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Detroit: Become Human Countdown to Launch May 23, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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Sony and Quantic Dream are less than two days away from the release of the next major PS4 exclusive game, Detroit: Become Human. To celebrate, they’re releasing a whole bunch of new trailers and interviews on their official YouTube Channel. Here’s a look at their announcement trailer.

Not enough trailer for you? Don’t worry, we got you covered. Here’s the official launch trailer.

Next up, we have two videos for you called interview shorts. Each one is focused on a different aspect in the game. The first is a closer look at a character named Chloe. The second provides a closer look at the game’s world and the in-game company responsible for building these androids.

Last up is the most recently released video about the game, a brief interview with the game’s director David Cage.

Detroit: Become Human is launching May 25th, 2018 exclusively for the PS4.

Nintendo Switch Needs Media Players Now May 23, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Editorials.
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The Nintendo Switch has been released for just over a year, and we absolutely love it. It’s a console you can take on the go that can be played on your HDTV at home. It has great exclusive games including Super Mario Odyssey and Splatoon 2, with more exclusives are on the way. In short, it’s perfect, and it had a great first year. So why are we posting a negative article about it? Because the console isn’t without its share of problems and while some of them will be getting fixed soon, its got a glaring problem that should have been addressed within its first year.

The Nintendo Switch tablet has a fantastic screen. It’s larger than a standard smartphone screen and has a great picture quality. Since the Nintendo Switch uses proprietary game carts to run retail copies of games, it lacks an optical disc drive. That makes incompatible with DVD, CDs, and Blu-Ray Discs. However, it does have internal WiFi and can easily access the internet, perfect for watching streaming video from services like YouTube, Amazon Prime or Netflix. However, other than Nintendo news content and a single service we will talk about later, there are currently no apps to access streaming services available for download on the Nintendo Switch. How can this be?

The Wii U offered full support for YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime and heck even Hulu since the first day of its release. I knew tons of people who used their original Wii consoles to play Netflix movies. My new Smart TV has next to no internal storage and even it can support Twitch, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Pluto TV and more without a streaming box plugged into it. There is no excuse for Nintendo to continue to ignore supporting these common services on the Nintendo Switch over a year after its release. Heck, the fact that it is portable is no excuse either. you can already download YouTube and Netflix apps on the Nintendo 3DS!

As of the date this editorial is being published, the only media service currently available on the Nintendo Switch is Hulu. Hulu is, in my opinion, the worst media service currently in operation in the US. You could look at our review of Hulu for the Xbox 360 to learn every detail about our problems with it, but our issues boil down to three things. When the Hulu Plus service first launched, it only offered a limited selection of its available content on its apps, forcing users to watch the majority of the content they wanted to see on a computer’s web browser. It also required paid users to view advertisements while watching content. Add to that an unremarkable selection of content, and you can see why I have no interest in signing up for the service.

Why do you think the Nintendo Switch still lacks any media applications? Post a comment below with your thoughts! Hopefully, Nintendo will make an announcement this E3 that will address this issue. If that comes, we will keep you all posted!

Alolan Pokemon Coming to Pokemon Go May 22, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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Niantic has made an enormous announcement this week for Pokémon Go! When they were released, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon offered exclusive variants of many Pokémon we all knew and loved. These Pokémon shared the same name and basic design of other recognizable Pokémon but they looked different, knew different moves and could be an entirely different type. They were called Alolan Pokémon after the Alolan region the Generation 7 games took place in.

Now, I’m happy to share these special Pokémon are coming to Pokémon Go! You can read all the details about the announcement here. Sadly there’s not much to go on, we don’t know what Pokémon will be available, what regions we can expect to find Alolan variants in, or when the update is coming.

Pokémon Go is out now for Android and iOS enabled SmartPhones and tablets.

Pokemon Go Community Day Starting Soon May 19, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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Niantic has been hosting Pokémon Go Community Days at least once a month since the beginning of the year. Today, the special fire-type Charmander will be spawning between the hours of 2-5PM. If you can evolve it into a Charizard, you’ll get access to a special move, Blast Burn. During that time, Lures will increase in duration from 30 min to 3 hours.

You can read all the details on the event here. Pull out your smartphones and start playing trainers! The event starts in about fifteen minutes!

Pokémon Go is out now on Android and iOS Smartphones and tablets.

Dot Hack DVD Deals May 19, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Site Videos.
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A few years ago, Maniac hosted a series where he shared some of the best deals he could find at the time while shopping for Final Fantasy and Silent Hill games. The idea was to report on where certain items with limited availability could be obtained for low prices. He hasn’t needed to bring it back in a while, but after getting into the .hack// series while playing .hack//G.U. on the PS4, he became interested in learning more about the franchise. Since the PS2 episodic games are long out of print and the PSP game .hack//Link was never released in the US, that meant Maniac would be checking out the animated series. Thankfully, Funimation re-released many of the original .hack animated series on DVD and Blu-Ray Discs, and with the re-released, each boxed set includes every episode of an individual series along with any O.V.A.s.

But what .hack// DVDs should you get and in what order do they go? Is there anything you should get on Blu-Ray Disc? What price should you expect for each boxed set? We’re back to sharing some of Maniac’s best deals on the web and where to find them. Watch, and find out.

Halo: Fireteam Raven Announced for Arcades May 17, 2018

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We don’t talk about arcade news much on this channel, but today we are going to make an exception. 343 Industries has just revealed the next Halo game is coming to arcades, and it looks awesome.

Halo: Fireteam Raven is coming exclusively to arcades Summer 2018. I’m going to have to plan a trip to Dave & Busters in a few months.

Octopath Traveler May 2018 Preview May 15, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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Octopath Traveler was one of the first games announced on the Nintendo Switch, and it grabbed our attention in a big way. Now, this month’s preview of the game has just been released by Nintendo and Square Enix. Take a look at the final two playable characters in the game:

Octopath Traveler is coming July 13th, 2018 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. A demo is already available on the Nintendo eShop.

The Fall – Nintendo Switch Review May 15, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Reviews.
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In 2014, developer Over the Moon released The Fall for various console and computer platforms. I must admit, I regret missing out on playing it when it was initially released. A few months ago, Over the Moon released The Fall Part 2: Unbound on multiple platforms including the Nintendo Switch. The game’s trailer impressed me, but I was hesitant to give it a closer look without first looking into the original game. It seems the developers read my mind. Last week, Over the Moon and Nintendo have released The Fall on the Nintendo Switch and we are going to review it!

Editor’s Note: A digital copy of The Fall was provided to us by the publisher.

Art & Graphics

The first thing that grabs you about the game is just how it looks. The art style and the themes of the game are what really set it aside from other independent titles, because the game is beautifully dark. It’s art style harkens back to games like Limbo, but with a distinct sci-fi style. Fans of DOOM and Dead Space will just love it.

We did have one minor issue with the graphics which could be described as a problem with what was clearly an artist decision with how to present the game’s main menu. When you first launch the game, the menu appears distorted. This is to show the player that they’re playing from the perspective of a damaged machine. On the one hand it’s a great way to set an initial mood, on the other it can fool the player into thinking their Switch is broken! (Don’t worry, it’s not). We respect the artist’s decision to start the game this way, but it can be a little jarring on the Switch. When I booted up the game for the first time, I was legitimately concerned my screen was actually cracked. That is probably a testament to how good the artist’s ability to make a cracked screen is.

Gameplay & Controls

The Fall is a 2D adventure and exploration game. You move your character through the 2D environment, search for interactive points, and defend yourself with a sidearm when necessary. Players who loved Super Metroid will feel right at home with this kind of game, and I would not be surprised if the developers saw that game as an inspiration for The Fall. The player can move, jump, climb, and aim from the start of the game, and you’ll spend the majority of the first level getting used to the controls.

Once you get a working sidearm, a big portion of the game’s features unlock for the player, and the controls will adjust to accommodate your new abilities. You’ll need to get used to new features like firing your sidearm, taking cover, and cloaking quickly if you want to survive. When a new mechanic is added, the game will pause to give you a brief tutorial on the mechanic. The game will resume once you’ve mastered it.

The game also has a dialog system. Occasionally, you’ll find other characters in the game world you’ll be able to talk to. You’ll need to interact with these other characters using dialog boxes. This will help you learn more about the game’s world or give hints to solving puzzles.

Story

The story is heavily inspired by the work of Isaac Asimov and it explores concepts like duty and purpose for an artificial intelligence. Your directive is to save your pilot, and to do that you must seek medical attention for them on an unfamiliar world. However, the actions you will need to take to complete that directive will require you to bend the basic rules your creators programmed in you. It’s a simple premise that’s easy to empathize with.

Performance

The Fall can be played on the Nintendo Switch in either tablet or television mode. We spent the majority of review time playing the game in television mode. For the most part, the game runs well but we did notice a minor issue with it. When running in certain areas while the Switch is docked the game does not run completely smoothly. These dropped frames didn’t effect our enjoyment of the game. Heck, we had a similar issue when playing The Stick of Truth on the Xbox 360.

Conclusion

If you haven’t played The Fall the first time around, or you have already played the game and you absolutely love it, pick it up again on the Switch. It’s only $9.99 US, and well worth the cost. I never played the game when it originally came out, but I can tell you that playing it for the first time on the Switch made me very interested in checking out the sequel.

The Fall is out now for Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch.

NES Classic Re-Release Date May 14, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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With the Wii U quietly being discontinued and Nintendo Switch not coming until March 2017, Nintendo had no major product to release for Christmas 2016. So they created the NES Classic, a miniature NES console with one controller and preloaded with 30 NES titles.

NES Classic games included:

  • Donkey Kong Jr
  • Dr. Mario
  • PAC-MAN
  • The Legend of Zelda
  • Super Mario Bros
  • Super Mario Bros 3
  • Castlevania
  • Galaga
  • Gradius
  • Ghosts N’ Goblins
  • Mario Bros
  • Tecmo Bowl
  • Super C
  • Kid Icarus
  • Bubble Bobble
  • Ice Climbers
  • Balloon Fight
  • Startropics
  • Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
  • Excitebike
  • Zelda II: The Adventures of Link
  • Double Dragon II
  • Ninja Gaiden
  • Punch-Out featuring Mr Dream
  • Metroid
  • Final Fantasy
  • Kirby’s Adventure
  • Super Mario Bros 2
  • Mega Man 2
  • Donkey Kong

Nintendo expected it to be a minor product release to satisfy the Christmas retail period. The problem was, the NES Classic was the perfect product at the perfect time, and it sold out completely. Nintendo completely underestimated its demand. Every single retail resupply of the product (if stores even got them at all) sold out within minutes, and despite extending their manufacture period, many potential customers were turned away from buying it.

Good news, everyone! The NES Classic will be shipping back out starting June 29th. Shipments of the console will continue throughout the rest of the year. The cost will still be $60 US.

Gaming History You Should Know – Pokemon Event Cartridges May 14, 2018

Posted by Maniac in Gaming History You Should Know, Uncategorized.
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Welcome back to another episode of Gaming History You Should Know, where we feature some of the best fan created content focused on the history of gaming.

Since the first Pokémon games were released, The Pokémon Company has always included exclusive mythical Pokémon that players wouldn’t be able to capture through normal means.  In the first Pokémon games, Mew became the most sought after trade, and the only place to get one was at a Toys ‘R Us Store during a limited-time event. It was a huge success. In fact, Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajeri would say Mew was probably the reason the Pokémon franchise took off.

In the years before the wider adoption of internet access, keeping up with when and if your local store would host such an event came down to pure luck. When the second generation of Pokémon games were released on the Game Boy Color, the mythical Pokémon Celebi players who weren’t lucky enough to live in Japan with a cell phone sought out Celebi by going to a similar limited distribution event, but it has been difficult for me to recover information about its US distribution.

Over the years, there have been plenty more ways for The Pokémon Company to release special Mythical Pokémon. As technology improved, new methods were developed to get them in the hand of players. YouTube Channel Pikasprey Yellow produced a fantastic video where he showed how these Pokémon were distributed over the years. Give it a watch!

I want to give another shout out to Pikasprey Yellow, his series Lost Content was an incredible resource in my research into Pokémon’s past.