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Vampire Survivors hits PlayStation this summer
Vampire Survivors is due to hit PlayStation 4 and PS5 in summer 2024. Yep, the summer that starts in just a few months.
'Contra Returns' for mobile is finally coming to the US on July 26th
Mobile game Contra Returns is coming to North America, Europe and Latin America on July 26th.
The creator of the Konami Code has died
Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a and start. It's the most famous cheat code in all of gaming, and now its creator, former Konami employee Kazuhisa Hashimoto, has died. He was 61-years-old.
'Contra' anthology will include game versions from around the world
Konami has outlined the full game lineup for Contra Anniversary Collection, and it's good news for, well, collectors. In addition to the four already-announced titles (Contra, Super Contra, Super C and Contra 3), the anthology will include both more familiar games (such as Hard Corps and Operation C) as well as examples you probably wouldn't have bought when new, including the European adaptations Probotector for the Mega Drive and Super Probotector for the NES. You'll even get the slightly upgraded original Contra for Nintendo's Famicom.
Sega adds 'Streets of Rage 2' and more to the Genesis Mini lineup
Sega is set to release its Genesis Mini retro console in September, with a line-up of 40 games. It revealed ten of them when it announced the system's release date last month, and now it's taken the wrapper off another bunch of titles.
Konami is bringing 'Castlevania' and 'Contra' to modern consoles
Konami is celebrating its 50th birthday with three new compilations based on Castlevania, Contra and its early arcade games, each available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC (via Steam).
Bit Brigade, the rock band that plays classic NES games on-stage
Bit Brigade could be more famous if they wanted to be. They're a five-man rock band, but one of their members doesn't play an instrument -- instead, he speedruns through a classic NES game while the remaining four bandmates play its soundtrack, live and completely attuned to the pixelated action projected above the stage. Bit Brigade has a built-in audience of nerds and nostalgia fiends, especially in an era dominated by live streaming, but they don't even have a Twitch channel. There is a YouTube page named "bitbrigade," but it has just four videos, all of which are more than 10 years old.
SNES Classic Edition review: Worth it for the games alone
The success of last year's NES Classic Edition clearly took Nintendo by surprise. The company was completely incapable of meeting demand, leaving many people unable to buy what became the must-have gift of the holiday season. Now Nintendo has given its SNES the Classic Edition treatment and promises it's going to build way more than it did last year. Having grown up with the SNES (OK, we had a Sega Genesis and my best friend had SNES), it's easy to assume that everyone knows what it is and why people are so excited that it's back. After dominating the 8-bit era with the NES, Nintendo came late to the party with its sequel. The SNES launched in '90 in Japan, '91 in the US and '92 in the UK. The Genesis had a two-year head start in almost every country, but Nintendo's second-generation home console was worth the wait. The SNES arrived with Super Mario World and F-Zero, among other titles. The former is regarded as one of the greatest games of all time while the latter had faux-3D graphics with fluidity and speed unseen on a console before. For the next five years or so, some special games graced the system: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, Metroid, Final Fantasy III, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, Star Fox. I could go on, but essentially, short of Sonic and a few other Sega exclusives, Nintendo destroyed the competition in terms of quality, with dozens of games that have stood the test of time. That puts the SNES Classic in different territory than its predecessor, which, nostalgia aside, featured many games that, for obvious reasons, aren't up to modern standards. While I utterly adore Metroid, trying to introduce someone to the original today is tough. But nearly all the games Nintendo has included in its latest console are as enjoyable today as they were when they were first released.
'Contra' is still cool enough to get a vinyl soundtrack
Mondo's skill at curating some of the coolest pop-culture art is unparalleled. Whether it's posters, enamel pins, T-shirts or classic soundtracks on vinyl, even if you don't like one piece, it's hard to deny that it's at least interesting. Well, with San Diego Comic-Con just around the corner, the purveyor has unveiled what'll be on offer at its booth. Headlining this year (so far; more on that in a bit) is a killer limited-edition poster and vinyl soundtrack for Contra.
'Cuphead' and its deal with the devil pushed into 2017
Chalk up another high-profile indie game being delayed. This time it's Cuphead, the platformer styled after 1930's animation (think: Steamboat Willie and Betty Boop). The Steam and Xbox game was scheduled for a 2016 release, but that simply isn't feasible anymore according to developer StudioMDHR. "We wanted to finish our game 80 years after 1936 but it will now be 81," a blog post reads. "Throughout this year we discussed reducing the scope to make a 2016 release, but we made the difficult decision to delay the launch in order to ship with our vision intact."
Amazon bans reviews posted in exchange for free products
Amazon has banned "incentivized reviews" done in exchange for free products after a large study showed that they're biased. In a blog post, the retail giant said that it has updated its terms of service to ban the practice, while making an exception for its own Vine program.
'Contra' for phones looks just as tough as the console versions
The Contra game series is notoriously tough (there's a good reason it's synonymous with the Konami code), and it doesn't look like it'll be any easier in its smartphone version. Konami and Tencent have released a trailer for Contra Mobile which shows that it'll be just as frenetic as the console versions you've played in the past, complete with larger-than-life boss battles and turrets aplenty. There's even a player-versus-player mode if you don't think the AI is cutthroat enough.
'Contra Run and Gun' trademarked in US
Konami has submitted a trademark application for Contra Run and Gun. Noticed by NeoGAF user Rösti, the USPTO application points to some new Contra game, but we've yet to hear anything out of Konami at this year's E3 about a new installment in the run and gun franchise. A new Contra was teased back at E3 in 2011, then again last year with the potential of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow studio MercurySteam attached to the project. However, there's nothing indicating that this recent trademark – which could be a mobile Canabalt-type game for all we know – is the same as the previously teased project.
MercurySteam wants to leave Castlevania, to take on Contra next
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow studio MercurySteam will be ready to leave Castlevania behind after Mirror of Fate and Lords of Shadow 2, Konami EU head of development Dave Cox tells VG247. "Well, I think it's about wanting to leave a legacy," Cox said. "And I don't want to be in charge of a series that perhaps over a certain time is going to decline. I'd rather go out with a bang and leave that as our legacy in the Castlevania universe."Cox said he didn't want to be known as "Mr. Castlevania," nor for his team to be "the Castlevania team." Should Lords of Shadow 2 be even more successful, another team can take on the momentum.However, Cox doesn't want to move away from the established Konami canon entirely. "I love Contra. I'd love to do Contra. At Mercury Steam we've got an original idea that I think is really awesome. We'd love to bring that idea to market and I'm hoping that the success of Lords of Shadow 2 will allow us to do that."Konami teased a Contra revival at E3 2011, but it's unclear whether that project is the same as MercurySteam's Contra. If so, that would alter the proposed timeline a bit, as it would suggest that Cox and his team have already been working on the "awesome" idea.
Reverb to publish Exis Interactive's Majestic 12, revealed at PAX East
Reverb Publishing is the publishing wing of Reverb Communications, a PR agency for video games that's helped launch titles like Rock Band and Zen Pinball. The latest published title from the company will be called Majestic-12, Reverb has announced. The game is developed by Exis Interactive, and is a 3D side-scroller action title, with some human-on-alien bullet hell action "in the vein of old-school shooters like Contra."Wikipedia says "Majestic 12" is supposedly the codename for a secret government group meant to fight aliens -- so, historically, you know, the premise all checks out. There's no platform listed for the game yet, but Reverb says it'll be out for "digital download platforms," so you can start guessing Steam, and then go on from there.Our first chance to see Majestic 12 will be at PAX East early next month -- Reverb will be there showing off the game in booth 808. We'll be sure to stop by.
Konami pre-E3 presentation teases new Contra with a fiery 'C'
If you didn't make it to the end of Konami's pre-E3 presentation, you might have missed one of the most exciting clips therein. In the last few seconds, a fireball flies in from off-screen, forming the Contra "C," and teases: "They're coming." Not soon enough! Check out at 54:30 in the video below.
Hard Corps: Uprising priced, screenshotted
Leading the charge on February 16 in XBLA's House Party promotion is Konami's "not-Contra" title, Hard Corps: Uprising, for 1200 MS points ($15). Alongside the news of the game's price, Konami dropped off a gaggle of new screenshots as well. No Bill or Lance to be found, unfortunately.
Konami confirms 3DS lineup for Europe
Konami has announced four titles for the 3DS in Europe, including Pro Evolution Soccer, Frogger, Contra, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Of those, we've seen screens or video of precisely one, Snake Eater, with the others first revealed as in development during E3. The non-Metal Gear games haven't been shown, although it's worthwhile to know that a) they're still in development, and b) Konami already plans to release them in Europe. Plus, it doesn't take a huge leap of intuition to figure out what kind of games Contra, Pro Evolution Soccer, and Frogger will be.
Expendables gets retro-inspired Facebook game
The film which critics are hailing as "the muscliest video escapade in the whole of cinematic history" now has a similarly masculine video game adaptation. The Expendables – an upcoming summer blockbuster starring Sly Stallone, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Brock Stonejaw and Mickey Rourke – now has a free-to-play Contra clone on its official Facebook fan page. (Also, one of the actors listed above isn't real. Can you guess which one?) Take heed: You'll have to "Like" the Expendables fan page in order to gain access to the game. We realize that some people might not feel comfortable broadcasting their endorsement for what is clearly the movie of the decade, though, for the life of us, we can't imagine why.
College Humor reveals the 'super easy' modes of classic games
You might find College Humor's latest video game parody clip, posted just past the jump, a hilarious look at what might have been had classic games been laughably more accessible. We see it as a haunting vision of things to come. That easy mode included in Mega Man 10? That's how it all starts.
