To be clear, I'd still wholly recommend this version of 3D World even without Bowser's Fury. The tweaks are small overall, and Bowser's Fury isn't going to sate the most hardcore of Mario fans looking for a brand new game, but the package as a whole is magical. If you were one of the many who missed out on this Wii U classic, fix that.
You can play a lot of 3D Mario games on your Switch. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is just as good as any of them. It contains makes the Wii U game feel better than you remember, and the bonus campaign makes the package one of the best ports Nintendo has brought to the Switch.
Despite multiplayer now being online, it still feels superfluous, but otherwise Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury might just be one of those fabled "perfect" games.
Super Mario 3D World remains one of the better linear Mario games, and anyone playing it for the first time is in for an absolute treat. Add to that the curious bonus adventure that is Bowser's Fury and you've got a package that provides great value for money. It isn't without its flaws, but most of these (online multiplayer, repetitive missions in Bowser's Fury) relate to the new additions; the main game itself remains as pure and perfect as it was seven years ago. Had it just been Super Mario 3D World on its own, we'd be thoroughly recommending it anyway; Bowser's Fury is just the cherry on top.
Bowser’s Fury is a short experience – it’ll take a competent player a couple of hours to see all it has to offer, and a few hours more to drive it all the way to 100% completion – but it’s completely worthwhile. It has some great surprises, which is why I talk about it in such generalized terms. Bowser’s Fury would’ve made a great download-only, budget-price stand-alone – so as a bonus included with an already excellent game, its value can’t really be overstated.
This is one of the best platforms in history, and its expansion is by no means a minor content, since at some times it shines with more personality than the original title. In short, an indispensable pack has played the video game on Wii U or not, and one of the most essential works of your Nintendo Switch.
Although Super Mario 3D World is only an implementation for Nintendo Switch, it has not lost any of its charm and ingenuity. The loving optimization for the benefit of the gaming experience, as well as the bonus adventure Bowser's Fury, are convincing across the board and promise fun for up to four players. Even some questionable level designs can hardly tarnish the overall picture.
Super Mario Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a package that offers two different ways to experience one of the best 3D Mario adventure, making it ideal for the franchise’s 35th anniversary celebration. There is no doubt that the game is a two-way diversion, able to preserve elements of the past and paint majestic novelties around it, as Bowser Jr. does with his paintbrush in the new and fascinating Bowser’s Fury.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is an explosive pack. 3D World returns with an improved pace, while retaining the stellar gameplay that characterized it when it first launched, and of course being still as hilarious as it was back then. Bowser's Fury takes the lesson a step further, creating a small and dense open world that will put you to the test with a sense of urgency unlike any other Super Mario game. The result, needless to say, is pure, unadulterated joy.
This package combines tried-and-true gameplay and level design with unique concepts (plus an all-new game) to earn its place among the elite games in the franchise
It´s not one, but two great platformers for Nintendo Switch. One of the greatest Wii U games (with improvement such as online multiplayer and photo mode) and a new Mario 3D game, not as big and ambitious as previous games, but equally fun and full of surprises.
Super Mario 3D World is an excellent game so if you still haven't played it or simply want it on Switch, this will make a wonderful addition to your gaming library. Oh, and you also get a fantastic bonus game with Bowser's Fury so how could you go wrong?
Super Mario 3D World shows why Mario is an ageless franchise, with the seven-year-old game providing fresh fun and a delightful experience. Bowser's Fury is the exact opposite, showing just how exciting and experimental the series can be.
Super Mario 3D is a great game to play solo or with friends and shows off some of Nintendo's best level design yet, while Bowser's Fury is an inventive take on the Mario formula that's more generous with its content than it ought to be. Both games make for a fantastic bundle and should be checked out by fans and non-fans alike.
Overall, this is a fantastic collection of Super Mario games. From the focused and demanding Super Mario 3D World to the more experimental, though still very well executed, open world take for Bowser’s Fury. Both games have a lot to offer and will keep you very busy unlocking their innermost secrets.
Bowser's Fury is much more than just a bonus . Despite it is relatively short, it still feels like a fully fleshed Mario jump and run. Packed with the great main game including the long missed online co-op mode Super Mario 3D World + Bowers's Fury is a must have for every Switch user.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury for Nintendo Switch effectively handles two important tasks: introducing new players to the classic game that came from the Wii U, as well as pleasing hungry fans with new great content. Definitely a must-play for all Super Mario fans!
Thans to its many clever tweaks, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury give the player many reasons to enjoy a great 3D platformer, now a little bit faster, and with friends around the globe online. Let's not forget Bowser's Fury, a tiny open world adventure which rightfully mixes gameplays from the Wii U and Switch episodes, and delivers a strong experience with a twist.
Quirky, creative, and constant good fun, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury blends Mario gameplay old and new with great success, creating a title that feels worthy of his 35th birthday celebrations.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury offers much more than your regular Switch port with a brand new adventure that packs between 5 and 8 hours of great new original content. I loved my time spent in this new open world of Bowser's Fury and going through 3D World a second time sure was a blast. Hopefully, this new package gives the game the second life that it truly deserves.
Simple and immediate, beautiful to see and fun even in multiplayer, Super Mario 3D World is the "what if" of the history of Super Mario. But with obvious limitations compared to Super Mario Odyssey and the other chapters in 3D. Bowser's Fury tries to beat new paths, without avoiding a few slips.
One of the best modern Super Mario titles is made that little bit better and accompanied by a brand-new game that bends the formula in new and exciting ways.
If you've never played 3D World before or haven't touched it since the Wii U days, this is well worth the price of admission. Prospects get a little tougher if you're not interested in going through 3D World, because while Bowser's Fury is amazing, it's still approximately less than 10 hours of gameplay even if you do everything. But no matter what: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury might be one of the strongest Mario games available on Switch. The base game is fun and varied, while Bowser's Fury offers a distinctive, inventive, and superb open-world 3D Mario experience.
Super Mario 3D World is an incredible and underplayed Wii U adventure that's now available on Switch. But Bowser’s Fury steals the show with its exciting and fresh take on a 3D Mario game.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a fantastic package that showcases what makes Nintendo games so special. Super Mario 3D World is just as good as when it released, and Bower's Fury is a surprisingly good standalone adventure that paves the way for the future of Mario.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a delightful double act. Super Mario 3D World holds up well, and offers a unique multiplayer experience that works particularly well on Switch. Its opening worlds are designed to cater for that varied audience, while the second half injects some much needed difficulty and is best played solo. Bowser’s Fury is experimental in nature, and offers something completely different with a fully open world housing plenty of Shines to collect at a rapid pace. While neither quite reaches the dizzying heights of Super Mario Galaxy or Odyssey, it is a double dose of Mario doing things differently, and a fitting finale to Super Mario’s 35th anniversary.
Near-perfect platforming, gorgeous visuals and a joy-filled soundtrack make Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury one of the best Mario titles of all time, and an essential purchase for all Switch owners.
Ultimately, Super Mario 3D World, in this package, is the best that game has ever been, with the increased speed and ease of multiplayer access making it far more enticing than ever before. Bowser’s Fury, meanwhile, is essentially the Super Mario Odyssey DLC that never was. It feels like Odyssey’s level and game design sensibilities, but placed in the Super Mario 3D World game engine, with all of the power-ups and quirks that game has to make something truly unique. Putting both of these games in one package is the best decision that Nintendo has made in a long while, as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is one of the best Mario offerings available on Nintendo Switch, which is lofty praise given the existence of Super Mario Maker 2. Now it just needs the option to play again, but as Luigi.
I can't really recommend Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury enough. Whether you've played the original game before or not, the addition of online multiplayer is a big win, while Bowser's Fury is a testament to just how pure a Mario game can be while still feeling fresh and exciting. Put simply; this is an essential game for Mario fans.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is both a welcome return for a platforming classic and a novel expansion of what made the game so special back on the Wii U. There's a solid chance that millions of players missed out on its excellence back in 2013, so now is the perfect time to take it for a spin.
The real star of the show, however, was Bowser’s Fury, which innovates on the foundations laid by previous 3D titles, to provide some of the most enjoyable, open-world platforming I’ve had the pleasure of playing. This is a must-buy for Switch owners and Mario fans alike and is sure to tide you over the next couple of months.
As the title itself indicates, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury proves to be more than just the re-proposal in Nintendo Switch sauce of an exclusive Wii U not particularly lucky: the idea of inserting for once a completely new extra is very appreciable, and you find the ideas inside Bowser's Fury are not lacking at all. While the difference in tone and gameplay between the two games is quite right, the overall superiority of Super Mario 3D World over the new adventure is also evident, which ends up being an appendix or little more. The effect is that of a very solid pairing, which once again celebrates the undisputed supremacy of the Great N in the platforming field.
Super Mario 3D World has aged quite well. It is still a very enjoyable adventure, updated in its rhythm and different enough from Super Mario Odyssey for those who came to Switch without going through Wii U to discover it. The big surprise is Bowser's Fury, which transcends the concept of simple DLC and adds mechanics and novelties of epic dimensions.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is an excellent case for why Nintendo should be porting more Wii U games to the Switch. With its improved presentation and the convenience of the Switch, this is definitely the optimal way to play Super Mario 3D World, even without much in the way of new features. Bowser’s Fury is also an excellent open-world Mario mini-adventure, which is probably worth the price of admission on its own. Admittedly, the multiplayer features some camera issues, particularly in Bowser’s Fury. However, that should not stop Mario fans of all ages from checking out Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, especially if they missed out on this much loved platformer the first time around.
Super Mario 3D World may not have had much added to it aside from an online function that is limited to only saving progress for the host, but it didn't necessarily need much else. Nintendo successfully found a way to evolve the 2D classics without going open world, and the result is one of the most consistently fresh and enjoyable games around, which, despite lacking the challenge of the NES games, has something for just about everyone. The bonus Bowser's Fury solo adventure is an absolute delight with a brilliant core idea that adds a crazy tension to Mario platforming, but it is hard to present a case for purchasing this pack just to play it. Whilst full of great content, it is too short-lived to feel worth the asking price, and really needs a standalone purchase option. When taking both games into account for those that have not played the original Wii U title, though, this is a cracking bundle of Mario goodness that encapsulates what everyone knows and still loves about the moustachioed hero after an enduring thirty-five years.
Bowser's Fury offers some great new ideas and is much more than a simple DLC. It's a great Mario game in its own right, with enough to entice those who played 3D World before with a wholly new and compelling experience, as well as offering one of the most epic showdowns in Nintendo history. Bowser's Fury is a great take on 3D Mario and finally makes Bowser the menacing villain he deserves to be. The game's only flaw is that it left me wishing there was more of it.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is the Wii U port that Switch owners have been waiting for. Besides the inclusion of online multiplayer, 3D World is the same good game that players already experienced on the Wii U, and fans of the series who missed it the first time around will enjoy its hybridization of 2D and 3D Mario gameplay. But the highlight of the package is Bowser's Fury, a scaled-down but surprisingly robust mini 3D Mario game that actually takes some chances.
Glyph brings together the simplest form of platforms and puzzles in one package. It is an entertaining experience that shines for its simplicity. Although it falls short in scope, it fulfills the most important thing: is fun to play.
Even with the Bowser’s Fury miss, the content is worth it. If you want one of the best and most versatile multiplayer experiences to date for the Nintendo Switch, online or offline, go with Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.
I don’t think Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury annoys me as much as it did on the Wii U, since the Switch already has the best Mario ever made on it; and I do think there is fun to be had with these games, even though I find them to be fairly frustrating. I would still recommend them if you enjoyed the originals, or maybe wanted to play them with younger gamers. Even though I might not go back to it very often, I don’t regret the time spent with it.
Bowser’s Fury works just fine as an added bonus packaged with an under-appreciated platforming gem from the Wii U era. If you’ve never played 3D World before, this is a great chance to catch up on a fresh take on 3D Mario design. If you’re mainly interested in Bowser’s Fury, though, maybe wait until the strong ideas get expanded into a full, standalone game.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury might include the same game that was on the Wii U but it's also a title that needs to be experienced by everyone who owns a Nintendo Switch.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is essentially the same game on Switch that some of you may have experienced on Wii U. While there’s no denying that the new hardware can’t keep up with the game’s ambitions at times, this bundle is at its core another fantastic Mario experience.
[The Legend of Zelda Fandom] Joe_Cracker and the Light of Courage: A naive fanboy's screenplay becomes a classic fan-animation and later part of a campaign for Congress
Prepare to Get Crackasized! The Legend of Zelda is a long-running fantasy video game series from Nintendo, essentially ubiquitous in popular culture. However, this drama concerns itself quite little with the games themselves, but the antics and exploits of possibly the most infamous fan of the series and his quixotic quest to get a script based on the series turned into an animated movie. The year was 2003. The most recent game in the series at that point was The Wind Waker, and along with speculation about future titles and the much-debated Zelda timeline, a popular forum topic was the possibility of a movie based on the series, with dream casting, directors, plots, etc. It was not uncommon to see fan-scripts posted on forums like Zelda Universe, with varying degrees of quality. Importantly for this story, most fans at the time hated the only official animated adaptation of Zelda, the cartoon series from 1989 (link doesn't work outside of the USA). Joe_Cracker, real name Robert C. McGee, was a 19-year-old high school senior from York, South Carolina. He posted the first message in a now-infamous thread on the IGN Zelda forums announcing his ambitious plans to create an animated movie based on the 1989 cartoon series titled "The Light of Courage," with elements from later games like Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask included. He promised the following:
This is it, this is what you guys wanted. All you guys who want to talk about the Zelda movie, this is the topic for you. As you may all know, the movie is based on the 80's t.v. show, and the simplist things about this movie is.
It will use the same animation from the T.V. show but with an up to date look, such as shadow effects, motion effects, and more
The same sound effects, that originated from the first Zelda game will be used as well as many others, old and new.
It will also feature most of the same voice cast, but for my ideas for new cariters and other Zelda cariters, never seen in the T.V. show and who should do their voices, I will post them in other topics everytime 10 people sign my petition.
A few free give aways, I want to cast myself to be the voices of "The Triforce of Courage" and "Majora's Mask". I want to bring in Captain Lou Albano and Danny Wells to do a "Super Mario Bros. Super Mini Movie" that will play in front of the main feature.
All petition updates and sneak peaks will be posted as seprate topics
That is all.
Joe's wide-eyed optimism and earnest, but naive, attempts to get his script turned into a film bemused certain forumites. He insisted that he could obtain the rights to the Zelda series via a PetitionOnline page, and imagined an all-star cast, including Whoopi Goldberg and Britney Spears. One forum user nicknamed "THESPOTLIGHT" attempted to inject Joe with a sense of reality.
📷Date Posted: 9/9/03 2:46pm Subject: RE: The Legend of Zelda: The Light of Courage - A working progress Joe Cracker Said: "Once I am done with the screenplay, I want to submit to the right people that will help me get the Legal rights to do whatever I want with it and re-asemble the original voice cast."---------------------------------------------I say:I bet you don't evem know WHO the RIGHT people are! There isn't a team of people looking for amature screenplays to turn into low-budgeted movies. The rights to do a Zelda movie alone costs OVER A MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO PRODUCER IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER LISTEN TO YOU OR YOUR PETITION. I just being honest with you. I know what it takes and you don't have it. You may be creative but it takes EXPERIENCE to make a good 90 min movie. The Cracker will crumble under the pressure.
Undaunted, the Cracker persisted, handing out flyers in his hometown to get people to sign his online petition. Unfortunately, less than 20 people signed. Out of a combination of frustration and pity, Spotlight agreed to help Joe as a script doctor, but Joe interpreted this arrangement as allowing himself to promote the as-yet-incomplete film online rather than working on his script. Throughout 2004, Spotlight was essentially subject to Cracker's demands and rewrites, being treated as an unpaid employee rather than a partner. Cracker attempted to raise money for his film by selling the NES "Where's Waldo?" game, a film reel of Shrek 2 which he had fished out of a movie theater dumpster, then by selling albums of himself singing on eBay. Spotlight went offline several times, only to poke his head back out and complain about the poor quality of the script and how he was essentially having to re-write it entirely, but Joe brushed off all criticism and insisted the final product would be "Crackasized." By October 2004, the beleaguered co-screenwriter Spotlight abandoned the project, finally done humoring Joe. However, a trio (Triforce?) of trolls emerged to take his place. The first of the trolls was sexualburgerking, who posed as a genuine fan of Cracker's work, pretending to create purposefully-bad fan art for use in the Light of Courage project. He said of Joe_Cracker,
Joe_Cracker is an inspirational craftsman whose talent is only overshadowed by his creative energy. As you can see, he is such an inspiration that at least four talented individuals have offered their creativity and effort to Joe's project, while asking for nothing from him in return.
The second troll was Cellius_18, who created a parody of Joe's project called "The Beacon of Courage," while pretending that it was an earnest attempt to make an animated Zelda movie, as Joe's project was. The reveal of this "knockoff" of course drove Joe bananas, but was intended to get him to work harder on his project. The third troll was orquiox, another user pretending to help with the animation and scripting. Together, the three trolls impersonated John Grusd, who was producer of the 1980s Zelda series, and convinced Cracker that DiC Entertainment was open to producing a full-length Zelda movie (that the rights to the IP ultimately rested with Nintendo went over Joe's head). Joe_Cracker sent "John Grusd" his script, and the movie ultimately got produced as threeCGI-animatedshorts with intentionally-amateurish animation, with dialogue taken straight from Cracker's script, misspellings and grammar errors and all. They released throughout 2005 and 2006, with a promised fourth short languishing in development hell, with the producers jokingly saying it will be finished in 2035. The three videos soon became comedy classics on Zelda boards, with the now-defunct website "Dancing Triforce" set up to host them. Lines such as "My son keeps getting stronger and more braver every day," and "I cased over the moon" became memes among the Zelda fandom in the late 2000s. Time passed and everyone moved on. Joe_Cracker made a full-length Bigfoot mocumentary called "The Unknown Creature", which is essentially 90 minutes of wandering around the woods. He attempted to create the "Perfect NES Clone" and program an NES ROM-maker software with features like 3D graphics generation, despite having zero programming knowledge. He solicited several denizens of the Atari Age forums to "assist" him in this endeavor, but none bit. However, in 2013, he left his filmmaking behind to pursue higher office. Seeing that South Carolina Congressman Mick Mulvaney (who would later become the Trump White House Chief of Staff) was running unopposed, the onetime Internet celebrity attempted to leverage his minor fame to run for Congress. However, Robert C. McGee did not file to run in any political primary, and his campaigning was limited to handing out flyers much like he had for his PetitionOnline page years earlier. Said flyers made explicit reference to the decade-old Light of Courage. Robert McGee received a negligible amount of votes in this heavily-Republican district running as a write-in Democrat. Today, Joe_CrackeRobert McGee maintains a Twitter account and hasn't pursued any more grandiose projects, but his saga brought plenty of laughs 15 years ago. An archived version of the infamous script is here.
EDIT 3 : CONGRATS TO ALL GME HOLDERS. TRUELY HONORED TO BE PART OF THE GME FAM. 🚀
Introduction
PDF VERSION HERE (20+ pages) with all the references and better quality illustrations but without updates and typo corrections. This is the FIRST VERSION of the post, but there could be more edits. I wanted to do a more extensive DD but as my exams start tomorrow I don’t have more time. If you want to take my work and extend it, please feel free to do so, just give a little shout out. FIRST AND FOREMOST, SHOUTOUT TO 🚀💎🙌 GME GANG 💎🙌 🚀, YOU’RE IN MY ❤️. This DD is just my own analysis. I put my money where my mouth is but this is definitely not advice. Do your own DD. Last thing: Some stuff might be unsourced in this post but everything is sourced in the pdf version. While it’s not impossible that I might have missed some stuff, most of the time I put the stuff that I quote from other sources in italics. My ego is not big enough to feel like reformulating other people’s ideas and even less to steal other people's ideas. All I do is just gather insightful facts, figures, ideas and analysis.
Big picture
1.1 Macroeconomic View
I will be brief here, I think everyone knows what’s up basically. Figure 1: although the USD is worth a lot less, the S&P 500 is doing alright. Thanks Jerome. Enthusiasm is the key word here as we are in an environment with a very accommodative monetary and fiscal policy (thanks for the stimulus checks). Equities and Bitcoin hit record highs thanks to positive vaccine news and the markets hope for a fiscal package. The Federal Reserve is going heavy on asset purchases, bailouts and loans. And its balance sheet is expanding as well as money supply. Interest rates are extremely low. Check for example, the Shiller PE ratio to see the enthusiasm driving the markets. On a macro-level side from the risks related to the pandemic, the only worrying signs would be the shrinking money velocity or a suddenly-rising inflation (hyperinflation is bullish for stocks but not for the real economy). That being said, we know how the FED and the government reacted to support the economy and the markets. Low interest rates and weak US dollar which is continuing to depreciate is very bullish for stocks overall. I keep the macroeconomic view very short for that GME correlation with the S&P 500 is low - about 28% over the last 6 months. Moreover despite GME’s heavy reliance on brick-and-mortar stores, GME continues to get closer to profitability even with the pandemic. If the pandemic would make the stock market to crash again during the trade, I wouldn't sell at a loss but wait a few days and then buy a LEAPS. This is my plan. Don't follow it, just make sure you have a plan in case it happens, it's important to avoid buying too much the first dip (because you might get a better price later) or worse, avoid a panic-selling and take a loss instead of tendies.
In years 3 and 4 combined, if just 5 million customers extend the subscription for two years, GameStop makes $180 million in incremental profit with zero cost involved. That's nearly a quarter of GameStop's current market cap in recurring income at 100% margin. - Justin Dopierala, “GameStop Revenue Sharing Agreement With Microsoft Shifts Sentiment.” SeekingAlpha.
2.2 Business Model and Management
Gamestop is omnichanneling into online activities according to Ryan Cohen recommendations although it doesn’t mean they will execute it perfectly this is bullish.
“GameStop needs to evolve into a technology company that delights gamers and delivers exceptional digital experiences – not remain a video game retailer that overprioritizes its brick-and-mortar footprint and stumbles around the online ecosystem.” Ryan Cohen.
The company attributes the losses this quarter to the end of the console cycle and the limited hardware and accessory availability that came with that, as well as various game delays, and an 11% reduction in its store base - partially offset by recaptured sales at other locations and online. → The company should be profitable very soondespite being priced for bankruptcy for a long time → Expectations are incrediblly low until recently, more investors are believing in the vision esp. with Ryan Cohen.
GME e-commerce sales were up 257% year-over-year.
GME reduced its selling, general, and administrative expenses by $115 million.
GME repaid $10 million in debt in Q3 2020.
GME isdiversifying sales to include more high margin itemslike PC accessories, PC monitors, etc (If I speculate, there may be partnerships with certain brands).
Focusing on loyalty programslike power ups andrebranding.
As of Feb. 2020, GameStop had 5,509 physical stores.
GME is closing unprofitable locations: they are closing 1,000 stores in Q1 2021 (by the end of March of 2021).
I’d like to quote a fellow GME gang member on this: It's no secret that brick and mortar is falling off, and if GameStop were to fight tooth and nail to remain a largely brick and mortar retailer they would go bankrupt in no time. It is also a fact that underperforming stores drain cash, which lowers net income and thus lowers earnings per share. Any store that is LOSING MONEY or is barely breaking even is keeping the stock price down because it's preventing future growth and killing net incomes. Closing underperforming stores will lead to a higher EPS and more cash that can be allocated to growth. - horny131313.
Gamestop is rebranding, and shifting to becoming the one stop video game and video game related product online retailer. While we haven't seen exactly what this will be, it is bullish to see them pivoting into other products besides just video games. Headsets, TVS, PC parts, you name it. You've seen the omnichannel memes, but we know that If they are bullshitting, Cohen will step in. Expect to see real progress made.
Some words from the last earnings:
"We anticipate, for the first time in many quarters, that the fourth quarter will includepositive year-on-year sales growth and profitability*, reflecting the introduction of* new gaming consoles*, our* elevated omni-channel capabilitiesand continuedbenefits from our cost and efficiency initiatives*, even with the potential further negative impacts on our operations due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.*" George Sherman, CEO.
Possible catalysts (from KYJELLYTIME69):
A possible new Nintendo console release in ~1-2 years
Currently distressed commercial REITs = ability to negotiate lower rent = more $$$
Likely return of inflation (debatable but money supply ballooned and we are seeing velocity pick up a bit) with JPOW promising to keep rates at 0% even when inflation comes back = bullish for all stocks, bears will get slaughtered
OG printer Yellen manning the treasury in a month + possible dem senate = more stimmy checks = more money going into GME
If sales improve and balance sheets continue improve, we might see more credit upgrades
Better sales = possible dividend reinstatement, I couldn't care less about dividends but guess who's going to be paying? The shorts lol. If Sherman had balls, he would pull an OSTK and announce a special dividend , which will actually lead to a short squeeze while wsb laughs collectively as we get meme returns from this boomer move.
2.3 The Short-Squeeze Thesis
Figure 6: Stare statistics from Oct. 2019 to Nov. 2020 In terms of metrics, the DTC (days-to-cover) actually decreases, lowering the probability to get a short-squeeze short-term. Don’t get me wrong, this DOESN’T mean that it can’t happen, the % of shares shorted is still crazy high. Days to cover: It gives investors an idea of potential future buying pressure. In the event of a rally in the stock, short sellers must buy back shares on the open market to close out their positions. Understandably, they will seek to purchase the shares back for the lowest price possible, and this urgency to get out of their positions could translate into sharp moves higher. The longer the buyback process takes, as referenced by the 'days to cover' metric, the longer the price rally may continue based solely on the need of short sellers to close their positions. Additionally, a high 'days to cover' ratio can often signal a potential short squeeze. This information can benefit a trader looking to make a quick profit by buying that company's shares ahead of the anticipated event actually coming to fruition. (Investopedia). In terms of corporate actions, here is a quote from September mentioning the hostile takeover from Ryan which would trigger a massive short-squeeze, here is the explanation: Short Squeeze Potential -If Ryan Cohen successfully negotiates a purchase price with the Board then the shareholders will have to vote on it. Unlike the proxy battle where Hestia and Permit were running a minority slate of directors, an offer to purchase GameStop would force institutions like Vanguard and Blackrock to call in their shares. By doing so, the shorts would be forced to close out their positions and GameStop would finally have the greatest short squeeze of all-time. Ironically, Cohen could use this opportunity to sell all of his shares and use the proceeds to entirely fund the acquisition of GameStop going down as the first person in history to acquire a billion dollar company... for absolutely nothing. In fact, his acquisition price would be less than zero. It will be exciting to see how it all plays out as according to Bloomberg/WSJ there are now 58 million shares short as of 8/31/2020 with only 65 million shares outstanding. If I were short, I'd be sweating bullets right now. This won't end well and will ruin many. Justin Dopierala is President and Founder of DOMO Capital. How to know when the potential short-squeeze could happen?
Massive volume in short dated calls. [...] If you have shares, DO NOT SELL COVERED CALLS FROM THEM. by doing this you make the likelihood of a squeeze decrease. - horny131313
Unwind their short position with some behind closed doors deal. A scenario like this could include: Melvin offering shares of other stocks at discounted prices in exchange for GME shares or to unload a portion of their short shares. The second party to this deal could also offer to buy GME shares for higher than market prices - horny131313
Melvin and BoA both have short positions, and are desperately trying to drive the price down. Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder to convince people that gamestop is a failing business. They are sweating and will continue to sweat. Given the buy side volume, they could close these short positions gradually without triggering a massive squeeze, however it WILL drive the price up significantly higher than it is now. - horny131313.
2.5 What 2020 Has Taught Us?
I think at this point it is the wrong question to ask (is the stock being manipulated?). To me, the most important thing is what is the upside potential and the risks associated? Then, how to trade GME?
If you're new to gamestop, the volatility will seem scary but the shorts fight hard with this one. -10% days followed by +20% days are not unusual. - horny131313
Whether the stock is manipulated or not, MOST of the 2020 trading days were negative.
The worst daily returns were hard to handle honestly we are talking multiple worst than 14% daily drawdowns.
You could more than triple your money WITHOUT LEVERAGE.
Let’s say you bought late Apr. and sold late Aug. you could have been at -13% returns and +31% the next week if you had diamond hands. For the real diamond hands you had +147% returns the next 2 months.
Psychologically this was a hard trade for sure. But for those who had diamond hands, it was pretty amazing. If you don’t feel comfortable being at -20% or even -30% returns for months before the stock literally BLOWS UP… Reduce your position and diamond hand with a smaller size. Better to win with less than lose with a lot… TLTR: DIAMOND-HAND THIS OR DON’T TRADE THIS AT ALL.
Risks
3.1 Upside Risks
RC Ventures LLC increases its stake.
It could be VERY soon. On the 31 December 2020, someone bought 900K shares, it could be Ryan Cohen given the size of its last purchases:
This is very bullish because after the disclosure of additional buying from Cohen last time, even though it strangely took 1 full trading day for the market to pop up, GME shot up 29%.
Surprise investors with their holiday sales and/or EPS.
GME will more than likely beat earnings next quarter. I won't go into much detail into this because it is not my expertise, howeveru/Uberkikz11has done some amazing DD and has been doing so for a long time. This guy literally goes into GameStop stores to get his information. Read this:https://www.reddit.com/wallstreetbets/comments/kh9na8/gme_4q20_financial_model/ - horny131313
RC Ventures LLC gets more than one seat on the board.
RC Ventures LLC begins a hostile takeover.
On top of its increasing stake, Ryan is supported by both a lot of small and now large investors too.
Moreover “there is a decent amount of evidence that Ryan Cohen spent the summer of 2020 hiring a badass lawyer and crafting a pretty solid plan to wrest control of a struggling Mall-based gaming retailer from its out of touch Boomer Board and CEO so he can turn it into an ecommerce juggernaut like his baby Chewy. the attorney listed on each of the 13Ds filed by RC Ventures. [...] Chris Davis, Activist Attorney Extraordinaire and His Successful Use of the Consent Solicitation to Remove Dipshit Boards/CEOs” - CPTHubbard.
Moody's Upgrades GameStop's credit rating a second time in a row
Hoping for a PR soon confirming the recent redemption of the 2021 notes. Potential credit upgrade from Moodys could come now that GME has officially redeemed 63% of their 2021 notes. If we don't get that now, we should get it in March when the entirety of the 2021 notes are retired. Debt considered investment grade and not junk is a big positive and one most overlook. - Stonksflyingup
Short sellers close a part of their position huge short position.
A major hedge fund takes a significant position on GME.
Dividend reintroduction.
3.2 Downside Risks
New short sellers open a position and current ones scale up theirs.
Momentum towards profitability dies out and the company goes bankrupt.
Honestly if you read this far you know this is extremely unlikely.
It is very unlikely for the shorts to continue to short the company especially when its credit rating is being upgraded - we will see if it keeps getting upgraded or not in March.
If the shorts get to short it more (or new short sellers open a position) it will:
Drive the stock price down (lower market cap), drive the short ratio higher making the unwinding of the short sellers even harder and as a result making the probability to have a short-squeeze VERY BIG if good events happen moving forward.
Push Ryan Cohen to accelerate its plans.
I will personally increase my share-position if it happens.
Conclusion
4.1 Prices Targets
Here is a summary of my post: When the short % of free float went from a high point (~160%) at around February 2020 to a low point (~140%) - which by the way are in absolute terms both huge numbers- the stock went up ~94% BUT most of the gain took place at 2 key moments: at the recovery of the market crash and then in late August which shows that 💎🙌-ing is key to capture most of the gains. Figure 13: GME returns from 3 Feb. 2020 to 1 Sept. 2020 Why do I say this? Because when holding the stock you could “feel” like you bled when you watch the stats:
Positive daily returns
Negative daily returns
49.3 %
50.7 %
But IT WAS IN FACT THE SHORT SELLERS WHO BLED HARD:
Best daily return
Worst daily return
23.0 %
-13.7 %
Imagine you sold GME when the -13.7% happened. You would not have captured the 94% returns. So just 💎🙌 and let those shorts go bankrupt. Table 8: PTs.
4.2 Valuations
“Wallstreetbets - GME 4Q20 Financial Model 🚀 🚀 🚀.” Reddit, www.reddit.com/wallstreetbets/comments/kh9na8/gme_4q20_financial_model/. “GameStop Rips Higher as Hedgeye Pitches the Long Side of the Trade.” SeekingAlpha, 23 Dec. 2020, seekingalpha.com/news/3647009-gamestop-rips-higher-hedgeye-pitches-long-side-of-trade. Thanks for reading.
https://www.ioi.dk/hitman-3-pre-launch-guide/ --- Welcome to the HITMAN 3 Pre-launch guide. This blog post will be our place to share in-depth details about HITMAN 3, including how to carryover your progression, our new Access Pass system, what to expect on launch day and more. We are excited to see all of our players embark on Agent 47’s next journey and experience the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy. Before you start reading, this is how the game begins.
Release Details
HITMAN 3 will be available on 20 January 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Stadia, Nintendo Switch and PC. We’re happy to confirm that the Nintendo Switch version of HITMAN 3 will also launch on 20 January. The Switch version of HITMAN 3 is playable via cloud streaming technology. A stable and permanent internet connection is required to play. Release Time HITMAN 3 will release simultaneously on all platforms at 13:00 UTC on 20 January 2021. To see the exact release time in your timezone, follow this link. This release time will ensure that the IOI teams in Copenhagen and Malmö are best-placed to ensure a smooth launch. At that time, digital copies will be available to play and the games servers will be online. 📷 Pre-load It will be possible to pre-load HITMAN 3 on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Make sure that you’ve configured your console to do that and the downloads will begin when they have been prepared and certified. On PC, there won’t be a pre-load option for HITMAN 3 and downloads will begin at the above release time. (For PS4 and PS5 owners in Asia, please note that HITMAN 3 will not be available for pre-order or pre-load. This is due to recent changes in the age ratings systems in those regions. HITMAN 3 will be available for purchase at the above time.) Day One Patch HITMAN 3 will require a day one patch for all disc users. The day one patch will be automatically applied to digital players. This patch will include access to the VR mode for PlayStation users and will include the remaining locations that are not included on the disc. Game Size HITMAN 3 will take up approximately 60-70 GB of storage space on all platforms, with the obvious exceptions of Stadia and Switch. The data that you download will also include all the content required to access HITMAN 1 and HITMAN 2 – but you are still required to own/purchase access to those games. To underline that; purchasing HITMAN 3 does not grant access to the previous two games by default. Using this method allows us to reduce the file size for all players to 60-70 GB and has the benefit of making the process of redeeming or purchase access to HITMAN 1 and HITMAN 2 as simple as possible. (We talk about that more later). Also, we want to clarify that reducing the file size doesn’t mean that we’ve made any compromises on the visual/audio quality of the game. If you’re curious about the technical aspects that made this possible, we recently talked to PC Gamer about it.
HITMAN 3 - Editions
There are two editions of HITMAN 3; The Standard Edition and the Deluxe Edition. – The Standard Edition includes the HITMAN 3 base game. Nice and simple. – The Deluxe Edition includes the HITMAN 3 base game and the Deluxe Pack. Again, nice and simple. The only difference between the two editions is the Deluxe Pack, which includes 6 Deluxe Escalations, in-game suits, items and weapons, a digital soundtrack for each game in the World of Assassination trilogy, an introduction to each HITMAN 3 campaign mission by the Game Director and a digital artbook that highlights the characters, targets and missions included in the trilogy. A free IOI Account is required to download the digital soundtracks and World of HITMAN Art Book. Here’s a visual look at everything that’s packed into the HITMAN 3 Deluxe Edition: 📷 Next-gen Upgrade Console players who pre-order or purchase a physical or digital copy of HITMAN 3 (either Standard or Deluxe) on the current generation of consoles (PS4/Xbox One), will receive a free upgrade to the next-gen version of the game for no additional cost. Note that you won’t be able to receive the next-gen upgrade if you purchase HITMAN 3 on disc and you own a disc-free next gen console. When making a digital purchase, you will automatically be entitled to download the next-gen version when you access the game on that console. When making a physical disc purchase, you’ll need to insert the current gen disc into your next gen console and you’ll be able to download the next-gen version for no additional cost. Simply keep the disc in your machine whenever you want to play and you’ll be good to go. Pre-order Bonus The HITMAN 3 pre-order bonus celebrates all three games in the World of Assassination trilogy. Introducing the Trinity Pack. You’ll get it just by pre-ordering the game, no matter what platform or edition. The Trinity Pack includes a total of 9 items, with 3 distinct sets that represent a different game from the trilogy. Each set includes a suit, briefcase and weapon. From the White of HITMAN 1, the Red of HITMAN 2 or the Black of HITMAN 3, you’ll have all 9 items in your inventory to mix and match as you like. The classic Hitman insignia is etched onto the items in gold to add an elegant flourish. Note: The Trinity Pack will not be included with either the Standard Edition or Deluxe Edition after January 20. 📷 At selected retailers, pre-ordering a physical edition of HITMAN 3 will also include an exclusive physical passport. This unique item is filled with details and references from Agent 47’s career and commemorates 20 years of Hitman. See the list of retailers in our previous pre-order blog post.
Progression Carryover
All current HITMAN 2 players will be able to carryover their hard-earned progression into HITMAN 3. After completing the carryover process, HITMAN 2 players will be able to start HITMAN 3 with their existing player profile, XP rank, location mastery levels, location mastery unlocks, challenge progress, challenge unlocks and Elusive Target suits/unlocks. All of those things are what we call ‘progression’. It’s not possible to pick and choose elements to carryover. It’s all or nothing. The carryover process requires an IOI Account and can only be done through a web browser, it’s not possible to do it in-game. We will have the website ready to go before launch, but it is not live yet. Once it is ready, we will share the news via ioi.dk and update this post. 📷 Here’s more about how it will work: – Progression can only be carried over from HITMAN 2, including progression you have from the Legacy Pack (HITMAN 1 locations within HITMAN 2). – Progression can only be carried over from within the same platform. There are only three options: HITMAN 2 (PlayStation) → HITMAN 3 (PlayStation) HITMAN 2 (Xbox) → HITMAN 3 (Xbox) HITMAN 2 (PC/Steam) → HITMAN 3 (PC/Epic) Note: “PlayStation” = PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5. “Xbox” = Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. Essentially, it doesn’t matter what specific console you have earned progression on. It only matters that progression can only move forward and within the same console ‘family’. – Progression carryover is a one-time process, meaning once you have performed a carryover for a particular platform, you will not be able to do so again at a later time. – If you have played HITMAN 2 on multiple platforms, you CAN perform a carryover for EACH of those profiles, but only within the same platform, as listed above. For example, if you play H2 on Xbox and PlayStation, you can carryover your H2 Xbox progression into H3 Xbox and independently carryover your H2 PlayStation progress into H3 PlayStation. – When you complete the carryover process, your existing HITMAN 2 progress will remain as it is (i.e it will not be removed/deleted). However, your progression in H2 and H3 will NOT be synchronised. – If you have already started playing HITMAN 3 and THEN choose to perform the progression carryover process, you will lose all progression earned within HITMAN 3 up to that point. We recommend you carryover progress before starting HITMAN 3. 📷 What exactly will be carried over? When you start the process, you will need to select an account that you have linked to your IOI Account. You will then be able to review the HITMAN 2 progress earned on that account and confirm that you want to perform the carryover process into HITMAN 3. The following progression will be included in the carryover process: player profile, XP rank, location mastery levels, location mastery unlocks, challenge progress, challenge unlocks and Elusive Target suits/unlocks. Savegame files are not carried over. Note that there are a small amount of items/unlocks that are not carried over through this process, such as the rewards unlocked through the HITMAN 1 GOTY Escalations, becuase they are linked to a purchase. Those items will be available in HITMAN 3 when you redeem access to the associated content. In addition, the ICA Electrocution Phone has been retired and will not be available in HITMAN 3. HITMAN 3 on Stadia On Stadia, all progression that players have earned in Hitman: World of Assassination (from both H1 and H2) will automatically ‘carryover’ to HITMAN 3. For additional clarity, Stadia and PC are two different platforms and progress cannot be shared or carried over between them. HITMAN 3 on Nintendo Switch Progression carryover is not possible on Nintendo Switch because HITMAN 2 is not available on that platform as a standalone game.
Access Pass FAQ
HITMAN 3 allows players to access locations from the previous games in the trilogy (H1 and H2) and play them all under one roof. Essentially, we have setup H1 and H2 as DLC for HITMAN 3. You can buy or redeem/download an Access Pass and get access to its content within H3. For example, if you buy the HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass DLC for HITMAN 3, you’ll get access to the locations and missions included in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition within HITMAN 3. 📷 In addition to the option of purchasing an Access Pass, it is also possible to redeem/download an Access Pass for no additional cost, if you have already purchased that content from the same store that you have pre-ordered or purchased HITMAN 3. To make this happen, we detect what you already have installed for HITMAN 2 and can make the corresponding Access Pass available for no additional cost on the same store. Note: If you only own HITMAN 1, you will need to import that content into HITMAN 2 first, via the instructions in our Legacy Pack FAQ. This process will work between console generations. For example, if you own HITMAN 2 on PS4, you’ll be able to download the HITMAN 2 Access Pass DLC in HITMAN 3 for both PS4 and PS5. The same applies for the Xbox family of consoles as well. We know that’s a lot of information, but once you’ve seen all of the Access Pass options, and there are five in total, it will make more sense. 📷 HITMAN 1 GOTY Access PassIncludes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 1 GOTY Edition: ICA Facility, Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, Hokkaido, 3x GOTY Escalations and rewards and 4x Patient Zero campaign missions How to get it– Consoles: If you have previously downloaded the HITMAN 1 Legacy Pack, HITMAN 1 GOTY Legacy Pack or HITMAN 1 GOTY Upgrade for HITMAN 2, you will be able to download it for no additional cost. (Yes, that’s a free upgrade to the GOTY Edition if you only own the Standard Edition of H1!). The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you own a version of H1 on disc, you must follow the process in the Legacy Pack FAQ to access that content in HITMAN 2 – and then redeem this Access Pass. – PC (Epic): If you pre-purchase or purchase HITMAN 3 on EGS within the first 10 days of launch, you will be granted the HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass for no additional charge. In addition, if you own or redeemed a free copy of HITMAN – The Complete First Season on EGS when it was available for free, you will be able to download this Access Pass at any time after purchasing HITMAN 3. 📷 HITMAN 2 Standard Access PassIncludes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, plus 1x Sniper Assassin map: Himmelstein How to get it– Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Standard Edition or HITMAN 2 SilveGold, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: [See below] – PC (Epic): As HITMAN 2 is not available on EGS, we have set up an 80% discount for this Access Pass for the first 14 days after HITMAN 3’s launch. HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass [DISC]Includes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, plus 1x Sniper Assassin map: Himmelstein How to get it– Consoles: If you own a physical disc copy of HITMAN 2 Standard Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost through the HITMAN 2 in-game store. (You will see the full listing price if you look for the Access Pass in the PS/Xbox store as a disc owner.) On Xbox, you also need to own a digital copy of either HITMAN 3 or the HITMAN 2 Free Starter Pack before navigating to the in-game store. 📷 HITMAN 2 Gold Access PassIncludes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Gold Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, New York, Haven Island, plus 3x Sniper Assassin maps: Himmelstein, Hantu Port, Siberia and 4x Special Assignments. How to get it– Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you bought HITMAN 2 Gold Edition on Disc, it will have included a download code for the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass; you need to use that to get access to the content from the Gold Edition. See below. – PC (Epic): As HITMAN 2 is not available on EGS, we have set up an 80% discount for this Access Pass for the first 14 days after HITMAN 3’s launch. It will also grant access to the HITMAN 2 Expansion Access Pass. 📷 HITMAN 2 Expansion Access PassIncludes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass: New York, Haven Island, plus 3x Sniper Assassin maps: Himmelstein, Hantu Port, Siberia and 4x Special Assignments. How to get it– Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for the Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you own a physical copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost because a download code for the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass was included in the box. If you have redeemed that code, the price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. HITMAN 3 Access Pass on PC We’ve done everything possible to make this process smooth and player-friendly. However, due to various circumstances out of our control, we want to acknowledge that the process is different to our initial plans for PC players. We also want to share some of the initiatives we’ve set-up to make sure that PC players the chance to keep enjoying the benefits of the World of Assassination.
The HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass will be available to claim in the first 10 days after launch for anyone who purchases (or has pre-ordered) any edition of HITMAN 3 on Epic Games Store.
Owners of HITMAN 1 on EGS (including all players who claimed it when it was available for free in August) will get a free upgrade to the HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass at any time after purchasing HITMAN 3.
The HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass and HITMAN 2 Gold Access Pass will be 80% off for 14 days after the launch of HITMAN 3 on Epic Games Store and will continue to be discounted regularly.
Our hope is that these initiatives help to ensure all HITMAN 3 PC players can able to enjoy the new game with full access to HITMAN 1 and their progression carried over as a minimum. HITMAN 3 Access Pass on Stadia Due to the convenient set-up of HITMAN 1-3 on Stadia, the Access Pass system is not required. Players will continue to have access to the locations they already own through Hitman: World of Assassination, or can purchase the games that they don’t own through the Stadia Store. HITMAN 3 Access Pass on Switch HITMAN 3 is the first game in the trilogy to be available on Switch. As such, each relevant Access Pass is available for purchase through the HITMAN 3 in-game store.
HITMAN VR
At launch, HITMAN 3 will support PS VR and all locations in the World of Assassination trilogy can be experienced in a new first-person perspective. Yes, that means you can traverse the outside of the tallest building in the (Hitman) world in PS VR! If you own the previous games from the trilogy on PS4, you can also access locations from them within HITMAN 3. That’s more than 20 Hitman locations from the World of Assassination trilogy to enjoy in PS VR. 📷 You can either play HITMAN 3 in PS VR natively on your PS4 or via backward compatibility on PS5. To make sure all PS VR owners can experience the game in VR, we’re including a free digital copy of the PS4 version of HITMAN 3 with all PS5 copies, whether you choose to buy it via disc or digital. If you are playing on PS5, your progress between the PS4 (VR) and PS5 (non-VR) versions is shared between the two versions. You’ll be able to play the non-VR version of HITMAN 3 on PS5 with the next-gen improvements that we support (including Dual Sense support!) and then switch to the PS4 version for VR and all of your items and unlocks will be right there waiting for you. You will need to have both versions of the game installed on your PS5 to make that happen. 📷 Whether you play on PS4 or PS5, a DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller is required to play HITMAN 3 in VR. Playing HITMAN 3 in VR on PS5 also requires a PlayStation Camera adaptor. For full details on the requirements for playing PS VR on your PS5, including how to order a free PlayStation Camera adaptor, see the official PlayStation PS VR site.
More to come
📷 We have got our sights firmly set on January 20 and our entire team is doing everything in our power to make the launch of HITMAN 3 as successful as possible. It’s an incredibly exciting time for us to be so close to releasing our next game, as well as deliver the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy. Please keep the conversation going on Twitter, Discord, Reddit and in HitmanForum and be excellent to each other. The World of Assassination awaits…
There may be no new content besides the previous DLC being included, but Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game - Complete Edition takes what was already a really fun beat 'em up and makes it all the more accessible to a whole new generation of gamers.
I really enjoyed playing Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition. A lot of my excitement for the game came from nostalgia, but playing it ultimately increased the appreciation I had for the original game. With most of the mechanics still the same, it wasn’t too difficult to pick up the game and get used to the controls. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game offers non-stop action with a story that new and old fans will have fun playing.
It leans hard into its comic book and video game influences but also has some clever tricks up its sleeve, which is why it's aged so well and still feels fresh to play. The game can be frustrating and chaotic at times, and difficulty can be all over the place but grab some friends and you'll fall in lesbians all over again with this brilliant, resurrected classic all over again.
However for those looking to revisit this game, people with fond memories of a cult classic, they’ll find it a joy still to play and well worth a look. It plays brilliantly, has a really tough challenge to the gameplay and still inhabits all that charm and uniqueness you remember.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition is a faithful port of a 10-year-old game that remains mostly unchanged, mainly because it didn't need to. Thankfully, online and drop-in play give it new life and soften the edge.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game — Complete Edition is a much-needed re-release that faithfully preserves the long lost original. The outdated beat-’em-up combat and light features may not live up to fans’ almost mythological memory, but just being able to find that out is a victory in its own right.
Both an incredibly faithful take of the Scott Pilgrim story, as well as a frustratingly inconsistent beat-em-up that is elevated by the art style and soundtrack. While it's great that fans news and old have a chance to rediscover its quirks, it's by no means a forgotten masterpiece.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: the Game is one of the best modern beat-em ups, despite a lack of much competition in the genre. It's gorgeous visuals and amazing soundtrack complement its surprising depth in combat perfectly. Scott Pilgrim is back, and hopefully here to stay.
Ubisoft proves here that the best can be improved. The new modes, the ability to play online and keep the game as it was in the original version and only adapt it to the new generation is an absolute success. And in case someone wonders if the game is enjoyable even without knowing the character, or the comic, or the movies, from now on I tell you that yes, it is a great beat'em up in every rule and that you can enjoy without prior knowledge, although of course, knowing more about the story I think it is much more appreciated. In addition, the film is excellent wherever you look at it, so you would be doing yourself a favor by watching it, but right now.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game - Complete Edition may not be on a par with Streets of Rage 4 and co, but playing with friend makes it a much better experience.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game – Complete Edition is an enjoyable throwback to beat 'em up games and having access to the game with all the DLC after its several year hiatus is a welcome return.
10 years after its original release, Scott Pilgrim vs The World is still a great "retro" brawler, full of pop culture references, and incredibly fun in multiplayer (local or online, coop or versus) up to 4 players.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition is certainly an original scrolling fighting game, thanks to the reference imagery. However, games like Battletoads and Streets of Rage 4 have proved that the genre has evolved a lot in the past ten years, while the gameplay built by Ubisoft does not always shine or work at its best.
Those of you looking for the next Castle Crashers or Streets of Rage need look no further, as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is a great beat 'em up for your Switch. Bombastic presentation and crunchy combat gameplay make this one enjoyable from start to finish. Though it can feel like it runs a bit short and the difficulty spikes can be rather intense, we'd give this one a strong recommendation to anybody looking for a fun, short game to play in co-op. Let's just hope it sticks around for longer than four years this time.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition is still an incredibly polished and fun beat ‘em up that has truly stood the test of time. While it’s slightly annoying that playing with the other characters requires you to replay entire levels and that the online features and a full playable fighter are currently locked behind Ubisoft’s ridiculous server sign-in, in the end this is still a great title deserving of its re-release.
The landscape of the beat 'em up genre may have altered in the ten years since Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game first released, but it's return is wholly welcome. A wonderful compliment to the graphic novel series, and a stylish throwback to the delightfully gaudy brawlers that boomed and bloomed loudly in 90s arcades. Add friends for maximum impact.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition brings together everything that was lost all those years ago to dreaded licensing issues to remind us of why we missed it so much. It's a fun and quirky beat-em-up, though the lack of online in all the modes offered feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.
While its early difficulty may deter some people, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game's complexity and how it opens up makes for a highly enjoyable experience. It's felt like an eternity since we've seen this title on our Xbox systems, and having a Complete Edition with touched up visuals and all previously released content is an absolute treat. Whether you're a fan of the series or a newcomer to the genre, there's something here to enjoy, and it's a reminder of why so many fell in love with the original game all those years ago.
I’ll say it plainly. I love Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. I loved it 10 years ago and I’ve only come to appreciate it more since. I identify with Stephen Stills as talented, but also very sleepy, so I delight in being able to play as him in a game again. Yet for all of my love, it definitely has a tedious grind that might annoy people that aren’t into River City Ransom-style beat’em-ups. That said, with or without the movie or comics it’s based off of, I’d still consider it one of the best-in-class of side-scrolling co-op brawlers
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World - Complete Edition is a side scrolling beat-em-up, similar to Streets of Rage. It has a unique soundtrack and very well done artistic and graphic work. This is a really enjoyable game to play. Although it has some bugs, in general it is a very polished game. It includes several new features compared to its 2010 version, including an online mode that still needs to be refined. Otherwise it is a game that must be played.
If you're a fan of the character or of beat 'em ups and pop culture in general that didn't have a chance to try this title, this is your second chance that must not be wasted.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition remains an excellent game. With the whole game and DLC bundled together, this is the definitive package for fans of the franchise and of beat 'em ups in general. There's a lot to be in lesbians with here, from the stellar soundtrack to excellent moment to moment gameplay. It's clearly an utterly unique labour of love from a talented group of people (who happen to work at Ubisoft).
Fans of classic brawlers really can't go wrong with Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game – Complete Edition. It's gorgeous, satisfying to play, and has a positively banging soundtrack from pop/rock band Anamanaguchi that stands the test of time wonderfully.
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World Complete Edition certainly aims to be a faithful collection of this decade-old RPG brawler but with a near-zero list of improvements, it's tough to call Scott Pilgrim's adventure anything more than a pre-wrapped gift to the fans.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is still fun to play. It's a solid 2D beat em up with lots of charm and a sweet soundtrack, but there are better games in the genre since its 2010 debut.
It may be a little over 10 years old, but Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition remains a top-tier title for beat-'em-up fans. The changes and improvements made over the original River City Ransom formula make it a tight game that feels rich in its genre, while the presence of online play resolves the main criticism in the original title. Those who have played the game before will enjoy that it's portable on the Switch, but those coming in fresh will find this to be a gem on a system that's already flush with excellent beat-'em-ups, both past and present.
Greetings Commanders, We wanted to share an update with you regarding the ongoing development of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey. 2020 was a difficult year for many, but in spite of those challenges we are pleased with our progress towards what is a truly ambitious new era for the game. We’ve been delighted with the excitement and positive response to our development diaries, interviews, streams and trailers and want to thank all of you for your continued support. The ongoing impact of the pandemic however, including the renewed lockdowns in 2021, continues to put added pressure on our teams and ultimately our development timeline. We have therefore had to make the difficult decision to make some adjustments and changes to our existing development roadmap. Our PC plans have only been affected by a small amount, however our plans for the console release will unfortunately see a larger development shift. Please do know that these difficult decisions have been made with a focus on making Odyssey as incredible as it can possibly be for all our Commanders regardless of their platform, while also respecting realistic project deadlines for our teams during this difficult global situation. We would like to sincerely apologise to all of our community. We know you have been waiting patiently and how disappointing and frustrating this must be. With that in mind, we would like to share with you our latest roadmap so that you are fully aware of our plans.
Alpha – early spring 2021
We are continuing with plans to bring Alpha access to our PC players and get boots on the ground. This will now be a little later than originally planned, in early spring. Much like our original Elite Dangerous release, we will be taking a phased approach to our Alpha, bringing new features and systems online throughout the period. This will allow us to focus and best consider our community feedback while also providing vital user testing on key areas of the game. We will be sharing further information including details of feature drops and Alpha plans as we get closer to release. Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Deluxe Alpha and Lifetime Expansion Pass holders will get access to this release.
PC release – late spring 2021
Following the completion of our Alpha phase we are targeting a full launch on PC in late spring. As with every era in Elite Dangerous’ history, we will be closely engaging with our community and continuing to react to feedback refining Odyssey through to the console launch. Elite Dangerous: Odyssey pre orders will be able to access the game with this release.
Console release – autumn 2021
After continued feedback, iterations and balancing, we are targeting our release on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One in the autumn of this year.
We understand that for many, this additional delay will be frustrating. Once again, we would like to apologise wholeheartedly to our community, especially our console Commanders. However, as mentioned previously, we feel it is vital to ensure that the content being released on consoles meets the highest standards and this will require this additional extension to our roadmap. Throughout this time we will continue to bring more news, videos and content of the development in progress. We would like to thank you all for the ongoing support and we are very excited to bring in this new era to the game with you. Your feedback, support and involvement is a vital part of this process and we are looking forward to a shared Alpha experience, which will be touching down very soon. o7 Commanders
More about the Elite Dangerous Odyssey timeframes and COVID-19 impact on devteams:
Extended home working has created additional development challenges. Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is still planned for release on PC in FY21, with PlayStation and Xbox releases now coming in FY22 to ensure the best experience for players on all platforms.
HOME WORKING
We successfully transitioned to working from home prior to the official lock-down in March 2020, enabling our teams to continue to work as effectively as possible. Our talented and dedicated teams performed amazingly through the challenges of 2020, continuing to develop and launch high quality content to our player communities, including the great technical achievement of expanding our audiences with Planet Coaster being launched on both current and next generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and Jurassic World Evolution having added the Nintendo Switch to its list of platforms. In general we found individual task-based working in most cases to be just as effective from home as from the office, but are continually trying to adapt our processes for group and planning tasks that require collaborative working. There is no question there are still some efficiency challenges, especially for larger projects, when working remotely.
ELITE DANGEROUS: ODYSSEY
Our next major internally developed release is Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, which is a major new paid era for Elite Dangerous, allowing Commanders to explore distant worlds on foot for the first time, taking on new missions and engaging in intense tactical combat, seamlessly merging with Elite Dangerous' iconic cockpit experience. Premiered during The Game Awards on 10 December 2020, reaction to the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey trailer has been positive and encouraging in advance of its release this year. Elite Dangerous continues to perform well through an engaged and ever growing community of Commanders. During 2020 Elite Dangerous hit its highest ever player numbers shortly after the Fleet Carriers update at Easter, and then again higher still since on multiple occasions, including just before Christmas. There is a great deal of excitement around Elite Dangerous: Odyssey both outside the Company and within. Over its lifetime Elite Dangerous has already generated over £100m in revenues, with over 4 million base game units sold. A successful strategy to seed new players in advance of the launch of Odyssey yielded an additional 8 million base game owners through the launch of Elite Dangerous on the Epic Games Store in November 2020 including a 'Free Week'. As always we are committed to delivering a high quality experience through the release of Odyssey, to a large and engaged player community with high expectations. Odyssey is coming together well, despite Covid-related challenges with collaborative working on such a large project, which are resulting in some inevitable minor delays. Having reviewed project timelines to take into account the renewed need to continue with remote working for the near future, as well as our commitment to release only when we are certain that the experience for our players, on all platforms, will be as enjoyable as possible, our launch plans for Odyssey have now been updated. Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is expected to release on PC, the biggest platform for Elite Dangerous, before the end of the financial year (which ends on 31 May 2021), albeit slightly later than our initial target for Q1 2021 (January to March). This will be preceded by an alpha period. Our plan for PlayStation and Xbox is to submit console versions for approval as soon as possible after we have released on PC, rather than putting the console developments of Odyssey under additional time pressure by planning for a simultaneous PC/console launch. PlayStation and Xbox console releases will therefore now come in FY22.
David Braben, Chief Executive, said
"2020 was a hard year for a great many people because of the challenges of Covid-19. Despite this, and doubtless helped by lockdown boosting demand for screen-based entertainment around the world, we had a successful year through the hard work and adaptability of our talented teams. Our four great franchises have really long play times and engaging social aspects to them, which make them well-suited to lockdown. We know that our Elite Dangerous community are looking forward to the arrival of Odyssey this year, and we're focussed on delivering the high quality experience that they expect and deserve. 2021 is set to be another great year for Frontier."
[Competitive Pokemon] The Mazarbot: Why Ubers Will Never Return to Tournaments
What are Competitive Pokemon and Smogon?
Unless you live under a rock you probably know what Pokemon is. You catch little monsters and force them to fight each other in turn-based battles of up to six a side. Pokemon range enormously in power, and some of them are competitively worthless while others are nearly impossible to stop. Competitive Pokemon is split into two main communities: singles and doubles. Like in tennis, doubles are 2v2 games whereas singles have only two Pokemon in play at any one time. Nintendo themselves almost entirely support doubles in the competitive scene, as singles is prone to much longer games which wouldn't be conducive to IRL tournaments. Singles play also enables a playstyle known as "stall", in which you combine six purely defensive pokemon that beat the opponent via passive damage and pp stall (running your opponent out of attacks). This is widely hated by new players and makes for a terrible viewing experience, so Nintendo discourages this at all costs. Due to the complete lack of support for official singles play, something called Smogon emerged in the early 2000s. Smogon exists mainly to provide standardized formats for people to play- lots of people dislike Smogon as they "force you to play a certain way" but without "tiers", or specific rulesets for a game, the game is nearly unplayable from a competitive standpoint. Smogon also has forums, where people host tournaments and generally converse about the game. Rather than play on cartridge, most Smogon users play on Pokemon Showdown, an online battle simulator which vastly speeds up the process of playing the game. Like many niche forums on this subreddit, Smogon has had its fair share of drama, the absolute best of which is probably the Bloo saga, detailed in this post which is definitely worth a read. Basically, a player named Style came out of nowhere and began demolishing all their opponents, only for it to be revealed that Style was actually an alt of the top player, Bloo, who was leveraging their community standing to gain privileged information which let Style easily win all their games. If this sounds absolutely insane to you, it's because it is absolutely insane.
Background Information
Different "tiers", which could alternately be described as game modes or rulesets, allow different Pokemon of varying power levels to be used. The main Smogon singles tier is called OU, short for overused. This is by far the most played tier, and basically consists of all the most powerful mons (community shorthand for Pokemon) except for "cover legendaries" such as Kyogre or Xerneas, which appear on the game's box art and are far too powerful for the vast majority of mons to compete with. When a mon is deemed too powerful for OU, it will be voted on by the community, and players who meet the requirements can vote whether or not to ban it- recent examples include dracovish and pheromosa. If a mon is not used enough in OU, it falls to UU (underused), and then to RU (rarely used), and then to NU (never used). Where, then, can one use these broken monsters? All the mons banned from OU go to a playable banlist called Ubers, where one can use basically anything except for the most degenerate, luck based strategies (evasion, baton pass, OHKO moves) and Mega Rayquaza, a mon so insanely overpowered it had to be banned even from Ubers in 2014. Ubers had a sizeable playerbase for a long time, but since 2016, has not been in a single official Smogon tournament. Why? Well, the most popular Smogon tournament is something called Smogon Premier League, which is a team tournament in which ten teams of the absolute best players on the site each compete in a variety of tiers. This is considered the most prestigious team tournament, and hundreds of people tune in live to spectate each SPL match on smogtours.psim.us. In the eighth SPL, one of these tiers was Ubers. I myself did not really pay attention to the tournament scene at this point (early 2017), but I've gone back and looked over the forums posts and game replays to provide as accurate an account as possible. For whatever reason, the Ubers community had a reputation of being prone to cheating, and so it had been a long time since the tier had this kind of official platform. There are several ways to cheat in Pokemon. By far the most common is called "ghosting", where you play in a call with another player who assists you with your plays or outright tells you what to do. It is nearly impossible to fully enforce the ban on ghosting in tournament games, and it is widely reviled by the community at large and probably a dozen ghosting scandals arise every year. However, this is commonplace, and what transpired in this writeup was truly infamous.
The Rise of Mazar
Starting about midway through SPL VIII, a German player named Mazar switched from playing OU (where he was average at best) to Ubers for his team and subsequently went on an absolute rampage. It is important to note that playing the game is only one aspect of a battle. Equally important is building your team of six Pokemon so that it can handle as many metagame threats as possible and carry out an effective gameplan. A "set" is a combination of moves, an ability, and stat adjustments. Some sets are considered standard for their tier, and others are niche. A lot of games are decided purely based off matchup- one team might have a threat the other cannot fully account for, or a combination of mons that the other team simply cannot kill. Mazar wasn't just beating his opponents, he was absolutely destroying them. He won every single Ubers game he played, carrying his team to the tournament's finals. He was even chosen to participate in finals tiebreakers- his team placed the utmost faith in him to win, and win he did. His teams were bizarre- they seemed ill-equipped to handle common metagame threats, but he was completely steamrolling opponents with niche sets/teams such as ingrain xerneas, substitute + reversal mega blaziken, and poorly constructed stall teams. I found these replays in the old forums post- if you don't understand what you are watching, let me just say that his team choices were baffling and yet perfectly smothered his opponent every time. In the third game, notice how he switched his Ho-oh in to wall the opposing Primal Groudon (Pdon). No experienced Ubers player would ever make this play- Pdon usually runs a rock type move, which can easily one-shot a Ho-oh. However, somehow Mazar could tell this Pdon had only ground + fire attacks and thus his Ho-oh could easily stall it out. To a lesser extent, his teammate The Trap God was having similar wins, such as one in which a double kick terrakion (???) one-shots a smeargle on turn 1. You can see his opponent's reaction and frustration in this video he posted afterwards. A quick technical explanation of why the turn 1 exchange was so suspicious: Smeargle is an extremely niche pick which has atrocious stats but learns every move in the game. With the item focus sash, smeargle can live any one hit, put the opponent to sleep with the move spore, and then set up stealth rocks or sticky webs, which are very powerful field effects that can swing the game in your favor. Terrakion, The Trap God's lead, is not used in Ubers. It is a decent mon in its own right but lacks the power to compete with the behemoths in Ubers, and even if one were to use it, they would not use double kick, which is a pitifully weak move compared to close combat, which Terrakion always runs instead. The literal only possible benefit of double kick is to counter this specific smeargle set and bypass its focus sash, preventing it from setting up sticky webs. I genuinely cannot think of one other situation where double kick Terrakion would ever be an optimal choice in the SM Ubers tier.
Mazar's Downfall
You can probably tell where I'm going with this, and so could a lot of other players at the time. Not only were there rumors that Mazar was being ghosted, but lots of people were beginning to comment on his suspiciously good team matchups. Though nobody could prove it, lots of people were beginning to make accusations. In one of his games in the tournament, Mazar told someone "gg" after winning (perfectly normal and polite), and the opponent responded "fuck off cheater". Mazar's team would go on to win the tournament in April 2017, and for a while, people forgot about SPL VIII. However, in October 2017, the tournament directors posted a shocking discovery. One of Mazar's accomplices had leaked private messages which showed that not only was he being ghosted, but he had a much more innovative strategy as well. Linked is the original administrative decision. Mazar had been using a bot in order to steal his opponent's teams, so he always knew exactly what was coming. The bot worked as follows: each game hosted on Pokemon Showdown has a unique URL. You can set these games to private, so that nobody can join them, by typing the command /modjoin + in the battle chat. Before you play a tournament game, you want to test the team you're using against your teammates, so you know it is at least somewhat effective. However, at this time, there was at least a second or two where your game would be public. Nobody would actually take the time to refresh every second, checking if you had started a new game, so this was not considered a real issue. That was, until the Mazarbot, as it is known today. The Mazarbot, made by one of Mazar's friends for him, searched through every single starting game for a specific tier 24 hours a day, until it found the user it was looking for. It would join the battle on an unregistered account (so it wasn't visible that the bot account was spectating) and transcribe the battle so that Mazar knew exactly what his opponent's team was. Imagine a bot which could tell NFL football teams their opponent's entire playbook- winning would be near trivial for any competent coach, and this is no different. Why did Mazar have to switch to Ubers? As previously mentioned, OU is by far the most played tier, and as a result way more OU games started every minute than Ubers games. The Mazarbot couldn't parse all these games, so Mazar switched to Ubers, which his bot could handle.
The Fallout
This offense was deemed so bad that the entire SPL VIII tournament was retroactively cancelled. The Circus Maximus Tigers (Mazar's team) all had their trophies stripped, and the forum currently lists the tournament as "Smogon Premier League VIII [NO WINNER]". While most cheating infractions merit a few months' to a year's ban from tournaments (as opposed to forums activity as a whole), Mazar's was so severe that he was permanently banned from Smogon forums. Zarel, the person who runs Pokemon Showdown, was forced to implement the !ionext command. This allows you to preemptively set your next game to private, preventing something like this from ever happening again. Nobody has heard from Mazar since. The Ubers community's reputation is still at rock bottom, and it is unlikely that it will ever be considered for inclusion in SPL again. SPL X will start in several weeks with no Ubers games in sight. To this day, if you lose a game due to terrible matchup, you might say that you were “botted”. Smogon has had lots of hilarious drama throughout the years, and this is amongst the craziest. If you enjoyed this, definitely read about the Bloo saga that i linked earlier. TLDR: A German Pokemon player used a bot to scout his tournament opponents' teams before he played them. This let him win all of his games with ease until he was eventually exposed and permanently banned. He so irreparably damaged the reputation of playerbase of the specific game mode he played it will likely never be included in another tournament.
Here’s a link to the follow-up post with another 20 games. With so many games releasing nowadays, I think it's easy for the good ones to get lost in the shuffle. I'm going to list 20 highly anticipated Indie/AA games. I'm sure there's many great ones I'll probably miss (like I said, there's so many it's hard to keep track sometimes), so please let me know what other ones I should look out for. I’m going to order them by release date. If the game does not have a tangible release date, I’ll place it in the list based on what I think is more likely to come out first, based on marketing material and release date delays. 1. Cyber Shadow
Description: This game looks like a cyberfunk (real word is getting the post removed by the automoderator) Ninja Gaiden. It's very fast paced and has some huge enemies to fight. The player character looks to have a very versatile moveset which looks to complement both the platforming and the combat. This is apparently the work of one guy, making it all that much more impressive.
Description: Little Nightmares was a big indie success back in 2017, and the sequel looks to lean heavier into its horror elements. The game will feature two characters this time around - Six and Mono - as they brave the horrors in this larger than life world to discover the dark secrets of The Signal Tower.
Description: It Takes Two follows a clashing couple who have been turned into dolls. This is the second game to come from Hazelight Studios, creators of A Way Out. Like that game, this one is built around the co-op experience and is both online and local co-op. If you play online, only the host needs to own a copy of the game.
Description: This comes from the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams. It's a 3D platformer with a dreamlike carnival theme. You'll wear a number of different costumes (80+ according to the game description) that grant different abilities. The game also has a Chao Garden-like feature for Sonic Adventure fans. The adorable little creatures in this game are called “Tims.”
Description: The original King’s Bounty released all the way back in 1990, which also spawned a board game in 1991. It wouldn’t receive a follow-up until 2008 when King’s Bounty: The Legend released. Four expansions would be released between 2009 and 2014. While traditionally a PC exclusive series, King’s Bounty II will mark the first time the series comes to consoles.
Description: This game has been in development for 10 years now and is clearly inspired by Banjo Kazooie. The game follows a tag team duo – a rabbit and a monkey – through 11 different worlds in a collectathon-style platformer. The two characters like act as one unit to perform certain moves, just as it was in Banjo Kazooie.
Description: 30XX is the sequel to 2014’s 20XX. This is a Mega Man X inspired roguelike with both local and online co-op. There were eight characters with different abilities to play as in 20XX, and it looks like a similar approach is kept for the sequel. Despite taking place 1000 years after the original, Ace and Nina at least, are still present in 30XX.
Description: 2017’s Hollow Knight is one of the biggest indie games of all time, in both its popularity and scale of the game. Silksong was originally just meant to be a DLC for the original game, but the project expanded into a full-scale sequel. The original is probably the single most popular indie Metroidvania out there, so there’s a lot of hype for the sequel.
Description: This has been a very long time coming, but with all the gameplay footage and marketing material coming out for the game, it seems Psychonauts 2 will finally release in 2021. The first game released in 2005 – three PlayStations ago – and was a cult classic. The director of the first game, Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango, Brutal Legend, Broken Age, etc.) is also directing the sequel, so there is a lot of hope from the fanbase.
Description: This comes from the same developer as Hyper Light Drifter. Solar Ash Kingdom has a lot of the same stylized aesthetics as Hyper Light Drifter, but this is a fully 3D over the shoulder adventure. You’ll engage with massive enemies, traverse the world at high speeds, and meet many characters throughout the adventure.
Description: From the creators of Golf Story - a fusion of golf and RPG elements. This sequel includes golf, tennis, volleyball, soccer, and baseball. You’ll also engage in a variety of typical RPG adventure stuff, like exploring dungeons and engaging in side quests. The first one reviewed well and was one of the biggest indie hits in the first year of the Switch (2017).
Description: Heavenly Bodies follows two cosmonauts in the 1970s who must work together through a series of physics-based challenges. While the game is built around the co-op experience, the game can still be played in single player. While this is only local co-op at the moment, the Steam page seems to suggest that the developer is looking into options for online play.
Description: This is technically a DLC, but given the wait for it, I think it’s fair to expect a fairly sizeable one. This DLC will introduce a new playable character, Ms. Chalice, who will have a double jump and possibly other differentiating moves. This DLC was originally supposed to release in 2019, but it’s been delayed a number of times. For reference, the original game released in 2017 and took seven years to make (though the two brothers responsible for the game had day jobs and a much smaller team up until 2014).
Description: This comes from Kayin, the creator of I Wanna Be the Guy. This is an NES Castlevania inspired game with three playable characters that have unique paths and differing abilities. The game will also feature cutscenes and over a dozen different levels. The game has been in development for years now and is near completion.
Description:Hazelnut Bastille actually has a 2-3 hour demo with a full dungeon included, which I didn't know about until just now as I was making this list! Heavily inspired by top down Zelda games, these games have some really beautiful looking art. Development for Hazelnut Bastille began back in April 2016. Dawnthorn, a prequel to Hazelnut Bastille, will also be releasing around the same time in 2021. Dawnthorn will emulate the look of an NES game, while Hazelnut Bastille will look more like an SNES game.
Description: The original Freedom Planet was initially conceived as a Sonic fangame before the the creator, Stephen DiDuro, reconceptualized it as his own IP. The sequel was announced back in 2015, a year after the original’s release, and will introduce new mechanics and make changes based on feedback from the first game.
Description: This game comes from the creators of Crawl and Regular Human Basketball, two highly acclaimed competitive local multiplayer games. Unlike their previous work, this looks to be a campaign/adventure game, but it also has a demonic narrator just like Crawl. They're also making The Drifter right now.
Description: From the creators of Lenna's Inception, Bytten Studio, which released on Steam in January of this year – a randomly generated Zelda inspired local co-op action adventure game with two art styles to switch between. The two guys behind the game have also worked on Starbound, Stardew Valley, and Wargroove, so they have quite a pedigree of games. Cassette Beasts in heavily inspired by Pokemon and includes 120 beasts that can be combined for a total of 14,400 fusions.
Description: This comes from the creators of Wargroove. Witchbrook will allow you to experience high school as a wizard. A website for the game was launched back in September, so it seems progress on the game is coming along. The website seems to suggest you’ll be able to develop relationships based on your choices in the game.
Description: This comes from the same developer as The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, The Astronauts, but instead of just walking, you'll be walking and shooting demonic creatures. If this game reminds you of Painkiller from 2004, it's because director Adrian Chmielarz actually worked on that game. The game has been worked on for five years now by a team of nine full members and three contributors, so hopefully we'll see it soon.
What are some other upcoming indie/AA games you’re looking forward to? If you’re looking for more indie games to play, see my posts here:
Introduction Rayman turned 25 years old this year. While I’m a little late, I wanted to commemorate the series even though in recent years it seems to have waned in relevance due to a lack of new releases, at least on consoles and PC. That said, Rayman has had a long history and has had more games than most people probably even realize. He’s not only had a consistent track record of excellent games, but he helped launch Ubisoft (then known as Ubi Soft) – now the biggest gaming company in the whole of Europe – into the worldwide spotlight. I’m going to briefly go over the history of the series. I enjoyed researching this information and hope you learn something new about the series, if you choose read it. If you don’t, please share your thoughts on the series anyway! Most of what I post will be factual with a few anecdotes from myself. Rayman 1 & 2 While Ubisoft is most well known for Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, one of its earliest incarnations was a cartoony platformer called Rayman. Rayman’s design is notable for his detached limbs, which is reportedly influenced by Russian, Chinese, and Celtic fairy tales according to series creator Michel Ancel. The first Rayman game released in September 1995. This was on the cusp of the 3D era of platformers, what with Super Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot releasing the following year. While Rayman released for a number of platforms, it was most notably a launch title for the PlayStation 1 in North America and Europe (Japan’s launch was in December 1994). Electronic Gaming Monthly rated the PlayStation 1 version an 8.625 out of 10 and gave it their “Game of the Month” award, and most other publications gave it around a 7.5 to a 8.5. Rayman would become the single best selling PlayStation 1 game in the United Kingdom, beating out the likes of Tomb Raider, Gran Turismo, and Crash Bandicoot. The series leap into the 3D space would come with Rayman 2: The Great Escape. Rayman 2 would release for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, PC later in 1999, Dreamcast in 2000, PlayStation 1 later in 2000, PlayStation 2 even later in 2000, GameBoy Color in 2001, DS in 2005, iOS in 2010, and 3DS in 2011. Michel Ancel stated in 2016 that he considers the Dreamcast version to be the best version of the game, which replaced many of the 2D sprites with 3D models, improved the textures, and made some minor changes to the level design. The PlayStation 2 version, releasing just several months after the Dreamcast version, did introduce several improvements to the game, but the frame-rate for this version was reduced from 60fps to 30fps, and certain graphical effects from the Dreamcast version are gone. The later versions of the game that came out for handheld platforms also removed some features. While Sonic, Mega Man, Bomberman, and Castlevania all had middling results in their move to the 3D space, Rayman was one of the few that actually performed better, netting a 90% on Metacritic (Nintendo 64 version). It’s rated as the 12th best Nintendo 64 game on Metacritic, behind only Super Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie, and Conker’s Bad Fur Day in terms of platformers. It can be said that Rayman 2 is the greatest multiplatform 3D platformer of its time. While Nintendo 64 had Super Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie, and PlayStation 1 had Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, something both consoles had was Rayman 2. This was a universal title in a time when console exclusives were a lot more prevalent (though the Nintendo 64 version did proceed the PlayStation 1 release by 10 months). Rayman 1 was even supposed to release for the Super Nintendo, but this version ended up being axed. Still, from Rayman 2 and on the mainline series would release for all major consoles. Rayman Spinoffs & Rayman 3 Rayman 2’s success would spawn an animated TV series in 1999. While initially planned for 26 episodes, the show was cut short with only four episodes airing. The show only aired in France, Germany, and the Netherlands, though it was later released on VHS in North America. Rayman 2 would also help spawn a number of spinoffs, including Rayman Junior: English (four entries for this spinoff series), Rayman Brain Games, Rayman M/Rush, and a lot of early mobile games, like Rayman Golf, Rayman Bowling, Rayman Garden, Rayman Kart, etc. Post-Blackberry era mobile games include Rayman Jungle Run, Rayman Fiesta Run, Rayman Adventures, and Rayman Mini. One notable spinoff is Rayman: Hoodlums’ Revenge for the GameBoy Advance in 2005, which is an isometric 2.5D platformer that follows the events of Rayman 3. Though it received mediocre critical reception, scoring just a 61% on Metacritic. Another 3D sequel would be released in 2003, titled Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. It introduced a scoring system with combos based on Rayman’s actions. Your score would be used to unlock hidden content and allowed access to hidden areas in certain levels. Despite releasing a few weeks earlier than the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game, the GameCube version featured exclusive content in the form of minigames that could be unlocked by pairing the system with the GameBoy Advance version of the game, some of which were multiplayer. The GameBoy Advance version could also receive new maps and a final challenge by linking up with the GameCube version. Rayman 3 failed to live up to its predecessors, scoring between a 75%-77% on the three major consoles of its time, but it still got decent reviews in a then highly saturated 3D platformer market. The GameBoy Advance and N-Gage versions were 2D platformers that differed from the console and PC releases of the game, scoring between a 77-83% on Metacritic. Rayman 4 would make its appearance at E3 2005 in a trailer showing off the Wii motion controls for the game. Sadly, this wouldn’t come to be. Rayman would instead return as a launch title for the Wii in the form of Rayman Raving Rabbids. While it wasn’t what fans of the series had hoped for, Rayman Raving Rabbids proved to be one of the best mini-game collections for the Wii over the course of its lifetime. There would be two sequels in 2007 and 2008 before Rabbids became its own series separate from Rayman in 2009’s Rabbids Go Home. Ubisoft has since put out at least one new Rabbids game per year since 2006, except for 2015. Rayman Origins & Legends While the indie scene was expanding with a variety of platformers in the late 2000s-2010 with games like Braid, Splosion Man, and Super Meat Boy, AAA developers outside of Nintendo had seemingly abandoned platformers in favor of online shooters. At least, that’s what everyone complained about on message boards 10 years ago. But in May 2011, Ubisoft showed off its new 2D platformer for consoles, titled Rayman Origins. This was to be a full fledged $60 release with the content to back it up. Originally this was supposed to be an origin story where Rayman would meet Globox for the first time, and presumably more story related content would be featured to imply it was an origin story. The final product released just six months later really has nothing that implies it’s an origin story, but the name still remained. Rayman Origins would come with it four player local co-op through the whole campaign. This was right around the time when more 2D platformers started introducing simultaneous local co-op to their games, and if you only had a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, your options were limited in 2011 (though they’d eventually get games like Guacamelee, ibb & obb, and Dustforce towards the end of their life). Rayman Origins received high praise, earning an 87% on Metacritic for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, and a 92% on the Wii (there’s nothing functionally different between different versions, but Nintendo gaming outlets seem to have a stronger preference for platformers and rated Rayman Origins higher than other publications). In just over a year later, Rayman Legends was due to release in February 2013 for the Wii U. It would take a more fantasy-esque approach and be themed around fairy tales and classical mythology. The game would also employ the use of the Wii U tablet for specific levels. However, 2.5 weeks before release, Ubisoft chose to delay the game to September 2013 and release it on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as well. The other versions would have all the levels the Wii U version did, but the levels meant for the tablet would have more automatic controls. Still, the game worked great on any platform, and the tablet specific levels provided a fun novelty on the Wii U. Another fun feature was the addition of music levels which had you jumping to the beat of the music in several levels. Rayman Legends retained its four player local co-op support from the previous game (five players on Wii U) and also included the release of 40 of the levels from Rayman Origins, about 2/3 of all the levels. The sequel performed even better, scoring between a 90% and a 92% between all major platforms. Surprisingly enough, despite the low install base of the Wii U, especially only a year after its 2012 launch, it still managed to outsell the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. Legends sold better than Origins overall, and this felt like it’d be the beginning of the return of Rayman. Sadly, Rayman has been relegated to a few mobile games since then, which, to be fair, are apparently good. With Michel Ancel retiring from making video games earlier this year, it’s unknown what the future holds for Rayman. 3D platformers have been making a comeback since 2017, so maybe Ubisoft would consider it. After all, the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon remakes have sold exceedingly well, and even Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time got decent sales even if it didn’t reach the same heights as the remake trilogy (but it was $60 versus the $40 for the remake trilogy). Conclusion Regardless of its future, Rayman has been a series with a great run. When we break it down to its mainline games, we have 1995’s Rayman, 1999’s Rayman 2: The Great Escape, 2003’s Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, 2011’s Rayman Origins, and 2013’s Rayman Legends. Of those five, Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc was the series’ weakest title critically speaking. Given that Rayman 3 is still a solid entry overall, it being the worst of the five critically speaking is a testament to the high quality the series has exhibited over the years. What are some memories you have of playing Rayman? What’s your favorite Rayman game? What are your hopes/wants for Rayman 6? Would you prefer Rayman 6 be a 2D platformer or a 3D platformer? So you can reminiscence easier, I’m going to include a trailer for each of the five main games, plus a fan remake of Rayman 1 titled “Rayman Redemption,” which some consider to now be the definitive version of Rayman 1.
Here’s the current list of 29 SNES games included with Nintendo Switch Online. Keep in mind that Nintendo plans to add more SNES games to the program in the future, but there is no set schedule *Nutzer, die Nintendo Switch Online über die kostenlose 7-tägige Testphase nutzen, können keinen Rabatt erhalten. **Bei Familienmitgliedschaften, die per Downloadcode erworben wurden, kann kein Rabatt gewährt werden. Eine Familienmitgliedschaft kann nur von Nutzern ab 18 Jahren erworben werden. Mitgliedschaft auswählen . Preise beziehen sich auf den Nintendo eShop. Alle Preise inkl. MwSt What’s included in the Nintendo Switch Online membership? One of the biggest features is the ability to play Nintendo Switch games online with others, either competitively or cooperatively. “But wait,” we hear you thinking, “I can already play games online.” You’re right, but that’s about to change, at least in some games. Nintendo Switch Online gives you the online capability to play, compete, and cooperate with players around the world – which means not having the service restricts your access to all of those Nintendo. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription gives you access to several NES titles, including The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Donkey Kong. Currently, more than 60 NES and Super NES titles are available on Nintendo Switch. You can play games with different visual filters, and you can also play them solo. Nintendo announced in a Direct last week that Nintendo Switch Online would now feature SNES games as well as NES games, revealing a whopping 20 titles to join the service in the initial wave, with more to come in the future. May 12, 2019: More classic games on the way. Three additional games will be added to the queue, including Donkey Kong Jr., VS. Excitebike, and Clu Clu Land. Each of these classics is a welcome addition to Nintendo Switch Online's ever-expanding collection. Nintendo Switch Online App Open the app on your smartphone or tablet to voice chat in compatible games. Plus, enjoy special features for games including Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash... Top 5 NES Games Included in Nintendo Switch Online (So Far) Posted by duckofindeed on April 7, 2020 March 29, 2020. With a couple dozen NES games now available on Nintendo Switch Online, you might not be sure which games are worth your time and which are not. Well, now that I’ve tried out nearly all of the games being offered, I thought I’d make your choice a bit easier with a list of top Nintendo. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription gives you access to several NES titles, including The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Donkey Kong. Currently, more than 60 NES and Super NES titles are available on Nintendo Switch. You can play games with different visual filters, and you can also play them solo. The online service also includes library of Nintendo Entertainment System titles, including Mario Bros., Excitebike, Dr. Mario, Balloon Fight and other NES classics -- all sequestered into a...
Was I WRONG About Nintendo Switch Online? RGT 85 - YouTube
Nintendo Switch Online has been out for almost 2 years now, and fans have felt conflicted about it's presence. So, is Nintendo Switch Online worth it in 2020... In lieu of a propper Virtual Console for the Nintendo Switch, I decided to see just what classic games are already available for purchase. From Sega to Ninte... Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition - What's Included Minecraft for the Nintendo Switch will release on May 11th, 2017 for $29.99 on the Nintendo eShop. A phys... I FINALLY got my hands on a Nintendo Switch! If you’ve ever wondered what all they hype is about for the Nintendo Switch and why a 2020 Nintendo Switch purch... I have received a ton of requests to open a Nintendo Switch cartridge since the day it came out. So today we are opening a Switch cartridge to see what's ins... The Nintendo Switch Online service is finally here, and I decided to take a look at the features of it that I thought were important: Cloud Saves and NES Gam... With 2019 wrapping up, the Nintendo Switch has had another successful year. It's now time to look at the Nintendo Switch 2020 lineup, look at the 2020 Switch... Is Nintendo Switch Online worth it in 2019? Tons of Switch owners are probably wondering! Today, that's what I want to go over. Nintendo Switch Online offers... Thanks to a recent data mine, it seems Super Nintendo games might be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service! In addition, hints of future console emula...
