Hello folks, and welcome back to another edition of Box Art Brawl.
Before we get cracking, let’s see how things panned out last week, hm? We looked at Super Monkey Ball Adventure, one of several entries for the GameCube. As we’d expected, the busier, more vibrant box art from North America sealed the deal, winning a healthy 79% of the vote.
The Nintendo 64 emulation scene has come a long way and the latest recompilation project revolutionises native PC ports.
Our friends at Time Extension shared a post recently about N64Recomp – describing the tool as potentially transformative to the world of N64 emulation, as it streamlines the process of native ports and adds modern enhancements such as uncapped frame rates, ultrawide monitor support and even ray tracing.
The 3DS title Luigi’s Mansion 2 will make return next month on the Switch and ahead of the game’s launch, Nintendo has started to reveal more of the pre-order goodies that will be up for grabs.
The toy shooter HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed is arriving on Xbox next week, and ahead of this launch, developer Digital Cybercherries has revealed the game will be getting cross-platform support.
While this feature (allowing players to “join forces” across platforms) will roll out for Xbox and PC on 31st May 2024, it seems Switch players will have to wait a little longer with no ‘ETA’ just yet. Here’s what the developer had to say in response to a question about crossplay for Switch:
Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckmann has taken to X/Twitter to clarify that some of what made it into his interview with Sony was “not quite” what he said, including that the next game from The Last of Us developer could “redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.”
In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with SONY, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here’s the full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game… pic.twitter.com/tVuxX3LYJF
“This is not quite what I said,” Druckmann said in regard to the “it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming” line. “In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with Sony, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here’s the full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game.”
You can read the full response below from Druckmann after he was asked, “As we discuss future innovation, is there like a personal vision or dream project, you hope to see realized in the realm of entertainment at this point?”
Below, you can read the answer that appeared in the interview from the question, “Could you share a personal vision or dream project you hope to see realized in the future of entertainment?”
So, while Druckmann said this new project is “maybe the most excited” he’s been for one yet and “something really fresh for us”, he didn’t quite say, “it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.” What he did additionally say was that he is “very excited to see what the reaction for this thing will be — and i’ve already said too much about it.”
How would you feel if the next mainline Fire Emblem game was exclusively a social sim?
While a change this drastic is almost certainly not in the cards, the identity crisis currently faced by Fire Emblem means that change must come. While Engage’s 1.61 million sales as of March 2023 is respectable for the franchise, it marks a return to 3DS-era numbers after whispers of blockbuster status when Three Houses sold nearly 3 million in its first fiscal year. The reason for this discrepancy is simple: Three Houses expanded the fanbase by shifting the focus away from its strategy elements, whereas Engage doubled down on its strategy roots.
It will apparently be getting a “multiplatform release”.
The next entry in the first-person shooter series DOOM is reportedly set to be unveiled at Xbox’s games showcase this June.
According to Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, this new entry will officially be titled ‘DOOM: The Dark Ages‘ (previously codenamed ‘Year Zero’) and is believed to be a “medieval inspired” game.
Vibrant, family-friendly action in a unique toy-shooter setting.
Team up in a co-op story campaign or compete in diverse player-versus-player modes.
Preorder today
Greetings, Xbox community! I’m Joe Henson, Creative Gameplay and Marketing Director at Digital Cybercherries. Today marks a thrilling milestone: the launch of Hypercharge: Unboxed on Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. Our tiny team has poured heart and soul into creating this game, and we’re ecstatic to finally share it with you!
Xbox enthusiasts are in for a treat with Hypercharge: Unboxed—a game where family-friendly fun meets exhilarating first and third-person action. Our game transports players into the world of sentient action figures, tasked with defending the Hypercore against a battalion of rogue toys.
Introducing Hypercharge: Unboxed
Hypercharge: Unboxed combines the nostalgia of action figures with the excitement of modern gaming. Whether you’re teaming up for the online cooperative story campaign, engaging in local split-screen play, or playing offline with player bots, there’s something here for everyone. Our player versus player offerings are equally robust, with modes like Capture the Battery, Infection, and King of The Hill, designed to test your skills against other players.
In Hypercharge: Unboxed, you don’t just play as a toy—you become one. From the moment you break out of your packaging, the game is a playground of imagination. Build defenses, gather resources, and discover hidden treasures across expansive, interactive environments.
Our design philosophy centres on simplicity and fun, reminiscent of classic shooters but without overcomplicated gameplay mechanics. Players will feel the nostalgia of their childhood toys, with the added twist of strategic combat and exploration.
Additionally, it includes several accessibility features, such as customized volume controls, adjustable difficulty, pause functionality, adjustable input sensitivity, no quick time events, adjustable text size, and steady camera.
Key game features include:
1-4 player online/local cooperative play.
Full split-screen support, including online/local.
Single player/offline play with player bots.
Difficulty scales based on the number of players.
Wave-based shooter with a story campaign.
Classic player-versus-player game modes (up to eight players).
First and third-person camera perspectives.
Cross-platform support.
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox achievements.
60 fps+.
Join Our Community
We’re eager to connect with you and hear your thoughts on Hypercharge: Unboxed. Join our community on Discord: to share feedback, get updates, and engage with other fans. Hypercharge: Unboxed is available for wishlist or pre-order now. The list price is $29.99, and pre-orders receive a 10% discount. Get in on the action today.
HELP SGT. MAX AMMO TO DEFEAT MAJOR EVIL AND SAVE THE HYPERCORE!
There was once an ancient line of action figures, who created a magical power source that would allow humans to keep their favourite childhood memories of their toys. This ancient power source is known as the Hypercore.
Inside the Hypercore are the beloved memories of our favorite toys. If Major Evil destroys it, these memories will disappear forever. Defend it with everything you’ve got, or see our cherished toys turn into lost treasures of the past!
Hypercharge is a first and third-person shooter action figure game you’ve always dreamed of! Grab your friends, complete objectives, defend the Hypercore against waves of weaponized toys, and defeat Major Evil together in the story campaign!
PLAY CO-OP WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Work together as a team to defend the Hypercore. Grab a friend, break out of your toy packaging, and get ready to fight waves of classic toys. Prepare for each wave by searching for weapons, resources, and even hidden secrets.
OFFLINE PLAY FOR SOLO PLAYERS
Not everybody likes to play online. Hypercharge supports Offline, Split-Screen and Local play. You can progress and unlock everything in-game while playing solo.
PLAYER BOTS
Don’t have a team to play with? Don’t worry, we’ve got you solo players covered. Player bots listen to your commands, collect resources, and even help to build defences.
UNLOCK ACTION FIGURES
In Hypercharge, hundreds of unlocks are available, all of which can be earned directly in-game without any microtransactions.
PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER MODES
Go head-to-head against other action figures as you fight to become top of the scoreboard! Classic PvP modes include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Battery, Infection, and King of the Hill.