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Europe's getting a 5-game Vita Slim bundle this summer
Sony's bringing a new Vita Slim bundle to Europe in June, this time with codes for a quintet of games. The famous five are Injustice: Gods Among Us, God of War: Chain of Olympus, PlayStation All-Stars, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate and Killzone: Liberation. You'll see it's subtitled the "Action Mega" pack, but with those games we'd call it "Not for Pacifists." The eagle-eyed of you will have spotted two of those games are for PSP rather than Vita - that's God of War and Killzone - and we'd prefer to see Killzone: Mercenary in there. In any case, the 200 euros bundle also chucks in a much-needed 8GB memory card. As for which countries, the pack's confirmed for Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, UK, Bulgaria, Croatia, Iceland, France, Greece, Poland, Russia, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Spain. There's no word yet on a concrete release date. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe]
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate escapes onto Europe's eShop this week
A quick update for European Wii U owners and vigilantes-to-be: the Deluxe Edition of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is coming to the eShop on April 10, priced 20 euros/£16. WB Games quietly delayed it last week, but the good news is we're not looking at a repeat of the Scribblenauts Unlimited fiasco. The enhanced version of last year's portable platformer is already out on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC - and on Wii U in North America. Bats returning to the 2.5D belfry will encounter improved visuals a new map system, along with new enemy encounters and difficulties. [Image: WB Games]
New Nintendo eShop releases: GBA arrives on Wii U Virtual Console
This week sees the first wave of Game Boy Advance games make their way onto the Wii U Virtual Console, starting with Metroid: Fusion, Advance Wars, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. If that doesn't satiate your retro hunger, there's still the likes of Golden Sun and Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 to come later this month - check out April's full list of GBA re-releases here. On the more fresh-faced front, the Wii U port of 3DS and Vita 2.5D platformer Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is out now in North America, complete with enhanced visuals and an improved map system. Sorry Europe, you'll have to wait a couple of weeks longer. Things then take a turn for the surreal with Rusty's Real Deal Baseball. The free download pits you against wheeler dealer Rusty Slugger as you haggle over the genuine, real-life eShop prices of baseball minigames - when Nintendo goes weird, it goes properly weird. Finally, sales news for plumbers masquerading as doctors: If you own or buy the recent re-release of Dr. Mario on the Wii U Virtual Console, you can get $5 off Dr. Luigi if you grab it before 9AM PT/midday ET on April 10. [Image: Nintendo]
PSN Tuesday: Mercenary Kings on PS4, Batman busts out of Blackgate
Take a side-scrolling stroll through this week's PlayStation Store update, which adds Mercenary Kings and a Batman Arkham spin-off to the aisles. Mercenary Kings, a thick-set Metal Slug-esque shooter with wild animation, comes to the PlayStation 4 in the same footsteps as survival game Don't Starve: from Steam's Early Access on PC, to completed freebie through PlayStation Plus (and $20 otherwise). Meanwhile, Batman: Arkham City for PlayStation 3 enters the Plus library as a free download. The 2.5D spin-off of Batman: Arkham Origins, dubbed Blackgate Deluxe Edition, is also in store for $20, having transitioned from Vita and Nintendo 3DS to this updated PS3 incarnation. Check PlayStation blog for the other updates and convoluted titles, including Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs The Soulless Army. That's the one with Grigori Rasputin.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate breaks out a bit later on Wii U in Europe
European Wii U owners aren't getting the Deluxe Edition of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate until later in April, Warner Bros. revealed today. A press release confirmed the enhanced re-release of last year's 2.5D bat-former is still coming to Wii U today in North America as well as PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, but the European Wii U version won't hit until later in the month. That delayed date may well be April 17, if the launch trailer's YouTube description is anything to go by. The Wii U version was previously slated to release alongside the other platforms, and Warner Bros. didn't note a reason for the delay. We approached Warner Bros. about the date listed on YouTube, and a representative directed us to the press release. Today's news isn't the first time Warner Bros has had Wii U-related issues, especially in Europe. Blackgate Deluxe Edition is an enhanced version of the Vita and 3DS take on Origins, as developed by the Metroid Prime ex-pats at Armature Studios. In addition to polished up visuals, the $20 Deluxe Edition features a brand new map system, and that's definitely a good thing given our review said the previous system's "2D representation of a 2D view of a 3D world" was as it sounds: not great. Despite that awkwardness, we gave last year's version of Blackgate a plenty respectable three and a half stars out of five - the same score we gave its big brother, by the by. [Image: Warner Bros.]
Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate Deluxe hits PC, consoles April 1
Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate will receive a Deluxe Edition version on April 1, Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment announced today. The Deluxe Edition will launch digitally on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC via Steam after Blackgate was previously only available on Vita and 3DS. The transition to consoles and PC isn't a total surprise: Blackgate was spotted on the Xbox Games Store earlier this month and on Steam in January. Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate Deluxe Edition will include "enhanced high-definition 2.5-D graphics" as well as a new map and hint system. Deluxe Edition owners will be able to unlock a Zero Year Batsuit skin in addition to all the outfits in the game. The game will cost $20 on the PSN, Xbox Live, Nintendo eShop and Steam digital platforms. [Image: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate appears on Xbox Games Store
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is lurking in the shadows of the Xbox Games Store, a month after it was caught sneaking around Steam. The Armature Studio-developed 2.5D platformer came to 3DS and Vita alongside the main Origins game, and now it's listed to hit Xbox 360 in an HD "Deluxe Edition," with the release date noted as March 25. Let's work what this means by channeling the spirit of Adam West. Hmm,... Steam. Take the "s" out of Steam and you get "Team." Teams... soccer teams... soccer teams get the ball into the penalty box to score a goal. Box! And as we all know, X marks the spot. X... Box. Xbox! The clues all point to a multiplatform arrival in the near future, although we're still waiting on official word from Warner Bros. on any of this. Quick, to the Announcement-mobile! [Image: Microsoft]
Rumor: Steam database leak features Killing Floor 2, Battleblock Theater, Blackgate HD
Killing Floor 2 and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate HD have yet to be announced, but they are in Steam's database according to reports of another leak. Several Steam users posted what look to be captured screenshots of the portal's stats page, but with a whole bunch of unexpected names on there. Other standout games on the list include beat-em-up Battleblock Theater and multiplayer action game Happy Wars, both currently only on Xbox Live Arcade. Half-Minute Hero sequel Hero 30 Second is only out in Japan, but Half-Minute Hero Two is also on the list. While Arkham Origins came to home consoles and PC last year, Warner Bros. released 2.5D game Arkham Origins Blackgate alongside it on 3DS and Vita. There's been no word of an HD port of the portable game, and when approached about Blackgate HD's name being on this list, a Warner. Bros representative told Joystiq, "We have no comment on this." The stats page is back to normal now so we've been unable to verify the screens, and even if they're accurate they don't provide any confirmation the games will be released. That said, each one of the games we've mentioned certainly sounds plausible, so we'd say this is a space worth a watch. [Thanks, Jordan!]
Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate review: Dynamic 2.5D
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is the latest in the excellent Arkham series, and its first handheld game. It's also the first original game from Armature Studio since it was formed by Metroid Prime expats in 2008. Because both sides of the family tree are so distinguished – and seem so likely to make beautiful children together – my expectations were, perhaps, unrealistically lofty for Blackgate. No, Blackgate isn't an event on the level of the first Arkham Asylum or Metroid Prime. But it is a game that accurately transfers the feeling of Arkham Asylum into a new, smaller format, and a game that embodies both the best and worst of the "Metroidvania" genre.
Wii U, 3DS and boxed PC Batman: Arkham Origins delayed in UK, not North America
The Wii U and boxed PC versions of Batman: Arkham Origins have been delayed to November 8 in the UK, CVG reported. The Xbox 360, PS3 and digital PC versions of the game will still launch on October 25. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate has also been delayed to November 8 on 3DS, but not on Vita. That's not the case for North American players, however. A Warner Bros. representative told Joystiq that "Batman: Arkham Origins will launch on all platforms in North America on October 25." Warner Bros. did not provide a reason for the delay for its UK audience.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate features Mega Man-style boss progression
Batman won't be squaring off against eight Robot Masters created by Dr. Wily, but his upcoming game Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will still take some lessons from old-school platformer Mega Man. Players will choose the order of boss fights, a la Mega Man, which will lead to more gameplay variety on repeat playthroughs, director Mark Pacini said during an interview with Polygon. The Mega Man comparisons don't stop there, either. Defeating a boss will earn you a specific item tied to that character, which Batman can subsequently use to make future engagements easier. Unfortunately, it's unlikely Bats will get to summon a flying robo-dog during his adventures in Blackgate.
Batman: Arkham Origins revealed on Game Informer cover, out Oct. 25
Warner Bros. Montreal is making the next Batman Arkham game, called Arkham Origins, Game Informer has just revealed. Set before the previous game, Arkham Origins shows Batman encountering many of his villains for the first time, including Deathstroke. Warner Bros. Montreal is responsible for the Wii U port of Batman: Arkham City, taking over the series from originator Rocksteady Games. WB has brought in creative director Eric Holmes, who worked as lead designer on open-world superhero games The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Prototype.Batman: Arkham Origins will be released on Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC October 25.Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will be the 3DS and Vita companion to the console release, launching the same day. Developed by Armature Studio, the game is a 2.5D Metroidvania-style action game. Armature was founded by leads from the Metroid Prime series. When this game is released, it will be Armature's first original game. Just today, Armature's work on a cancelled Mega Man X FPS was revealed.
