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'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' turns your Switch into a Nintendo iPod
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's veritable museum of Nintendo history extends to the game-maker's iconic music as well. This time out, there are over 900 compositions and Nintendo says if you played them all back to back, it'd take you over 28 hours to hear a repeat. The "My Music" feature is essentially iTunes for Nintendo music. If you want, you can plug your headphones in, turn the Switch's screen off, toss the giant handheld into your bag and listen to the game's music during your commute. You know, if you want to use the hybrid console as a gigantic MP3 player. There's a playlist feature as well, driving the point home even further.
Stylish JRPG 'The World Ends With You' heads to Switch this October
Over a decade ago, the Nintendo DS action RPG The World Ends With You debuted, placing players in a fantastical version of Tokyo's famous Shibuya shopping district. The youth culture-infused game harnessed the handheld's twin screens, and was adapted for smartphones starting in 2012. Nintendo announced at the beginning of the year that its idiosyncratic cult classic would be coming to the Switch, and now we have a US release date: October 12th, 2018.
16-bit cult classic ‘Windjammers’ is headed to Nintendo Switch
A year ago, the 16-bit cult classic Windjammers came out for PS4 and PS Vita, fulfilling Sony's promise to bring the frisbee game to a modern console. But soon you'll be able to play it anywhere: It's coming to the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2018.
Nintendo is closing in on 20 million Switch sales
Nintendo's books are healthy, but the company still has work to do. The house of Mario sold 1.88 million Switch consoles last quarter, bringing total sales up to 19.67 million. These figures, while decent, pale in comparison to the 2.93 million and 7.23 million sales reported in its previous two earnings. The slowdown can be attributed to the time of year -- it's no longer the holiday season -- and the limited software Nintendo has released in 2018. Beyond Octopath Traveler, Fortnite and Mario Tennis Aces, there have been few tentpole titles. Instead, the company has relied on Hollow Knight, Semblance and other indies to keep the Switch fresh.
Nintendo's Vehicle Labo kit delivers cardboard driving fun
The Nintendo Labo family of cardboard Switch accessories is growing, with a third kit that will arrive September 14th. The Toy-Con 03 Vehicle Kit can be configured to control an on-screen car, plane or submarine, plus a key to activate them. The various pieces and rubber bands put your Joy-Con to work in a steering wheel, pedal or joystick-like configuration, similar to the other Labo kits (Robot and Variety). Once they're built you can link them to your Switch and go adventuring via land, sea or air in one- or two-player modes. We've seen a few expansions arrive already for the existing Labo devices like an update adding support for use as a Mario Kart controller, and anticipate similar enhancements for this one. When it arrives, it will go on sale for $70 just like the existing Variety kit, which is $10 cheaper than the Robot setup.
'Surgeon Simulator' arrives on Nintendo Switch this fall
Surgeon Simulator. It's got a serious name but it's a pretty silly game, and now it's coming to a new platform designed to maximise the gory, comic fun. According to Boss Studios, it'll arrive on Nintendo Switch this fall. Redubbed as Surgeon Simulator CPR (the "CPR" stands for co-op play ready), the version comes with co-op play and Joy-Con motion controls, and was hinted at earlier this month when the company posted a teaser trailer of the game's famously clumsy hand mashing at a light control.
Test out 'Dragon Ball FighterZ' on Nintendo Switch this August
Bandai Namco announced in June that Dragon Ball FighterZ will arrive on the Nintendo Switch in September. And now the publisher has revealed that an open beta will be available to Switch players starting in August. Bandai Namco didn't share a lot of details about the beta test, so we don't know what types of fighters or modes will be included or how long it will run.
The rarest 'Rocket League' items only drop 1 percent of the time
Rocket League developer Psyonix wants you to know the chances of scoring a black market item for your ride, up front. Drop rates are as follows: rare (55 percent), very rare (28 percent), import (12 percent), black market (1 percent), painted attribute (25 percent), certified attribute (25 percent). "These drop rates have been the same since our Crates and Keys system launched in September 2016," the Psyonix blog post says.
'Black Friday: Revolution 1979' is coming to consoles starting July 31st
"We need more games like 1979 Revolution: Black Friday," Engadget Senior Reporter Jessica Conditt wrote in 2016. Two years later and the historical title chronicling the Iranian revolution will make its way from PC and mobile platforms to the Nintendo Switch. We now know when it'll be released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well.
This USB-C dongle adds Bluetooth audio to the Nintendo Switch
Want another option for using wireless headphones with your Nintendo Switch? Maybe take a look at the Kickstarter for Genki, then. It's a $39 USB-C Bluetooth dongle for Nintendo's hybrid console. You can pair two headsets to it, if you'd like, and apparently the whole setup shouldn't add much too lag (40ms) between what you see on screen and what you hear like a traditional Bluetooth audio signal would. One downside, however, is that the Genki draws power from the Switch itself, which means if your battery goes low on a flight, you can't recharge the system and use the dongle simultaneously.
Surreal adventure game ‘The Gardens Between’ is coming to Switch
Independent developer The Voxel Agents has announced it plans to release abstract puzzle title The Gardens Between for Nintendo Switch in addition to previously disclosed PlayStation 4, PC and Mac platforms. It's expected to arrive sometime in Q3 this year.
Nintendo Switch gets SNK's arcade games this November
SNK is celebrating its 40th birthday with a triumphant return to the golden age of arcade games -- with a modern twist. On November 13, the creator is launching a bevy of retro games for Nintendo Switch, including Alpha Mission, Ikari Warriors, Athena, Guerrilla War and Vanguard, among others. There's more to be announced, too, although the titles already confirmed can be pre-ordered now as part of the Switch-exclusive pack.
'Semblance' makes history on the Nintendo Switch on July 24th
Semblance, the squashy platformer from independent studio Nyamakop, will hit the Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac on July 24th, 2018 -- a date that will go down in video game history. Semblance is the first South African-developed game to ever make its way to a Nintendo platform, and it comes from a small studio run by designer Ben Myres and programmer Cukia "Sugar" Kimani. In Semblance, players bounce a purple blob named Squish around 2D, side-scrolling levels, shaping the terrain to create platforms and solve spatial puzzles. Since players actually form the game as they go, Semblance is the world's first true platformer, according to Myres.
Sony looking for ‘solution’ to PS4 cross-play woes
Fortnite is great in that it lets people play together no matter what platform they're using. Except, that is, for PS4. Sure, PlayStation fans can link up with buddies on mobile, Mac or PC, but playing with friends who have a Nintendo Switch or Xbox One is not possible right now. Even logging into your account to play Fortnite on PS4 once means you're blocked from using it on Switch; you'll need a new account to keep playing on Nintendo's hybrid console.
Now Nintendo's cardboard Labo controller works with 'Mario Kart'
If you have the Nintendo Labo cardboard Variety Kit and a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, then you can play the game in a new way. Build yourself the Toy-Con Motorbike controller, and you can use it as a steering wheel. It should work whether you're playing on the TV or with your Switch inserted directly into the controller and, assuming you have enough kits and Joy-Cons, can be used by up to four players at once. We already thought the game was basically perfect, but if what you really needed was a motorcycle-style pair of handlebars, then this is exactly the upgrade you were looking for.
Recommended Reading: The rise of 'Desus & Mero'
How 'Desus & Mero' conquered late night Jazmine Hughes, The New York Times It's nothing new for a popular podcast to make the leap to a television show or movie, but that's not stopping Showtime. This week, the network tapped Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, the stars of the Bodega Boys podcast, to host a weekly late-night show. The New York Times offers a look at how the comedic duo and what makes their work so unique.
Play ‘Dragon Ball FighterZ’ on the Switch September 28th
We heard at E3 that Dragon Ball FighterZ, the popular fighting game styled to look just like the anime, would be arriving on the Nintendo Switch sometime this year. Today, publisher Bandai Namco gave a release date, September 28th. But those who preorder will get a bonus title: Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden, a fighting game released in Japan in 1993 on the Super Famicom.
'Semblance' is proof of Nintendo's new indie hustle
I found Semblance on the second floor of the Fuego Lounge, squeezed into a booth beside a dance floor and a small stage. It was early afternoon, and waitstaff were restocking the long, rectangular bar in the center of the room as game developers, press and PR handlers flitted from station to station. A cloth tent on the balcony offered psychedelic VR meditation; a geodesic dome on the roof showcased swirling galaxies. And all along the walls inside, indie games waited to be played. Semblance stood out among the row of screens for its energetic, purple-tinged visuals. It's a platformer starring an adorable bouncing blob named Squish, and it's heading to PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch this year. Its conceit is innovative and also glaringly obvious: It's a platformer where players actually create platforms as they go. Squish is able to distort the world, building tall ledges or deep indentations in the ground in order to solve a series of tricky spatial puzzles. Everything about the game is at once super cute and filled with mystery, from the squashy, haunting sound effects to the cartoonish yet deep background animations.
'Fortnite' could partially lose the one thing that makes it unique
To build, or not to build? In 2011, Epic Games took a gamble on an unconventional survival shooter called Fortnite. The far-reaching maps and signature weaponry were all there in the main game, but a new breed of battle royale would shake up the genre's foundations by centering on construction mechanics. Perhaps unbeknownst to Epic at the time, that subtle innovation would pay off -- massively. Following the launch of its free battle royale mode last year, Fortnite has gone from fledgling beta to record-breaking cash cow. But right in the midst of its explosive popularity, Epic seems keen on shaking up the Fortnite formula again -- and top streamers aren't exactly thrilled.
A vertical case makes arcade games easier on Nintendo Switch
A big part of the Nintendo Switch's appeal is its portability, but select games -- typically older titles that originally debuted in arcade machines -- are formatted vertically. Playing them horizontally leads to giant black bars on the sides, which isn't enjoyable for anyone. But a new gadget (more like a case, really) is up on Kickstarter that situates the console upright with rails on the sides for Joy-Con controllers to slide into, allowing players to enjoy their favorite vertical games on the go.
