Welcome to TAG Roundup!
Ever wonder what you missed in the world of gaming last week? No worries – we’ve got you covered!
We read a ton of video game articles each week and wanted to share some of our favorites with the Average Gamer community. We’ll feature everything from previews to reviews and everything in between.
The articles we share will be from a combination of well-known sources (like IGN) and more niche blogs that you may not have heard of. In the previous TAG Roundup post, we talked about Nintendo Direct Mini, New World, The Raid and more!
At the top of the hour, we’ve got one of the biggest gaming announcements of 2020! Nintendo is launching a 35th Anniversary Super Mario compilation that is sure to be a hot item going into the holidays.
35th Anniversary Direct Wows the Crowd – Nintendo Life
To say that Nintendo is having a great year would be an understatement. Following the success of Animal Crossing earlier in the year, Nintendo has continued to release products that appeal to the masses and are loads of fun!
Two weeks ago, we saw the Nintendo Direct mini partner showcase, showing off a mix of indie games and AAA titles. Last week, the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct presentation showed 16 minutes of Mario-related content. Imagine the largest dose of Mario possible and then double it!
Can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that Nintendo is bringing Mario Kart to our living rooms with Mario Kart Live?! Sure, you’ll need a good amount of space at home, but I’m 100% positive that this will become a highly watched activity on Twitch.
For many of us 80s babies, we grew up playing the early Mario games on the NES. Now, we can relive those glory days on the switch, with crisper graphics and infinite mobility.
Perhaps the most exciting announcement came in the form of Super Mario 3D All-Stars. This Switch title combines Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, some of the highest-rated Mario games of all time!
These games have been optimized for Switch and include a music player mode that lets you enjoy your favorite Mario tracks. A limited-run retail edition will be available through March 2021 and the hype train is already moving quickly.
I know we all have too many video games, but do yourself a favor and buy now, think later!Â
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_UcjEq2Dgk
The Best F2P Games – Digital Trends
Free-to-play games have made a profound impact on the gaming industry over the last several years. The folks at Digital Trends put together a list of their best for 2020. I won’t go into the obvious ones like Apex Legends and Dauntless, but these ones look interesting if you’re looking for a new game to dive into:
- Warframe – martial arts mixed with Halo/Destiny
- Darwin Project – survival in the next Ice Age
- Smite – third-person MOBA w/110 characters
- Neverwinter – Diablo meets Dungeons & Dragons
Check out the full article for more titles that you won’t have to drop a dime to enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eZV3yZAoWg
The Ultimate Indie Brawler – Nintendo Life
Indie game fighters unite in Bounty Battle, similar to what Sony created with Playstation All-Stars. The game will feature 30 characters across many of our favorite indie games, including Dead Cells, Axiom Verge, and SteamWorld Dig!
Level design is inspired by the cast of fighters and the artwork looks phenomenal. It’ll launch digitally on September 10th but you can pre-order at the Nintendo eShop today!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hj31oV5NYE&feature=emb_title
Neon-noir Cyberpunk Mysteries – Gematsu
At its core, Cloudpunk is a game about delivering semi-legal goods across the city of Nivalis. What makes the game interesting are the characters you meet along the way and that your decisions impact the city’s residents long-term.
Cloudpunk launched on Steam earlier this year and is now coming to console on October 15th. The game’s reviews are very positive and this may be a good transition game into Cyberpunk 2077, if that ever releases!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y7rf5i1ft4
CoD: Black Ops Cold War Leaks – Polygon
Even though the official reveal isn’t scheduled until September 9th, it’s pretty hard to stop leaks these days. Last week, we saw footage of the upcoming Call of Duty multiplayer mode, showing VIP Escort gameplay.
The 4-minute clip gives a glimpse of the Cold War setting, with gunplay, upgraded in-game UI, and the realistic sounds that we’ve come to expect from CoD titles. Cold War is set for a November 13th release date on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJqezFI89Wc
Fantasy Action-Adventure on Switch – Nintendo Life
More exciting news from Nintendo! Last week gave us the reveal trailer for the spiritual successor to Hexen II. Graven puts you in the shoes of a priest in a medieval world, tasking you with taking down monstrosities and helping commoners.
Graven features 30+ upgradeable weapons, three open-world areas for exploration, split-screen co-op, and online multiplayer. There isn’t an exact release date yet, but we’re told Graven will launch on the Nintendo eShop sometime next year.
https://youtu.be/XmGeq_mjrH4
Puzzle Platformer Combo – Game Informer
Taking inspiration from the Ori series, the devs at Stone Lantern Games release a puzzle-platformer that emphasizes the strategic navigation of a unique environment. Players will use other typical platforming actions while solving interesting puzzles along the way.
Evergate has only been out for a few days but players have been drawn to the hand-drawn visuals offered across 85 stages. Unleash hidden powers, collect essences, and wield your soulflame by heading over to Steam!
https://youtu.be/8qjs8kU13os
Tony Hawk Remake a Success! – Game Informer
There was a huge build-up leading to the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2, and the game delivered! The base mechanics of the original titles are still there, but the developers have managed to make the greats even better by introducing new tricks, an enhanced create-a-skater mode, and much-improved graphics.
What boosts the replayability of the remake is the ability to design your own park. Based on the Twitch viewership, it looks like the remake is off to a pretty good start!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTmujX5nOJQ
F2P Arena Shooter – Destructoid
Diabotical looks like a typo, but is actually a really unique take on the arena shooter genre. Eggbots battle it out across 15 modes, 30 maps, loads of customization, and an in-game aim trainer.
The devs launched the game for free on the Epic Games Store and the community has been pleasantly surprised by the shooter. For fans of the Quake series, this may be an interesting game for you to check out!
https://youtu.be/oT4mhUit0Qc
That’s All For Now
There were plenty of other highlights from last week but these ones really stood out. Be sure to check in next time to read about video game current events.Â
For more regular updates, feel free to follow our Flipboard, where we have a news feed of all the latest and greatest gaming news!
What were some of the most interesting things you read last week? Leave us a message in the comments so we can check it out!
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Also, we just started a new podcast! Check out episode one here, where we talk about the free-to-play gaming model!
