Category: Video Games

Review: Breakers Collection – Visco’s Neo Geo Fighters Return In Fine Form

Give me something to break.

Visco Corporation, responsible for shoot ’em up Andros Dunos (1992), was a Neo Geo stalwart, releasing 15 titles across SNK’s arcade and console hardware. One of its only forays into the fighting game arena was Breakers and its semi-sequel, Breakers Revenge. In 1996, the fighting game market was flooded. And, while it postdates Super Street Fighter II Turbo by two years, we always adored Breakers and felt it deserved wider recognition. Sadly, it never caught fire in arcades, struggling to be noticed, and never received an official home port outside of the Neo Geo CD.

The absolute best way to bring a 26-year-old fighting game back is by opening it up to the global stage, and on this front Breakers Collection gets it impeccably right. Featuring both Crossplay and an online versus mode buoyed by all-important rollback netcode, the game’s arrival on Switch has been a long time coming.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Meta is Ending Support for the Original Quest VR Headset

Meta is officially ending support for its original Quest virtual reality headset.

In an email sent to owners of the original Meta Quest, the company announced that it will not be shipping new features to the standalone VR headset. However, the company plans to continue adding software and security patches until 2024.

Meta says that Quest 1 owners will still be able to use their headsets and compatible apps. However, these users will no longer be able to create or join a party. Additionally, original Quest owners will lose access to social features available on Meta Horizon Home beginning March 5. This includes inviting others to your Meta Horizon Home or visiting someone else’s.

The announcement is no surprise, as support for the original Meta Quest appeared to have been winding down in recent months. The clearest example was last July when Meta subsidiary BigBox VR announced that it was ending Quest 1 support for its critically-acclaimed VR battle royale shooter Population One. Although the developer offered Quest 1 owners a refund for Population: One, the caveat was that you had to have purchased the game within the past six months of that announcement.

With Quest 2 support winding down, Meta is still all-in on its VR arm, despite reports of massive losses as the company focuses on the Metaverse. With the release of the Quest Pro last year, along with confirmation that the Meta Quest 3 will launch this year, it will be interesting to see how long it takes before support for the Quest 2 begins to wind down.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Forspoken’s cinematic trailer shows a world the demo suggests it might not live up to

Forspoken, Square Enix’s upcoming action RPG with magic-infused parkour. A demo did indeed come out in December, but only on PS5 – and to very mixed reviews. It’s a shame, because the world on show in its latest cinematic trailer looks appetisingly stylish.

The game comes out on January 24th, so we’ll know for sure soon enough.

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Aussie Deals: One Piece Odyssey is Up for Preorder and Casts off Soon

If you’re the type who’s always up to buckle some swash, there’s a fair chance you’ll like the cut of One Piece Odyssey’s jib. It’ll soon be ready to board for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, and PC when it releases on January 13th. Played in a turn-based JRPG fashion, this all new adventure has you slipping into the straw sandals of Monkey D. Luffy and The Straw Hat Pirates as they (ship)wreck the hostile inhabitants of Waford island.

Speaking personally, I quite enjoyed the extensive hands-on preview I had in the opening hours of Odyssey. What impressed me most was an authentic plot penned by Eiichiro Oda, textbook One Piece oddness and a battle system that’s approachable, cleverly layered and viscerally animated. Excuse the pirate pun here, but I may be hooked already.

If that sounds like the kind of experience you’d pi(rate) as well, One Piece Odyssey is available to preorder now from a variety of different retailers. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of who’s doing what where, and for how much…

One Piece Odyssey – Physical Copies

PS5

PS4

Xbox Series X

One Piece Odyssey – Digital Versions

Note: The digital-only deluxe edition of One Piece Odyssey includes the game, plus the following DLC extras:

  • Adventure Expansion Pack
  • Sniper King Outfit Set
  • Travelling Outfit Set

Adam Mathew is a deals expert and he loves him some One Piece.

Sons Of The Forest will have a three-limbed mutant companion and enemy monsters with personalities

Sons Of The Forest may have been delayed, but they’re still very much coming to get you. We’re creeping ever closer to the hit survival sequel’s February 23rd release date, but IGN have lead the foray with a hands-on preview that reveals a little more about what to expect. Expect mutants with improved AI and individual tastes, better building, and companions you can boss around.

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This New Switch Controller Revives Nintendo’s Best Controller Ever

NYXI, a gaming peripheral controller maker, recently announced a new third-party controller for the Nintendo Switch. The design is not only reminsicent of the WaveBird — aka the best Nintendo controller ever — but the company claims that this controller will never get Joy-Con drift.

The NYXI Wizard Wireless Joy-Pad is a wireless controller that features an array of customization, including two remappable back buttons, in addition to interchangeable joystick rings. You could, for example, use a round joystick to play racing games or put an octagonal joystick circle on the controller when you are about to play a fighting game. NYXI claims the battery life is roughly 6.5 hours on a single full charge.

One of the biggest selling points for the Wizard controller is the claim that it will not suffer from Joy-Con drift. NYXI claims it can achieve this because the Wizard uses a Hall Effect joystick. For quick context, Hall Effect joysticks use a magnetic system meaning that the joystick never physically touches the sensor itself. With Joy-Con drift one of the biggest ongoing issues with the Nintendo Switch, this controller certainly appeals to those looking for a solution to this issue.

The NYXI Wizard is available right now on NYXI’s website and costs $69.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.