Earlier in April, Nintendo reported that they had 9.8 million users for Nintendo Switch Online. That number has grown again, with the service now surpassing 10 million users. This was announced at Nintendo’s annual general meeting of shareholders.
Nintendo Switch Online costs $3.99 for a month, $7.99 for 3 months, and $19.99 for one year. Nintendo Switch Online allows users to play games online, as without the service you will not be able to do so. This goes for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and more. The service also gives subscribers the NES – Nintendo Switch Online app. This app allows the user to play select NES games online or local with co-op. As of now, this is the only way to play some of Nintendo’s older classics, as Virtual Console is not on the Nintendo Switch. The service also offers subscribers the ability to back their game saves up in the cloud. This can be extremely useful is something ever happened to your Nintendo Switch. Finally, every once and a while the service will give subscribers a “Special Offer”. We have had two so far, the first being the NES Controllers, and the second being the Nintendo Switch Online Game Vouchers.
Are you subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online? If so, how do you feel about the service? Let us know on Twitter!
It appears that G2A has angered people one too many times, and this time it’s indie game developers. No More Robots, a publishing label has started a petition against the key reseller. In it, they ask that all indie sales are completely removed in order to support indie developers. We need to take a step back though and examine why this is happening.
In the latest episode of Fuck G2A:
G2A has taken out sponsored ads on Google, which mean that when you search for our games, you get G2A popping up above our own links — and we make zero money on our games if people buy through the ads.
It all started when Mike Rose (the owner of No More Robots), put out a tweet going against G2A. Apparently, the reseller is putting their Descenders ads in front of the developers own ads. On top of that, indie developers make zero money off their game if the user buys it from G2A just adding fuel to the fire.
This gained traction for a while, but it prompted G2A to respond saying that only 8% of their sales are indie games. While this makes sense on the surface, indie developers make up the majority of the game industry. Even if it were the case, indie developers also need every dollar in sales they can get to support themselves and their coworkers.
And with that, the petition was created to stop this practice and support indie devs. The petition also has the support of several other indie devs which is a great sign. We can only hope this will cause a change from G2A but if you support this cause, you can sign the petition here. What are your thoughts on the situation? We’d love to hear your input.
August’s Humble Monthly is now upon us, offering some great games and more at the start of August. For this month’s early unlocks, you can secure Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Surviving Mars.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a first-person action RPG from Warhorse Studios. You take on the role of Henry, the son of a blacksmith who is attacked by the new King’s men. King Sigismund is a tyrant trying to take the crown’s riches. You must join the resistance and help to take back the crown from Sigismund in this story-rich open world. The game has a 76 on Metacritic.
Surviving Mars is a city building simulation game from Haemimont Games. Humans are ready to colonize planet Mars, and it’s your job to develop it. You must use a mix of domes, infrastructure, and drones to create a thriving ecosystem. Surviving Mars also has a 76 on Metacritic.
Last month’s bundle also offered some great games. The early unlocks were Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and Moonlighter, along with some great indies like Warhammer Mechanicus. You can get a bundle of games like this including the early unlock today by subscribing to Humble Monthly. It’s $12 a month and offers you games, a 10% discount on their store, and access to a DRM-free library of games.
At E3, Xbox unveiled a brand new way to fight the Swarm in the new mode Escape in Gears 5. They wanted to show how they’ll be pushing the envelope by doing new things never seen in a Gears game before, and that throughout the summer, they’ll reveal more about Gears 5 ahead of its September 10th release. Well today we are provided with more details on how we can be among the first to play Gears 5 and help create the future of Versus multiplayer.
Multiplayer fans of all types can enjoy these weekend test sessions, as you’ll get to play Escalation (our updated competitive gametype) along with Arcade (a new and approachable multiplayer gametype) and a longtime fan favorite: King of the Hill. For players new to Gears or those that want to practice their skills and learn new mechanics we’ve added our new training mode – Bootcamp. The Tech Test also features a short Tour of Duty, which is a series of challenges for players to earn content – completing all of these challenges unlocks an exclusive Tech Test Banner. Players can also unlock three Versus Weapon Skins by completing some additional challenges. For a closer look at Escalation, be sure to check out the ELEAGUE Invitational next weekend (July 13-14) and stay tuned for additional details about Arcade next week.
Included with your Xbox Game Pass membership or as part of your Gears 5 pre-order (whether as a separate 5×5 code from a participating retailer or bundled in your digital pre-order), the Tech Test will be available to download starting July 17 with online play being active from July 19 (starting at 10 a.m. PDT) through July 21, and then active again on July 26 (at 10 a.m. PDT) through July 29.
As mentioned earlier, starting on July 17 at 10 p.m. PDT, you can search for “Gears 5” to pull up the Technical Test on your Xbox One console or Windows 10 PC. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass member, you will see the Tech Test available to download in your library – same as any of the 100+ great games in the catalog. Note that between the weekend test periods, the Tech Test itself will be available for download, but servers will be offline. They also wanted to remind you that online multiplayer will require Xbox Live Gold on console, and that because this Tech Test is to help test the servers, you might encounter some queueing as you start to play.
For players on Windows 10 PC, we have the below chart that outlines minimum and recommended specs for the Tech Test:
It seems that Nintendo is recruiting a 3DCG terrain designer for the upcoming sequel to Breath of the Wild. The position is Kyoto-based and is a contract position, with the deadline being September 30, 2019.
The critically-acclaimed open world game was revealed to be receiving a sequel during Nintendo’s E3 2019 Direct. Due to how little info was revealed, it’s likely the sequel won’t be arriving for some time.
The puzzle genre has been filled with such innovative minds that create masterpieces (some of which are my favorite games to this day). With that, it’s becoming increasingly hard to bring innovative and fresh entries for developers. In fact, many puzzle games these days are sequels or the same concepts with a different setting. That’s not to say games that do that are bad games, but you find that innovation in those entries is a lot more rare.
Night Lights is one such game that manages to stand out from that crowd. The game makes for an enjoyable and complex experience branching from a single concept. Night Lights has you taking on the role of a little robot who wants to bring light back into a world that has been covered in darkness. You use different light sources in order to solve increasingly difficult challenges. Through those challenges, you make your way through levels on three distinct environments. Your goal is to collect stars in order to bring light back to a world of darkness.
Gameplay
Through the gameplay of Night Lights, you try to accomplish this task but with a lot more depth. You complete each area in order to unlock power cores that unlock challenge levels for that stage. It’s an interesting way to do this kind of gameplay, and I had a lot of fun just adventuring through each environment to figure out what I had to do to complete each puzzle. These puzzles often involve light, a mechanic that can remove scenery from the world and add a layer of complexity.
The environments are used very effectively, and create the level out of pieces from the area its based off of. In combination with this, they make very intricate and enjoyable puzzles using aspects like small cabins for the forest, elevators to ride in the city, and simple structures to climb on in the desert. It’s a basic detail that gives each area its own unique feel and adds to the depth of the game. On top of that, the game took an interesting approach in the later half by making you think of different ways to solve things rather than the most obvious ways. It’s not a new concept for the genre, but it’s still great to see it included.
As for mechanics in the game, I thought they were all quite unique and felt different in their own way. There were abilities like dashes and light on the go that really changed up how the game was played. In the way they introduce the mechanics, I thought it was done flawlessly. You’re given a sample of what you’re supposed to do with that new tool, then do some simple levels working up to more complex challenges. The attention to detail in difficulty ramping for new mechanics as well as the game as a whole is quite remarkable, and is something I don’t get the chance to see done well very often.
Sound/Art
The game is accompanied by a lovely art style and a great soundtrack to boot. The art style really fits well with the game in how minimalistic it is while still showing a lot of depth to the scenes. The forest shows many different trees and the landscape behind it, the city shows the large cityscapes and the open sky, and the desert shows some great sand dunes in the back. Simple, yet very effective in giving the scene more depth.
For the soundtrack, the songs chosen always seemed to fit the game very well for me. It offered a selection of very calming music that helped to fit the idea that it was a calm, quiet ambiance which really sets the tone for what you’re doing. The majority (excluding areas near the end of the game) is generally quite relaxing. Thinking is the hardest thing you have to do, which it accompanies successfully.
Cons
The game overall is really well executed, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t have its fair share of flaws to it. For example, the options menu features two sub menus (Video Settings and Audio Settings) with two different options in each which to me feels a little lackluster. Borderless windowed and the ability to change controls definitely would’ve been things I’d loved to see included. There are more obviously, but those are the two largest ones for me.
The game also features a strange amount of bugs which did hinder gameplay at times. For one, I sometimes would have to go back and replay a level in order to get an item I had already earned previously which while not too annoying at first, became a little frustrating after the second or third time. That as well as some issues with terrain when using your light bulb would’ve gone a long way.
As far as gameplay itself, I did have two issues that I feel should be addressed. For one, it would’ve been good to have an objective list in to provide the player with some guidance. With that, energy proving to have more of an impact would’ve been nice. Past the first 40, I never felt the need to go for them. It became more of a collectible which isn’t too bad, but would’ve felt better with more focus.
Final Thoughts
Overall though, I must say I really did enjoy playing through Night Lights. It offered some really enjoyable moments in not only the puzzles, but also the environments. The mechanics all feel really fresh and unique, and the difficulty between levels is executed flawlessly. I did have a few issues here and there, but it didn’t distract much from my enjoyment of the game. If you’d like to pick this game up, you can do so on the Steam or Humble Store for $10. For a 4-5 hour experience, that’s more than worth it.
For a while now, we have heard from various people in the industry that The Last of Us 2 would be launching in February of 2020. A new rumor has surfaced, coming from the same person who leaked Death Stranding’s November 2019 release date before it was announced. This person is saying that The Last of Us 2 will be launching in 2020, and it will be receiving 4 separate purchasable editions.
The Last of Us 2 is the sequel to 2013’s The Last of Us. The Last of Us sold phenomenally well on the PlayStation 3, surging in sales to become the console’s fourth best selling game of all time.
The Last of Us 2 was first revealed to the world in 2016 at PlayStation Experience. We went through the entirety of 2017 with no news, until 2018 at E3 where we received more gameplay. E3 2018 was the last time we’ve seen the game, and many rumors are pointing towards a February 2020 release date for this very anticipated title.
Are you excited for The Last of Us 2? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!
Limited Run Games and Sekai Games will be working together to bring CLANNAD to the west physically for the first time. Pre-orders are coming “very soon” according to Sekai Games, and can be done so through LimitedRunGames.com! Interested in CLANNAD? Take a look at the trailer and description below.
After the death of his mother, Tomoya Okazaki—a guarded delinquent student at Hikarizaka High School—struggles to not only make sense of the abusive relationship he has with his alcoholic father, but also find meaning in his life. While on his way to class one morning, he meets a mystifying girl named Nagisa. She is a delinquent like him, but only because she is repeating her senior year, unlike the perpetually tardy Okazaki. From their brief encounter, Nagisa decides they should be friends, and enlists Tomoya’s help to revive the school drama club. Not being busy in any way, he decides to join in. Along the way, the two make friends with many other students and try to find both solace and belonging in their endeavors. – Steam Store
Are you going to be ordering this physical from Sekai Games and Limited Run Games? let us know and join the conversation on Twitter!
The Pokémon Company has announced that Armored Mewtwo will be coming to Pokémon GO on July 10th for a limited time! Here is the official statement.
Trainers,
Mewtwo returns…with a new look. For a limited time, you can encounter this Psychic-type Pokémon in five-star raids.
Date + Time
* Armored Mewtwo will appear in five-star raids from July 10 at 1:00 p.m. PDT to July 31 at 1 p.m. PDT
Features
* For the first time in Pokémon GO, Armored Mewtwo will be available to challenge in raids for a limited time!
Avatar Items
* Do you consider yourself a Mewtwo Trainer? Show off your prowess for power and aesthetics with some stylish new items coming to the Style Shop!
Don’t miss this chance to encounter Armored Mewtwo. Are you up for the challenge?
—The Pokémon GO Team
Are you excited for Armored Mewtwo to make his appearance in the world of Pokémon GO? Do you still play Pokémon GO? If so, have you caught them all? Let us know on Twitter
Over the past two days Stranger Things portals have started to appear in Mega Mall, a location on the Fortnite map. You can check out that article here. Fortnite has released the Stranger Things inspired set tonight, which includes two brand new outfits and a brand new wrap. Below you can find all of the info on these items.
EPIC Skin: Chief Hopper – Hawkins PD’s finest. This skin has selectable styles. You can choose Hopper with his hat on or Hopper with his hat off.
RARE Skin: Demogorgon – Turn the battle upside down.
RARE Wrap: Vines – Show your style. This is an animated wrap. Vines looks to be the black vines from Stranger things. The vines move across the item with it being animated and all.
Stranger Things Season 3 released today, July 4th. This crossover in Fortnite is a result of it. Fortnite is known for crossovers, such as Marshemello, or even Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame.
Will you be picking up any of the Stranger Things inspired Fornite cosmetic items? Let us know and join the conversation on Twitter!
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a first-person action RPG from Warhorse Studios. You take on the role of Henry, the son of a blacksmith who is attacked by the new King’s men. King Sigismund is a tyrant trying to take the crown’s riches. You must join the resistance and help to take back the crown from Sigismund in this story-rich open world. The game has a 
Surviving Mars is a city building simulation game from Haemimont Games. Humans are ready to colonize planet Mars, and it’s your job to develop it. You must use a mix of domes, infrastructure, and drones to create a thriving ecosystem. Surviving Mars also has a 
