. That means those full priced games can no longer function in any way once Stadia is shut down. Meanwhile, anyone who bought a copy of the same game at the same price on a different platform or online service will still be able to play. This is the fear most users had when Google announced Stadia. Their fears were clearly merited.
As someone who was an initial adopter of Stadia, I’m assuming the Google Chromecast Ultra I got with my package will still continue to function. I’m also assuming the Stadia controller will continue to function as a PC gaming controller if connected over its USB cable.
Conversations With Curtis – Graeme Devine Interview September 29, 2022
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Paul Morgan Stetler, known for his iconic role as Curtis in the classic PC horror adventure game Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh, has expanded his series Conversations With Curtis to do interviews with the creators of iconic games. Yesterday, he was able to publish his interview with legendary game developer Graeme Devine, known for his work at companies like Trilobyte, id Software and Ensemble Studios.
I’ve been aware of Mr Devine’s work for some time. Mostly I was familiar with his work on PC games at id Software, particularly DOOM 3, but I also tremendously enjoyed the first Halo Wars. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to watching this interview. Take it away, Curtis!
Phantasmagoria 2 is out now for PC. The 7th Guest is out now for PC. Halo Wars is out now for Xbox 360.
Dragon Quest Treasures – Overview September 29, 2022
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You may have noticed, I have recently become interested in the Dragon Quest franchise. More games are on the way for this enduring series, and it looks like the next release is this new spin-off title Dragon Quest Treasures. Now, Nintendo has revealed this game preview which includes a deep dive on its story and gameplay. If you’re a fan of the franchise or just curious about this new Switch game, give it a watch!
Dragon Quest Treasures is coming December 9th, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.
Control – Ask The Fadens September 29, 2022
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It’s been three years since the release of Remedy’s Control, an incredible third person action/thriller game. Now, the actors who played the game’s protagonist and antagonist have gotten back together to answer the fans questions about what it was like for them making the game and how they feel about the characters they portrayed.
Oh and can I just say Sean’s mustache is just awesome.
Control is out now for the PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch (Cloud), Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
The Last of Us – HBO MAX Teaser September 26, 2022
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Happy Last of Us Day! HBO MAX has just released this trailer of the highly anticipated television adaptation of the game The Last of Us. Give it a watch below.
Seriously the visuals on this one look like they were ripped straight from the first game. The series will launch on HBO MAX in 2023. If you’re already an HBO subscriber through your cable provider you HAVE HBO MAX!
iOS 16.0.2 Released September 25, 2022
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iOS 16.0.1 was released shortly after the release of the iPhone 14 to address authentication issues some new device owners were experiencing with FaceTime and iMessage. However, it only was offered to iPhone 14 devices. Now, another minor but important update has been released for iOS 16 devices. It fixes specific camera shake issues noticed in third party applications. This has been a known issue since the launch of the iPhone 14 line, but it also addresses issues reported in the iPhone X and iPhone 11.
The new update weighs in at around 360MB and can be downloaded through your device’s software update feature or through iTunes.
Memories of Maniac – Electronic Retail Stores September 22, 2022
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Retail is dying, but is that a good or a bad thing? In this new Memories of Maniac, our host tells his best memories about three retail establishments that are no longer with us.
Gaming History You Should Know – Video Game Animatronics September 18, 2022
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Hope you all are enjoying your Sunday. Welcome back to Gaming History You Should Know, where we highlight some of the best independently created history videos across the web on a variety of gaming sources. As a lover of theme parks, I know there can be nothing more immersive to see in a theme park ride than a great animatronic. If you’re unaware of the concept, an anamorphic is essentially a preprogrammed robot designed to resemble a real-life character. Due to the cost and difficulty required to create them, animatronics typically appear in theme park rides and attractions. The first known example was Walt Disney’s recreation of President Lincoln for the 1964 World’s Fair. Currently, the best animatronic I can think of in operation is the one of Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout at Disney’s California Adventure. That said, the to-scale King Kong Universal Studios Florida made for the defunct Kongfrontation ride holds a special place in my heart.
The guys over at Fastpass Facts, which is a great reference for theme park animatronic history, did a great video on the known history of animatronics of characters made famous in video games. Let’s take a look!
Week of Neo-Geo – What Games Should Come to the Next MVSX? September 16, 2022
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I hope you all don’t feel the Neo-Geo died after the release of the Hyper Neo-Geo 64. While SNK has had its restructurings, bankruptcies and buyouts, the original games for the platform live on through various means. In fact, two years ago the company UNICO released the MVSX, a bartop arcade machine that comes packed with fifty classic Neo-Geo games. Let’s take a closer look at it in glorious 4K HDR.
The MVSX comes preloaded with slightly over one third of the total catalog of Neo-Geo games including Fatal Fury, King of Fighters and Metal Slug. However, if Wikipedia is to be believed, one hundred and forty-three total games were released for the platform (although that list does include games released on the AES and Neo-Geo CD). UNICO did ship the MVSX with a rear USB port, but that is only for system updates and bug fixes. Sadly, they won’t be offering new games for sale online, at least not to add to the current MVSX platform.
With nearly one hundred games from the Neo-Geo catalog missing in action, what are home arcade enthusiasts to expect for the future? It’s my opinion that UNICO may have decided to hold off offering digital downloads of new games on the MVSX so they can instead rerelease newer revisions of the MVSX with an alternate selection of games. If you remember anything about the Neo-Geo that I’ve taught you this week, it’s that the strength of the platform laid in the fact that the onboard games could be swapped out. With that in mind, there’s nothing holding back the opportunity for UNICO to release a second generation MVSX with an entirely different selection of games.
The best part of this is a potential new release could still be compatible with the existing stool and shelf, allowing players who already own them the opportunity to reuse their existing ones if they wish.
So with that all out of the way, let’s get to the big question then. What games do I think should be included in a next Neo-Geo home arcade release?
Just want to put a disclaimer here that this article is just being written for fun. At this time a successor to the MVSX has not been announced. This is also by no means a complete list and you’re welcome to post your own opinions in the comment section below.
Puzzle Bobble – The MVSX launched with a great amount of fighting titles, but for the life of me I couldn’t think of a single puzzle game that was installed on it. I know it sounds weird to play a puzzle game on an arcade since they are so common on smartphones and tablets these days, but I can assure you back in the day it was common and this is considered the best game on the platform. The game had several sequels, ALL of which could be bundled together in the next machine’s menu.
Shock Troopers (2nd Squad) – The first Shock Troopers has been my absolute favorite game to play on the MVSX, and it’s a shame that the sequel wasn’t included alongside it. You and a second player play as a select member of a squad of commandos in a run and gun side scroller.
Neo Turf Masters – Only one golf game released with the MVSX and unfortunately it wasn’t the specific golf game everyone remembers. Neo Turf Masters is considered the best golf game released for the platform and there’s a heavy demand online to rerelease or I will not question.
Cyber-Lip – I grew up loving cyberpunk shooting games and this classic run and gun game is a perfect example of that. Most people have compared its gameplay to Contra 3 but describe its plot as an adaptation of The Terminator. Sign me up!
Last Resort – A classic side scrolling space shooter on par with several Konami classics in the 16-Bit generation. Would be a perfect addition to a second release.
Riding Hero – The MVSX has no racing games on it, despite the fact several were developed for the original Neo-Geo. Riding Hero was SNK’s answer to SEGA’s HANG ON. The rules are simple, keep your motorcycle on the track and don’t let other players overtake you.
League Bowling – It’s bowling. My wife would not allow me to leave this off the list. It isn’t a perfect bowling simulation (Neo-Geo has no trackball, just joysticks and buttons) but it has a great art style with expressive characters. It also was the only game that took advantage of the Neo-Geo’s ability to link up other cabinets to allow 8-player games, making it a fantastic contender if UNICO intends to ship a machine that allows online play.
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