[06.14.16 2016] Xbox E3 Briefing - everything you need to know

Microsoft

With the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo well underway, it can be overwhelming to keep up with all the news pouring out of the conferences. In case you do not have the time or opportunity to watch it yourself, here is a recap of everything you need to know from the Xbox Media Briefing on June 13, 2016.

Phil Spencer started out with a nice, brief message and moment of silence for those affected by the tragedy in Orlando.

The show opens with a video officially announcing the new Xbox One S. It is 40% smaller, has a 2TB internal HDD, integrated power supply, HDR Gaming, 4K Ultra HD video, and Blu-Ray. It also comes with a new, redesigned Xbox One controller featuring increased range and new grips. The whole package comes in white for $299 starting this August.

Phil Spencer invites Rod Fergusson, The Coalition’s Studio Head and Gears Co-Creator, takes the stage to announce that “Gears of War 4” will be one of the first in the Xbox Play Anywhere program – where an Xbox game gets you a Windows 10 PC version that syncs progress and achievements. It will also support cross-play in every game mode! Laura Bailey, the voice of Kait, shows off some gameplay. The game looks great. There are some noticeable visual upgrades since the beta. New weapons and enemies are shown off. Gears is Gears- and that is not a bad thing. An October 11th, 2016 release date confirmed, followed by a video teasing a Gears version of the Elite controller that will be available for pre-order.

“Killer Instinct” community manager, Rukari Austin takes over. He thanks the community and totes some of the accomplishments of the games. After reviewing some of the awesome characters that have joined the roster, he reveals the next guest character. General Raam, from the “Gears of War” series, is coming to “Killer Instinct,” and he is available free to play this week.

Next is a video teasing a new Forza game, “Forza Horizon 3.” Ralph Fulton, from Playground Games creative director, makes the official announcement and shows off the gameplay. As is to be expected from any Forza title, the game looks phenomenal. It also boasts the largest open world they have ever created and the most extensive car roster (in the Horizon series). The game will feature a 4-player co-op campaign for the first time. It releases September 27, 2016.

A new video for the Microsoft exclusive “ReCore” shows off gameplay for the first time. It also introduced the cast of characters. The visuals seem to have taken a small hit from their cinematic reveal trailer – but then again, what cinematic reveal trailer has not made promises it could not keep? It is also, presumably, still a work in progress as the game does not launch September 13, 2016.

Hajime Tabata, Director of Square Enix, shows of “Final Fantasy XV” via a game demo. Much like Gears is Gears; Final Fantasy is Final Fantasy. Mathew Kishimoto, the Senior Product Marketing Manager, plays the demo after providing a small backstory. The game looks great, and the demo shows off a three-way battle with a massive Titan and an opposing army. Kishimoto boasts the “fast and fluid battle system which has never been achieved in any of our past titles.” After the demo wraps up, a September 30, 2016 release date is revealed.

Ubisoft shows off new content for “Tom Clancy’s The Division,” dubbed the “Underground Expansion.” It has randomly generated missions, more urban combat, and lots of neon lights. It is coming first to Xbox starting June 28.

Patrick Bach, General Manager of DICE, shows off “Battlefield 1.” He expressed the team's desire to bring a unique experience from World War I. The game will feature destructible environments, a wide variety of vehicles and weapons, and dynamic weather to ensure no battle is the same. Bach says the Battlefield series will be “more immersive than ever before.” He then announces an October 21, 2016 release date, with an early release on October 13, 2016 for Xbox One members with EA access. The trailer looks stunning and shows off a variety of gameplay and huge set pieces. Oh, also some explosions, explosions, and explosions.

Mike Ybarra, head of platform engineering takes the stage. He discusses the growth of Xbox Live and promises ever-growing expansion, including more live servers closer to where gamers are, resulting in a faster, more reliable network. There are also new features coming this summer, such as Background Music, Cortana, and Language Region Independence, which allows you to choose a preferred language regardless of where you live. Xbox Live is going to be on all devices – Xbox, Windows PC, Android, or iOS. Ybarra then announces three highly demanded features are coming soon. The first is “Clubs on Xbox Live” – communities you can go back to (like groups on Facebook). With this comes “Looking for Group on Xbox Live” – it helps you find people for specific games and specific goals. Last, competitive gaming gets a nod with “Arena on Xbox Live” – a new tournament platform that allows you to discover, register, and compete all in one place. He also promises that EA is bringing their biggest games to Arena… “in the coming years.”

The “Minecraft” team takes the stage as Saxs Persson and Lydia Winters discuss cross-play across devices (including iOS) via “The Friendliest Update.” It will feature dedicated servers, known as “Realms,” so friends can play in your world even when you are not online. John Carmack from Oculus shows off the Oculus VR version of “Minecraft,” which is… exactly what you would expect it to be. Also, texture packs are immediately available on Pocket Edition and Windows 10 edition, with add-ons – essentially regulated mods for animals and mobs – coming this Fall. Reams can be tried for free with an Xbox account on a phone, tablet, or Windows 10 PC.

Next up, a video shows off customizable and personalized Xbox One controllers, promising “8 million ways to make it yours.” The Xbox Design Lab is online now at Xbox.com/XboxDesignLab and is taking pre-orders now.

An ominous trailer teases a new game from Playdead, the makers of Limbo. Much like its predecessor, it has a unique style, but it is difficult to say what the game is really about. “Inside” is launching June 29. Chris Charla, Director of ID@Xbox, takes the stage and announces that Limbo will be free to all today as a celebration of Playdead’s announcement. Then a video rolls showing a variety of ID@Xbox titles coming soon – including the highly anticipated “Cuphead,” “Slime Rancher,” “The Culling,” and many other titles. Charla notes the massive accomplishments of ID@Xbox program, specifically with “Ark: Survival Evolved.” Anyone who purchased it on Xbox One will get it free on PC this fall (as part of Xbox Play Anywhere). Charla finished by announcing “Slime Rancher,” “The Culling,” “Everspace,” and “Day-Z” specifically as titles coming to Game Preview soon.

A new game shown off by Guillaume Provost, the Creative Director & Founder of Compulsion Games. “We Happy Few” has a Bioshock vibe and looks equal parts creepy and awesome. It is set in a dystopian, alternate-universe 1960s where everyone in a small British town takes drugs to make them forget terrible things that happened during the war. The main character refuses to take his pills and suffers from horrible flashbacks, causing him to black out. You then find out that the townspeople apparently don’t like it when you do not take your drugs. After an all-too-short gameplay demo, it announces that “We Happy Few” is coming to Games Preview on July 26, 2016.

CD Projekt Red Lead Designer, Damien Monnier, announces “Gwent – The Witcher Card Game” as a stand-alone title with cross-platform multiplayer and a full single-player campaign mode. It will feature skill-based gameplay centered around the same core mechanics and a nice visual upgrade with a wide variety of cards to acquire. The better you play, the better your rewards. “Gwent” will have a closed beta coming September 2016 – exclusive to Xbox One and PC. You can register at PlayGwent.com.

Bandai Namco Entertainment teases a new fighting game that flows right into gameplay demo. “Tekken 7” includes an all-new story mode that, much like this demo, seamlessly transitions from cutscenes to gameplay. Look for it to ship in early 2017. To celebrate, “Tekken Tag Tournament 2” is available via backward compatibility and will be completely free for Xbox Live users this week only.

Christmas in July - er, June? Actually, it is a teaser – complete with snowfall in the auditorium – for “Deadrising 4,” which has Holiday 2016 release window. It looks pretty goofy, entertaining, and bloody. Basically, “Deadrising 4” is all the absurdity you could hope for from a Deadrising title backed by the power of the Xbox One.

“Scalebound” gameplay is shown off by Hideki Kamiya, Creative Director at PlatinumGames. It is the biggest boss-fight PlatinumGames has ever made. “Scalebound” is an impressive looking game – very colorful, very smooth. Great, natural-sounding banter from the character adds to the authenticity. The demo shows off the game’s co-op battle mechanics and looks like a blast. What’s not fun about fighting with Dragons? It will be part of Xbox Play Anywhere sometime in 2017.

Cue the trailer with a dreary sea chantey and smoke machines. It is Rare onstage with “Sea Of Thieves.” Studio Head Craig Duncan talks about Rare’s “most ambitious game yet” and it is a rich, open-world experience. A world premiere of gameplay is shown off, composited from the experiences of a few fans who got to play the game first. They were grouped up, then set off into the world with no tutorials or explanation. As expected, they had some issues, and one group failed their first battle, but they all had a blast exploring the world and just doing pirate things. “Sea Of Thieves” was confirmed to be a part of Xbox Play Anywhere, but no release date has been announced despite being expected to arrive sometime this year.

A trailer for another Xbox One/Windows 10 exclusive rolls, showing a few people mowing down zombies in an old T-bird before getting out to take on the horde. It is “State of Decay 2.” The game certainly looks good, but probably suffered from debuting so close to “Deadrising 4.” However, those looking for a more survival-oriented experience in this genre will certainly be happy.

Next comes a cinematic trailer with all-to-familiar game assets. It is “Halo Wars 2” with a breathtaking trailer, reminiscent of the highly acclaimed “Halo 3 Believe” ad campaign. No real gameplay is shown off, but the experience is magnificent. Dan Ayoub, studio head of Strategy Games at 343 Industries takes the stage to discuss the new title. The game launches February 21, 2017 as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. Better yet, the week-long beta launches NOW! Now a glimpse of the gameplay is shown off in a second smaller trailer.

Phil Spencer returns to the stage and recaps the conference. He discusses the launch of Xbox 15 years ago and teases “exciting, new opportunities on the horizon.” He states that the next step is to support true 4K gaming and high-fidelity VR. A video plays toting a new console that “the developers asked us to make.” The powerhouse features eight CPU cores, 320 GB/S Memory Bandwidth, and six teraflops of GPU power for true 4K gaming resolution. Project Scorpio is the next edition coming to the Xbox Family during Holiday 2017. All games and accessories will work across every Xbox One, Xbox S, and Project Scorpio console, so “no one will be left behind.” Phil Spencer then goes on to say that they believe it will be the most powerful console ever to be released.

The conference closes out with a montage trailer recapping all of the amazing games shown off during the event, and the 2016 E3 Xbox Media Briefing is over.

[05.02.16] Activision reveals ‘Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare,‘ 'Modern Warfare Remasted'

Houston, we have a problem – it is still t-minus six months until the launch of the newly announced “Call of Duty” title, one that finally brings what fans have been screaming for. No, it is not the fact that it will take the franchise into space for the first time. It also isn’t that the game claims to “return to its roots” with a classic war story worthy of the original titles. What really has the fans hyped is the announcement that the “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition” will include a fully remastered version of “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.”

It comes as no surprise that a new “Call of Duty” title was announced for this year, as it has long-since been established as an annual title. Considering the ups and downs the series has faced in recent years, it probably also wasn’t too shocking that the franchise is making the move to space – you know, the place where movie sequels supposedly go to die? If we are going to be completely honest with ourselves, it also seemed fairly obvious that the announcement for “Modern Warfare Remastered” was coming.

The first tip came in the rotation of studios which finds the “Call of Duty” franchise landing, one again, in the hands of Infinity Ward for this year’s title. Combine that with the onslaught of remastered titles, like the “Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection” or “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition,” and the outcry of fans who miss the nearly 9-year-old title. Then there is also the fact that rumors have been swirly about for weeks. Put it all together and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered” seemed… written in the stars?

Hold your horses, though, because you are going to have to shell out $80 to get your hands on it. The Legacy Edition of “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare” will include the full campaign and ten multiplayer maps from the original “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,” re-released in brilliant high definition. Given “Call of Duty’s” track record, it also seems highly likely that this bundle will score you some additional digital goodies to go with you remastered title.

While Infinity Ward focuses on their new title, they have put the “Modern Warfare Remastered” in the hands of Raven, a studio who has shown time and time again that they know how to make a game pretty. Raven will bring the visuals up to current generation standards, with improved texture resolutions, high-dynamic range lighting effects, lit and shadowing VFX particles, overhauled animations, and remastered audio.

“The original Modern Warfare raised the bar on video games and forever will be remembered as one of the best. It is an honour to be developing the remaster and we are committed to faithfully remastering this classic for Call of Duty fans,” stated Brian Raffel, studio head of Raven Software.

As for “Infinite Warfare” itself? Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, has promised to “[honor] the heritage of ‘Call of Duty’ while taking players to incredible new heights.” Infinity Ward Studio Head Dave Stohl echoed his sentiments about the new campaign:

“On one hand, this game is the kind of gritty, boots on the ground, visceral war story that ‘Call of Duty’ is known for. On the other, its future setting takes players on a journey of epic scale and proportions, providing incredible gameplay innovations and new experiences for our fans. This is a grand scale, old-school, all-out war in an epic new-school setting. And it’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun.”

“Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare” will featuring a rich, immersive narrative that will allow players to take on all kinds of roles through the course of the campaign. From boots-on-the-ground combat to piloting high-speed space-fighters, the near seamless experience will challenge and entertain even the most experienced soldiers.

The upcoming title will launch in four separate editions. First is the regular $60 copy that will just get you “Infinite Warfare.” For an extra $20, you can get the Legacy Edition (and Digital Legacy Edition) that will include “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.” The next tier is the “Digital Deluxe Edition” which includes “Infinite Warfare,” “Modern Warfare Remastered,” and the season pass. For the most dedicated fans, and an unspecified amount will get you the “Legacy Pro Edition” which includes everything from the “Digital Deluxe Edition” as well as a collectible Steelbook, official game soundtrack, and unannounced additional digital items.

“Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare” will release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 4, 2016.

[03.26.16] ‘RollerCoaster Tycoon World’ surprises with Early Access announcement

Atari

Fans of the RollerCoaster Tycoon series have been long anticipating an update to the game that would do the series justice. That answer seemed to come when “RollerCoaster Tycoon World” was announced back in August 2014. Unfortunately, the game was faced with delays and the deadline came and went. Many fans began to wonder if the game was ever going to release or face a development cycle like “Duke Nukem Forever.” Then, out of the blue, an announcement was posted on Thursday, March 24, 2016, that “RollerCoaster Tycoon World” is coming to Steam Early Access and releasing very soon!

“RollerCoaster Tycoon World” was originally supposed to release in “early 2015.” Obviously, that never happened, but it was probably for a good reason. The game underwent a massive overhaul and had shuffled through multiple developers, each of whom was adamant that they would not settle for anything less than a product that truly captures the spirit of the original series. Whether or not that is the case remains to be seen, but we do know one thing about the current developers Nvizzio Creations: They are going to get this long-overdue title in the hands of fans as soon as possible.

To do so, Nvizzio decided to move the game into the Steam Early Access program. This has its advantages and disadvantages. While it may be quite some time before the game hits the shelf in retails stores, eager fans can now get their hands on “RollerCoaster Tycoon World” as early as March 30, 2016.

So why Early Access? Well, in a way, the development process has been treating the game like an early access title ever since the first delay. A series of public betas were announced; however, after the first one, it was clear that the betas also needed to be postponed. In the end, only one of the three planned public betas ever took place. After that, the “RollerCoaster Tycoon World” sat in the dark for a while – for most of us, anyway.

“As some of you may have guessed, we’ve been silently running a large test group with some members of the community since the beginning of the year. We’ve made so much progress with this group - getting invaluable feedback, testing ideas, and more – that we realized how much of a boon letting the rest of the community in would be in shaping our game.”

Thus, the decision to move to Early Access seemed like a no-brainer. There is a whole list of features that are planned for the Wednesday release which you can find over on the Steam Community Page. Some of the highlights include a brand-new coaster builder (which was highlighted in the public beta), freeform object placement, curved pathways, a campaign mode with an initial set of scenarios, and UGC and Steam Workshop support. There was also a sneak peek at some of the planned future updates, which will add a scenario editor, new themes and rides, and the fence builder. If that last one comes as a surprisingly odd highlight to you, don’t underestimate it. The fence builder was actually a primary cause for one of the delays earlier in development.

"People are very passionate about their fences. So are we. Our fencing tool will be improved, allowing you to place fences more quickly, and align them exactly how you want."

That is a direct quote from Atari back in November 2015. Of course, Atari cited other issues - such as bugs, memory leaks, and optimization issues – but nonetheless, the fence builder has been held back beyond the initial early access release! This had better be the best fence builder RCT fans have ever seen!

In all seriousness, though, the plan for Early Access did cause some concern for those who preordered the game expecting a full retail release. Anyone who placed an order from either Atari.com or RollerCoasterTycoon.com will be able to request a refund, no questions asked, through March 31, 2016. This gives everyone who preordered a day to check out Steam Early Access and decide whether or not they want to continue to fund the project in its new form. Anyone who preordered through Steam or another retailer has the ability to opt out as well, only through their companies’ respective policies.

Last comes the official retail street date. At this time, Atari has decided not to set one and instead focus on improving the game as much as possible during Early Access.

“We will be in Early Access until we all feel the game is ready to be shared with the world as a finished product. Yes, there really is much more work we want to do. This is not about just improving and polishing but also adding new functionalities that the game needs. As Early Access progresses our timeline for final release will become clearer.”

At some point, Atari plans on a physical release in stores even before the game has an ‘official launch.’ However, this physical copy will still be exactly the same as what is purchased on Steam and, thus, requires the same authentication and updates as what is purchased directly through Steam. Think of it as being similar to the cards that could be bought for “Minecraft” in retail stores, despite the game still being in Beta at the time. The product itself will be no different; it merely offers an alternative venue to purchase the game.

If you want to get your hands on “RollerCoaster Tycoon World as early as possible, though, you will have to preorder it through steam. You can then pre-download the game and start playing as soon as possible come March 30, 2016.

[03.09.16] ‘Sniper Elite 4’ coming in 2016

Rebellion Developments Ltd.

Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, UK developers Rebellion had a big surprise this past Monday for fans of their most popular series. After launching “Sniper Elite” back in 2005 as a very successful cult hit, Rebellion decided to do a reimagining of the game seven years later with the release of “Sniper Elite V2” on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Following that major accomplishment, a highly anticipated follow-up and true sequel, “Sniper Elite III,” made its way onto the brand new generation of consoles. Fast forward to March 7, 2016 and Rebellion quietly drops an unexpected – albeit, well deserved – teaser that no one saw coming which proudly announced the return of the series and a confirmed release of this year for “Sniper Elite 4.”

While the teaser and accompanying press release were thin on the details, the small glimpses into “Sniper Elite 4” are very exciting. The teaser trailer opens on a picturesque villa with the words “Italy 1943” emblazoned across the screen. The graphics are crisp, bright, bold, and could have easily been mistaken as a town ripped right from “Just Cause 3,” if it was not for the known geography. Fortunately, the ambient music, an endless parade of troops, and lack of bold red objects to blow up, set the tone for something a little more serious coming. All that we see in the video are the gorgeous landscapes, but it closes with a familiar reload and breathing sound accented by the “Sniper Elite 4” logo and a promise of 2016.

See the review for “Sniper Elite V2” here!

Here’s what we do know about the story. “Sniper Elite 4” will be set in the immediate aftermath of the events of “Sniper Elite III.” It stays faithful to the World War II heritage of the series by taking players to yet another unique environment during the war. The legendary Karl Fairburne has come from his adventures in North Africa to fight alongside the Italian Resistance to help free the country from Fascism. His success is the key to leading to Operation Overlord, D-Day, and victory in Europe. Then again, the man has single-handedly killed Hitler twice, so it is safe to say the mission is in good hands.

“Sniper Elite 4” will take full advantage of the power of Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The game will be running in native 1080p and will be the first game in the series built without the constraints of previous generation’s hardware. The environments, which we already know to be breathtaking from the trailer, will feature intense stealth action and promise to deliver unrivaled sniping freedom on maps many times the size of those seen in its predecessors. “Sniper Elite 4” will feature a full-fledged single-player campaign alongside both co-op and adversarial multiplayer modes. It is being independently developed and published by Rebellion. It will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam; and can be expected to launch sometime in 2016.

For more information on the game – and a chance to win a free copy – you can check out their website, www.sniperelite4.com.

[02.04.16] ‘Through the Fire and the Flames’ returns to ‘Guitar Hero’

Activision

When ‘Guitar Hero Live’ was revealed, no one looked at the redesigned controller without thinking “well, this just got harder.” Apparently, that overhaul was not hard enough for Activision and FreeStyleGames because they decided it was time for Dragon Force’s epic “Through the Fire and the Flames” to make its return to the Guitar Hero franchise – you know, because that song needed something to make it more challenging. However, if you want to play it, don’t expect your fingers to get a break. That is because it is currently debuting in a brand new GHTV event dubbed the “Shred-A-Thon,” which began yesterday, February 3.

The “Guitar Hero Live Shred-A-Thon,” which will run on a separate third GHTV channel, is a five-day special marathon event featuring only the most difficult “Guitar Hero” hits. This includes the highly anticipated return of “Through the Fire and the Flames” alongside Alter Bridge’s “Cry of Achilles,” Megadeath’s “Hangar 18,” Lamb of God’s “Ghost Walking,” and Trivium’s “Strife.” These five songs will be on repeat until the marathon ends, after which “Through the Fire and the Flames” will be added to the game’s regular catalogue.

“The Guitar Hero community is the lifeblood of the game, so we knew we had to do something huge to bring back one of the most beloved songs of all time,”

said Jamie Jackson, Creative Director and Co-Head of FreeStyleGames. “Everyone at the studio has fond memories with ‘Through the Fire and Flames,’ so we decided to take it up a notch and combine it with the toughest songs in the game hand-picked by us to create the ultimate challenge: a five-day shredder marathon. It is time to crank it up to expert difficulty and show us what you got!”

Every song in the playlist is also Rival Challenge-enabled, meaning players have the option of competing head-to-head against matchmade players during each song. Once you top those leaderboards, you can tweet a screenshot of your high scores to the @GuitarHero Twitter for a chance to win in-game prizes, including an exclusive Player Card and song play tokens, as well as some real-world prizes, such as “Guitar Hero Live” controllers, “Guitar Hero Live” t-shirts, and more.

Since the game’s launch in October 2015, the catalog has seen vast expansion with the likes of Def Leppard, Fall Out Boy, The Strokes, Weezer, The Dead Weather, and so many more. The “Shred-A-Thon” ends February 8, at 9:00 AM CST and the catalog expansion will then include the most iconic “Guitar Hero” track of all time.

[01.08.16] ‘Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2’ beta dates revealed

Electronic Arts

“Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare,” the tower-defense turned third-person shooter that came out of 2014, was a non-stop surprise. The original announcement was unusual and unexpected, the critical reception was pleasantly positive, and the success in sales were shocking. The only thing that did not leave anyone feeling bewildered was the obligatory sequel announced during E3 last year. The only question left unanswered was “when can I get my hands on it?” Fortunately, EA answered that question with a press release on their website from January 7 which revealed the upcoming beta.

As it turns out, the answer is “not long!” PopCap Vancouver, the subsidiary of EA behind the “Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare” franchise, announced the upcoming beta will be open to the public. It will only be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and participation will grant you an all-access pass to everything that has been in the works.

The highlight is the all-new Backyard Battleground mode which features a dynamic environment connecting every map and game mode. This includes the new game mode “Flag of Power” which combines king of the hill with horde mode. After your team successfully captures a designated area long enough to raise a flag, you will have to defend it against wave after wave of escalating enemies.

To help you out, six new character classes are debuting. Rose, Citron, and Kernel Corn join the plants while Imp, Super Brainz, and Captain Deadbeard fight alongside the zombies. There is also going to be a special appearance by the Grass Effect Z7-Mech for a limited time.

All of the classic game modes will return along with some other variants, all of which feature 24-person multiplayer battles. Garden and Graveyards will be there alongside the new Herbal Assault, which features the plants in a role-reversal on the offensive side. These game modes will span out across four new immersive and dynamic maps, including Moon Base Z – which features unique low-gravity physics – and a snowy map titled Frosty Creek.

So when can you play and how? It’s easy! Starting January 14, simply find the “Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2” beta on the Xbox Live Marketplace or PlayStation Network Store. After you download it, just log in and play as much as you can until the final day, January 18. For more information, check out the “Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 Multiplayer” beta page.

[01.05.16] Hacker releases mod that rotates ‘Super Metroid’ 90 degrees

SMILEuser96

Originally published in 1994, “Super Metroid” is notorious for being difficult – much like many of its retro counterparts. This critically acclaimed mega-hit set the bar for what it means to be a quality 2-D action-adventure game and even helped spawn an entirely new genre of games dubbed “Metroidvania.” Along with the “Castlevania” games, if there is one things that is said about “Metroidvania” games, it is that they are not hard enough. Apparently, that is the case anyway, because a user by the name of SMILEuser96 from metroidconstruction.com decided to make “Super Metroid” borderline impossible to beat while still giving you the slightest glimmer of hope.

In his forum post, SMILEuser96 released the latest update for his aptly-named “Super Metroid Rotation Hack” yesterday, January 4, after originally releasing it back in July 2014. This mod rotates the map 90 degrees clockwise while maintaining the orientation for Samus and her enemies. Suddenly “Super Metroid” becomes a lot less action-adventure and a lot more platforming nightmare. In fact, with the rotation, “Super Metroid Rotation Hack” plays a lot like the popular “endless runner” genre than its alma mater.

The new version of the game is not for the faint of heart as it requires some serious trick-jumping to pull off. Movement is almost entirely restricted to wall-jumping and even one of the early levels requires an expert maneuver known as “infinite bomb jumping. If you can pull off these feats, then “Super Metroid Rotation Hack” might be a mod worthy of your time. It is fully-beatable, thanks to a community effort to iron out some kinks in the system caused by the rotation.

So if you are interested in a white-knuckle, teeth grinding challenge, head to Metroid Construction to pick it up and be sure to leave SMILEuser96 and his helpers a thank you!