The recently-released racer based in the world of Crash Bandicoot is going to get 18 new characters, based on a datamine by BetaM on ResetEra. The datamine reveals that alongside the previously announced Spyro, the likes of Velo, Stew, and Von Clutch also will apparently appear in the game. See the full list for yourself.
Baby Coco
Baby Cortex
Baby Crash
Baby N.Tropy
Baby-T
Chick (CTTR)
Emperor Velo (CNK)
Gnasty Gnorc (Spyro)
Hunter (Spyro)
Nina Cortex (CTTR)
Pasadena (CTTR)
Rilla Roo (Bash)
Ripto (Spyro)
Sorceress (Spyro)
Spyro
Stew (CTTR)
Von Clutch (CTTR)
Willie Wumpa Cheeks (CTTR)
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled came out last June to critical acclaim, and has been riding the wave ever since. It’s a classic racer reimagined for the modern era. Spyro was set to release during this season’s Grand Prix, which is this game’s version of Seasons. Each Grand Prix, new tracks, unlockable characters, and more come to the game, and supposedly the list above tells us who.
What do you think about the rumored list of racers coming to the game? Be sure to tell us your opinion in the comments.
Release date – Sep 18, 2018(PC), June 14th, 2019(Nintendo Switch)
Price – $14.99
Reviewed on – Nintendo Switch
Review code provided – Yes
Gameplay
Verlet Swing is an extremely unique swinging platformer. You swing from object to object to try to reach a glowing sphere somewhere in the stage. Swinging object to object is the only way you can reach the goal, but you must use your momentum as well. Momentum plays a critical role in Verlet Swing, as in most courses you have to put it to good use. There might be a goal where you have to go incredibly fast to reach it. There are over 100 unique stages, all of which are very fun and unique. All of the various stages have unique elements, such as dolphins, fish, or even a pizza slices! The stages in Verlet Swing are extremely unique and filled with many details with extraordinary colors. Each of the 100+ stages in the game are unique, and give a different experience. While swinging to the goal, you cannot touch anything. Objects, floors, walls, and anything except for the glowing sphere will result in a death. The courses are extremely weird but very very cool. They all have a theme they go off of, with specific objects throughout to emphasize it. When you play the first level in Verlet Swing, it’s very easy. The goal is in sight, and really it just takes one small swing to make it to the goal. As you further progress in the first world, Verlet Swing starts to move the shining sphere (your goal) further and further away, making it out of sight. This adds quite a bit of challenge to the game, as sometimes you have to guess to find the goal. Verlet Swing has a total of 5 worlds, each with a total of 20 levels. As you progress through the worlds, the levels inside get somewhat harder. Some levels are extremely tricky, and it personally took me quite a bit of time to complete them. The game rates you on how quickly you beat the level. You receive a rating 1-5 stars each time after beating the level. There is quite a bit of replayability, as players can try to beat their times on the various levels in the game. With a large variety of courses and worlds to traverse through, Verlet Swing offers players a game that they can come back to time and time again.
Menu / Sensitivity
The game has a very cool and functional UI and menu. There are quite a bit of options that will help you succeed in the 100+ levels in the game. The menu has a variety of options to choose from. You can play through the 100+ levels, or you can play through the challenge levels the game has to offer. There are a grand total of 11 challenge levels in Verlet Swing. To unlock these, you must complete a certain amount of levels, with most levels unlocking after reaching level 20, 40, 60, & 100. The most important setting is sensitivity. Sensitivity is crucial in Verlet Swing as this game’s original platform was PC. It is a lot harder to swing with a controller when compared to a mouse, so cranking up the sensitivity helps make it a little bit easier. It still isn’t easy however. Without a mouse, Verlet Swing gets very difficult late game. The game is still quite playable though, but you need to master every turn extremely well to get a quick time.
Final Thoughts
Verlet Swing is a great game to play at home or on the go. Although it might be tough in some levels due to the sensitivity controls, I still had a ton of fun regardless. I beat every single level for this review, which took me approximately 10 hours to go through. Verlet Swing embraces the weird, and I am all for it. I never thought swinging from pizza slice to pizza slice could be so much fun.
The Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night developers have shared a brand new development update on Kickstarter focusing on DLC, bug fixes, and the Switch version. For those who don’t know, the Switch version has many problems, and is currently almost unplayable. The developers delayed the Switch version for one week in hopes to fix the bugs, however they were not able to by release day. Below you can find the entire Kickstarter post, written by Roberto Piraino, the Global Brand Manager of 505 Games.
“Hello again everyone! Not to be outdone, our amazing production and development teams came through with confirmed updates to share with you regarding progress on bug fixing, DLC and improvements to the Switch, and even bonus info on platform wide improvements! So let’s dive right in:
Chest Bug
Xbox One (Status: Fix Incoming)
Treasure chest issues have been fixed; after the patch, unique items will be obtainable even on existing playthroughs.
The patch for this should be submitted today (Wednesday), and we anticipate public release on Friday or Saturday.
The teams are also working on additional improvements and bug fixes.
Playstation 4 (Status—unchanged)
The problems causing the bug have been identified, teams are working to identify and implement solutions.
No new users affected by this bug, just like before all new games/playthroughs are safe to play.
Nintendo Switch (Status—fix being tested)
The fix is currently in test, the submission date we were working toward has been delayed due to a graphical bug that has reemerged.
We anticipate testing will be completed by next week, which would mean an ETA of public release during the week of July 15, 2019.
Improvements
Map Improvements
Map close button has been remapped to standard exit/close button
Marker button has been changed
Trail display button has been changed
Map scroll speed improved
Zoom in and zoom out improved
Zoom level retained when reopening the map
Auto-center when opening the map
Bug fix: No longer displaying enemies for completed quests
Fixed items getting stuck on walls/geometry
The functionality of waiting until the item is collected automatically has been left in, in case the issue persists.
Switch-specific Improvements
HD Rumble issues in certain areas of the game have been fixed
Enabled Traditional Chinese language option
Fixed instances where the game would crash while transitioning between rooms
Work has been done on the technical “non-visible” side of things to improve input delay, stability, and various optimizations. The teams are continuing to work on these items and we’ll have future updates and plans to share soon.
“Iga’s Back Pack” DLC
Xbox One (Status—DLC being tested)
Testing will happen next week, if completed successfully we will submit and have an updated ETA for release during the week of July 15, 2019.
Playstation 4 (Status—DLC submitted, pending approval and release)
We’re currently working through some submissions with Sony, and plan to have an update, hopefully for release, next week.
Nintendo Switch (Status—DLC approved, release imminent)
The DLC has been approved by Nintendo, we’re just taking the final steps to make it go live.
A quick clarification on Backer IDs: Please note that the Backer ID system will not work if you backed at the $28 or $60 tier, because those did not include the Credit Clan reward. The Backer ID/credits system only works if you backed at an eligible $100+ tier. If you do have your name in the credits and are having trouble finding your backer ID, you can find more information in the previous update.
That’s it for now, as always please keep your feedback coming, we’re all dedicated to Bloodstained for the (very) long term, and the teams at WayForward, ArtPlay and the production teams at 505 are making incredible progress. They’re literally working together like some sort of inspirational Star Trek crew, no joke, it’s pretty amazing.
For all our fans in the United States, we wish you all a happy July 4th holiday! ‘Murica! 😀
Roberto Piraino “Angel-Corlux”
Global Brand Manager
505 Games”
Are you enjoying Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night? Let us know and join the conversation on Twitter!
Want a million dollars in GTA online? Some money in Red Dead Online? Amazon Prime members can now get these benefits thanks to a recent partnership between Rockstar Games and Twitch Prime. Below you can find exactly how to get your benefits.
“We’re excited to partner with Twitch Prime on a new program kicking off this month – giving Social Club members and Twitch Prime subscribers free in-game rewards, bonuses and exclusive discounts for both GTA Online and Red Dead Online for several months to come.
Twitch Prime is a premium experience on Twitch that is included with Amazon Prime and Prime Video memberships, and players who link their Twitch Prime accounts to their Social Club accounts and claim their benefits by July 19th will receive:
GTA$1,250,000 in GTA Online
RDO$300 in Red Dead Online
The Superior Ammo Bundle in Red Dead Online, which includes 30 Dynamite Arrows, 60 Incendiary Buckshot Ammo, 30 Volatile Fire Bottles and 200 Express Ammo for the Pistol, Revolver, Repeater & Rifle
Rockstar Games Social Club x Twitch Prime Benefits will include exclusive weekly discounts on premium items, and an additional 10% or higher bonus discount on all weekly discounted items in GTA Online and Red Dead Online. Be sure to sign up by July 19th to ensure access to the first batch of weekly bonuses.
Rockstar Games Social Club x Twitch Prime Benefits members will also receive discounts and up to 15% bonus value on purchases of Shark Cash Cards in GTA Online or Gold Bars in Red Dead Online.
To get started, visit https://socialclub.rockstargames.com/rewards/twitchprime and sign in to your Social Club account. From there, just follow the instructions to link your Twitch account and your corresponding accounts for all the platforms you play GTA Online and Red Dead Online on. To receive upcoming Rockstar Games Social Club x Twitch Prime benefits on either title, you’ll need to make sure you’ve completed the tutorial missions and played for at least 30 minutes after claiming your benefits.
Social Club x Twitch Prime Benefits will be updated regularly, including incredible rewards around upcoming future content, so sign up today to ensure that you don’t miss out.”
Click here to find out more. Do you play GTA Online or Red Dead Online? Let us know and join the conversation on Twitter!
As with any major Fortnite crossover, we can expect to see brand new Stranger Things themed cosmetic items enter the item shop soon. This includes Stranger Things themed skins, back bling, pickaxes, gliders, and emotes. The first Fortnite crossover to offer cosmetic items was the Fortnite x Marshmello event, where a Marshmello skin was offered in the in game item shop. The second Fortnite crossover to offer cosmetic items was the Fortnite x Avengers: Endgame event, which offered Black Widow and Star Lord skins, the Black Widow pickaxe, a Guardians Of The Galaxy glider, and two emotes. Both events also offered challenges which players could complete to get free in game rewards. Below you can find pictures of the portals that have started appearing at Mega Mall.
Credit – @HYPEX on TwitterCredit @HYPEX on Twitter
Are you excited for this Fortnite event? Will you be taking a trip to the upside down? Let us know all your thoughts on this crossover and join the conversation on Twitter!
WayForward has revealed River City Girls will be coming to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on September 5th. Take a look at the new details below.
“Kick butt, take names, and pound punks in this all-new installment of the classic co-op beat-’em-up series!
We are ecstatic to finally lift the curtain on our upcoming co-op beat-’em-up, River City Girls! Developed here at WayForward and overseen by the fighting-game experts at Arc System Works, this latest entry in the long-running River City (AKA Kunio-Kun) franchise will offer a new generation of old-school action on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC when it arrives on Sept. 5, 2019. You can view the teaser trailer here!
River City Girls stars Kyoko and Misako, two street-tough high-schoolers who must fight their way through the six regions of River City to rescue their kidnapped boyfriends, series mainstays Kunio and Riki. Along the way, they’ll utilize an arsenal of combos, counters, throws, and special attacks; battle an assortment of enemies; accept numerous side quests; level up with experience points; interact with NPCs (including guest stars from past River City games); and shop for a variety of items, food, and gear to boost stats and unlock new abilities. The girls can even wield weapons and recruit defeated foes to join them in combat!
The one- or local two-player bare-knuckle brawling is complemented by spectacular 16-bit-style graphics and an epic synth-pop soundtrack (featuring NateWantsToBattle, Chipzel, Christina Vee, and Megan McDuffee!), while the story roars to life via glorious anime cutscenes and manga-style intermissions.
Rated E10+ by the ESRB, River City Girls will be available digitally via the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Live, Steam, GOG, and Humble Bundle at the price of $29.99, while a physical version will also be available from Limited Run Games (price and release date TBD).
Key Features: -Furious beat-’em-up action for one or two players! -Stunning pixel-art graphics plus anime and manga cutscenes! -Fantastic soundtrack featuring NateWantsToBattle, Chipzel, Christina Vee, and Megan McDuffee! -Six large city regions to fight through, complete with shops and side quests! -Loads of weapons, items, and abilities to power-up your heroines! -Guest appearances by classic River City characters!”
The game will be available to play via demo at the Anime Expo for those attending. River City Girls will launch on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on September 5th, 2019. Will you be picking up River City Girls? Let us know on Twitter!
Nintendo officially announced that you can pre-purchase the game from the Nintendo eShop right now! There are two editions available. The first being the regular game, being sold at $59.99. The second is the Fire Emblem: Three Houses + Expansion Bundle, being sold at $84.98. The Expansion Pass is detailed below.
Wave 1: Officers Academy outfits for female and male Byleth available Day 1 (July 26th)
Wave 2: Additional Auxiliary battle maps, helpful in-game support items, and more will be released by 10/31/2019
Wave 3: Additional quests and costumes will be released by 12/31/2019; plus, another free update
Wave 4: Discover new story content, with additional playable characters, locations and more will be released by 4/30/2020; plus, another free update
Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be available to play on July 26th, 2019. Check out the game’s official page here. Here is the official description of Fire Emblem: Three Houses:
“War is coming to the continent of Fódlan. Here, order is maintained by the Church of Seiros, which hosts the prestigious Officer’s Academy within its headquarters. You are invited to teach one of its three mighty houses, each comprised of students brimming with personality and represented by a royal from one of three territories. As their professor, you must lead your students in their academic lives and in turn-based, tactical RPG battles wrought with strategic, new twists to overcome. Which house, and which path, will you choose?”
Are you going to be picking up Fire Emblem: Three Houses? Let us know and join the conversation on Twitter!
Studio MDHR tweeted earlier today, stating that they are still in search of a programmer to join the team. As of this writing, Studio MDHR has 19 employees according to their website. Studio MDHR is known for their masterpiece Cuphead, the game that took the world by a storm when it launched in 2017. Currently they are working on Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, which is DLC for Cuphead. The job description says this programmer will be working on Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course and their next project.
Gadzooks!! We're still on the lookout for a talented programmer to join the studio – ideally from the Greater Toronto Area. Find out more here, and drop us a line if you think you'd be a fit! https://t.co/v9bXuxsbNOpic.twitter.com/1pB5bOqiVY
Check out the official description of the job below, straight from Studio MDHR’s official site.
“Engineer
Who We Are:
Studio MDHR is an award-winning independent entertainment studio, and the creators of the whimsical cartoon run & gun game Cuphead.
Location:
We’re a Canadian company, but we’re also a fully distributed team! This means you’ll be working from whatever location makes you most comfortable. For ease of team communication, we are ideally looking for someone based in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Role:
We’re looking for a talented programmer to join the studio. Under the guidance of our Art and Design Directors, you’ll be helping us prototype and build our next major project. Alongside a small team of fellow engineers, you’ll be responsible for solving unique problems that enable Studio MDHR to continue building hand-crafted experiences that surprise and delight people.
As a nimble, remote-work team, we try to avoid bureaucracy and strict hierarchies. This means that from the first commit to the last, you’ll be involved in all major parts of the codebase. As needed, your day-to-day work may also involve contributing to updates, fixes, and other engineering work for our flagship release, Cuphead.
Essential Skills:
• Proficiency in widely used game development frameworks, with a preference toward Unity • Experience of at least one full game production cycle on a shipped game, with the ability to speak to the full scope of the project • Meticulous attention to detail, with a dedication to writing clean, performant code • Confidence working closely with artists and on art implementation during development • A sense of craftsmanship: you invest love and care into the little details that people may not notice • Diligent, self-motivated work ethic: as a distributed team, it’s crucial that you manage your time well, and adjust deftly to guidance and direction
Ideal Extras:
• Strong fluency in C# / C++ • A history shipping games on console • Knowledge of 2D content creation pipelines • A skillset that includes technical art implementation”
Are you interested in applying? Check it out here!
Nintendo gives us a look into the world of eShop charts and shows us the top 15 best-selling games for June. Despite Mario Maker 2 coming out near the end of the month, it still managed to reach the top 3, but it still couldn’t beat Cadence of Hyrule. The rythym-based dungeon crawler was an instant hit, due to its fun, upbeat gameplay that mixed the Zelda series with the already popular Crypt of the Necrodancer. Speaking of, the original game got a boost in sales, coming in at 3rd.
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda
Super Mario Maker 2
Crypt of the NecroDancer
Hollow Knight
Cuphead
My Friend Pedro
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Minecraft
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Final Fantasy VII
Rocket League
Slay the Spire
Stardew Valley
Collection of Mana
Enter the Gungeon
Surprisingly, the likes of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and BOXBOY + BOXGIRL don’t appear on the list, despite being popular games. Instead, older games such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe which came out in 2017, and Minecraft, which had a 2018 release, appear higher up on the list.
My Friend Pedro comes at number 6, and for good reason. The strategy-based platformer with a talking banana (!) got a 5 star review from us! You can read the full review here.
Although this is a good indicator of how certain games are performing, this doesn’t include physical sales, so it’s still very likely games with a larger file-size are better off in physical form. We’ll be sure to stay tuned for any updates on the North American eShop.
For three days in July every year, a gaming convention called Gamepolis is held in Malaga, Spain. The official Gamepolis 2019 Twitter account has announced that Nintendo will officially be a sponsor for this year’s convention. This should come as no surprise however, as Nintendo officially sponsored the event in 2018 as well. It has been confirmed that there will be a demo for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, however we should expect Nintendo to bring more. Expect them to also bring along a demo for the upcoming Luigi’s Mansion 3, as this was present at E3, and really it was the star of the show. You can take a look at the official announcement below.
