The 8 Greatest Blizzard Games
Blizzard Entertainment has been making video games since 1991, when it was founded by 3 UCLA graduates under the name Silicon & Synapse. But it wasn't until 1993 that the studio began truly making a mark on the world, when it began working on its own titles rather than ports for other developers. One year later, Blizzard released Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, and nearly every game since has been an instant classic.
In fact, Blizzard has produced some of the most memorable, successful, and influential video games in the history of the medium. It wasn't easy, but below we have compiled our picks for the top 8 Blizzard games ever made:
New Force Awakens Footage: Lightsaber Fight Time!
New footage of Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been revealed, showcasing John Boyega's Finn wielding a blue lightsaber.
The footage comes courtesy of the official Star Wars Instagram. Give it a look below.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set to hit theaters on December 18. New toys tied to the upcoming film will be revealed next month, during a special YouTube live unboxing event. For more on J.J. Abrams' upcoming sci-fi epic, check out this batch of character images.
Shovel Knight Amiibo Outed By Retailer
Shovel Knight is joining Nintendo's lineup of collectible NFC figurines, according to UK retailer GAME.
In a post on Twitter, which has since been removed, the retailer confirms prior reports suggesting a Shovel Knight amiibo is in the works. It's worth noting GAME's image of the figure is different than the the fan mockup/Spanish retailer version that surfaced last week.
Taylor Swift and Lisa Kudrow Sing Friends’ Smelly Cat
Taylor Swift's been bringing out one big surprise guest after another on her tour, and this week she took fans back to a popular component of Friends, as Lisa Kudrow joined her for a rendition of the song "Smelly Cat."
On the final night of her five-night run at the Los Angeles Staples Center, Swift brought the Friends star out on stage to perform the song first made famous by Kudrow's character, Phoebe Buffay.
Who doesn't love a little "Smelly Cat"?!?! #1989TourLA #Friends @LisaKudrow @taylorswift13 pic.twitter.com/7m07TAomv6
This Week in the Nintendo eShop
Be sinful this week and pick up some running punishment. Wait, that came out wrong. Regardless, we have three dynamite games coming to Wii U. On Virtual Console, both Sin & Punishment games are out. Both are quite excellent. On the new side of things, there's Runbow, a Wii U eShop platformer that features tons of challenge and support for up to nine players. You can literally control your character with just a Nunchuk. It's crazy. If you're a little behind on your eShop games, some sales might help you out. Scram Kitty is a top-shelf Wii U eShop game from last year, and you can also check out some solid Atlus RPGs on discount, including Etrian Odyssey IV.
Runbow ($14.99)
Assassin’s Creed: 1st Look at Fassbender
X-Men's Michael Fassbender isn't playing Desmond Miles, Ezio Auditore da Firenze or any other existing character in the Assassin's Creed movie, but rather an entirely new protagonist: Callum Lynch. Get your first look at Fassbender in costume below.
As Yahoo! explains, "Fassbender’s character was created specifically for the film. (The movie isn’t retelling any of the existing games, but rather introducing new characters into the same world.) Lynch discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society through unlocked genetic memories that allow him to relive the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. After gaining incredible knowledge and skills he’s poised to take on the oppressive Knights Templar in the present day."
Neverwinter: Elemental Evil Gets a Release Date
Neverwinter expansion Elemental Evil is coming to Xbox One on September 8.
The downloadable pack combines content from four expansions, including Elemental Evil, Fury of the Feywild, Shadowmantle, and Curse of Icewind Dale, and will be made available for free.
The Elemental Evil expansion brings with it a level cap increase, a new playable class in the form of the Oathbound Paladin, new adventure zones, four end-game campaigns, and extra in-game dungeons for those looking to get more some extra loot.
Neverwinter is a free-to-play MMO (which requires an active Xbox LIVE subscription) that has seen some 2 million players since its launch earlier this year. In our review, we said: “Neverwinter's gamepad-friendly combat and intuitive interface make it the best fantasy MMORPG I’ve played on a console yet. Even with its frame rate issues and the persistent feeling of loneliness in a crowd, it's well suited for drop-in, drop-out gameplay, and its friendly free-to-play design makes it easy to come back to after a long absence.”
Minecraft Gets The Scorch Trials Multi-Player Mod
The Maze Runner sequel The Scorch Trials is going Minecraft with a new mod. And we've got some exclusive posters to prove it.
The new multi-player mod for Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials can be found right here. And to celebrate this alliance of Mazes and Mines and Trials, 20th Century Fox has created a series of Minecraft character posters based on the film. Minecraft players have the ability to skin their own avatar (known as “Steve” in the Minecraft world) to look like Thomas or the other Gladers.
The Minecrafted Character Posters & Player Skins feature Thomas, Newt, Minho, Rosa, Harriet, and Teresa as seen within the movie’s Minecraft multi-player mod. In addition to the posters, fans can now skin their own Minecraft players to look like Thomas and the other
Headlander: Double Fine’s New Decapitation-Centric Sci-Fi Adventure
Headlander is the next game from Broken Age developer Double Fine, and the 2D-side-scrolling sci-fi adventure is coming in 2016 from publisher Adult Swim Games. No platforms have been announced quite yet.
As is the case with every Double Fine game, Headlander is unlike any game the studio has made before. It marries the adventure game spirit of the developer’s heritage with the limitless personality and spectacular art direction it’s become revered for. But within that familiar framework, Headlander is a beautiful comedy by way of Metroid and Logan’s Run. It’s about adventure, exploration, space, shag carpets, robots, robot dogs, robot dancing, and decapitating yourself constantly.
R. Mika Revealed for Street Fighter 5
Capcom has announced Street Fighter V's next character, the flamboyant wrestling fan-favorite Rainbow Mika, aka R. Mika.
A new trailer posted on the PlayStation Blog shows off an assortment of R. Mika's wrestling moves, including an assortment of body slams, power bombs, and many more that incorporate her tag team partner Nadeshiko.
R. Mika's last, and only, appearance in the series was Street Fighter Alpha 3. Like Sakura with Ryu, R. Mika idolizes Zangief, though it might be safe to say she brings much more energy to her matches.
"By calling Nadeshiko at the right time using R. Mika’s V-Trigger ability," Capcom community manager Peter "Combofiend" Rosas said, "you’ll be able to setup sneaky attacks and punishing command grab mix-ups that are sure to knock the stuffing out of your opponent. Players who enjoy close-combat guessing games and striking fear into the hearts of opponents will find R. Mika an absolute delight to play."