Nintendo Switch OLED model is official and coming October
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Nintendo has finally revealed a brand new version of the Nintendo Switch which is called the Nintendo Switch OLED Model and it's releasing this October.
The new version includes a 7-inch OLED screen, which Nintendo promises will have more vivid colors and a higher contrast than the original model.
The Nintendo Switch OLED version will also include 64GB of storage which can be easily expanded with a memory card similar to the older models. It also will come with a wider adjustable stand which will provide more viewing angles than before while the device is in tabletop mode. Sadly the new dock is very similar to the older model with the only improvement being the addition of a LAN Port, it'll still only play in 1080P. Lastly, the new model promises to have “enhanced audio” through improved onboard speakers
The Nintendo Switch OLED Model will come in the two stunning colors that include the usual Neon blue/Neon red Joycon or my favorite of two which is a more sleek white version that includes white Joycons and a white dock. Almost all existing Nintendo Switch accessories should work fine with the new hardware, with the exception of some like Nintendo Labo kits which might not work due to the changes in size of the new model.
The Nintendo Switch OLED Model will launch on October 8 and will be priced at $349.99 in the US and it'll equate to around £250 in the UK.
Casey Hudson forms Humanoid Studios
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Casey Hudson who previously worked on Mass Effect is now forming a brand new independent studio called Humanoid Studios.
Hudson announced the studio on Twitter by saying the following:#Today we are announcing a new independent videogame company built to unleash the creative freedom of developers – bringing innovation and artistry to players through an all-new IP.”
Little is known on what the new studio will be creating but the website states that the studio is still searching for key development roles such as Senior Gameplay & Level Designers, Environment Artists, and a Senior Creative Director.
It's always exciting to see a new studio’s form of known talent from the industry and I can't wait to see what the folks at Humanoid end up making.
The Switch Pro Is Reported To Launch In September
/The Nintendo Switch Pro rumors have been swirling around for a while now but according to a new report, we could hear about the upgraded console soon.
The report comes from Bloomberg, who said that the assembly of a new Nintendo Switch model is to begin in July, with the new console arriving on shelves by September or October.
According to Bloomberg's sources who have asked not to be named, the new console will likely be priced higher than the RRP of the standard Nintendo Switch with the dock, but will also replace that model as the older machine is phased out.
Eurogamer went on to say they've corroborating Bloomberg's report their own sources and added that
an announcement is expected before E3, to give third-party developers and publishers currently working on games for the new hardware the ability to announce their games at the event.
As usual, take the report with a grain of salt as Nintendo has yet to comment on the report. It would make a ton of sense though, especially since Xbox has been teasing a possibility of the two companies working together. This new hardware could be capable of you know, running Xbox Game Pass. That's all speculation on my part but i think Xbox has to do something BIG for E3 2021 and this would be a gigantic move for both companies.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl and Pokémon Legends: Arceus Release Dates Announced
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The Pokémon Company and Nintendo have announced the release dates for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes and Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Let's kicks things off with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes, which will be launching this year on November 19, 2021, for Nintendo Switch. It's a pretty predictable release date but I'm excited to return the diamond and pearl games.
When it comes to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, That game will release on January 28, 2022, on the Nintendo Switch. I'm not entirely sure if this game will hit this date, it seems a little too soon in my opinion. I could be completely wrong and maybe the scale of the game is smaller than I have in mind. regardless I can't wait to have more Pokemon games in my life.
Knockout City Is Free At Launch But Only For 10 Days
/EA has announced that Knockout City will be going free for ten days from launch as a free trial their calling the Block Party.
the full game will be available on all formats for ten days starting from May 21, allowing players to check out all four of the game's launch modes that include Team KO, Diamond Dash, Party Team KO, and Face-Off. Additionally, every map will be playable and players will be able to start unlocking cosmetics for their character.
if you decide to purchase the game during the Block Party event, you'll get some bonus content and keep everything you've unlocked over the course of the event.
Knockout City Season 1 will launch on May 25, with the theme of "Welcome to Knockout City". It'll add a new location to the game, and a ton of Contracts for both Crew and Weekly Crew list. A new Playlists and League Play will also be unlocked where you can raise your Street Rank and unlock even more cosmetics.
Knockout City will be free for ten days from launch on May 21 until May 30 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Nintendo Announce Game Builder Garage
/Nintendo has announced a new game coming to Nintendo Switch next month called Game Builder Garage.
The game is a collection of tools and interactive lessons that will teach players some programming skills led by colorful creatures known in the game as Nodon.
Players will have to use different Nodon which have their own functions and connecting them together will give players the ability to create games. the game features lessons and activities to teach key game development skills.
Once players are comfortable with the tools, they'll get the option to go into Free Programming mode to bring their creations to life.
In addition, you'll be able to share your creations with friends and the community online with a unique code. You'll be able to swap between the programming screen and the games to see how they were made.
You'll also be able to plug in a USB mouse to the Nintendo Switch dock to use help make your games.
Game Builder Garage is set to launch on the Nintendo Switch on June 11.
Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout's Xbox And Switch Versions Delayed
/Mediatonic has announced that the upcoming release for Xbox and Nintendo Switch versions of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will no longer launch in the Summer.
the announcement came from the game's official website, where the studio discussed its recent purchase by Epic Games by saying it offered "so many new opportunities" but also they said, "We've realized that our previously announced Summer 2021 Switch and Xbox release schedule is unfortunately just too soon for us to include all of the tasty new features we're working on."
on a positive note, the team confirmed that the delay will give them the chance to add additional features, which they promised would include crossplay so that Xbox and Nintendo Switch players can play with those on PlayStation 4 and PC.
Knockout City coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate And EA Play
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EA has confirmed that the upcoming dodgeball game Knockout City will be available via EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at launch in May.
in a post where EA celebrates the beta hitting one million downloads for the recent open beta weekend. They confirmed the game will be coming to EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier subscription, this also means it'll be available for players on PlayStation and PC via a standard EA Play membership as well.
I played the recent demo and I came away from it lukewarm, I enjoyed aspects of the game but I also found the matchmaking overly frustrating. Every match I played over the course of the beta weekend had one team with fewer players than the other which made it extremely one-sided.
Knockout City will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on May 21.
Additionally, the game will have access to cross-play across all platforms.
Apex Legends introduces a new permanent mode called Arenas
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Respawn has revealed their first permanent mode coming to Apex Legends since Duos and it looks amazing.
The new mode which is called Arenas will launch alongside season 9 (Legacy) and it will put two squads of 3 to battle against each other in smaller Arena maps.
Each round, players will select their characters and then a buy phase will commence, both teams will get to spend allocated crafting materials to buy weapons and equipment. Then the games will begin in a deathmatch-style mode with no respawns. The team to gain a two round lead will win the match.
The mode will launch with two Custom Maps called Party Crasher and Phase Runner but will also have adapted Arenas of parts of the Kings Canyon, World's Edge, and Olympus maps.
Apex Legends Season Nine: Legacy will drop on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch on May 4.
Lego Super Mario Announces A New Adventures With Luigi set
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After a recent leak, Lego and Nintendo have officially announced that Luigi will be joining the world of Lego Super Mario Adventures with Luigi Starter Course coming this August.
The set will include a Lego Luigi who'll be similar to Mario which includes an LCD screen and a speaker that plays sound effects, but Luigi will have his own responses and interactions with the blocks in the Lego Super Mario set.
The Starter Course will come with a ? Blocks, Pink Yosh, Boom Boom, and Bone Goomba features. If you already own the Lego Super Mario Starter Course, both Mario and Luigi will be able to interact with one another.
The Luigi Starter Course is available to preorder now with a release date of August 1 priced at £49.99.
Apex Legends Season 9 Legend Is Called Valkyrie
/Apex Legends is mere weeks away from dropping season 9 to the game and Respawn entertainment is ramping to the release with the announcement of their next legend.
in a newly released episode of 'Stories from the Outlands' short, the developer introduced its next character Valkyrie, who has a strong connection to Titanfall.
Valkyrie is the daughter of Titanfall 2 character Viper, who's the pilot behind the NorthStar Titan. (Boss fight in Titanfall 2) In the short, titled 'Northstar' Valkyrie is out to take revenge against her father boss, and leader of the Apex Legends in the form of Kuban Blisk.
The short provides a great introduction to Valkyrie for players and adds some interesting lore and backstory to both Titanfall and Apex Legends. interestingly enough, the new season isn't numbered but instead is just called Legacy.
In regards to Valk abilities, it looks like she'll have some form of flight with the short showcasing Rampart taking apart NorthStar with a shadow engulfing Valkrie with the Jetpack wings of the titan.
Apex Legends Legacy (Season 9) will begin on May 4 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Additionally more details and announcements for the upcoming season will be available in the coming weeks.
Lego Super Mario could be getting a Luigi Pack soon
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Luigi could be joining the world of Lego Super Mario soon according to a listing for a Luigi set being spotted on Amazon China.
The now-removed listing describes a new "Adventures with Luigi" set that will allow owners of the Lego Super Mario set to add more players to the fun.
Lego seemingly hinted at this in a recent firmware update for the Mario figure that had Mario now cried out for his brother.
There has been no official announcement from either Lego or Nintendo as of yet but the Amazon listing also claimed a release date for this summer.
I'm super excited to see these sets grow and add more characters to the world of Lego Super Mario, it might also mean that multiple people could participate in the fun together.
I'm calling dibs on Luigi in my household that's for sure unless Donkey Kong comes out. Then I'll be DK all-day
Sonic Colours Could Possibly Be Getting A Remaster
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Over the course of the weekend, a couple of listings were put online for a possible remaster of Sonic Colours.
originally reported by Gematsu, a German voiceover studio iksample listed a "Sonic Colors Remastered" in its portfolio on its website, which at the time of writing has since gone into maintenance mode. However, this was then later
backed up by a listing on French retailer Sogamely, which confirmed the title to be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2021.
No official confirmation has come from SEGA as of writing but it would make sense since the 30th anniversary of Sonic is this year.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Remaster is Coming To Nintendo Switch And Xbox Series X And PS5
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Activision has finally announced that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 will be released on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch this year.
The next-generation versions will arrive on March 26, with the Switch edition currently not having a specific release date but is confirmed for 2021.
Activision has promised a "variety of upgrades," which includes 120FPS/1080p and 60FPS/4K visuals, spatial audio, and other enhancements coming for the next-gen versions. Sadly the Nintendo Switch edition won't have the same frame rates and graphics upgrades.
Players who already own a digital copy of the game for PS4 or Xbox One or the disc version on PS4 will be able to upgrade to the same console family with all of your progress at no cost, except for residents of Japan where this will cost 100 Yen. This apparently only applies to the deluxe edition of the game and the disc version on Xbox One is seemingly left out too.
Activision will also be selling a "Cross-Gen Deluxe Bundle" that costs $10 more. This will come with a new skater called Ripper, along with retro gear for the Create-A-Skater mode, along with retro skins for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Rudney Mullen.
Apex Legends Nintendo Switch Release Date Announced
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EA and Respawn have announced that Apex Legends will finally be dropping onto Nintendo Switch on March 9.
game director Chad Grenier revealed the game will support cross-play on console, as well as the latest season and full feature parity with the other versions of the game. The Nintendo Switch version is being ported by the studio known as Panic Button.
Those who buy the Season 8 Battle Pass on Nintendo Switch will also get the first 30 levels plus XP earned will be doubled for the first two weeks after launch.
I jumped into the new season on launch and I'm currently enjoying most of the content, I still however do not like Kings Canyon. Fuse is pretty fantastic but his concussion ability is a little on the loud side. It's definitely an improvement on Season 7 and hopefully, with a little time and some patches, it'll be awesome.
Apex Legends Season 8 Mayhem Details Revealed
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Respawn Entertainment has announced the date for Season 8 of Apex Legends, as well as revealing some details on its latest Legends to join the apex games.
The new season which is entitled Mayhem will see the introduction of Fuse in an explosive way. Respawn Described him as "The Champion of Salvo" and as a "blow-up-first-ask-questions-later kinda guy".
The season will also bring changes to the Kings Canyon map, which respawn is calling Obliterated King's Canyon, more details were promised to come later in the week. Lastly, they showcased a brand new weapon in the form of a bolt action rifle called The 30-30 Repeater.
A few more details on the upcoming season are available on the Apex Legends website.
Season 8: Mayhem will be dropping into the world of Apex Legends on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC from February 2.
Nintendo Announces Mario Red & Blue Edition Switch Console
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Nintendo has revealed a new Mario edition Switch, which is the first limited edition console to feature a different color on the switch itself.
The Mario Red & Blue Edition is the same color scheme as the prolific plumber himself, with red Joy-Con featuring blue straps and blue grips that mimic Mario's fashion stylings. The dock and system are also red, rather than the normal black version. Additionally, the console will also launch with a matching carrying case and screen protector.
This special edition Nintendo console will be available to purchase from February 12 and will cost a total of $299.99.
I really like the design of the console and I'm trying my best to not buy another Nintendo Switch that I won't use much but it's also Red so who knows what I'll do.
