Yearly Archives: 2018
Ikaruga on Switch Will Let You Play the Game Vertically
Nicalis is bringing the vertically-oriented sci-fi shmup Ikaruga to Nintendo Switch at the end of this month.
Ikaruga on Switch has single-player and local, two-player coop play, along with "global leaderboards that can be accessed online for tracking high scores."
The Switch version also lets you flip the Switch vertically for "arcade-style TATE mode action," making it true to its arcade roots.
The top-down, bullet hell shoot 'em up has a lot of descriptors, but essentially combines the fast action of a shmup with a polarity system for strategy. Whereas most games in the genre will end quickly if you can't avoid the multitude of on-screen dangers, Ikaruga's ammo system means you have to take hits. As long as they're the correct color, they're absorbed.
Avengers: Infinity War Director Confirms This Character Survived
Avengers: Infinity War co-director Joe Russo has confirmed a certain character did indeed survive.
Warning: Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War follow. Turn back now if you haven't yet watched the film.
In the opening scene of the film, Thanos and the Black Order wipe out an entire Asgardian refugee vessel, as well as Loki and Heimdall. However, Valkyrie's (Tessa Thompson) fate is never directly addressed throughout the movie. So, fans were left wondering if the warrior is still alive after the events of the third Avengers film.
During a school-sponsored Q&A at the University of Iowa, Russo did confirm Valkyrie is still alive and kicking. According to a Reddit user who was in attendance, the director explained a few Asgardians managed to survive the massacre via escape pods, with Valkyrie was among the survivors.
Fortnite Season 4 Adds Fan-Favorite Orange Shirt Kid Dance
Fortnite Season 4 may have brought a giant meteor with it, colliding with parts of the map and changing the landscape, but it's nothing compared to the discovery that Orange Shirt Kid's dance made it into the game after all.
In case you missed it, Fortnite recently ran a Boogie Down competition on Twitter, with the winner's dance being immortalised in the game as an emote. One of the submissions caught the community's eye, and although he didn't win, such was the outcry that it seems Epic Games has slipped in Orange Shirt Kid's dance after all. In honour of the hashtag Justice for Orange Shirt Kid, the in-game emote called Orange Justice. Here's the original submission:
Arrested Development Season 5 Coming ‘Real Soon’
Arrested Development Season 5 is coming sooner rather than later, according to show creator Mitch Hurwitz.
In an open letter to fans on Twitter, Hurwitz stated that the fifth season will be arriving on Netflix "real soon," stressing the release is just around the corner.
"If you knew when, you would not be wrong to be thinking "why are we all just hearing this now?"
On the next... Arrested Development pic.twitter.com/NjP26k9KE7
— Arrested Development (@arresteddev) May 1, 2018
Fortnite Season 4 Patch Datamine Reveals Skins, Cosmetic Items
Fortnite Season 4 is here, and the latest update has already been pillaged for its secrets, revealing the unreleased skins and cosmetic items yet to come.
The mysterious Fortnite meteor finally dropped today with the start of Season 4, and the latest update has brought map destructibility with it, as well as a new area called Dusty Divot, and seven new skins. But six additional skins have been found after datamining the patch, as well as three pickaxes, three gliders, and three back bling, reports Fortnite Intel.
Oculus Go: Oculus’ $200 Standalone VR Headset Is Out Now
Oculus Go, Oculus’ first standalone VR headset, is available today starting at $200 USD, the company announced.
The headset is now available in 23 countries via the Oculus website or at select retailers in the U.S., including Amazon, Best Buy, and New Egg. Two versions of Oculus Go are currently available: a 32 GB model for $200 USD and a 64 GB model for $250 USD. Those who purchase either model will receive the headset, controller, charger with a USB cable, glasses spacer, lens cloth, lanyard, and a AA battery to power the controller.
Oculus' standalone headset, Oculus Go
The 25 Most Iconic Comic Book Covers of All Time
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but that doesn't necessarily hold true for comics. A good comic book cover tells a story all its own, giving readers a clear idea of what to expect in one bold, striking image. And the best comic book covers get seared into the public consciousness so that even non-readers instantly recognize them.
We've put together a slideshow celebrating the 25 most iconic comic book covers ever. This isn't just about picking the best covers ever designed (though all of these are great examples), but choosing the ones that have endured over the years and influenced new generations of storytellers.
For more on your favorite comic book heroes, check out our roundup of the craziest retcons Marvel and DC have ever made. Then learn what comics you should read in order to prepare for Avengers: Infinity War.
Star Wars Podracing Game from 1999 Re-released on PC
After 19 years, the classic podracing game Star Wars: Episode I Racer has been re-released for PC on GOG.
Best known as an N64 game, the GOG version is functionally a port of the original PC version released in 1999 (not a remaster or remake) allowing it to run on modern operating systems. This is the first time people will actually be able to buy Racer since it came out on Dreamcast in 2000 — unless you manage to find a very old physical copy, of course.
As you can see in the video at the top of the page, Racer can run at 60fps and 1080p resolution, though playing the game at a 16x9 resolution does stretch it from its original 4x3 format. Its LAN multiplayer mode is also working in the GOG version, allowing up to eight players to race against each other as long as they are connected to the same network.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s Steam Player Base Dropped by 95%
Kingdom Come: Deliverance has reportedly seen a 95% decline in its Steam player base after its stellar debut two months ago.
The medieval RPG launched for PC and console back in February, and managed to sell 500,000 copies in just two days to become the top-selling game on Steam at the time. GitHyp reports, however, that the game's concurrent player count on Steam has plummeted by 95%, down to an average of 3,600 concurrent players a day from almost 66,400.
Hasbro Acquires Power Rangers Brand
Hasbro has acquired the Power Rangers brand from Saban Properties.
The entertainment company purchased Power Rangers and several other Saban brands, including My Pet Monster and Treehouse Detectives, for $522 million in cash and stock.
Hasbro had previously pursued the master toy licence agreement for Power Rangers, paying $22.25 million in February 2018. This will be factored into the overall purchase.
Hasbro CEO Brian Goldman spoke of the "significant opportunity" for Power Rangers to fit into Hasbro's product strategy in a quote alongside the announcement.
"Shortly after entering into our licensing arrangement, it became clear that now was the time to begin investing in unlocking Power Rangers’ full potential. We see significant opportunity for Power Rangers across our entire Brand Blueprint, including toys and games, consumer products, digital gaming and entertainment," Goldman said.