Xbox Series X shouldn’t bring back any old franchises because they all suck – Reader’s Feature

Xbox Series X – should it concentrate on new IP? (pic: Microsoft)

A reader encourages Microsoft to make as few sequels and reboots as possible and ensure the Xbox Series X is nothing but all-new games.

The Xbox has caught a lot of slack for its first party games this generation, and rightly so, but I have been hesitant to add to that dogpile. But then I saw the story during the week, that hinted at Microsoft reviving an old IP through new developer The Initiative. By a process of elimination the most likely candidate is Perfect Dark, that process being that all the others are terrible and should never be brought back.

Before you mistake this for a fanboy rant let me state my position clearly: my thought is that Microsoft should only make new franchises. I know they’re going to do Halo anyway, but I did hope that the humdrum state of Gears Of War after just two Xbox One sequels would convince them that some ideas are just too stuck in the past to be worth continuing. Maybe they can revamp Halo in the style of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, which is what they’ve been implying, but that is such a tall order I wouldn’t want to be the one tasked with it.

The problem isn’t just how difficult it is to reimagine a classic game but how unfair it is to be compared to it if the new game is anything less than perfect. I have been much more encouraged by Microsoft’s announcements of new games like Rare’s Everwild and the new Project: Mara from Ninja Theory. That’s the way to go in my opinion and I was certain that The Initiative, as a brand-new developer, would also be making all-new games.

But no, now we’ve got the likelihood that it’ll be a Perfect Dark reboot, a franchise that hasn’t been relevant since the N64 days and which has no obvious place in the modern era. The original was groundbreaking for console shooters but that was 20 years ago and there’s nothing that it did then that is useful now, which means they’re going to waste their time resurrecting all these old ideas that we’ve moved past, instead of making something new.

At least Perfect Dark used to be a great game though, because things go majorly downhill from there. Crackdown was a one hit wonder that’s already been pummelled into the ground, and all the original Xbox games that weren’t Halo were terrible, like Brute Force and Blinx. I will say Crimson Skies was the exception, but nobody’s going to put big money into a combat flight sim like that nowadays so it doesn’t really matter.

 

Like I said, I don’t want to make this a hit piece, but I’ll just point out that games like Sunset Overdrive, ReCore, and Viva Pinata weren’t even that popular the first time round. Forza is much better than Project Gotham Racing ever was and Banjo-Kazooie has never been anything but a Super Mario clone with better graphics but none of the charm.

None of these games need to be brought back and I really hope Microsoft isn’t thinking of doing so. But I think they, and other publishers can’t help but get caught up in dreams of their own importance. They want to think they have a back catalogue like Nintendo or Capcom but they really haven’t. But that’s fine, they’ve got something better: a blank slate.

Sony did so well this gen because they didn’t have to rely on having to keep ancient franchises going because that’s all they had. They did some sequels, but they also made lots of new games and did extremely well with them. Microsoft should do the same and I hope they do. Hanging on to the past, and convincing yourself it was better than it was, is a big mistake and the obvious example of that is Fable.

Everyone knows they’re going to do a new Fable, so there’s no point complaining about it, but I just hope it’s something completely different. At least as different as God Of War was to the originals. Fable is like Perfect Dark but worse in that not only is there nothing the old games can offer now but they weren’t even that great in the first place. If the new game is set in a fantasy world where everyone is voiced by British comedians then fine, that’s all they need.

The combat and the quests and the character interactions and the mission styles all need to be completely different and modern because, quite frankly, the originals sucked. The Xbox One has been a disaster for Microsoft but that can work to their advantage in the next gen. Just don’t hold onto the past at all and make a better future. That’s what I’m hoping for, not Voodoo Vince 2.

By reader Hoiston

The reader’s feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. As always, email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk and follow us on Twitter.

MORE: My favourite Out Run home versions – Reader’s Feature

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Weekend Hot Topic, part 1: Favourite retro game of 2019

The Witcher 3 – a classic whatever the year (pic: CD Projekt)

GameCentral readers reveal which video game they enjoyed most last year, that wasn’t actually released in 2019.

The question for this week’s Hot Topic was suggested by reader Franky and comes just before we run our annual Reader’s Top 20 of the year. Was your favourite non-2019 game something that’s been in your backlog for a while, a game you’ve played before that you’ve returned to, or an ongoing online title that you’ve been playing for a long time?

As you can imagine, we had everything from games that were released at the tail end of 2018 to retro titles from the 80s, but the only commonality was that many insisted they never bought new games until they were a little older and went on sale.

 

Christmas bonus
My selection here only just made it into the 2019 window. Being a bit skint, I needed a lengthy game to see me through Christmas for as little cost as possible. I logged into the PS Store to find an unexpected £40+ sitting idle. I checked the sales section and narrowed it down to a list of four. I ended up taking a £7 punt on The Witcher 3. Having been put off by another gruff-voiced lead character, I wasn’t expecting much joy. Damn, I’m so glad I went for it. I can see why it was so highly rated now.

The open world is gorgeous, there’s a nice bit of humour thrown in, decent self-imposed learning curve, and… Gwent.

Still chopping my way through it now, and the whole experience is even sweeter due to the bargain price.

This low-price offering has now put Cyberpunk 2077 on my radar. I’ll probably pay full whack for that, off the back of Witcher 3’s brilliance.
Flemmo

 

Preparing for 2020
I’m really enjoying Nioh on my PlayStation 4 at the mo’, after initially dismissing it on release as a Dark Souls clone. So Nioh 2 will definitely be on my radar. I have played the beta and thought it was excellent but tough. So if I get to the end of Nioh I will need a break from tough games.

The Eastern setting of Nioh has also got me excited for Ghost Of Tsushima. The footage of this game looks stunning. Hope it’s challenging but slightly less than a Soulsborne.

Finally, can’t wait to play Sniper Elite in VR with the aim controller. Should take the sniping to a whole new level.

Really hoping they live up to expectations.
Tiddleydwarf (PSN ID)

 

Catching up
This is a good question because I don’t think most people rush out to buy the latest games straight away. I know I don’t, I wait for them to become cheaper as I try to chip away at my back catalogue and not get even further behind.

By that logic I think the best game I played last year was Uncharted 4, first released in 2016. I can usually take or leave Uncharted games, as I find they often have poor pacing and feel a bit aimless and bloated. That can be a problem in this one as well but overall I found it highly enjoyable from beginning to end, with incredible graphics and the best virtual performances, or whatever you want to call them, I’ve ever seen.

The whole bit in Madagascar was the bit, including the open world stealth section in the grass, the climbing up the clock tower, and the amazing chase afterwards. The three different types of gameplay all work really well and mixing them up like that is perfect.

The end is a bit of a non-event but the epilogue is excellent and really cements these characters as people I liked to be around and play as. And yet in a funny way I hope they don’t do another one. It’s ended on a high note and I think it did everything it was setting out to do perfectly.
Korbie

 

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

 

Yearly tradition
Rockstar are going to love me for this but I think it’s probably still Grand Theft Auto 5. I’m one of those people that has been playing GTA Online ever since it came out and to be honest it’s never been better. Everything to do with the casino and new heist has been great and all the little additions basically every week make it feel like its own little world that you can pop into visit whenever you like.

I probably only play two or three hours a week but it often leaves more of an impression on me than newer games that I play for much longer. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’d been asked this question before if it wasn’t my favourite of 2018 and 2017 too.
Caots

 

Life is complicated
I think my favourite was probably Life Is Strange. I had never played the original before but when I heard about all the positive reaction I decided to give it a go and was very pleasantly surprised as it’s not normally my type of thing.

I really liked the characters and became very invested in what was happening to them. This was despite quite poor graphics and a lack of real gameplay, which is not normally something I like. The final decision was very difficult in particular.

I then gave Life Is Strange 2 a try, even though I knew it didn’t have as a good a reputation. It was okay but in comparison I didn’t really bond with the characters as much and it all felt a bit aimless and kind of silly. I could see what they were trying to do but it didn’t really work for me.

Now I’m in two minds as to whether to try Before The Storm or not.
Gaston

GC: Before The Storm is much better than Life Is Strange 2.

 

20th century gaming
I think I’ll have the oldest game out of everyone, as my favourite older game is Castlevania on the NES, which came out in 1986.

I finally got to play it via the recent collection, and, while it mostly amounts to ‘babysit the holy water item to the boss’, it was a monumentally fun challenge. What a great game, it still looks, plays and sounds amazing, and its influence can still be felt in games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Castlevania: Bloodlines next…
ANON

 

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

 

Game of the decade
Since this Hot Topic is the ideal spot to talk about it, I get to talk about my game of the year 2019 that wasn’t released in 2019: Final Fantasy 14.

Over the past few months, after I was advised to give it a go, I was seriously hooked on the game as I worked my way through the main storyline. Admittedly it’s something of a slow burner, as the standard game is full of the usual MMO tropes, such as quests amounting to ‘go to place, kill X amount of Y’, and such. However, the game does its best to limit the frustrations of these well-worn genre traditions as much as possible, and once you’re past the original game’s story everything really kicks into gear. The stakes become higher, the story quests become more meaningful and everything becomes a far more absorbing experience.

The mechanics are fairly typical of the MMO genre but have a few little quirks, such as making it easier to string together combos to deliver more powerful attacks. The boss battles in dungeons and raids are a particular highlight, as positioning and timing becomes more important, as you figure out how to dodge the incoming attacks and strike back like a cobra. Indeed, later battles can feel more like a bullet hell shooter than a typical MMO, and this means it’s always fun to get into a fight.

What’s also cool is the accessibility of it, how you can switch classes at any time just by changing your equipped weapon or crafting/gathering tool. Each class levels up individually, so there’s no more need to fill up your character slots if you don’t want to, giving more incentive to experiment and find a damage/tanking/healing role that’s right for you. Adding to all this is the presentation. The graphics look gorgeous, with some great visual design and some nicely expressive facial animation. The soundtrack is amazing, with absolutely gorgeous music throughout, including some fun remixes of classic Final Fantasy tunes.

It’s interesting to see the game place so much more of a focus on storytelling and cooperative play, as opposed to the PvP systems of other MMO (indeed, PvP seems like a barely-considered afterthought in this game). As someone who prefers co-op play, I’m okay with this. Working my way through the main storyline, seeing the world and the characters within it develop and mature over time, I felt enormously satisfied.

The latest expansion in-particular, Shadowbringers, is fantastic in this regard and I can’t recommend it enough. That doesn’t mean it’s all poker-faced, of course; the game has a canny sense of humour throughout, and the side story of Inspector Hildibrand is solid comedic gold.

Final Fantasy 14’s journey from almost bankrupting Square Enix due to being THAT awful to (in my opinion) becoming the game to finally knock World Of Warcraft into a cocked hat is an amazing story to tell. Indeed, there’s an excellent documentary on YouTube that chronicled the whole process. I feel like it’s hard to find a more passionate group of developers anywhere else, and all the hard work they sunk into making the game what it is today has paid off.

As you can probably tell, I ended up falling in love with Final Fantasy 14, and I would recommend it to anybody who’s looking to give the MMO genre a try. Definitely one of my games of the decade.
Andrew Middlemas

 

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You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

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My favourite Out Run home versions – Reader’s Feature

OutRun – what’s the next best thing to the coin-op? (pic: Sega)

A reader offers an exhaustive list of all the versions of Sega’s classic Out Run he’s ever played, from the ZX Spectrum to Nintendo Switch.

If I honestly had to say what my favourite video game is of all time, I believe this game would be it. There are so many which would come close, but I always find myself coming back to Out Run. From the first time I played the hydraulic version in a seaside arcade in East Sussex as a 14-year-old to now, just a couple of years shy of 50, I’m still playing it on a very regular basis.

Video games have been my main hobby since I was about 10-years-old. It all started with a Grandstand Invaders From Space machine and I been lucky to own most of the games consoles released since and some of the early home computers.

I have played or seen Out Run on most formats it has been converted for and I have always been looking for that perfect conversion. Below I have listed my favourite conversions of the game. I have not included versions of the game found in Shenmue, which is the same as the version included with the Yu Suzuki – Game Works book. I have also not listed the version included as a bonus in Out Run 2 on the original Xbox.

I have used the following criteria to do this is. I must have had to either owned or played that version of the game. Therefore, there will be some conversions which I haven’t mentioned and some people may therefore disagree with the list but this, after all, is my list.

 

10. Amiga 500 (U.S. Gold)

I was so excited about getting Out Run for my Amiga. Having already played some great original games and some excellent arcade conversions on the Amiga I had great hopes on this game delivering the goods. Everything about this conversion was wrong. From the large yellow border to the vertically squashed game screen to it not even really looking like Out Run. I don’t have fond memories of this conversion and can still remember the disappointment to this day.

 

9. ZX Spectrum 48K (U.S. Gold)

At the time of release, I have to admit to being a bit of a Commodore fanboy. There was an even split between my group of school friends. Two of us had the C64 and the other two had the Spectrum 48K. There was much banter and argument during this time but I always I respected what the Sinclair machine could do far better than C64, as each machine had its own strengths and weaknesses.

The Spectrum’s version of Out Run looks fantastic in all its monochrome glory. The car looks incredible, the roadside features appear to be fairly faithful and it initially looks like a very good conversion. However, once everything starts to move it’s like being on a ship in stormy seas watching the furniture drift one way and then the other. This has been a difficult one to place in my list, purely because I didn’t have the chance to play this at the time and playing it years later it is obvious that time has not been kind. Therefore this sits just below….

 

8. Commodore 64 (U.S. Gold)

I can still recall the day I rushed into my local town to buy this on release day. I didn’t need Zzap!64 magazine to review this first – this was obviously going to be fantastic and I needed to have it! Zzap!64 magazine later awarded this an overall score of 68%. Obviously, it wasn’t that great but for the time it replicated enough of the experience to make you think you were driving that famous red Ferrari. It also came with a music tape which contained the original music tracks. To recreate the arcade experience as much as possible I would place my music system right behind my head. This allowed me to blast out Magical Sound Shower as I played.

Visually, the game moved at a good speed and was a reasonable representation of the arcade machine but not really a great game in itself with a few too many flaws. Whilst doing a little research for this Reader’s Feature I came across an article that mentioned the game was coded by an 18-year-old and the pressure he was under to deliver this game so it could be on the shop shelves before Christmas and how it was a huge hit for U.S. Gold. It seems hard to believe the game was coded by someone not much older than myself, however it was an interesting insight to a side of the industry which we knew very little about at that time.

 

7. Master System (Sega)

It took a while for me to pick this up for my Master System. Mainly because cartridges were priced according to how powerful they were. I could buy Choplifter and Wonder Boy for the price of this cartridge, so it always kept slipping down my want list. Until I saw a classified ad in the local paper and bought it second-hand at half the price. On the back of the relatively flawed home computer versions this did not look promising upon its initial release. I’m going to put it out there that this was probably the second strongest of the 8-bit conversions. One thing Sega did with their Master System games was nail the main sprite/image. They captured the look of car probably as well as possible and it looked great – you knew it was the car from Out Run.

This version also kept the track layout of the original minus a hell of a lot of the graphical wizardry of the arcade machine. It was also one of the few early conversions to show your car flipping if you had a bad crash. Sound was very Master System like, but you were able to recognise the tune and select your favourite song.

 

6. PC Engine (Sega) – played via emulation

Prior to having access to the internet, I had only heard rumours and seen still images of the PC Engine version. I’ve only had the opportunity to play this via emulation and watch online videos for reference, but this really was a fantastic conversion. If I were lucky enough to have owned a PC Engine when this was originally released this version would have blown me away.

It looks far superior to any other 8-bit conversion. Now I am no expert on the PC Engine but I believe that because this came on HuCard format, instead of CD-ROM, that meant it would also work on the handheld PC Engine GT, which leads me to think this was probably the first portable version of the game.

 

5. Mega Drive (Sega)

The Mega Drive offered a pretty impressive conversion of the game. No confusion here, you were playing Out Run, on your Mega Drive in the comfort of your own home. It wasn’t a perfect conversion, but it was a good conversion and captured much of the spirit of the game. This was as good as it got in the way of conversions until the Sega Saturn version arrived.

 

4. Game Boy Advance (THQ/Sega)

I didn’t even realise this existed until quite late in the GBA’s life, so this was an impulse eBay purchase. Out Run is part of the Sega Arcade Gallery cartridge, which contained the usual suspects of Space Harrier and After Burner 2, as well as Super Hang-On. Unsurprisingly this is not a 100% faithful conversion, however it still looks pretty damn good running on a Game Boy Micro. Who couldn’t resist a version of Out Run in their pocket? It had the original car and although a little too easy was thoroughly enjoyable.

 

3. Nintendo Switch (Sega)

This is pretty much the same as the 3DS Sega Ages version, minus the tilting screen and hydraulic sound effects. What this version does have, in handheld mode, is a glorious, sharp, widescreen image which really shows the game at its best and the chance to play on the go. Definitely worthy of the £5.99 asking price and can often be found with a good discount.

 

2. Sega Saturn (Sega)

Out Run appeared on the Sega Saturn, in Europe, as part of the Sega Ages collection. The collection also included Space Harrier and After Burner 2. I think most people really bought it for the arcade perfect conversion of Out Run. At last you were able to play an arcade perfect port in your own home a mere 10 years after the arcade machine first appeared. Everything was there: the graphics, the music, the original car design, as well as the opportunity to play through the game with an alternative stage layout. I presume this version was aimed at the Japanese market. It was a difficult decision for me between this version and the conversion listed at number one…

 

1. Nintendo 3DS (Sega)

This is it, this is my favourite conversion of Out Run. M2 have done a fantastic job with this. Unlike the Sega Saturn version it does not have the original Ferrari but what it does have is a moving screen to replicate the hydraulic movement of the original deluxe version of the arcade machine. Not only does this look pretty damn cool but it increases the sense of speed as you take the sweeping turns in the road. In addition to this they have even added the sound the hydraulic cabinet made as is moved. It’s these little inclusions which have just nudged this to number one on my list of conversions. It’s another great example of the how M2 handle and respect their conversions of classic games and the closest any conversion has managed to get to recreating the experience of the original deluxe version of the arcade cabinet.

By reader BADMAFiA72

 

The reader’s feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. As always, email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk and follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Xbox Series X shouldn’t bring back any old franchises because they all suck – Reader’s Feature

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Joy-Cons and dock to be sold separately in Japan

Hopefully, Nintendo will make these available in the West too (Pic: Nintendo)

The upcoming Animal Crossing-themed Switch Joy-Cons and dock will be available in Japan, and will hopefully come westwards as well.

Earlier today, Nintendo announced an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch bundle, and the Internet promptly fell in love with it. So much so, that many expressed a desire for the Joy-Con controllers to be sold separately so they wouldn’t have to buy a brand new Switch just for them.

Well, Nintendo seems to be ahead of that, as it has confirmed that the Joy-Cons, Switch dock, and even the box they come in will all be sold separately via the My Nintendo Store… but only in Japan.

On one hand, it’s not surprising to see some cool stuff remain exclusive to Japan but Nintendo has most likely already been subjected to grievances from Western fans that would like to see the same deal be made available over here.

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Granted, there’s no confirmation that this offer will remain exclusive to Japan, and Nintendo could announce something in the next couple of months before New Horizons launches.

There is also the option to import these items from Japan, but they will set you back quite a bit. NintendoSoup put up international pre-orders for these items earlier but they have already run out of stock.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will launch on Switch on 20 March.

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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order exceeds expectations and is on track to shift 10 million copies

You know, you could look a little happier about this (Pic: Respawn via Steam)

EA has admitted to underestimating Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s success, as the single-player title has sold at least 8 million units.

Over the last several years, fans had been demanding a single-player Star Wars adventure, but EA seemed to be against the very idea, straight-up cancelling such a project and focusing its efforts on the more multiplayer-focused Battlefront 2.

But with the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the publisher may be about to change its tune. Not only has it been received well critically, but the title has, at the time of writing, sold at least 8 million units.

According to Eurogamer, EA’s CFO Blake Jorgensen has admitted that Fallen Order has ‘significantly beat[en]’ the company’s expectations. EA initially believed the game would push between six and eight million copies by the end of the fiscal year in March, but now predict that it will have managed to push 10 million copies by the end of April.

CEO Andrew Wilson added: ‘Respawn delivered an expertly crafted high-quality experience with outstanding gameplay that thrilled players, made many of the game of the year lists and sold beyond our projections for the quarter.’

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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order exceeds expectations, on track to shift 10 million copies

EA has further praised developer Respawn for its work on Apex Legends, having been described as an example of a strong IP. The battle-royale’s third season reportedly performed better than the second, and the upcoming fourth season already has fans talking due to its surprising character announcement.

With any luck, EA will finally re-join the Light side and begin working on more single-player titles, maybe even outside of the Star Wars brand, and not just the regular yearly sports games.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

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The Wonderful 101 on Switch teased for what feels like the 101st time

‘Wondeeeeeeeer-Tease!’ (Pic: PlatinumGames)

A simple image of the PlatinumGames office revives hopes that The Wonderful 101 will be ported to the Nintendo Switch.

It’s been a few years now since PlatinumGames first teased its fans that a Nintendo Switch port of the underrated Wii U exclusive The Wonderful 101 was coming. Since then, things have been very quiet, to the point where it seemed unlikely that the port was even happening.

Today, though, fans’ hopes have flared up once again, thanks to a seemingly innocent photo of Platinum’s office.

Scenes from the PG office! Who's that photobombing Hideki Kamiya? pic.twitter.com/D70oalUTKo

— PlatinumGames Inc. (@platinumgames) January 31, 2020

At a first glance, it’s just Hideki Kamiya (Platinum co-founder and Wonderful 101 director) sitting at his desk, but people were quick to notice the time (1:01) and date (10/1) on his computer.

Between this and the Switch on the desk next to him, it’s pretty obvious this is an intentional tease on Platinum’s part.

While it could just be the company trolling its audience, there is some (albeit small) evidence that point to a Wonderful 101 re-release actually happening, or at the very least, plausible.

There are rumours that Nintendo plan on bringing more Wii U exclusives to the Switch, and earlier this month, Platinum received a massive investment from Chinese tech company Tencent, meaning Platinum could explore the possibility of self-publishing.

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The Wonderful 101 on Switch teased for what feels like the 101st time

Judging by the reactions on Twitter, a lot of people are buying into the possibility, while others are (possibly jokingly) suspecting that Platinum’s actually hinting at an Iron Giant game due to a statue of said giant on Kamiya’s desk.

Others seem slightly disappointed, however, since they are instead excited for Bayonetta 3, a game that we have heard next to nothing about since its initial teaser trailer in 2017.

The Wonderful 101 is currently only available on Wii U.

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Tecmo Bowl

Tecmo Bowl was one of the most popular American football sims, and perhaps the most popular, back in the 1980s. Welcome to the game that started it all for Tecmo Inc. Welcome to Tecmo Bowl.

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Tecmo Bowl

Tecmo Bowl was one of the most popular American football sims, and perhaps the most popular, back in the 1980s. Welcome to the game that started it all for Tecmo Inc. Welcome to Tecmo Bowl.

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Pokémon Masters: the legendary Rayquaza storms in with new trailer

The newest Pokémon Masters update brings in three potential new Sync Pairs to collect, including Pokémon Emerald cover star Rayquaza.

Next month will see a handful of new Pokémon announcements to celebrate Pokémon Day, including the unveiling of a brand new pokémon. But some might say the celebrations have come early thanks to a recent announcement regarding mobile game Pokémon Masters.

A new event that went live today has added three new Sync Pairs for players to potentially get their hands on; the big one being the pairing of Zinnia and Rayquaza, who both heavily featured in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire’s post-game story.

To obtain them, you will need to have at least cleared Chapter 4 of the main story, and then take part in the Dragon That Rules The Sky event, which will see you team up with Zinnia and Professor Kukui (from Sun & Moon) and investigate an unidentified dragon pokémon.

Completing the event will award you with vouchers that can be used to obtain the pair and add them to your party, but you only have until 14 February to do so.

According to the website, Kukui himself will be obtainable as a Sync Pair as well, partnered up with his Lycanroc. Together, their sync move can remove an opponent team’s Reflect or Light Screen buff before it deals damage. They have to be found using the Sync Pair Scout feature and will also be available until 14 February.

The third and final pair is Leaf, the female protagonist from Fire Red & Leaf Green, and Eevee. Much like Kukui, they can only be obtained via the Sync Pair Scout, and their sync move not only increases their move gauge, but it also gives all of their teammates’ stats a boost. This pair will only be available until 5 February, though.

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Pokémon Masters: the legendary Rayquaza storms in with new trailer

Steven and his Metagross will be coming at some point in the future (Pic: DENA)

If you’re worried about not having enough gems to use the Sync Pair Scout, the game has you covered there too. The new log-in bonus means that you can earn up to 4,200 gems over the next two weeks and when you first log-in to the game during this event’s run, you’ll receive 1,500 gems. This is to celebrate Pokémon Masters achieving 20 million downloads worldwide.

The trailer also teases a future addition to the game, confirming that Hoenn champion Steven will arrive at some point with his Metagross, which will be able to Mega Evolve.

Pokemon Masters is available now for mobile and Android devices.

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Apex Legends: New Revenant character trailer drops and ‘shows new weapon’

Players of Apex Legends long suspected that a new character by the name of Revenant would be added to the game thanks to datamining and leaks. Then Respawn announced that the next character would actually be a former MMA fighter called Forge… and then Revenant murdered him.

A new trailer puts Revenant squarely in the spotlight and while it doesn’t show any gameplay, it does give us a good idea of what kind of abilities he’ll have, as he slaughters a room full of guards.

As far as personality and backstory go, the trailer does provide some, showing that he’s got more than a few screws loose, but the video description provides more detail:

‘Revenant used to be human. He was the greatest hitman the Mercenary Syndicate ever had. But when his programming eventually failed, he saw what Hammond Robotics had turned him into: a walking nightmare of steel and vestigial flesh. The return of Hammond Robotics to the Outlands has renewed his thirst for vengeance, and he won’t stop until they’re all dead. Of course, he doesn’t mind eviscerating a few Legends along the way.’

However, some suspect that Revenant wasn’t the only playable character to be shown off in the trailer, believing the little girl at the end is a future Legend herself.

Could we have already seen the next playable character? (Pic: Respawn)

A character called Rosie/Loba had been previously leaked, and if the information is correct, she could very well be the same girl from the trailer, given that her abilities revolve around thievery and the parents in the trailer are apparently thieves themselves, according to the dossier Revenant receives.

Not only that, but the girl is gifted a silver wolf statue. A possible Portuguese translation (the girl’s family is Portuguese) for silver wolf is ‘loba.’ These are either some bizarre coincidences or Respawn already has some major groundwork done for this future character.

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Apex Legends: New Revenant character trailer drops and 'shows new weapon'

Some fans think that a new weapon was shown as well. During the opening scene, we get a glimpse of a gun underneath a table, which doesn’t seem like much of a big deal to some. But, those that played Titanfall 2 recognise it as the Sidewinder, a micro rocket launcher from that game.

With the amount of nods and references to the Titanfall games, it’s safe to assume that it and Apex Legends exist in the same universe, though whether Respawn has any plans to add Titanfall weapons and the like to Apex Legends remains to be seen.

Cute cameo or major foreshadowing? (Pic: Respawn)

Apex Legends is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Season 4 is set to begin on 4 February.

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Animal Crossing-themed Nintendo Switch wins the Internet’s heart

Be sure to grab one before the scalpers do (Pic: Nintendo)

With Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the… horizon, Nintendo have announced a matching Switch console for fans to fall in love with.

March is looking kind of dry in terms of gaming, with a number of titles initially planned to launch that month being delayed.

For some, though, this just means more time to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. And as if fans weren’t excited enough, Nintendo has announced a matching Switch console to tempt them with.

The console is being sold as part of a bundle with a download code for New Horizons, and features ocean-coloured Joy-Cons, an Animal Crossing pattern on the back, and a dock with a lovely picture of Tom Nook and his sons/nephews (it’s still unclear), Timmy and Tommy.

Judging by the reactions on social media, it’s clearly already very popular, with a number of people begging Nintendo to release the Joy-Cons separately and some even considering selling their Switches and buying this one as a replacement.

A #NintendoSwitch system inspired by #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons is on the way! With unique Joy-Con controllers, a custom design on the back, and a special Nintendo Switch dock, it’s the perfect way to start your island life. Available 3/13 for $299.99.https://t.co/MC5dJ11F3U pic.twitter.com/VigTPi4NDB

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 31, 2020

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If you’ve fallen in love with it as well, then you’d best start saving, as it won’t be available until the same day New Horizons comes out. Pre-orders have already been made available on Game’s website, and it is being sold at £329.99.

In addition, a new carrying case and screen protector will be released on the same day, just so you can further let people know that you really love Animal Crossing.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases on Switch on 20 March.

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailer shows off Red XIII, Cloud in a dress, and epic clash with Sephiroth

A new Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailer has dropped out of nowhere and provides first looks at a number of returning characters.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s month long delay put a damper on a lot of peoples’ plans for March, but Square Enix have helped remind them why they should be still be excited with a brand new trailer.

It dropped almost out of nowhere and, while only under four minutes long, managed to reveal a lot of new info about the title, with a mixture of gameplay footage and cutscenes.

The first big takeaway is a confrontation between the heroes and main villain Sephiroth. This is a massive departure from the original game as the group didn’t encounter Sephiroth until much later in their adventure.

We also get our first looks at the other members of Shinra, namely Reeve, Heidegger, Scarlet, and Palmer. Though their appearances in the trailer are somewhat brief, the few bits of dialogue they have help establish their personalities immediately, with Scarlet in particular showing off her dominating nature by using a grunt as a footstool.

A major reveal is that of the Honey Bee Inn and our first look at the crossdressing sequence, where Cloud has to disguise himself as a woman. This is one of the most iconic moments of the original game, and many had worries about how Square Enix would handle it in the remake.

Looking good, Cloud (Pic: Square Enix)

After that, we get another look at a new addition to the cast, Roche. Another member of SOLDIER, like Cloud, the scene sees him draw his sword at Cloud, clearly looking for a fight.

It’s unclear how big of a role Roche will play in the remake, but his dialogue suggests that he and Cloud have fought before. This could mean that the two have a personal history with each other, or maybe this is simply a second boss fight with him.

Another big reveal is that of Red XIII, one of the game’s main party members. In the original, Red XIII joined the party shortly before the group is forced to flee Midgar, which is where the remake’s first part will apparently end. Considering how late into the game that would be, it was theorised whether Red XIII would even make an appearance or not.

The trailer doesn’t offer any playable footage of him, but we can see him briefly during a gameplay section. Maybe he’ll only be an AI controlled party member and not actually be playable at all?

Was his tail always on fire? (Pic: Square Enix)

The last character to be revealed is Professor Hojo, another major antagonist, who is seen spying on Cloud.

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The rest of the trailer contains quick snippets of gameplay, which show off a couple more of the summons in action, specifically Leviathan and the Chocobo and Moogle duo.

Another interesting takeaway is what appears to be a boss fight with Jenova. While Jenova is first encountered during this section of the original game, the party doesn’t fight it until much later.

If it wasn’t already clear, Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be shaking up the original game’s story in a big way. Whether it improves upon it or not remains to be seen.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake will release on PlayStation 4 on 10 April.

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New Pokémon to be revealed in Sword and Shield and new movie

Previous mythical pokémon include Mew and Celebi (Pic: The Pokémon Company)

The Pokémon Company has a number of announcements planned for next month, including a brand new pokémon coming to Sword & Shield.

With Temtem threatening to encroach upon Pokémon’s success, the original magical creature catching series may need to do something big to keep hold of its fans.

Next month, it plans to do just that, as The Pokémon Company has made an official announcement regarding Pokémon Day, the series’ anniversary event.

On Thursday 27 February, the day the first Pokémon games were released, the company has a number of reveals planned for the occasion, with arguably the biggest one being the reveal of a brand new mythical pokémon.

Described as a ‘phantom pokémon,’ it will be making an appearance in the Sword & Shield games, as well as the upcoming movie Pokémon Coco, which is due to release in Japan this summer.

Not much is really known about the movie, aside from that Ash and Pikachu will star in it and will feature a Tarzan-like character (possibly the titular Coco).

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That won’t be all, though, as a special Max Raid Battle for Sword & Shield and an in-game event for Pokemon GO are planned as well. Maybe these events will be how you obtain this new pokémon?

Lastly, new information on the other mobile title, Pokémon Masters, will be announced.

All in all, it looks like the Pokémon brand is as strong as ever and has no signs of slowing down, even in spite of the controversies from last year.

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Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild sales continue to dominate

It’s sold HOW much?! (Pic: Nintendo)

Breath Of The Wild is already the best-selling game in the Zelda franchise, and now it’s managed to ship nearly 18 million units.

It’s not hyperbole to refer to The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild as one of the best games ever made. Even if we ignore the critical reception, its initial sales numbers were exceptionally strong, and they have only been going up.

In fact, the most recent financial reports from Nintendo have revealed that it has managed to ship 16.34 million units worldwide. And that’s only taking into account the number of Switch copies sold.

It’s easy to forget but the game released on Wii U as well, and the last known sales numbers for that version were estimated as being 1.6 million.

Combined, this means Breath Of The Wild has collectively pushed an estimated 17.95 million units.

According to this chart from Siliconera, that is more than double what Twilight Princess, the second-best selling game in the series, managed to ship in its lifetime.

Anyone else feel a little sorry for Minish Cap? (Pic: Siliconera)

Much like Breath Of The Wild, Twilight Princess also launched on two consoles, the Wii and the GameCube, selling at least 8.85 million units altogether.

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With these numbers, Nintendo may have some extremely high expectations for Breath Of The Wild 2, which, at the time of writing, still has no release date and no new information has been revealed since the teaser trailer from last year’s E3.

We do know that Monolith Soft, the Xenoblade studio, which assisted with development on the last game, will be returning to work on the sequel and are even currently recruiting for a Zelda-focused team.

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