Monthly Archives: March 2015
Everything You Need to Know From Today’s Mortal Kombat X Live Stream
During today's Kombat Kast, developer NetherRealm shared new details about gruesome fatalities, a cool new Raiden skin, and a certain four-armed kombatant.
We covered all the MKX news on IGN, and now we're rounding up all the big stories and videos you shouldn't miss.
Goro was already confirmed as a pre-order bonus character in MKX, but until today, NetherRealm didn't share whether he'd be available by any other method.
The four-armed fighter can be picked up later down the road as DLC. "He's free if you pre-order... not so free if you don't," NetherRealm confirmed.
Resogun Defenders Review
Housemarque's voxel-packed side-scrolling shooter Resogun is easy to love for it's stimulating visuals and soundtrack, but once your newfound fascination with voxels and dance music finally cools, it's the challenge to survive and the call of the high score that draws you back. This tradition is upheld in the new Defenders DLC, which contains two new modes: Protector and Commando. Protector mode is a more punishing and exciting variation of the standard game--you earn powerful upgrades at a rapid pace but typically die in one hit--while the Commando mode has you defend the last house on the planet as either Arnold Schwarzenegger or an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator, sans spaceship.
OK. It's obviously not Arnold Schwarzenegger, but while defending humanity's last home from incoming enemy spacecraft and environmental hazards, you do randomly spout some famous lines in his voice. It's a fun touch, but don't let the comedic side of Protector get in the way of what's most important: defending that house. You run along the ground, firing into the sky as enemies nosedive into frame. Although the house you're defending can withstand some damage, similar to structures in the classic game Missile Command, all it takes is one hit for you to die in Commando mode, and there are no continues. You do have a few of the same abilities as your spaceship, including bombs and speed boosts, and you can jump, which is useful when ground-based enemies eventually appear. Because you can fire in more than two directions with the right analog stick, Commando mode feels like it has more in common with twin-stick shooters than it does with Resogun.
Blasting through increasingly difficult waves of enemies in Commando mode is challenging and the Schwarzenegger impersonations are humorous, but fighting on foot isn't as thrilling as zipping around in a ship. You don't move particularly fast, and your gun is underpowered for what feels like too long relative to how fast the number of targets increases on screen. This new style of gameplay is intriguing because it's different, but it lacks the sense of speed and excitement that's typical of Resogun. That's not to imply that it's bad or even not fun--you still experience the wonder of voxels and the drive to earn higher and higher scores, and likely a bit of laughter--but Commando mode just doesn't compare to the rest of Resogun.
If you're looking for something more fast-paced and exciting, focus on Protector mode. It plays very similar to Resogun proper, where you zoom around a ring-shaped level, shooting down enemy ships and rescuing vulnerable humans on the ground, but you earn weapons and armor upgrades at a much faster rate than usual. The trade-off is that enemy swarms grow equally fast and you don't start with any extra lives; the only second chances you get are in the form of expendable shields that occasionally come as bonuses for saving humans.
Piloting a fully-upgraded ship is a treat rarely afforded in other modes, where extended boosts and more destructive overdrive cannons are reserved for the best players, so Protector mode is a great way to experience a side of the game that may have been out of reach before. It's oh-so-sweet to have a massively upgraded ship, and because the difficulty also scales fast, you still feel like you're being challenged, even with all of the added firepower.
If Resogun has already run its course in your mind, there's nothing in Defenders that's going to lure you back in for the long haul. Of course, it's hard to imagine how someone could ever get enough Resogun, being that it's one of the best arcade-game experiences in years. In that sense, Defenders is a worthy addition to an already great game that will no doubt please anyone with a fondness for fighting within an inch of their life while also blowing up everything in sight into tiny, beautiful pieces.
Resogun Defenders Review
Housemarque's voxel-packed side-scrolling shooter Resogun is easy to love for it's stimulating visuals and soundtrack, but once your newfound fascination with voxels and dance music finally cools, it's the challenge to survive and the call of the high score that draws you back. This tradition is upheld in the new Defenders DLC, which contains two new modes: Protector and Commando. Protector mode is a more punishing and exciting variation of the standard game--you earn powerful upgrades at a rapid pace but typically die in one hit--while the Commando mode has you defend the last house on the planet as either Arnold Schwarzenegger or an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator, sans spaceship.
OK. It's obviously not Arnold Schwarzenegger, but while defending humanity's last home from incoming enemy spacecraft and environmental hazards, you do randomly spout some famous lines in his voice. It's a fun touch, but don't let the comedic side of Protector get in the way of what's most important: defending that house. You run along the ground, firing into the sky as enemies nosedive into frame. Although the house you're defending can withstand some damage, similar to structures in the classic game Missile Command, all it takes is one hit for you to die in Commando mode, and there are no continues. You do have a few of the same abilities as your spaceship, including bombs and speed boosts, and you can jump, which is useful when ground-based enemies eventually appear. Because you can fire in more than two directions with the right analog stick, Commando mode feels like it has more in common with twin-stick shooters than it does with Resogun.
Blasting through increasingly difficult waves of enemies in Commando mode is challenging and the Schwarzenegger impersonations are humorous, but fighting on foot isn't as thrilling as zipping around in a ship. You don't move particularly fast, and your gun is underpowered for what feels like too long relative to how fast the number of targets increases on screen. This new style of gameplay is intriguing because it's different, but it lacks the sense of speed and excitement that's typical of Resogun. That's not to imply that it's bad or even not fun--you still experience the wonder of voxels and the drive to earn higher and higher scores, and likely a bit of laughter--but Commando mode just doesn't compare to the rest of Resogun.
If you're looking for something more fast-paced and exciting, focus on Protector mode. It plays very similar to Resogun proper, where you zoom around a ring-shaped level, shooting down enemy ships and rescuing vulnerable humans on the ground, but you earn weapons and armor upgrades at a much faster rate than usual. The trade-off is that enemy swarms grow equally fast and you don't start with any extra lives; the only second chances you get are in the form of expendable shields that occasionally come as bonuses for saving humans.
Piloting a fully-upgraded ship is a treat rarely afforded in other modes, where extended boosts and more destructive overdrive cannons are reserved for the best players, so Protector mode is a great way to experience a side of the game that may have been out of reach before. It's oh-so-sweet to have a massively upgraded ship, and because the difficulty also scales fast, you still feel like you're being challenged, even with all of the added firepower.
If Resogun has already run its course in your mind, there's nothing in Defenders that's going to lure you back in for the long haul. Of course, it's hard to imagine how someone could ever get enough Resogun, being that it's one of the best arcade-game experiences in years. In that sense, Defenders is a worthy addition to an already great game that will no doubt please anyone with a fondness for fighting within an inch of their life while also blowing up everything in sight into tiny, beautiful pieces.
Would You Ever Buy a Flying Car?
We're back! This week we dive into the backlog of news: the (potential) revival of woolly mammoths, the coming arrival of flying cars, watching a live human birth via VR, Microsoft's backpedaling on giving away Windows 10 to pirates, and more. But first, we start with tackling a listener question about the Nintendo NX. Hop to about the 3:40 min mark if you want to get right to it!
Why Marvel’s New Avengers Team Was a Welcome Suprise
This week Marvel Comics revealed the lineup to their “All-New, All-Different Avengers” that will form after the events of this summer’s Secret Wars, and it certainly looks like they meant every word of that overly long title.
The team consists of classic members Iron Man and Vision, but also the African-American Sam Wilson continuing his role as Captain America and the female Thor who has the respect and blessing of the old Thor. Rounding out the team are three teenagers heroes -- the plucky Sam Alexander as Nova, the Muslim Kamala Khan as the Spider-Man analogue for a new generation in Ms. Marvel, and an actual Spider-Man for a new generation, the half-black/half-hispanic Miles Morales.
A Visual History of Racing Games
Today's beautifully rendered racing games, with their licensed cars and amazing attention to detail, are a continuation of one of gaming's oldest genres. Back in 1974, Taito's Speed Race featured black and white graphics of a blocky on a vertically scrolling road. Interest in the genre meant racing games were able to evolve with gaming since the very beginning, with breakthroughs coming with each console generation.
As was the case for most games, the best graphics could be found in the arcades. Sit-down multiplayer cabinets and gearshifts, steering wheels, and pedals added further to the realism. However, as the price of advanced hardware fell, so did interest in arcades. Eventually the home console experience would reach parity with the arcade experience. While capturing the "feel" of driving is something that was best done in an arcade cabinet designed to simulate a car seat, today's racing games easily match the graphical fidelity once only found in the most advanced and expensive arcade games.
The Legend of Zelda for Wii U Has Been Delayed
Update: A Nintendo spokesperson has confirmed that there are no plans to show off The Legend of Zelda for Wii U at this year's E3. You can read the full comment below.
"As Mr. Aonuma announced, The Legend of Zelda game for Wii U is no longer targeted as a 2015 release. Rather than sticking to a specific schedule, the team wants to make this the most complete and the best game it can possibly be. The new launch timing has not yet been determined. Because we’d like to focus on developing the game, we aren’t planning on showing it at this year’s E3, where we will be highlighting games launching in 2015. We will let you know when we’re ready to share more specifics."
Daredevil’s D’Onofrio May Terrorize Magnificent 7
Vincent D'Onofrio, who plays the sinister Kingpin in Marvel-Netflix's Daredevil, is up for the villain role in director Antoine Fuqua's remake of The Magnificent Seven.
Variety reports that D'Onofrio is in early talks with studios MGM and Sony to join the already cast Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke.
Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin in Netflix's Daredevil
Chronicling the Konami vs. Kojima Controversy
The past several days have been rife with rumors, reports, joint statements, and cancelations all centered around Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima's current standing with Konami.
There's a lot to process and sort through here, so we've provided a simplified rundown on all the major developments surrounding all the Kojima-related drama.
The controversy first began when Hideo Kojima's name and the Kojima Productions logo were being pulled off of Konami's website and related marketing material. In response, Konami released a statement to IGN, confirming the rebranding of Kojima Productions to Konami Digital Entertainment and a studio-wide restructuring.
Easy Fatalities Coming to Mortal Kombat X
NetherRealm Studios revealed today that Easy Fatalities will be a part of the upcoming Mortal Kombat X.
Tyler Lansdown, community specialist for NetherRealm, confirmed the addition of the easy fatalities during a Mortal Kombat X livestream.
"A couple eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a symbol with a skull on it" on screens of the game, Lansdown said. "People figured out that's 'Easy Fatalities.'"
Lansdown said that the MKX team has learned that there are some people who just can't pull of fatalities, whether it be they "just can't figure out the timing," or they get too freaked out and crumble under the pressure.
"When the game launches," Lansdown said, players will have access to "maybe 3" easy fatalities Day-One. But he added that there will be places in the game where more can be unlocked.