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‘Kid Icarus’ and ‘StarTropics’ come to the Nintendo Switch next week
Nintendo is adding a pair of vintage NES games to its Switch Online library next Wednesday. Starting on March 13th, you'll be able to play Kid Icarus and StarTropics on the online service. Kid Icarus, which was released in North America in 1987, has assembled a sizeable cult following over the years and fans have called for a sequel. Nintendo, for its part, hasn't totally put the platformer to bed, though updates have been rare. Kid Icarus: Uprising for 3DS, released in 2012, received a warm reception from critics who welcomed the revival of the franchise.
Three classic ‘Resident Evil’ games come to the Switch on May 21st
Four months after Capcom announced it would bring three Resident Evil games to the Nintendo Switch, we have a release date -- May 21. The company shared a save-the-date for Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4 on Twitter this morning. Pre-orders via the Switch eShop open on February 28.
Nintendo reportedly plans smaller and cheaper Switch for this year
It's no surprise that the Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo. In its earnings report today, the company revealed that it sold over 32 million Switch units, which means it's getting close to dethroning the beloved Nintendo 64. But it also sounds like Nintendo is also planning to change things up a bit this year. According to a Nikkei report, the company is developing a smaller and cheaper version of the Switch focused on portability, and without some of the features in the original console. A rumor in October suggested Nintendo was developing a new Switch, but instead of improving on the existing model, it's just as likely the company is looking for ways to streamline the system.
Nintendo Switch will soon pass the N64 in lifetime sales
Nintendo sold 9.41 million Switch consoles in the three months leading up to December 31st, 2018, bringing lifetime sales to 32.27 million. That's just 660,000 short of the immensely-popular Nintendo 64 and well beyond both the Gamecube and Wii U. The holiday quarter was a big improvement over 2017, when the company shifted 7.23 million Switch consoles. Still, it seems unlikely that the company will hit its 20 million sales target for the current financial year. Nintendo sits at 14.48 million for the first three quarters which, while impressive, leaves too much ground to cover in the final quarter. It has therefore revised its sales target down to 17 million.
Nintendo scraps 'Metroid Prime 4' development and starts over
Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4 all the way back at E3 2017, but there's hardly been a peep about the game since. The Japanese giant finally offered an update, but it's one that fans won't be happy to hear.
'Rocket League' supports cross-play on every console, even PS4
Sony announced today that Rocket League has entered the PlayStation Cross-Play Beta program, meaning the popular game now has full cross-platform support. Players on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam PC can now team up or play against one another in all online match types, including casual and competitive modes.
'New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe' hits the Nintendo eShop
Nintendo has given another stellar Wii U title the deluxe Switch treatment in the hopes that more people will play it on a system that's actually popular. We're talking about New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, which is available today on the Nintendo eShop and in stores for $60. That may seem a bit steep for those who already played through the colorful, 2D side-scroller the first time round, but Nintendo fans are probably used to paying full price for the same game by now. And if it's anything like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it should be worth your time.
Nintendo Switch is America's fastest-selling console
In case it wasn't clear already, Nintendo has completely turned things around from the failure that was the Wii U. According to data from the reliable NPD Group, Nintendo sold more than 8.7 million Switch consoles in the US from its launch in March 2017 through November of 2018, putting it on a faster pace than the other "current generation" consoles from Microsoft and Sony after the same amount of time following their releases. It's a bit of a convoluted measure, and in pure numbers there are certainly more Xbox One and PS4 consoles (both of which launched in the fall 2013) out in the wild, but there's no doubt that Nintendo is in a better spot than they were before the Switch arrived.
Gift cards and subscriptions to give as last-minute gifts
Sometimes it's better to pick out a gift for someone yourself and other times it's a good idea to let that picky loved one choose their own. (And if you've waited this long to buy gifts, that might be your easiest course of action.) This is where gift cards and subscriptions come in particularly handy, and we've selected a few of the best for our 2018 holiday gift guide. For TV lovers, we've recommended subscriptions for HBO Now, Hulu Live TV and YouTube Premium, but we've also got your gamers covered no matter which system they use. For the readers on you list, how about a curated book subscription based on their tastes or an unlimited subscription to Comixology? A pre-emptive note: Some services that you or your friends use (like Apple Music, say) didn't end up on this list. That doesn't mean we don't recommend them -- we do! -- but for people who are starting fresh without a paid music subscription or what have you, these are the services we feel bring the most value. Can't hurt, of course, to do some sleuthing first and see what your giftee is already using and go from there.
‘Travis Strikes Again’ is an indie-sized comeback for Suda51
In 2010, Goichi Suda seemed unstoppable. The Japanese game developer, known by his nickname 'Suda51,' had just released No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, a vibrant clash of stylized decapitations and eccentric, oftentimes sexually-charged humor. The Wiimote-waggling hack-and-slash reviewed favorably, cementing Suda's status as a risk-taking auteur similar to American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. The next few games he released, however, didn't fare so well. Shadows of the Damned, Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead were all criticized for their groan-inducing jokes and general lack of polish. The excitement around Suda and his once-promising studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, slowly fizzled out. The punk-rock developer isn't finished, though. Two years ago, Grasshopper released Let it Die, a free-to-play dungeon crawler that blended Suda's unmistakable style with some procedural level design and light, Dark Souls-inspired combat. The game wasn't perfect, but the roguelike elements and freemium price-tag made it easier to overlook the so-so level design and occasionally cumbersome battles. Now, Suda is back with a No More Heroes spin-off called Travis Strikes Again. It's launching on Nintendo Switch next month and is, unsurprisingly, pretty weird. But maybe in a good way?
You can play 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' with banana controllers
The GameCube controller for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate might be sold out all over the place, but you don't need it to dominate the competition with your favorite fighter. All you need, it turns out, is a bunch of bananas. A Twitch streamer going by the handle ATwerkinYoshi did a little modding after a grocery trip and managed to turn seven bananas into makeshift buttons to play the latest installment of Smash.
Indie game 'Celeste' is getting a limited physical release
One of the downsides of digital media is never getting the satisfaction of holding your favorite title in hand. That will change for fans of indie platformer Celeste. Limited Run Games is releasing physical copies of the title for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch January 1st.
‘Sayonara Wild Hearts’ is a neon-filled ‘pop album video game’
Cult Swedish developer Simogo is making its first game for the Nintendo Switch in Sayonara Wild Hearts, a glam arcade title that dances to its own musical beat. The trailer dropped during The Game Awards on Thursday evening, serving as an introduction to the game's eclectic cast of characters based on tarot cards.
'Persona 5' heads to 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' in first DLC
With the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate just minutes away, Nintendo revealed the first character that will hit the game as post-launch DLC: Joker from Persona 5. This was a surprise announcement during The Game Awards, and it's doubly shocking because Persona 5 isn't even on the Switch.
'Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order' is a Switch exclusive
The next entry in Marvel's Ultimate Alliance series will arrive in 2019, but this one's only for players on Nintendo Switch. Announced tonight during The Game Awards 2018 event, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is the first new entry in ten years (excusing HD remasters), pitting heroes and villains in a race to find the Infinity Stones before Thanos and his Black Order crew can get them. The dozens of characters available will include "Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the X-Men and more." As you'd expect from an Ultimate Alliance game there are plenty of ways to play with friends, including drop-in/drop-out co-op with four players on one system or playing on their own console. A feature that's new to the series is an over-the-shoulder "Heroic Camera" perspective. Don't expect it to go cross-platform later either, as it's published by Nintendo and is being developed by Team Ninja.
The best gifts for console gamers
Games are a staple of any holiday season, and what better way to celebrate than by playing some of the biggest titles around? We've picked a string of great games in our holiday gift guide, including Spider-Man, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Forza Horizon 4. Of course, your loved ones will need a console to play said games on if they don't have one already, so you might want to give them an Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch or PS4. We've also picked out some of the best accessories, including controllers, headsets and headphones. If you want to show the kids what gaming was like back in the day, you could give them a PlayStation Classic, which has 20 built-in PS1 games. When the festivities are over and your family members go their separate ways again, they might want to keep playing with others -- giving them Switch Online or Xbox Live Gold subscriptions will let them play their new games online.
‘Ninja Gaiden’ and other NES classics are coming to Switch Online
The NES games keep coming as an added incentive to get you to sign up to Nintendo's Switch Online subscription service, aside from online play and cloud saves, of course. A trio of new titles have been announced today: side-scrolling action-platformer Ninja Gaiden, Tetris-style puzzler Wario's Woods (featuring Wario and Toad) and Adventures of Lolo, which bundles together puzzles from the Eggerland series. All three will be available on December 12th and Nintendo is also pledging to bring more NES games to Switch Online in January.
Engadget UK giveaway: Win a 'Diablo III' edition Switch courtesy of Blizzard
'Tis the season to wear silly jumpers, consume too much of everything and spend cold weekends catching up on all the games you didn't play over summer. And this week, to stave off boredom during the long nights, we're giving away a limited edition Diablo III Nintendo Switch thanks to our friends at Blizzard. The bundle includes a Switch with gothic decals, a download code for Diablo III: Eternal Collection and a themed carry case. We also have five extra cases to send to the runners-up, in case you can get away with taking your Switch to your aunt's house on Boxing Day. You can get your no-strings-attached entry in via the Rafflecopter widget below, but don't forget to give the rules a quick look first.
Sony game cartridge patent is for a product called Toio, not a new handheld
Correction, 11/28/18, 11:00AM ET: This post originally stated that "a new patent reveals what Sony might have in store for its next attempt at a handheld console." Further research has revealed that this patent was filed in 2017 and relates to a product known as Sony Toio, which was released last year and features cartridges like those found in this patent filing. Our original post remains below. We apologize for the error. Sony didn't see the success it had hoped for with the PlayStation Vita, but despite claims back in 2015 that there wouldn't be a sequel, the company announced earlier this year it wasn't ready to give up on portable gaming after all. Now, a new patent reveals what Sony might have in store for its next attempt at a handheld console.
Nintendo has a piracy problem with 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is still two weeks away from being released, but a fully playable version of the game has already leaked online. Cut scenes, hidden content and parts of the game's soundtrack are also making the rounds on piracy forums, according to Ars Technica.
