Kalos Pokemon Added to Pokemon Go December 2, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
The Pokémon Company and Niantic have just revealed that Pokémon originally found in the region of Kalos, originally made for Pokémon X and Pokémon Y on the Nintendo 3DS, are now appearing in Pokémon Go! That includes the starters Frokie, Fennekin and Chespin.
I’m really happy about this announcement, as the sixth generation games marked the first Pokémon titles I played after getting back into the franchise. So get to it, and start searching trainers!
Pokémon Go is out now for Android and iOS smart devices.
Sam and Max: Save the World Remastered Review December 2, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Reviews.add a comment
As a child of the 90s one of the earliest PC games I could think of was Sam & Max: Hit the Road. The antics of a cartoon dog and crazy rabbit working as “Freelance Police” was a charming concept for an adventure game. Lucasarts teased a sequel was in development as late as 2004, but it would get cancelled. Despite incredible name recognition and fond memories of the original Lucasarts PC-game, things were not looking good for the titular duo by the early-2000s, and few people believed a new Sam and Max game would ever get released. In 2007, a small game developer called Telltale Games took a chance with creating an exclusively digitally produced episodic game based on the iconic franchise. This resulted in one of the finest adventure series of all time, Sam and Max: Save the World.
It’s now over a decade later, and Telltale Games no longer exists. The game’s distribution was picked up by the company Skunkape, who have chosen to remaster the first season of the game and rerelease it for the PC and Nintendo Switch. Let’s take a look at the game’s trailer:
Editor’s Note: A review copy for the Nintendo Switch version was provided to the site. As per the founding terms of the site we have pledged to review all games provided to us and we were more than happy to oblige the developers in this case.
Sam and Max: Save the World is an adventure game, and because of that requires the player to solve a series of complex puzzles, navigate dialog trees, and bring items from one area to another. I know that sounds like your typical adventure game, but where Sam and Max sets itself apart is with its humor. No, I’m serious, this game is FUNNY! I know the jokes for this game were written over a decade earlier, but they are still just as relevant today as when they were first written. In fact, I constantly found myself laughing and smiling at a funny quip Max, Sybil or Boscov would say, and that is something I badly needed in a year like this.
First up, I want to talk about the game’s graphics and art style. They are just incredible. Skunkape added an extra layer of shadow to all the characters and I would equate the improvement to the polish layer Industrial Light and Magic added to the 2D animations drawn for Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Max, for example, no longer has a flat white shade over his fur, but a layer of shadow that realistically changes as he walks around a scene. I think the developers struck the best balance between staying true to the original art style while still making the models fit in the next-generation. There’s also the addition of widescreen support, something the first season of Sam and Max never supported on its original PC release.
Next, I want to talk about the game controls. We played on the Nintendo Switch while in tablet mode, so we are mostly going to focus on that control system. You move with the game’s Left thumbstick, and interact with the A button. Camera angles are fixed (this is an adventure game) but the Right thumbstick can be used to cycle through selectable hotspots on the screen, such as items, characters, or doors. The inventory can be selected with the Y button. Don’t worry, you can sprint by holding down one of the trigger buttons. If you played the original game on the PC, you’ll typically remember the game’s click to select interface, and the Switch version also offers players a similar control option. While in tablet mode you can tap on an area you wish to investigate with your finger, and Sam will respond as if you selected it with the A button. It takes a little practice if you’re used to playing adventure games with a mouse and keyboard, but you’ll pick it up in no time.
You’re welcome to play the six episodes in any order you wish, although you may spoil some story revelations if you choose to play episodes out of sequence. Eventually, you’ll notice the episodes share similar story rhythm, with certain characters coming back each episode with new problems for you to solve. That said, every episode focuses on a different theme, and you may choose to play and/or replay a mission due to your personal love of that theme. Episode 2 is inspired by classic antenna broadcast television stations. Episode 4 is pure political satire, which is something that is just as relevant today as it was over a decade earlier. That Episode remains my favorite, and I’m sure I’ll replay it plenty of times this month. We have a strict no spoiler policy here for our reviews so I’ll leave it to you to discover the themes behind the other episodes for yourself.
Sam and Max: Save the World combines all six episodes of the first season of Telltale’s episodic Sam and Max series in one easy to download application for a price of $19.99 US. If you never purchased the original game and are a lover of adventure games, Sam and Max, or just hilarious stories in general, this game is TOTALLY worth the full $19.99 purchase. If already own the original game on a platform like Steam, and you want to play the remastered version, this version is worth the discounted upgrade price if only for the widescreen support and improved graphics. If you’re an original Telltale account holder, I would say ABSOLUTELY make the upgrade, as you can get the remastered game for free right now on Skunkape’s website. Personally, I’m hoping that Skunkape has the opportunity to remaster more of Sam and Max, in particular the second or third season of the game.
Sam and Max: Save the World Remastered is out now for the PC and Nintendo Switch. Max for President!
Cyberpunk 2077 Photo Mode Trailer December 2, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
Cyberpunk 2077 is shaping up to be one of the most distinctive looking games of this generation and from the looks of it, we will be able to easily show off how cool the game looks in screenshots. Today’s new trailer highlights the game’s photo mode, and we get a look at what options will be available to us!
Cyberpunk 2077 Is coming December 10th, 2020 to PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Stadia. It’s coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S next year.
Game Theory St Jude Charity Drive is LIVE December 1, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
Game, film and food theorist MatPat has teamed up with online personalities from all over the world has just launched their charity livestream to raise money for St Jude hospital.
If you’d like to watch the event, or learn how you can donate, the link is below.
Nintendo Switch Software Update 11.0 Released December 1, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
Nintendo has just released a major software update for the Nintendo Switch, version 11.0 and you can download it right now.
While it is not yet required to download, it adds some new features everyone is going to want to get. The biggest improvement brought in with the new software is the ability to transfer in-game screenshots directly to a smart device! It also includes a dedicated Nintendo Switch Online app in the system’s menu.
Making of Marvel’s Avengers Part 3 November 30, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
I honestly didn’t think more of these videos were coming after the release of Part 2, but low and behold this morning, we got the release of Part 3. Here’s a closer look at Marvel’s Avengers. Don’t worry, while the game has been out for a while, there aren’t any spoilers.
Honestly, I was disappointed by this video. It comes off more as a game overview than a deeper look behind the scenes. The game is out, there isn’t much reason to continue to produce game overviews, the game pretty much speaks for itself.
Marvel’s Avengers is out now for PC, Xbox One, Stadia and PS4. It’s coming next year to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Universal Studios Japan Announces Launch Date for Super Nintendo World November 30, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
Super Nintendo World was officially announced almost one year ago, with a release date of this past summer. It looked incredible, a way for tourists to step inside the screen of their video game system and really interact with the world of Super Mario. However, due to the current world events, that opening was postponed, and other than some food and merchandise information, we only had a vague idea of what would be coming when Universal Japan finally gave the okay to open.
Today, we have our first real, tangible, official look (no CGI) at what is coming at Super Nintendo World, AND we have it’s official opening date. Buckle your seat belt, we will be racing Mario Kart, and this time it is for reals.
Super Nintendo World is planning to open at Universal Studios Japan on February 4th, 2021.
Gaming History You Should Know – History of Halo 2’s I Love Bees Campaign November 28, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Gaming History You Should Know, Uncategorized.add a comment
Hope you guys enjoyed your Thanksgiving Holiday and welcome back to today’s featured article of Gaming History You Should Know. As we head into the weekend, I wanted to bring your attention to one of the most well-known and fondly remembered pieces of gaming marketing in the history of the entire video game industry. It all started with a strange website.
In 2004, Halo 2 was gearing up for a November release. A sequel to the Xbox launch title Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 was one of the most anticipated games of all time. In fact, I remembered being blown out of my seat when I watched the game’s live demo at E3 2003. I had played the original game on the PC when it rereleased in 2003, but with no indication it’s sequel would ever see a PC release, I decided to buy the Xbox console just so I could play it when it first launched.
A few months before the game launched, a commercial for the game began to be shown at movie theaters across the US. While this would be considered no big deal nowadays, it was a huge deal at the time. When the video was finally put online, viewers worldwide noticed something weird in its last second. A strange site, ilovebees dot com, was superimposed over the official Xbox website for about a second at the end of the video. People who visited the site found a odd blog about beekeeping which looked like its HTML code was badly in need of maintenance.
What was the ilovebees site? It was actually a new type of game, dubbed the ARG, for Alternate Reality Game. But what was the game’s purpose and how did it tie into Halo 2’s marketing campaign? YouTube Channel Rocket Sloth is a Halo archivist and historian. A lot of his videos have either proven, debunked or exclusively solved some of the biggest mysteries in the history of the Halo franchise. Today, we’re going to be highlighting his incredible documentary on Halo 2’s I Love Bees event. Bees, my god.
Halo 2 is out now for the Xbox and PC. It is part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.
Gaming History You Should Know – The McDonalds DS Training Cartridge November 27, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Gaming History You Should Know, Uncategorized.add a comment
Welcome back to Gaming History You Should Know, where we highlight some of the biggest independently produced content about the history of gaming. I told you guys that our article on Wednesday would not be the only burger-themed article we would be talking about this holiday weekend, and today’s featured article should not disappoint.
Everyone should be familiar with the fast-food restaurant McDonalds. Love it or hate it, it is one of the biggest companies worldwide, with billions of dollars in sales from burgers, fries, sodas and chicken. I’m sure everyone reading this article has eaten food from them at least once, or at least fondly remembers the fact they offered free Nintendo Zone WiFi service for Nintendo 3DS units at around the same time they improved their coffee. After I got my very first Nintendo 3DS XL, I remember actually making many trips there to download the latest exclusive Nintendo content, and swap StreetPass data with the location’s previous users. It was a great time to be a Nintendo handheld gamer.
McDonalds employs thousands of people, and as such has to create new ways to keep employees refreshed on working procedures. But what is the best way to train employees in today’s day and age? Most companies use textbooks and training videos, McDonalds Japan decided to create a video game. The platform? The Nintendo DS, the biggest selling handheld console of all time. The method? An exclusive McDonalds training cart that was distributed to a very select group of employees.
Many people believe this exclusive DS game did not exist, despite the fact a major news organization did a piece about it. However, given the recent dissolution of the Nintendo DS platform, many believed if a training cart ever existed the copies would’ve likely been lost or destroyed by now. Now is the time for me to introduce our hero.
Nick Robinson created an incredible documentary that is being talked about non stop all over the internet. It details his search for the elusive McDonalds Japan training cartridge. This is no easy feat, due to the global pandemic, international travel, as well as importing/exporting international goods, have almost entirely ceased. Join him as he tries to obtain this elusive game and his quest to unlock the game’s data. I believe this video is so well made it is worth being shown as an episode of NOVA on PBS.
Next time, we will be highlighting another special marketing event. You could say, this was Microsoft’s first attempt at something on the scale of Quantum Burger. The only difference is, MANY people fondly remember this event, and there is a feature-length documentary about it. We will talk about that tomorrow.
Gaming History You Should Know – The History of Pikachu in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade November 26, 2020
Posted by Maniac in Gaming History You Should Know, Uncategorized.add a comment
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Welcome back to Gaming History You Should Know! I know I promised you guys a burger themed history video yesterday, but I happened to find this incredible video earlier today and had to share it with you all.
The Pokémon franchise has endured for nearly twenty-five years. It has had ups and downs over the years but is currently seeing a second Renaissance of popularity thanks to the incredible success of games like Pokémon Go and Pokémon Sword and Shield. You already know its most popular mascot, the adorable Pokémon Pikachu, has appeared in spin-off games, toys of all sorts, and even feature films but did you know Pikachu has appeared in homes every Thanksgiving for the past twenty years?
Department store Macy’s is one of the biggest retail conglomerates in the United States, and for as long as I can remember, they’ve held a yearly parade every Thanksgiving Day featuring floats, balloons, and musical performances by Broadway cast and marching bands from all over the country. Many of these balloons and floats feature the biggest franchises of the time, and as of today the biggest franchise of the past twenty years, Pokémon and its mascot Pikachu, has made an appearance at the parade every year for the past twenty years.
Today, we will be featuring YouTube Channel PatMac, which did a fantastic history video on the history of Pikachu’s appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I can’t imagine a better video to watch in anticipation for Turkey dinner than this.
As someone who has been watching the Thanksgiving Parade this morning I can assure you Pikachu was in attendance, marking his twentieth year of appearance. I can’t find video of the appearance online just yet, but from the looks of it, his Thanksgiving reveal just may be the kick off of Pokémon’s 25th anniversary celebration! Stay tuned here if more details are coming!
Pokémon games are available on many platforms including the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, DS, 3DS, Switch and smart devices.
GameXcess.net - Gaming News, Videos and Editorials! 