Play ‘Splatoon’ Early With The Global Testfire Demo!

by Josh JacksonMay 7, 2015

Want to play Splatoon, Nintendo’s squad based shooter, a few weeks early? Then listen up, soldier!

This weekend, between three designated hours, Wii U owners will be able to participate in the Global Testfire! Players will be able to jump online and play against fellow Inklings around the world ahead of the game’s launch, including Nintendo team members that will be dressed in special lab coats. While the demo is currently available on the Nintendo eShop for pre-installing, the game will only run during the following times:

Friday- 8-9 PM PST

Saturday- 4-5 AM PST

Saturday- 12-1 PM PST

If you can’t make it, or hope to see yourself playing on an official stream, the folks at Nintendo’s Treehouse will stream the first hour test, making mini celebrities out of Nintendo ID’s across the country.

While less of a demo and more of a stress test for its online functionality, it’s a good sign that Nintendo is taking their first online shooter so seriously, hopefully ensuring that the game works as intended at launch. Want to join in on this weekend’s splatfest? Share your Nintendo IDs below and we’ll be on the look out for you!

https://youtu.be/oynGf9-T1UA

So How Will Amiibo Work In ‘Splatoon’? Now We Know!

by Josh JacksonMay 7, 2015

As the Amiibo hunt only grows harsher, many of us are still scrambling to secure a Splatoon Triple Pack, brining together the Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, and the exclusive Inkling Squid in one nifty package. But for those who want to use them in the game, what are they for outside of displaying and weeping over when you recall the struggle to get them? Outside of promising bonus missions, we finally got some details on what those would be.

Each Amiibo will unlock a different set of challenges focusing on the different weapon types the game features. The boy focuses on the close range Roller weapon, which spreads paint in front of him as he walks and grants the ability to deflect enemy fire. The girl brings a set of rifles, which shoot trails of paint over long distances and come equipped with scopes depending on which one is being used. Finally, the squid focuses on the rapid fire Shooter and The Kraken, a special ability that allows Inklings to spiral through enemies while in the normally passive squid form.

Completing these missions unlock exclusive costumes to customize your characters with, adding to an already large character customization option. If you manage to complete the missions for all three, a special mini game will unlock alongside a series of retro themed games that can be found through regular play. More content in a game that already promises to be this big is always a plus, but let’s just hope there are enough Amiibo on the shelf to accomidate the fanbase.

Does this content make the Amiibo worth tracking down to you? Or are you bummed that there is content locked behind a plastic pay wall?

The Splatfest Continues In ‘Super Smash Bros For Wii U’ When You Pre-Order ‘Splatoon’ At GameStop

by Josh JacksonMay 7, 2015

If you didn’t pre-order Splatoon at GameStop, you might want to switch it over.

During this morning’s Nintendo Direct, the company continued its hard push for their next new IP by attaching some special content to one of its most popular titles, Super Smash Bros. At pick up, everyone who snags their copy of Splatoon at a GameStop will receive a code to download Inkling themed costumes for their Mii characters. Like the costume pack, these offer cosmetic changes to your favorite custom characters, bringing the splatfest to Nintendo’s biggest fighter. Unlike the DLC packs, it doesn’t seem like this set is coming to 3DS, but more on that as it develops.

Are the costumes enough of a reason for you to make the switch? Splatoon launches on May 29th.

Players who pre-order or purchase #Splatoon at Gamestop will receive a code for Splatoon DLC costumes in #SmashBros for #WiiU!

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 7, 2015

DC Comics, RoboCop, Clive Barker and More Coming to Machinima

by Eric FranciscoMay 5, 2015

I grew up in high school watching Machinima. Not just actual short movies made from game movies — the genre known as “machinima” — but the actual brand. I spent entire summer afternoons watching Red vs. Blue like any respectable teenager growing up in the mid-aughts, and Arby ‘n the Chief which was nothing more than a dude playing with Halo figures and making them talk with automated voices. I didn’t have a lot of sex in high school, clearly.

With the massive growth in streaming games and free-to-play MMO tournaments and gamer/geek culture as a whole, I shouldn’t be shocked at how much of a viable brand Machinima has actually become. Yet, I totally am.

Yesterday I attended their upfronts in midtown Manhattan. The booming music, the attractive part-time models serving finger foods, the open bar and the attendance of men and women who looked like they leaped off the pages of GQ and Details legitimately astounded me. It was a complete 180 from what I imagined the collective brand to actually be when I spent those lazy, adolescent days of mine on YouTube. I thought Machinima was just a really professional group of guys operating in a basement, with someone’s mom cooking spaghetti in the kitchen above. I couldn’t be more wrong.

Machinima is still barely second, maybe even third or fourth fiddle to the bigger online networks like Netflix or Hulu, but they have a targeted audience that neither of those major players have: the younger, gamer-centric millenial. While Netflix and Hulu attract a wider range demographic, Machinima are zeroed in on the gaming 16-25 year olds. There’s actually a small overlap with Generation Z, who are just now getting their first jobs at Dairy Queens everywhere.

Such major growth over the last ten years, combined with the current, Twitch-zeitgeist ripe for conquering via shorter, snappier content that is easier to consume than even Netflix (you can’t exactly watch House of Cards riding on a bus, but you can watch Super Power Beat Down), Machinima’s newest slate of orginal and returning programming will most certainly make stuffy, older industry leaders take notice.

The full press release is below, and I go a little in-depth with my impressions.

LOS ANGELES, CA, May 4, 2015 – Machinima’s debut at the Digital Content Newfronts was nothing short of “heroic.” The first global many2many programming service focused on fandom and gamer culture, Machinima unveiled a programming slate designed to elevate and celebrate a global community of gamer, comic and hero fans through the most innovative content on the Internet. Partnerships with Blue Ribbon Content and DC Entertainment,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Clive Barker, Roberto Orci and Bunim/Murray Productions, along with some of Machinima’s leading creator talent, showcase Machinima’s commitment to developing content across all genres, formats and platforms.

“Fandom and gaming engenders so much passion and engagement; it’s a cultural shift uniquely connecting with the most valuable millennials,” said Chad Gutstein, Machinima’s CEO. “It’s this deep connection to our audience that has made Machinima the ninth largest video entertainment platform in the United States, and the second most watched programmer on YouTube. With our new slate, we are reminding our fans and our clients of one very important fact: Machinima is back!”

Machinima’s programming slate includes:

Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles Season 2

From visionary producer and animator Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series), Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles turns the DC Universe upside-down. In this dark, alternate world, telling the good guys from the bad guys is never easy: Superman is not the son of Jor-El, he’s the son of General Zod; Wonder Woman is not from peaceful Themyscira, but rather the warring nation of Ares; and Batman is more vampire-bat than man…and he’s not Bruce Wayne. It is unclear if our greatest heroes are here to protect us…or to rule us. With Season 1 set to launch in June, Machinima, Blue Ribbon Content and DC Entertainment have already begun development on Season 2, a 10-episode follow-up to the initial limited series.

This is probably the one project I’m most excited about. It’s a genuine Bruce Timm series that takes Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman in entirely new directions. Speaking to Timm (interview coming soon), he told me that the online distribution means they don’t have to abide by any broadcast standards and practices, and that Timm had more final say over these characters than even DC. Stay tuned for our interview later this week.

DC’s Hero Project

Machinima, Blue Ribbon Content, and DC Entertainment are setting out to discover the next great creator for the world of DC Comics. Eight contestants compete in elimination challenges to develop a live-action short video based on their own interpretations of characters from DC Comics’ Starman comic book series. Well-known guest judges and celebrity special guests will join bestselling writer and DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and a panel of esteemed judges to oversee the entire competition.

They chose the semi-obscure Starman. With the proliferation of fan film projects hitting the web, it’s nice to DC actually embracing fan-creation culture and actually giving the OK for people to make expensive fanfiction.

#4Hero

A modern adaptation of DC Comics’ cult-favorite classic “Dial H For Hero”, #4Hero is a live-action, VFX-heavy action-comedy about a young woman named Nellie Tribble who is quietly desperate to make her mark on the world, but wholly unprepared to do so. Nellie stumbles upon a life-altering smartphone app that allows her to instantly become a Super Hero for a short amount of time. The problem is her super powers are dictated by whatever is trending on social media at that moment, and they are always only semi-useful.

Dial H For Hero is indeed a classic amongst a certain group of comic fans, but this one is so of the time I’m afraid at how dated it could actually become. The preview video referenced Katy Perry’s sharks from the Super Bowl, as an example.

Clive Barker’s Creepy Pasta

For the first time, horror legend Clive Barker is stepping away from the creatures of his own imagination and entering into the world of Internet horror fan fiction, affectionately known as Creepy Pasta. Starting with viral urban legends (e.g. Jeff the Killer, Slender Man and Ben Drowned), Clive Barker’s Creepy Pasta is an original series of live-action, blood-curdling short films. These new tales will be curated and adapted by Barker from submissions obtained through the creepypasta community, and produced by Machinima to scare you to your core.

The second thing I’m most excited about, and if it weren’t for Bruce Timm this would probably be my number one. I’ve always been fascinated with folklore, even in the age of the internet such stories survive and thrive in ways even sages around the campfire couldn’t imagine. They definitely highlighted Slenderman but he wasn’t the only story. I question the legalities of this, but no one really questions the legality of the Jersey Devil or Bloody Mary either. The logo looked a little cheap, but it also had the DIY aesthetic that these stories were bred from anyway, so not a big deal. Can’t wait.

RoboCop

“Dead or alive, you’re coming with me.” OCP’s Security Concepts Division’s RoboCop program is back in an all-new, short-form limited web series, based on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s 1987 classic action film. RoboCop returns to Delta City where viewers ride along with the now standard-issue RoboCop officers as they respond to calls from dispatch. Tapping into current themes of the surveillance state, the series is shot from the first person point of view of the RoboCop officers’ heads up display, along with security cameras, dash-cams, and drones.

Literally COPS but with RoboCop officers.

Happy Wheels

“Choose your inadequately prepared racer, and ignore severe consequences in your desperate search for victory!”

– Happy Wheels

Machinima will bring audiences an all-new original animated series based on Jim Bonacci’s hit online game Happy Wheels and produced by BMP Digital, the digital division of Bunim/Murray Productions (‘The Real World’, ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’). This must-see 10-episode short form series, which will feature fan-favorites such as Wheelchair Guy, Irresponsible Dad and Lawnmower Man, will expand upon the game that has more than 8 million players a month and showcase its notorious dark humor and penchant for blood and gore. Additionally, with over 3.1 billion video views amassed, BMP Digital is looking to leverage the voiceover talents of YouTube influencers such as Toby Turner (15.2M YouTube Subscribers, Cartoon Network’s The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange) and others who have made this game so iconic.

This is where Machinima began to lose me, despite being their target demo. The promo video was funny enough, but I didn’t play Happy Wheels and it’s supposed to be a dark satire cartoon. They didn’t show too much beyond actual game footage, so I’m still kind of confused as to what the final product will look like.

Jerome ASF’s The Baka Chronicles

Adding to the gaming fervor, Machinima’s iconic Minecrafter Jerome ASF (3.6M YouTube Subscribers), will be teaming with N00b Adventure creator Jim Schwerfeger for an all-new series – The Baka Chronicles. Featuring Jerome ASF’s most beloved character, Baka, the series follows two unlikely server admins who problem-solve the hilarious antics of griefers, trolls, and kids who wreak havoc across their favorite multiplayer Minecraft server. Little do our heroes realize this job is a massive headache.

Out of all the projects announced by Machinima, this one is actually machinima. Can’t say I’m too interested, and the title reeks of weeaboo (which is the point, I guess). It’s a Minecraft series in the same sense that Red vs. Blue was a Halo show. There is an untapped market for kids and Minecraft, and while The Baka Chronicles could skew older, they’re missing out on a lucrative 9-12 year-old demo on broadcast.

Also, the presentation made it clear that their audience totally gets it. These upfronts are attended by much older, wealthy executives who totally don’t understand young gamers who are much like their own nieces and nephews. During a brief preview of an episode, one character literally stopped to jump in front of the character and (in a goofy, dumb bear voice) told the brand execs that while you don’t understand these jokes, our fans do. “So give us your money,” he told them, and everyone laughed semi-uncomfortably.

High School 51

Created and produced by Roberto Orci (Transformers, Amazing Spider-Man 2, Star Trek, Sleepy Hollow, Lost, Fringe) and Legion of Creatives, and starring Orlando Jones (Sleepy Hollow, Tainted Love, Drumline, MADtv), High School 51 is as out of this world as the name implies.

Hidden away in the heart of Area 51, Dream Lake High School is filled with mind-blowing technology, top-secret government programs and a student body that is cool, quirky, attractive, and…well, alien. No one from the outside has ever been allowed into the school and no human has ever attended…until now.

For 16-year old Alex Valencia, the first and only human ever to attend Dream Lake, high school is going to be tough. Fitting in will be one thing but his biggest challenge just might be saving the human race!

I spoke to Orlando Jones about this series so be prepared for the interview later this week. I can’t get too excited at the name Roberto Orci (during the announcement, Power Rangers was curiously mentioned amongst Orci’s credits) but the brief preview we saw looked intriguing and fun enough. It’s evocative of Roswell and Smallville, but for a very current audience that’s fully tapping in to the mainstream geek culture in ways that Roswell only accidentally attracted.

It’s definitely an Orci product though, as that man can’t get enough of government conspiracies.

Returning Series

Additionally, Machinima is announcing the return of some of its most popular shows including AFK, Chasing The Cup, Realm, Battlefield Friends, Sanity Not Included, Deck Wars, and ETC.

Stay tuned for the interviews with Bruce Timm and Orlando Jones later this week.

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 27 – ‘Big Ole Splatfest!’

by GeekscapeStaffApril 27, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

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Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week

Josh answers last week question.

Chips Challenge 1 & 2.

Lazy Game Reviews.

Heroes of The Storm gets a release date.

Rock n Roll Racing is one of the best things ever.

Project X Zone 2.

Project Justice.

Disney Infinity 3.0 leaks.

Elder Scrolls Online hits consoles.

Splatoon Wii U bundle provides 4 on 4 splat fest!

Mario Kart 8 200cc DLC.

Mortal Kombat X.

Omega Quintet.

Shonen Jump Superstars.

Destiny.

Project M.

Boss Monster.

Fantasy Life.

Pokemon Shuffle.

MLP Mobile Game.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper.

Clicker Heroes.

Full Spectrum Warrior.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

What is your BIGGEST gaming regret?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:31 — 51.5MB)

Guillermo Del Toro Confirms ‘Silent Hills’ Project CANCELLED!

by Shane O'HareApril 26, 2015

2015 has been a fucking roller coaster of emotions when it comes to video game releases. We’ve gotten projects pushed back, projects getting nerfed and EA and Konami on par with customer service. It looks like our worst fears have been confirmed.

With Hideo Kojima’s recent removal on a few projects after his “departure” from Konami, the only thing on our minds was

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO PT AND SILENT HILLS?!?!

Last night we had confirmation that the PT demo was going to be removed from the PSN store, and now a Tweet circulating the web has confirmed out greatest fears.

“It’s not gonna happen and that breaks my greasy heart.” -Guillermo del Toro on #SilentHills. #sfff #sffs #sffilmfest #fb

— TV’s Matt Hackney (@tvsmatthackney) April 26, 2015

This Tweet comes from Del Toro’s panel at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Now this was all just speculation, but looks like Norman Reedus is parroting the same narrative.

Super bummed about this was really looking forward to it. Hopefully it’ll come back around. Sorry everyone http://t.co/drZJ8tBsSN — norman reedus (@wwwbigbaldhead) April 26, 2015

Not much else to say, except…I’m fucking sad as hell. We need to put our own Derek Kraneveldt on suicide watch!

‘Warcraft’, ‘Pacific Rim 2’ Get New Release Dates!

by Derek KraneveldtApril 23, 2015

Briefly: Dang.

Two films that I was really looking forward to have just received delays. Sure, they’re small delays, but delays nonetheless.

Warcraft, which was initially slated for March 2016, has received a new date of June 10th 2016. This puts it into the busy Summer movie season (showing confidence for the film, right?), and also pushes it away from the sure-to-be-a-blockbuster Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Pacific Rim 2 was originally set to release in April of 2017, and will also get a push to the Summer, hitting theatres on August 4th, 2017.

At least each push is only a few months, right? Are one are you most looking forward to? Sound out below!

The Hype Is Real In This ‘Mad Max’ Gameplay Trailer!

by Shane O'HareApril 23, 2015

I’ll be honest. I haven’t been following the new Mad Max game OR movie. I know they exist, and the movie trailer looks badass but that is pretty much it. Heck, I have the issue of Gameinformer with Mad Max on the cover as my mousepad at work and it’s never been opened! (That may be more of an issue with Gameinformer magazine than Mad Max.)

So when I saw this Gameplay Overview trailer come across my digital desk, I wasn’t too interested. BOY WAS I WRONG!

The trailer provides a glimpse into the desperate struggle Max faces after losing it all – his family, his car, his sanity – and the steps he must take to survive in the harsh and desolate Wasteland. For the first time, players get an extended look at the deep car customization, metal grinding vehicular combat, brutal melee combat and a wide range of other activities they can engage in during their quest to build the ultimate survival vehicle, the Magnum Opus, and find solace in the Plains of Silence. All footage in the trailer is in-engine, comprised of actual game play and in-game cinematics.

This looks to be one of those rare few movie tie in games that turn out pretty good. Anyone remember that Wolverine game that was better than the movie? I sure a fuck do.

This trailer has changed my mind on the subject. The world looks gorgeous. The crafting system sounds badass, and I love a game where you start from nothing.

Mad Max hits North America on September 1st. You can pick it up on Xbox One, PS4, PC and…Linux? Yeah, Linux!

‘Heroes Of The Storm’ Launches June 2nd With Open Beta May 19th!

by Shane O'HareApril 20, 2015

HOLY CRAP FOLKS! Blizzards take on the MOBA is ALMOST HERE! Heroes of The Storm is only a few months away!

Announced today on their official blog, Blizzard bears it all.

Heroes of the Storm will launch with more than 30 playable Heroes, over 130 Skins, 14 steadfast mounts, and 7 dynamic Battlegrounds, each with unique challenges to overcome—and even more Heroes, Skins, Mounts, and Battlegrounds are on the way! Over the last year we’ve also implemented over 430 different color Tints across our Heroes, Skins, and Mounts to help you customize your look so you can brawl in style. These color options will continue to be unlockable for free as you play your Heroes and seek to master them on field of battle. Rest assured that we’ll have even more exciting Heroes developments in the coming months.

I for one, am extremely excited for this title. I’m not a HUGE fan of MOBA’s, but respect the genre and its popularity. It’s a game of skill, where the players ability shines through. I equate games like LoL and DOTA 2 to that of Counter-Strike. The best part of Heroes of The Storm is the crossovers! Who doesn’t love a good crossover?!

‘Monster Hunter: Stories’ Looks Absolutely Adorable

by Shane O'HareApril 16, 2015

It looks like Capcom just wants more of my money. The next in the Monster Hunter series looks fucking adorable, and appears to take the franchise in a new direction.

At a recent Monster Hunter event, the games producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, explained what the heck this is all about.

After having passed the 10th anniversary last year, this is a new challenge for the Monster Hunter series, that we’ve began designing since about five years ago, while staying true to the world of Monster Hunter, and a story that can only be told through an RPG, we’d like to pack it with fun and enjoyment that we can’t even begin to describe with words.

Tsujimoto explained that players will take up the role of “Riders” and not hunters, he did not explain further what the gameplay would be like.

Monster Hunter: Stories is slated to be released in Japan sometime in 2016, and there is no current plans for a North America release.

Translation provided by Siliconera.

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 25 – ‘Deus Ex VS Fantasy Life’

by GeekscapeStaffApril 15, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

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Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided announced/leaked.

Square’s failed Deus Ex ARG.

Derek weaves a tail of using On Live.

Acronym Clothing.

FTC says Sony misrepresented the features of the Vita and are offering class action rewards.

Mega64 Beyond Two Souls.

Professor Layton mob‎ile sequel.

Fantasy Life 2.

WoW tokens launch.

Derek is TERRIFIED of Amiibo preorders.

Puzzles and Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition.

Splatoon.

Mario Party 10.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Homeworld Remastered.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

If you could forget, and relive one game for the first time what would it be and why?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:19:21 — 54.9MB)

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 24 – ‘Esta No Es Una Casa De Shades’

by GeekscapeStaffApril 6, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

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Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week

Derek and Josh answer last weeks question.

More Kojima/Konami drama.

What if Amiibo hunting played out like a drug deal?

Nintendo Direct.

Mario Kart 200 CC mode.

Mario Kart DLC.

Amiibo cards.

Lucas is the next character for Smash Bros.

Mii Fighter costumes.

Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem.

Josh has a body pillow and we aren’t surprised.

New Amiibos!

Fatal Frame for Wii U coming to North America!

Project STEAM patch.

11-Bit Studios and This War of Mine War Child charity DLC drive.

Gravity Rush.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper.

Boss Monster.

MLP Mobile Game.

Bayonetta.

Battlefield 4.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

What character do you want to see added to Super Smash Bros?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:15:11 — 52.0MB)

Super Smash Bros DLC Detailed; Includes Costumes, Mewtwo and Lucas!

by Josh JacksonApril 2, 2015

If you thought that Super Smash Bros. has ran its course, think again. During yesterday’s hype filled Nintendo Direct, the company had a ton of news to share for the blockbuster fighter, much of which was completely unexpected.

First, if you’re one of the people who have been waiting on baited breath for the Mewtwo DLC that was announced late last year, you won’t have to wait much longer. For those who registered their copies of the game for both the Wii U and 3DS, the legendary Pokemon will be available for download at no extra charge on April 15^th. For everyone else, they’ll have to fork over $3.99 for one game, or $4.99 for both and wait until April 28^th. Check out its reveal trailer below, including its Final Smash, complete with its Mega Mewtwo Y form and its signature Psystrike attack!

Next, also on April 15^th, Mii Fighters will receive the downloadable costume treatment. Highlights of the first set of outfits include a Link costume, a Majora’s Mask headgear item, Dunban’s duds from Xenoblade Chronicles, Mega Man X and Protoman costumes, along with Smash T-Shirts, cat suits and monkey suits, (seriously, what’s with Nintendo’s animal suit obsession these days?) Each item has four download options, at either $.75 each, $1.15 each for both the 3DS and Wii U versions, or $6.00 and $9.20 for the entire set for one or both consoles.

Third, and easily the biggest surprise to come out of the Smash Bros. news wave, is that Lucas is making his big return! The protagonist of Mother 3 and formerly cut Smash Bros. Brawl newcomer is returning, with most of his moves seemingly intact. Will he get a new Final Smash, different pricing from Mewtwo or any other major changes? We have no idea! What we do know, is he will be released in June and his reveal trailer is pretty sweet. Check it out!

And lastly, if Lucas and Mewtwo aren’t your favorites and you think you could come up with a better downloadable roster, now’s your chance! A trip over to the official Smash Bros. website links to a poll where you can write in who you would want to appear as future DLC for the title, with a deadline of October 3^rd.

Our own Eric Francisco has urged us to write in Travis Touchdown from No More Heroes, but we have enough sword users! If you don’t write in Ray MK II from Custom Robo, Chibi Robo from, well… Chibi Robo, or Issac from Golden Sun, then we can’t be friends. I mean sure, Issac has a sword, but at least his character model is complete as a former Assist Trophy and would have unique Psynergy attacks. At the very least, vote Starman from Pro Wrestling! A winner can never be you without him! Then again, while the site says one vote per person, there’s nothing actually stopping us from voting more than once. Just saying…

With so much news, it seems like we’ll be settling it in Smash for a long time. Comment below to tell us what you’re most excited about, and who you’re going to vote in as the next DLC character!

Splatoon Gets A Release Date And Its Own Amiibo Set!

by Josh JacksonApril 2, 2015

Remember Splatoon? The upcoming 3^rd Person Shooter for Wii U that we previewed last year? Well, we finally know when we’re going to have the final version in our hands, and it’s coming with a few new Amiibo to boot!

Coming on May 29^th, Nintendo’s latest IP takes the traditional arena deathmatch FPS and changes the focus from shooting your enemies to shooting the environment. Each team is scored based on how much of the field they tag with their own paint, with bonus weapons, paint splatter and movement options depending on performance. With a full-fledged single player mode to go along with the online battles, we’re hoping that the final build offers us countless hours of fun.

In addition, in what shouldn’t be too big of a surprise, Splatoon is also getting its own amiibo set. Featuring a boy and girl Inkling along with a Squid, the boy and girl will be sold separately in addition to a triple pack bundle, which as of now, is the only way to get the squid. While it’s common practice for other toys to life figures to come in bundles, this is the first time amiibo will be sold in this type of pack. While pricing has yet to be announced, I’m willing to bet the triple pack will save us a little cash when available.

(NOTE: Since this writing was completed, it has been confirmed that the pack will retail at $35. Thanks, Amazon!)

So if you couldn’t tell, I’m excited for Splatoon! What about you? Have the Inklings splattered your heart yet? Let us know!

‘Yoshi’s Wooly World’ Launching Alongside Three Yarn Amiibo This Fall

by Josh JacksonApril 2, 2015

As one of the many Amiibo related announcements during the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, Yoshi’s Wooly World will be one of many Nintendo titles to gain support for the money draining figure craze. Except, as with the game’s visuals, these upcoming Yoshi toys take on a unique look.

Arriving alongside the game in September, the Yarn Yoshi’s come in pink, light blue, and his trademark green. Scanning them adds a second CPU controlled player to help us get through tough spots and reach hidden areas. Although, even if they didn’t do a thing in the game, I’m sure I’m not the only one who would rush out and buy them anyway, if for no other reason than because they’re so darn cute. The question is, do you buy all three? Oh wait, that’s not a real question, of course you do.

The game itself is looking to carry the spirit of the classic Yoshi’s Island titles, (ignoring the latest one, I hope,) with plenty of colorful environments, creative platforming challenges and tons of hidden items to discover in this yarn based world. If the game is too tough, (has a Yoshi game ever been?), an easier difficulty with permanent winged Yoshi is also available. Hopefully this means that Wooly World will offer up a decent challenge, rather than shoehorning the easier option in just to follow most of Nintendo’s other first party software. Either way, we loved what we played at E3 last year, so if the trend continues, Wooly World should be a welcomed addition to a growing Wii U library.

Is Yoshi’s latest adventure on your radar? Let us know!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 23 – ‘O Canada, Where Art Thou?’

by GeekscapeStaffApril 2, 2015

Join Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

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Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week

Josh buys Duck Dynasty on the 3DS.

Live action Zelda Netflix series rumors CONFIRMED FALSE!

Mega64 Shadow of Mordor.

Halo: Online – RUSSIA ONLY?!

Halo 5: Guardians ARG starts up.

Predator joins the list of playable characters in Mortal Kombat X.

Juan breaks his dogs leg!

Mario Party 10.

Codename STEAM.

Star Wars Battlefront III releases 2015 and is Next Gen only!

Pokemon Shuffle.

MLP Mobile game.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

What game did you absolutely hate that everyone seemed to love?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13:43 — 50.9MB)

‘Legend Of Zelda’ Live Action Netflix Series Rumors Turned Out To Be False

by Shane O'HareMarch 23, 2015

Way back in the beginning of February we talked about the rumors floating around about Netflix doing a live action Legend of Zelda show in the style of Game of Thrones. WELL, turns out the rumors were faker than Kim Kardashian.

In an interview with TIME magazine, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata put the rumors to rest.

As of now, I have nothing new to share with you in regard to the use of our IPs for any TV shows or films, but I can at least confirm that the article in question is not based on correct information.

Looks like we’re stuck with the cartoon from the 80’s. You know our writer Juan Carlos is going to be disappointed.

Mega64’s ‘Shadow Of Mordor’ Skit Is Way Too Much Fun

by Shane O'HareMarch 23, 2015

Looks like the Mega64 boyz have done it again. After a six week drought in sick vids, we got a slurry of great skits. Today we were gifted with this hilarious Shadow of Mordor video.

They’ve really captured the look and feel of the game, you know minus the cars and tourists. Credit where credit is due, Garrett Hunter (the team’s effect artist), really outdid himself on the costumes for this one.

For more Mega64, check out their official website AND the Sub-Reddit.

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 22 – ‘The One Without The Audio Issues (Knock On Wood)’

by Shane O'HareMarch 21, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

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Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week

Cities: Skylines sells 200k copies in ONE day.

Uncharted 4 delayed to 2016.

Derek’s Canadian Amiibo woes! Prices are going up!

The Canuck get’s all emotional over April 10th.

Conkers Bad Fur Day DLC for Project Spark!

Microsoft sending out surveys trying to gauge interest in an Alan Wake Remaster.

Canada is ditching the RedBox?

Star Wars Battlefront gameplay footage will be shown at The Star Wars Celebration.

Nintendo partners with DeNa and will be releasing products on mobile platforms.

Shane levels up his laughing.

Flowers of Robert Maplethorpe.

Hideo Kojima and Konami possibly parting ways? Rumours are flying!

Shane and Derek’s girlfriends are NOT scared by PT.

Monster Hunter 4.

Pokemon Shuffle.

Shadow of Mordor.

Xenoblade.

Resident Evil Revelations 2.

The Order 1886.

Codename S.T.E.A.M.

GTA Online Heists.

My Little Pony Mobile Game.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

What Nintendo game would you like to see on a Mobile platform?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:23:58 — 57.7MB)

‘Final Fantasy XV’ Summons Look Freaking Amazing!

by Shane O'HareMarch 18, 2015

I’ve always have been a fan of the Final Fantasy series, but haven’t played enough due to my allegiance to Nintendo growing up. Now that I gots me a PS4 I’m ready for Final Fantasy XV, and holy shit! After seeing this gameplay footage of what the summons are going to look like…I literally can’t even right now.

We’ll have to wait for a bit more, as the release date is still in the perpetual “COMING SOON” state.

Final Fantasy XV will be on the PS4 and the Xbox One.

Bad News Folks! ‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ Just Got Pushed To Spring 2016

by Shane O'HareMarch 11, 2015

Looks like we ran the karma tap dry. With yesterdays GTA and Zoolander news, we were BOUND to get something bad. Looks like Nathan Drake won’t be returning as soon as we thought. Uncharted 4 has been pushed back to 2016!

In an open letter from the games directors, we’ve been told that the game’s original release schedule isn’t going to be met.

So we’ve made the difficult choice of pushing the game’s release date. Giving us a few extra months will make certain that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End not only meets the team’s high standards but the high standards that gamers have come to expect from a Naughty Dog title.

This is going to be my first Uncharted game, since I’ve only recently jumped into the Sony ecosystem. I am very glad that they’re going to take their time!

GTA Online Heists Are Now Available! Automatic Updates For PS4 & Xbox One!

by Shane O'HareMarch 10, 2015

WHOA DAMN SON! Surreptitiously, under the protection of night, Rockstar has pushed out the GTA Online Heist update! After over 18 Months of perpetual teasing, we can finally play!

Plan, Prepare, Execute – Online Heists span numerous missions featuring new gameplay, vehicles, weapons, and scenarios to test a team’s full set of skills: from computer hacking to stealth infiltration, precision driving to aerial dogfighting, sniping, skydiving and much more.

4-Player Teams, 4 Ways to Play – Choose your roles and strategize to complete each stage of a Heist, with tight communication and coordination the key to success. Some missions will require the team to work as a single unit, while others will break the team into separate roles to complete key objectives. Replay each Heist to experience a different perspective on the action, and complete Elite Challenges for extra cash.

Additional New Adversary Modes – Brings new kinds of competition to GTA Online while new Daily Objectives and other Freemode activities bring chaos to the streets of Los Santos and Blaine County.

Assemble Your Team – Create a Crew or join existing Crews at the Rockstar Games Social Club to earn additional RP rewards as you play.

The update started to push out this morning for PS4 and Xbox One users, and should have already started automatically if you have the auto update feature on. PS3 and Xbox 360 users will have to manually update the title Heists will also arrive on launch for PC users on April 14th.

So Geekscapists, fire up your consoles and hit up Los Santos. It’s going to get crazy.

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 21 – ‘Rockband: The Old Blood Feat. Battletoads’

by GeekscapeStaffMarch 10, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

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Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week

Sony loses list of PS4 Anniversary Edition winners.

Valve announces Source 2, VR headset and Steam Link.

Josh sells his surplus New 3DS out from under Shane.

Crazy Unreal 4 retro arcade with PLAYABLE games.

Maxis gets shutdown by EA.

Alien Isolation third person build gets shown off.

Harmonix announces Rockband 4.

Rockband 2: The Stars reality TV show.

Shovel Knight Plague of Shadows DLC.

Battletoads in Shovel Knight Xbox One edition.

Blizzard introduces WoW Tokens to combat gold sellers.

Shane updates us on his WoW story.

Monster Hunter 4.

Destiny.

COUNTER Spy.

Xenoblade: Chronicles

Wolf Among Us.

Codename: STEAM.

The Order: 1886.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

What pre 2000 game would you like to see remade with modern tech? Not an HD remake, but totally remade from the ground up.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:46 — 58.5MB)

The ‘Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster’ Will Hit PS4 This May!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 3, 2015

Briefly: If you weren’t already sick of buying Square-Enix‘s stellar Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy X-2, you’ll soon be able to pick the games up all over again for your shiny year-and-a-half old PS4.

Sure, the remaster just hit PS3 and Vita back in December (which I bough and still haven’t touched), and now Square-Enix has revealed that the PS4 version will be available on May 12th.

Does anybody else feel like half of the PS4’s library is rereleases at this point?

The PS4 edition WILL include cross-save functionality, so if you’ve already started on the PS3 or Vita, you won’t be out of luck. In this edition, you’ll also be able to switch between the original and remastered soundtracks on the fly, which is actually pretty rad.

Will you listen to my story again on May 12th? Or are you sitting this one out? Sound out below!

Valve Announces ‘Source 2’ And First Party Hardware At GDC

by Shane O'HareMarch 3, 2015

This year’s GDC was going to be an exciting one. With Valve making a very large up front announcement that they were going to be having a press conference full of content (It was today, 3/3/2015. I guess they CAN count to three.). Well we have an official press release from the company that outlines some VERY exciting products from Valve. The most exciting (for me anyway) is the announcement of the Source 2 engine!

“We continue to see very strong growth in PC Gaming, with Steam growing 50% in the last 12 months,” said Gabe Newell, Valve’s president. “With these announcements we hope that we are helping build on that momentum.”

Steam Machines, Windows PCs, Macs, and Linux PCs will be able to take advantage of a new product announced at GDC called Steam Link. Designed to extend your Steam experience to any room in the house, Steam Link allows you to stream all your Steam content from any PC or Steam Machine on the same home network. Supporting 1080p at 60Hz with low latency, Steam Link will be available this November for $49.99, and available with a Steam Controller for an additional $49.99 in the US (worldwide pricing to be released closer to launch).

Steam Machines from partners Alienware and Falcon Northwest are being shown, with Machines from a dozen other partners slated to release this November. Steam Machines will start at the same price point as game consoles, with higher performance. Customers interested in the best possible gaming experience can choose whichever components meet their needs. Epic will give a demonstration of the newly announced Unreal Tournament running on a 4K monitor driven by the Falcon Northwest Steam Machine. “We love this platform,” said Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games. “Whether you’re running incredibly detailed scenes at 4K or running 1080p at 120 FPS for an intense shooter experience, this brings world-class gaming and graphics to televisions with an open platform true to Valve’s PC gaming roots.”

Valve will show a virtual reality (VR) headset. Developer versions of the headset will be available this spring, and partner HTC will ship their Vive headset to consumers by the end of the year.

Two new technologies are part of the VR release – a room scale tracking system codenamed Lighthouse, and a VR input system. “In order to have a high quality VR experience, you need high resolution, high speed tracking,” said Valve’s Alan Yates. “Lighthouse gives us the ability to do this for an arbitrary number of targets at a low enough BOM cost that it can be incorporated into TVs, monitors, headsets, input devices, or mobile devices.” Valve intends to make Lighthouse freely available to any hardware manufacturers interested in the technology.

“Now that we have Lighthouse, we have an important piece of the puzzle for tackling VR input devices,” said Valve’s Joe Ludwig. “The work on the Steam Controller gave us the base to build upon, so now we have touch and motion as integrated parts of the PC gaming experience.”

“We’ve been working in VR for years and it was only until we used SteamVR’s controllers and experienced the magic of absolute tracking that we were able to make the VR game we always wanted to make,” said Alex Schwartz of Owlchemylabs.

VR demos being shown at GDC include work from Bossa Studios, Cloudhead Games, Dovetail Games, Fireproof Studios, Google, Owlchemylabs, Skillman & Hackett, Steel Wool Games, Vertigo Games, and Wevr.

Valve announced the Source 2 engine, the successor to the Source engine used in Valve’s games since the launch of Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2. “The value of a platform like the PC is how much it increases the productivity of those who use the platform. With Source 2, our focus is increasing creator productivity. Given how important user generated content is becoming, Source 2 is designed not for just the professional developer, but enabling gamers themselves to participate in the creation and development of their favorite games,” said Valve’s Jay Stelly. “We will be making Source 2 available for free to content developers. This combined with recent announcements by Epic and Unity will help continue the PCs dominance as the premiere content authoring platform.”

Also as part of supporting PC gaming, Valve announced that it will be releasing a Vulkan-compatible version of the Source 2 engine. Vulkan is a cross-platform, cross-vendor 3D graphics API that allows game developers to get the most out of the latest graphics hardware, and ensures hardware developers that there is a consistent, low overhead method of taking advantage of products. Vulkan, previously called Next Generation OpenGL, is administered by the Khronos Group, along with other standards such as OpenCL, OpenGL, and WebGL.

GDC 2015 will mark the 13th anniversary of Valve’s first public announcement of Steam, which has since become the leading platform for PC, Mac, and Linux games and software. In the last year, Steam realized the addition of many new services and features – including In-Home Streaming, Broadcasting, Music, and user-created stores – as it grew to over 125 million active accounts worldwide.

Source 2 is going to be HUGE for games going forward. The source engine is in desperate need of an update. It had a “partial” update with the release of Counterstrike: Global Offensive (think of it like source 1.5), but a complete version upgrade is needed to keep the platform competitive. With products like Unreal Engine 4 recently being released for FREE, Valve couldn’t compete with it’s physics engine alone.

The Source 2 release comes on the heels of HTC announcing their partnership with Valve on the Vive VR project, which looks like it is going to give the folks over at Oculus and Sony a run for their fucking money.

Valve also touched on their first party hardware releases. Announcing more Steam Machine units and availability, as well as giving a launch date for their controller (November 2015).

The most interesting of the hardware products has to be the Steam Link product. A small small streaming device ready to broadcast your Steam library from your beefy gaming PC, to your TV in the living room.

This is probably the most compelling product they’ve announced. The concept of the Steam Machines being a living room replacement for your gaming PC is great, but the individual units haven’t really been competitively priced for a comparable gaming PC. This takes that concept, and puts it into a small form factor and lets you stream from your existing hardware WITHOUT limiting you with the Steam OS.

All and all I am very happy with Valve’s announcements. The future of Valve Software looks bright with Source 2…and hopefully we’ll see the rise of Half-Life 3!

‘Pokkén Tournament’ Gets A Bad-Ass New Trailer!

by Derek KraneveldtFebruary 19, 2015

Briefly: We still don’t know if we’ll ever get a chance to play it, but Pokkén Tournament sure looks to be shaping up nicely.

A new trailer for the game debuted at this year’s Japan Amusement Expo, and while it reveals no new characters (and few other surprises), the 60FPS video offers a gorgeous look at the upcoming fighter.

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think. Currently, Pokkén Tournaments is confirmed only for Japanses arcades. Don’t you miss arcades?

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 18 – ‘I.W.T.L.F.Y.T.T.Y.G.T.Y.N.3.T.I.W.T.Y.T.L.T.T.E.’

by GeekscapeStaffFebruary 14, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

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Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week

Nintendo Youtube ad revenue sharing policies get clarified.

Nintendo 3DS system transfer is convoluted as fuck!

Juan dual wields 3DS’s at Wondercon.

Juan worked at Nintendo?!?!

Bethesda announces an E3 press conference.

Netflix announces Legend of Zelda original series.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue coming to PC alongside the Steelseries Eye Tracking system.

WTF is Criminal Girls?!

Evolve DLC controversy.

Continue Show: Tomba!

Criminal Girls may be the ONLY reason to buy a PS Vita.

We talk all about who our “Best Girl” is.

Dying Light.

Indigo Prophecy Remastered.

Shane’s Destiny addiction hits a new low.

Apotheon.

Transistor.

Juan is also playing Destiny!

Pandoras Tower.

Gunman Clive 2.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective

What is your dream video game mashup? That can be two games, a game with a movie or TV show. ANYTHING!

Leave a comment below, tweet us OR email us: shane (at) geekscape (dot) net

We have two contests for you this week!

Go to our Official Facebook Page and share the image there for your chance to win a copy of Grim Fandango: Remastered! If you share the secret hashtag from this weeks episode, you will get entered TWICE!

Tweet us with the hashtag #geekscapegames and tell us why YOU should get your hands on a Lucario Amiibo!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:31 — 49.3MB)

PS4 Exclusive ‘Until Dawn’ Gets A Valentine’s Day Trailer!

by Derek KraneveldtFebruary 13, 2015

Briefly: Ready At Dawn’s Until Dawn was originally slated to hit the PS3 (with some good ol’ Playstation Move support), but was re-announced as a PS4 exclusive this past Summer.

The game totally plays like a B-grade horror film, and I’m so excited for it. I’m a big fan of survival horror games (which you’d know if you listened to the Geekscape Games podcast), and I’m super happy to see the resurgence of horror titles that’s happening now (and looks as though it will continue for some time).

Sony today debuted a new ‘Valentine’s Day’ trailer for the game, which feature’s the game’s characters gettin’ romantic before… well, gettin’ dead. The game still looks a little rough around the edges (especially considering that it runs on the Killzone: Shadowfall engine), but I’m sure things will get cleaned up before it launches later in 2015.

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know if you’re excited!

Eight friends trapped together on a remote mountain retreat, and they aren’t alone. Gripped by dread, with tensions running high, they must fight through their fear if they all hope to make through the night in one piece.

Play as each of the eight characters and experience fear like you never have before. Every decision you make in your terrifying search for answers could mean the difference between life and death, but for whom? Your actions alone will decide who survives Until Dawn.

‘Hyperdevotion Noire’ Collectors Edition Pre-Orders Are Live!

by Josh JacksonFebruary 3, 2015

Idea Factory has announced that pre-orders for the collector’s edition of Hyperdevotion Noire are now available worldwide. Launching on February 24th exclusively on the company’s online store, this special edition will come packaged with all kinds of Gamindustri goodness to celebrate the goddess of Lastation.

The Collector’s Edition includes:

– Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart for the PlayStation®Vita system
– “XOXO Noire” Wall Scroll
– Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart Illustration Book
– Collector’s Box
– Reversible Cover Sleeve Art

Any Hyperdimension collectors out there? If so, I don’t have to tell you that these will go fast, so unless you want your life to be full of regret as you watch prices rise on eBay, I’d say you need to jump on this. In the meantime, watch out for more information on this SRPG spinoff as the release draws nearer.