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Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity Expansion Pass Announced

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During the most recent Nintendo Direct, the giants of the gaming industry announced an expansion pass for Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity, instead of what fans have been asking for – a sequel to Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild.

Nintendo only revealed that it would be hosting a Nintendo Direct a day before,     but even in such a short period, hype and rumors surrounded the event. A few leaks made their way into the internet before official announcements were made during the Direct, and even then, the lack of updates on Breath of the Wild 2 was obvious.

A sequel to The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild was first revealed almost two years ago at E3 2019. Since its moody and dark trailer made its debut, fans have been eager to hear more about the sequel to 2017’s Game of the Year recipient.

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In a total curveball, however, fans of the Zelda franchise instead received an out of the blue revelation back in September 2020 Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity. Set a century before the events of Breath of the Wild, this Hyrule/Musuo crossover became the best-selling Dynasty Warriors title of all time, selling more than three million copies in just a few days.

For fans of the hack and slash gameplay of Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity, a new expansion pass has been announced during the most recent Nintendo Direct. Arriving in two separate “waves,” the expansion pass will include additional character stories, new challenges, new enemies, and an expanded roster, among others.

Those hoping to prepare their weapons once again against Astor and the forces of the Yiga Clan can preorder the expansion pass now, with bonuses of a new outfit and weapon for Link available beginning May 28. The first part of the expansion pass will be made available on June 2021, with the second part arriving in November 2021.

Many will possibly be frustrated with the scarcity of updates on Breath of the Wild 2. When Zelda series Eiji Aonuma showed up in the Nintendo Direct, he notified fans that more details on the sequel will be released later this year, but currently, there is nothing new to say. He did guarantee fans, however, that development is proceeding smoothly.

While this update is frustrating for those keen to step into a new Zelda game, they are offered the opportunity to play The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword once again, as an HD remake of the game is coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year.

Plants vs Zombies Battle for Neighborville Coming to Nintendo Switch

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Plants vs Zombies Battle for Neighborville is set to arrive on the Nintendo Switch next month, March 19. Plants vs Zombies Battle for Neighborville initially released on PC and consoles back in fall 2019, though a Steam release did not roll out until summer 2020. Similar to the past two Garden Warfare spin-off entries before it, this specific Plants vs Zombies game comes in the form of a third-person shooter, complete with multiplayer and single-player modes.

PopCap Games’ Plants vs Zombies first took the world of mobile gaming by storm back in 2009 as a tower defense kind of game. Not long after the first game’s massive success on mobile, the game had taken over PC and console gaming, too.

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The abovementioned third-person shooters made a splash on the gaming market with the launch of Garden Warfare back in 2014, followed by Garden Warfare 2 in 2016. Plants vs Zombies Battle for Neighborville counts as the third entry in the spinoff series, adding new gameplay mechanics and a few new character classes. Luckily, the recently concluded Nintendo Direct revealed a few exciting Plants vs Zombies-related news for Nintendo Switch users.

During the latest Nintendo Direct stream, publisher Electronic Arts and developer PopCap revealed their plans to bring Plants vs Zombies Battle for Neighborville to the Nintendo Switch next month, March 19. Costing $40, the Complete Edition will include every bit of content released across past versions such as all in-game unlockables, post-release DLCs, cosmetics, and characters.

The game additionally brags 23 customizable characters, Team Play for every faction, offline play, team play with up to three friends, and 8v8 multiplayer. In a statement regarding the reveal, EA mentioned that PopCap co-created the game with QLOC S.A. And, intriguingly, Plants vs Zombies Battle for Neighborville serves as the first Frostbite-made game to release on the Nintendo Switch.

Since this marks the debut of a Plants vs Zombies title on the Nintendo Switch, owners of the immensely successful hybrid console are in for quite the treat. The online and offline modes give fans plenty of content to sink their teeth into, all of it made more engaging by Plants vs Zombies Battle for Neighborville’s fun and simplistic gameplay loop.

The recent Nintendo Direct was filled with tons of exciting news. As such, from the Fall Guys port to the announcement of the Ninja Gaiden collection, Switch owners have an entire library of new releases to expect throughout the year. Now the waiting starts for when Nintendo might once more bless the world with yet another of its fun-inducing presentations.

SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium Now Available on the Switch

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The Nintendo Switch eShop is known to release old-school titles that retro gamers will surely appreciate. This time around, Nintendo has added yet another classic port to the Switch’s library of games. This game in question is SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium, a crossover fighting game that was published and developed by SNK in partnership with Capcom.

The fighting game was initially released back in 1999 for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, and it was an incredibly well-received game. In fact, it was viewed as one of the best crossovers at the time of its release. There are 18 playable fighters overall, and if the player keeps on progressing through the game, they will be able to unlock 8 extra characters.

As for the game’s matches, these are separated into 3 different categories, namely singles, tag battles, and team battles. Now that SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium is available on the Nintendo Switch eShop, interested players can purchase it for only $7.99. This is a pretty good deal, given the fact that Match of the Millennium is actually one of the classic fighting games that deserved some kind of reboot.

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Thanks to the Switch’s Virtual Console feature, players can play SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium through a Neo Geo Pocket Color virtual console. Of course, it has been tweaked and enhanced before being released on the Nintendo Switch.

When purchased, players will be able to experience the game’s original battle modes and mini-games. The latter is needed in order for players to accumulate points, which can then be used to unlock characters and moves.

If a player has a friend who is also interested in SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium, they will be able to share date and fight one another through the game’s Versus modes. Players can also utilize the different supported play modes, namely TV mode, tabletop mode, and handheld mode. These will surely provide players with the best possible gaming experience.

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What’s more, SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium will also have some kind of leaderboard system through the new SC Olympic mode. With this mode, players can attempt to break records and high scores. However, it hasn’t been confirmed yet if this mode will make use of a live scoreboard, or if it will simply show previous high scores made by players.

Nintendo has been making it a habit to release ports of old-school games, and we can only hope that it will continue to do so for many years to come. Players who want more access to classic NES or SNES games will want to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online, as the service usually releases collections of classic titles to the console. Last December, games like Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble was added to the online service.

Little Nightmares Developer Will Be Focusing on Creating New IPs

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Developer Tarsier Studios’ Little Nightmares 2 was launched earlier this month, but it has already garnered incredibly positive reviews from both critics and players alike. As a matter of fact, it was considered to be a worthy sequel to the critically acclaimed Little Nightmares, which can’t be said of every sequel out there.

Seeing how successful the franchise has become, fans have begun to wonder and speculate what’s coming next—that is, if the developer has plans to work on a third entry. However, according to recent reports, it appears that Tarsier Studios is ready to move on and work on brand-new projects.

Embracer Group, the studio’s parent company, revealed in its Q3 earnings report that Little Nightmares’ developer already has other plans that it’s ready to dive into now that the sequel has successfully been released. In fact, CEO Lars Wingefors states “that was the main reason we made this acquisition.”

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Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Tarsier Studios won’t return to the Little Nightmares franchise forever. It simply means that it has other priorities for now, so the series will have to be put in the backburner for an indefinite amount of time. Speaking of the sequel, Wingefors says that the success of Little Nightmares 2 was incredibly delightful for him.

Even though the Little Nightmares IP is owned by Bandai Namco, and therefore doesn’t financially affect Embracer Group in any way, it’s still great news nonetheless and excellent things could be expected from the studio.

During the report, he says, “I’m super excited about them achieving such a game again, because the first game was very well received.” However, he goes on to say that since Tarsier Studios is finished with Little Nightmare 2’s development, “they will move over to create new IPs.” While fans of the franchise may be disappointed by this news, it makes sense for the studio to start moving on and work on new projects, especially since its work with Bandai Namco is over.

Besides, Embracer Group would definitely want to take advantage of the success that Tarsier Studios was able to make for itself.

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Tarsier Studios was acquired by Embracer Group some time in 2019, which was when the studio was still working on Little Nightmares 2. This particular deal cost Embracer Group SEK 88 million in cash as well as SEK 11 million in B-shares. When calculated and converted to USD, these would be around $10.5 million.

For the past few years, Embracer Group has gone and acquired a myriad of studios—even Gearbox Software, the developer of Borderlands. Embracer Group is also the parent company of Deep Silver and THQ Nordic, popular video game publishers who own Darksiders and Metro, among many others.

Little Nightmares 2 was released on February 11, 2021, receiving praise and acclaim from fans of the horror genre. However, the way the game ended made players assume that there would be a third game in the series, especially since Tarsier Studios made the conclusion quite open-ended.

Seeing as the developer will be prioritizing the creation of new IPs going forward, we’re definitely interested to know if the franchise will end with Little Nightmares 2, or if the series will just be put on hold for the meantime.

Samurai Warriors 5 Announced for the Switch

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The most recent Nintendo Direct livestream took place a few days ago, and it looks like the Nintendo Switch is becoming home to more and more musou-style games. During the recent stream, it was revealed that Koei Tecmo has something new for the Samurai Warriors franchise. However, unlike what fans may have thought, the announced game wasn’t a spin-off like Spirit of Sanada from 2016.

To the fans’ surprise and glee, the next entry in the franchise will be Samurai Warriors 5, which is going to be a mainline entry in the series. Fans of Samurai Warriors or of the musou-style genre in general will be able to play the upcoming title on the Nintendo Switch some time this summer.

Samurai Warriors 5’s narrative will come in two varying points of view. Namely, the game’s two protagonists will be Nobunaga Oda and Mitsuhide Akechi, and will be set in Japan’s Sengoku period. Particularly, the Ōnin War would have been ongoing during this time; a time when Japan had power struggles. As such, it makes sense that Samurai Warriors 5 would be set during this time period, as players get sucked into the game’s historical drama.

That being said, Koei Tecmo is still keeping details to a minimum. So far, the only concrete detail about Samurai Warriors 5 that has been revealed is the fact that it will star new and familiar characters from across the franchise. What’s more, players can expect these characters to have new skills and abilities as well, which they can use to fight off a horde of enemies.

Other than that, though, Koei Tecmo simply says that fans should just expect Samurai Warriors 5 to have the same kind of strategic gameplay that they’ve come to love over the years. Although the game’s announcement was made during the recent Nintendo Direct, Samura Warriors 5 has also been confirmed to release on other platforms outside of Nintendo.

Specifically, interested players who don’t have a Nintendo Switch will be able to pick up the game for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Not only that, even users of the most recent generation of consoles will be able to play the game thanks to the highly useful backward compatibility. In any case, excited fans should definitely look forward for more information to be released in the next following months.

Musou-style games have truly gotten more popular with every year, so much so that even popular franchises have been releasing titles under this genre. For instance, The Legend of Zelda franchise released Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the latter serving as a sequel to the former, as well as a prequel to Breath of the Wild.

When Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was first announced, it definitely came as a surprise. However, it quickly became a highly anticipated title. It was a highly successful game as well, so much so that it surpassed 3.5 million in sales.

Developer Atlus has also dived into the musou genre as well. In fact, Persona 5: Strikers will deviate from the usual turn-based combat familiar to Persona 5 players in favor of having a musou gameplay.

Slay Demons in Heaven With Annapurna Interactive’s Upcoming Game Neon White

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Publisher Annapurna Interactive is quite known for putting bizarre titles under its wing. One genre that the publisher often gravitates toward is the point-and-click adventure, which includes games like Kentucky Route Zero and Open Roads, which is a mystery thriller set to launch this year.

Now, Annapurna Interactive has once again unveiled another upcoming video game—Neon White. The new game is from Ben Esposito, who also created the Donut County game from 2018. Compared to Donut County though, Neon White is a completely different game in terms of visuals and genre.

While 2018’s Donut County is more of a puzzle game that’s somewhat similar to Katamari Damacy, Neon White is a first-person shooter. It stars assassins from Hell who are on a mission to slay a variety of demons tainting the grounds of the supposed paradise that is Heaven.

While gamers were drawn to Donut County because of its charming aesthetics and easy-to-play mechanics, it appears that developer Ben Esposito was going for something completely different for Neon White. The upcoming title was announced for the Nintendo Switch during the Nintendo Direct livestream that took place recently, which came with a brief trailer that essentially served to provide interested gamers with a little sneak peek of what Neon White can offer.

Unlike most first-person games, which utilizes traditional weapons like swords and guns, Neon White has a unique way of fighting or attacking enemies. Specifically, the titular Neon White gets to attack with the help of what are known as “Soul Cards.” These cards are imbued with powerful properties, giving the player character abilities that can be likened to firearms.

Each card represents a particular weapon, and the trailer features the submachine gun card, handgun card, shotgun card, and even a crossbow card. Not only that, players have the option to “sacrifice” these cards to be given the chance to do “Killer Moves.”

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Neon White isn’t the only assassin “plucked from Hell” either—he has some competition in Heaven’s demon-slaying business. The trailer showcases the other assassins too, such as Neon Violet, who looks like they have a crush on the titular character.

From what we could glean from the trailer, it looks like Neon White’s gameplay won’t be intense and fast-paced combat all the time. There will be story sequences as well, which will provide a quick breather from all the fighting.

It seems that publisher Annapurna Interactive had a great presentation during the recent Nintendo Direct, as it even announced during the livestream that the award-winning, time-looping adventure Outer Wilds will be heading to the Nintendo Switch as well. As for Neon White, it looks to be yet another unique game under Annapurna Interactive’s repertoire, and it’s set to launch some time this year.

Fall Guys Is Getting an Xbox Release

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It has been confirmed that Fall Guys and its adorable bean characters will be heading to the Xbox consoles this summer. It appears that this year will be a big one for Mediatonic, as its hit platformer battle royale will be expanding its audience in more ways than one. Not only will Fall Guys be released on the Xbox, it was also revealed during the recent Nintendo Direct livestream that the game will be getting a Nintendo Switch port.

Developer Mediatonic and publisher Devolver Digital first launched Fall Guys last year on PC and PlayStation 4, and it quickly became one of the most popular video games in the market. It was actually quite impressive how fast it climbed Steam’s charts—but what was even more incredible was its performance on the PlayStation 4. It didn’t take long before Fall Guys became one of the most downloaded titles on PlayStation Plus.

Gamers who play on other platforms have been waiting for their chance to experience Mediatonic’s unique take on the battle royale genre, and given the recent news, it appears that dream will finally come true. This summer, Xbox users will be able to experience everything Fall Guys has to offer.

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Mediatonic’s Lead Game Designer, Joe Walsh, revealed in a recent Xbox Wire post that the platformer battle royale will be released on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles this year, specifically some time in the summer. Mediatonic hasn’t mentioned a release date just yet, but the fact that it already has a release window is good enough for now.

The developer’s announcement didn’t reveal that much information about the upcoming Xbox release, but it did include a short yet concise trailer to celebrate the reveal. The trailer shows a Fall Guys bean mascot—what looks to be the same one from the Valentine’s Day trailer—picking up an Xbox controller, turning it on, and looking very pleased about it.

However, due to how scarce information actually is about the upcoming port, fans have a lot of questions that either Mediatonic or Devolver Digital have yet to answer. For instance, one the primary concerns is whether all the content updates that have been implemented on Fall Guys so far will be available on the Xbox port from the get-go.

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Other than that, excited fans are also wondering about cross-play, and if Mediatonic will launch this feature soon. It would make sense if cross-play support gets added to Fall Guys as soon as the Xbox and Switch ports go live, seeing as the multiplayer will be available on multiple platforms at that point. That being said, it’s best to be patient. Mediatonic or Devolver Digital will surely reveal more information the closer we get to the port’s launch.

Developer Mediatonic still continues to release regular updates for Fall Guys. The game’s Season 3 went live last December 2020, while Season 3.5 launched recently. Most of these updates introduced a bunch of new features and content to the title too, such as new costumes or skins, maps, and more.

Recent Nintendo Direct Reveals DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power for Switch

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The last proper Nintendo Direct took place over a year ago, so when the company announced that a livestream would take place earlier this week, many gamers were expecting to hear and learn more about highly anticipated games that are more on the popular side, like Metroid Prime 4 or perhaps even The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. 

While we did receive news surrounding Splatoon 3, Legend of Mana, and other well-known titles, this recent Nintendo Direct also brought us unexpected titles like Star Wars Hunters, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville: Complete Edition, and DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power.

The released trailer for DC Super Hero Girls doesn’t really give away a lot, but from what we’ve gleaned out of it, the upcoming title looks like some kind of action-brawler game that has tidbits of life simulator aspects in its gameplay. As can be expected of its title, players can choose between and take control of different DC heroines, as they fight off the bad guys yet hang out with one another when they have the time.

The characters who are commonly featured in the trailer are Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl. DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power is based on the Cartoon Network show DC Super Hero Girls, so it’s highly possible that the other protagonists from the cartoon—Bumblebee, Zatanna, and the Jessica Cruz version of Green Lantern—will also be available as playable characters in this game.

For a little bit of background, the cartoon gathers these heroines and portrays them as high schoolers. Forming the all-female titular superhero group, the fan-favorite heroines continuously save the city from destruction, all while keeping their identities a secret. The cartoon is led by My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic creator, Lauren Faust.

DC Super Hero Girls’ first season came to an end last year in December, but it’s supposed to have a second season. As for the upcoming video game, it appears that fans aren’t that happy about the announcement. At the time of writing, the game’s trailer uploaded on Nintendo’s official YouTube has over 2,000 likes and almost 3,500 dislikes.

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That being said, this displeasure most likely has to do with the fact that the recent Nintendo Direct didn’t contain as many major reveals as fans were hoping for. While fans had high hopes from the livestream, they were instead met with the announcement of DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power, which is very clearly made for young kids or for fans of the TV series.

In defense of the livestream, Nintendo did showcase exciting news and announcements for major titles. For instance, it was revealed that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will finally be getting a Nintendo Switch port—with new and improved graphics! The next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighter was also announced. (Spoiler alert: it’s Mythra/Pyra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2).

As for DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power, it’s expected to release on June 4, 2021 for the Nintendo Switch. While it wasn’t the most expected announcement, we’re sure that fans of the cartoon are looking forward to this release.

Splatoon 3 Reveal Trailer Teases 2022 Release Date

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It has been a long time coming for fans of the franchise, but Splatoon 3 has been officially revealed for the Nintendo Switch. The famous shooter series will debut its third installment in 2022, probably with some kind of single-player storyline. Details are still scarce right now but the game’s announcement and trailer were among the best moments of the February 2021 Nintendo Direct stream.

The much-awaited Splatoon 3 will be the second installment in the franchise to make it to the Nintendo Switch roster, following the game’s original sequel in 2017. The franchise has made a name for itself based on its one-of-a-kind approach to a competitive third-person shooter, making itself accessible to players of all ages.

Players are required to paint the entire map with their team’s color while fighting other players, the more paint of the team’s color is on the ground, the easier the team can traverse around the map and quickly claim victory. The game is fun, colorful, and fills a void of worthy competitive shooters on Nintendo’s platforms.

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During the latest Nintendo Direct, it was confirmed along with The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD remake that the much-awaited Splatoon 3 will be coming to the Nintendo Switch next year. More information is slated to arrive in the near future, but the first trailer of the game features a more extensive customization system as well as a pet that players can walk around with.

The trailer also shows a new environment, a wilderness with an upside-down Eiffel Tower, and a train that takes back players back and forth between this area and the city. The trailer also features the usual multiplayer combat and matches, but there is nothing specifically new or noteworthy about it.

The YouTube description of the new trailer provides further details of what Splatoon 3 will hold in store. The description states:

“Splatoon 3 arrives on Nintendo Switch in 2022! In the wake of chaos, enter the sun-scorched Splatlands and the new city, Splatsville, inhabited by battle-hardened Inklings and Octolings. New weapons, moves, and more await, so be sure to keep an eye out for updates in the future.“

This appears to confirm that there will be more unique features not yet displayed in the reveal trailer. Specifically, players must keep a close eye out for any new weapons that the game might include in the new entry.

Splatoon 3 Will Not Have Gender Options During Character Creation

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After Splatoon 3 was announced, fans were quick to discuss and dig into the upcoming title’s character customization. After all, customizing the player character is one of the best parts of any video game. However, it appears that Nintendo has made a very cool change to the franchise’s character creation—unlike the previous entries, Splatoon 3 will throw gender options out the window.

While the developer has yet to reveal the full details of this change, the game’s announcement trailer briefly goes over character customization, and options are no longer restricted between boy and girl.

Splatoon 3 was revealed during the most recent Nintendo Direct, which players have been looking forward to. The last installment in the series, Splatoon 2, was initially released back in 2017, so fans of the franchise have been starved of Splatoon content for quite a while now. The game’s announcement trailer was definitely interesting—it gave fans a preview of what they can expect to find as soon as they start the game, which is the character customization screen.

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After successfully customizing a character, the created squid kid proceeds to ride a train through what appears to be a deserted location, arriving soon after in a busy megalopolis. Following this introductory footage, the trailer quickly showcases new and improved gameplay footage.

Fans were quick to notice that during character creation, Splatoon 3’s trailer didn’t have gendered options. In the previous games, players were given the option to choose between boy and girl octolings or boy and girl inklings. This option was noticeably absent in Splatoon 3, however.

In the first menu, the game simply asks fans to choose whether they want to play as an octoling or an inkling. Then, players proceed to choosing their character’s skin tone, eye color, and hairstyles. Asides from having a wider array of options to choose from, these categories aren’t separated by gendered language as well. The same thing goes for the legwear choices, as players can now choose to mix and match the different options available with no restrictions.

As mentioned, Splatoon 2 required players to choose between the two binary genders—but restrictions extended past that. Hairstyles and legwear were separated by gender as well, with skirts being available for female inklings and octolings only.

With Splatoon 3, it appears that Nintendo is following the footsteps of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which also dropped gender options and restrictions. Released only last year, the Nintendo Switch exclusive life simulation game only asked players to choose their character’s skin tone, hairstyle, eye color, and so on. What’s more, players could let their character wear whatever they want without any restrictions.

Fans were definitely happy with Animal Crossing: New Horizons for this. In the same way, Splatoon fans are thrilled that the upcoming ink-slinging title will be more inclusive than ever before. That being said, there’s one more concern left regarding Splatoon 3’s customization that players are wondering about. Namely, how will the game handle or change the character’s voice tones?

In the previous titles, each inkling and octoling had very distinct and gendered voice tones. But seeing as Splatoon 3 has made an effort to remove gender-based restrictions, perhaps the game will give players the option to slide through different voice pitches and decide for themselves what kind of voice tone they want—something like a simplified version of what The Sims 4 offered.

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