Lightning Returns : Final Fantasy XIII Collectors Edition Announced

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SQUARE ENIX interactive entertainment has announced today that the collector’s edition of LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII will be available at launch (February 11th, 2014) to buyers exclusively through the Square Enix Online Store.

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Enclosed in premium packaging featuring brand-new artwork, the collector’s edition includes a silver embossed pocket watch and a downloadable content (DLC) code of Aerith Gainsborough’s “Midgar’s Flower Girl” outfit, based on the original FINAL FANTASY VII heroine. Art enthusiasts and fans alike will be sure to enjoy an 80-page hardcover artbook with never-before-seen illustrations. Other items include:

  • Character Designer Tetsuya Nomura’s original artwork, including his early sketches of the characters
  • Foreword by FINAL FANTASY XIII Series Art Director Isamu Kamikokuryo
  • An introspective look at the worlds and architecture of the Nova Chrysalia world
  • A FINAL FANTASY nostalgia section that showcases crossover costumes and series’ fan favourites moogles and chocobos

 

The Elders Scrolls Online Gets Release Date

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Today Bethesda’s released the date for the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online..

The game will be coming to PC and Mac on April 4, 2014 (4/4/14), with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will arrive in June 2014.

The Elders Scrolls Online date

Bethesda has also released a new gameplay trailer, which highlights the game’s “massive PvP system allowing hundreds of players to fight together, and against one another, in a quest to claim the Ruby Throne.”

“Game development is coming along very well,” said game director Matt Firor in a new blog posted on the official Elder Scrolls Online site.

“We completed major systems development, and are focusing on making this the Elder Scrolls game you expect: polishing the hundreds and hundreds of hours of content, making combat even more fun and responsive, fixing quest issues, and much, much more.”

The blog post also explains why the console versions will be released two months later, Firor said: “Worldwide demand for The Elder Scrolls Online is extraordinarily high. This means we need to do a staggered rollout of the different versions of the game to spread out the initial service load and ensure an enjoyable, smooth gameplay experience.

“It is not only a game we are launching – it is a large online service as well, and our number one priority is to ensure a trouble-free, stable rollout for everyone.”

AAF Reinforcements Pack for Arma 3

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Bohemia Interactive today released the (free) AAF Reinforcements Pack for Arma 3. Supplied via an automatic update on Steam, the package includes a variety of new sandbox content, among which three new vehicles: the FV-720 Mora IFV, the MBT-52 Kuma tank, and the Wy-55 Hellcat helicopter.

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The FV-720 Mora is an infantry fighting vehicle used by the AAF. They were bought by the AAF from the British Armed Forces and reconditioned to serve two more decades. The Mora is armed with a 30mm cannon and a coaxial machinegun, providing not only a carrying capacity, but also reliable fire support.

The MBT-52 Kuma is the main battle tank used by Altian Armed Forces. A batch of a few dozen tanks and spare turrets were bought under-price from a south-European country facing an economic collapse. Like similar MBTs of the era, the Kuma is armed with a 120mm cannon, a 7.62mm coaxial machinegun and a remotely controlled 12.7mm HMG. The level of protection for the crew is also remarkable, thanks to additional armour layers.

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The Wy-55 Hellcat is a multi-purpose military helicopter, most suited for anti-surface, battlefield utility with limited transport capability. It replaces its predecessor the Super Lynx, improving the manoeuvrability, durability and protection. The armed version is fitted with twin miniguns and unguided rockets.

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Aside the new vehicles, the AAF Reinforcements Pack also includes other sandbox content, such as the LRPS sniper scope, infra-red grenades, and black versions of the MX rifle family. The complete changelog can be found on Arma 3’s official website.

People can purchase the Arma 3 (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) or the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (49.99 EUR/42.99 GBP/64.99 USD) from Steam and Store.bistudio.com.

Tiny Brains Out Now for PS4

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Spearhead Games and 505 Games Unleash Their Anticipated Next-Gen Downloadable Indie Title, Coming to PC and PlayStation 3 This Winter
505 Games, today announced that Spearhead Games’ highly-anticipated co-op indie puzzler Tiny Brains is now available for download across Europe on the PlayStation Network for PlayStation 4 for £14.99. The game will soon be available for PlayStation 4 system in European territories and on Steam for Windows PC and PlayStation 3.
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Tiny Brains is the brainchild of Spearhead Games, an independent studio of AAA veterans based out of Montreal. A next generation party game, Tiny Brains redefines “co-op” by challenging players to work together as one as one of four tiny (but super-powered!) lab animals. Thrown into a gauntlet of physics puzzles, the four “Tiny Brains” must combine their unique abilities to make it through a mad scientist’s trick-ridden maze. Featuring a story mode, dozens of time-based and endless challenges, and a few surprises like the competitive “Tiny Soccer” mode, Tiny Brains is the most superhero fun you can have on a miniature scale.
Designed with local co-op as a gold standard, Tiny Brains also features online multiplayer and drop-in/drop-out play for groups tinier than four. Players can swap in between characters to utilize their different powers and levels change dynamically based on how many people are playing. Unique to the PlayStation 4, Tiny Brains makes use of the DualShock 4 light bar so that each controller shines the same color as the player’s character.
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Using the touch pad, players can also bring down a coloured arrow to indicate where they require a furry friend’s help.
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Tiny Brains will be 10 percent off for PlayStation Plus members through December and free for the PlayStation 3 when you buy the PlayStation 4 version through a cross-buy promotion. PC gamers can preorder Tiny Brains on Steam for 30 percent off before 18th December  : http://store.steampowered.com/app/253690/

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen: Music Collection now live on iTunes

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The Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen: Super Music Collection features beautifully adapted and orchestrated versions of the original in-game music, composed by Junichi Masuda, Gō Ichinose and Morikazu Aoki. The game originally launched in 2004, and the original soundtrack accompanied Pokémon Trainers on their journey across the Kanto region.

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The release follows on the heels of the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y: Super Music collection release which featured enhanced versions of the game’s soundtrack.

Fans can expect more to come in 2014 from the Pokémon musical archives, including the soundtracks of:
·  Pokémon HeartGold  and  Pokémon SoulSilver
·  Pokémon Ruby  and  Pokémon Sapphire
·  Pokémon Diamond  and  Pokémon Pearl
·  Pokémon Black  and  Pokémon White
·  Pokémon Black 2  and  Pokémon White 2

The  Pokémon FireRed &  Pokémon LeafGreen: Super Music Collection can be downloaded on iTunes now.

RedBedlam unveil partnership for first true videogame / novel tie-in

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RedBedlam has today unveiled details of Bedlam, an ambitious, original first-person shooter written in collaboration with the acclaimed Scottish novelist Christopher Brookmyre.

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Developed in association with Standfast Interactive, the generation-spanning FPS takes players into a unique world of action and intrigue, visiting a range of genres old and new, from arcade platformer classics to modern RTS and shooter environments, all from a first person perspective and with a smattering of Brookmyre’s trademark dark humour.

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Christopher Brookmyre has written 18 critically acclaimed novels and won numerous awards for his works, also appearing regularly on primetime radio and TV. His love of videogames has manifested in countless references and now, for the first time, in a fully-formed first person shooter that itself pays tribute to a wealth of iconic titles.

The videogame Bedlam mirrors the events from the book, which will be published in paperback on January 21st 2014 (the hardback released in February 2013 to critical acclaim). The plot sees the player, a regular man with a regular job, subjected to a variety of tests only to wake in a videogame world in which he is not in fact the mythical hero so often seen in gaming, but a grunt designed purely to be cannon fodder for someone else. In attempting to find out how this has happened and what strange space he is in, the player progresses through a variety of familiar gaming worlds, relentlessly pursued by an enigmatic predator, an organisation known as Integrity that will be rid of him at all costs…

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“Having always been a fan of Christopher’s novels, we’re hugely excited to be working with him on this unique project,” said Nick Witcher, Marketing Director at RedBedlam. “With such a talented mind behind the invention of the game world and writing the game itself, it’s going to be a tremendous title that surfaces in 2014.”

“A lot of my writing has been inspired by videogames and it has always been a big part of my life. When the guys at RedBedlam got in touch to see if I was interested in creating a game with them, I jumped at the chance and have since been consistently thrilled to see my own literary worlds visualised so accurately,” said Christopher Brookmyre. “Bedlam is a tribute to gaming in all its forms and the part it has played in all our lives – as well as being a top quality FPS adventure in itself. I look forward to seeing more of these fantastic characters and worlds fully realised and I think people are going to really enjoy what we’ve put together.”

Bedlam, the novel, is available on paperback from January 21st in all good book stores. With the game set to appear on Steam in the summer of 2014 and with another two novel / game tie-ins planned, the partnership between RedBedlam and Brookmyre looks set to take the gaming world by storm, with a new direction in plot-driven game design.

Santa Claus Lands on The Settlers

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Ubisoft and Blue Byte are launching a special Christmas event for The Settlers Online. Starting on December 12th players will discover their islands covered with snow and presents fallen from Santa’s sled.

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Through several ways, players will be able to gather presents – the special event resource. Those presents will be tradable in exchange for special Christmas items. Santa himself will lead you through a main quest containing about 8 festive sub quests. Candies will spawn all over the islands and daily quests will be available.

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For the first time, players will discover an exclusive Christmas Surprise, reachable via a button right beside the avatar image and offering users the chance to open a door each day and get a special reward. As the cherry on the cake a new Provision House will also be available, providing new buffs and refillers.

Join the fun and start playing The Settlers Online for free now at http://www.thesettlersonline.com

Has South Park The Stick of Truth got the Wind in it?

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If you haven’t seen the new trailer for South Park The Stick of Truth here is your lucky day then.

 

It’s a Very Merry Wintersday in Guild Wars 2

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NCSOFT and ArenaNet, publisher and developer of Guild Wars franchise, today announces the latest Guild Wars 2 content update, A Very Merry Wintersday, which brings back the fan-favourite Wintersday holiday for six weeks beginning today the 10th December, 2013.

It’s an MMO holiday tradition. As the nights grow long and colder in the Living World of Tyria, Toymaker Tixx returns in his massive floating workshop to spread holiday cheer with high-tech toys and festive games. This year the asuran inventor Tixx and his frequently faulty golem assistant Toxx have a bag full of mirth for players of every persuasion.

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Wintersday Events and Activities
·         The Wondrous Workshop – Round up mischievous toys running wild inside Toymaker Tixx’s holiday workshop!

·         Winter Wonderland Jumping Puzzle – Test your skills in a lethal platform puzzle loaded with holiday obstacles and really long drops!

·         Bell Choir Musical Activity – Join other players to ring in the season and make sweet, sweet music together!

·         Toypocalypse – Enter the Toypocalypse challenge and help save Wintersday from haywire toys run amok!

·         Snowball Mayhem – It wouldn’t be Wintersday without a chance to pelt your fellow players in the face with snowballs in this fun team activity!

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However, not everything is candy canes and snowflakes in Guild Wars 2 this December. The nightmare still continues in the Kessex Hills and surrounding countryside, as players battle inside the Tower of Nightmares introduced in the 29th October release.

New Info for Atelier Escha & Logy on the PS3

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Today, TECMO KOEI Europe is excited to announce that the latest instalment in the long-loved Atelier series for the PlayStation 3, Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky, is now available for preorder. The ship date of Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ is planned for March 7, 2014.

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Those who reserve Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ will receive the following exclusive downloadable costume(s) as a preorder bonus:

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Escha “Apple Pirate” Costume
Escha “Enchanted Witch” Costume

Tecmo Koei Europe also launched the official Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ website today for fans to begin their exploration of Escha and Logy’s world! Website visitors will get to know more about Escha and Logy, as well as other supporting characters while listening to beautiful Atelier music!  www.ateliergames.eu/escha-logy
Story
This world has gone through many Dusks, and is slowly nearing its end. Within this world, in the western reaches of the “Land of Dusk,” there was a nation that prospered thanks to its use of alchemy. There, in order to survive the eventual arrival of the “Dusk End,” the people devoted their efforts to rediscover and recreate lost alchemic technologies. Rediscovered technology from the past era was gathered in the alchemy research city known as “Central,” where research was conducted on how to halt the advance of the twilight. One of the heroes is a young man who researched alchemy in Central, the other a girl living in a small town on the frontier. This girl’s name is Escha. In the process of using her knowledge of ancient alchemy to help others, she was assigned to the Development Department. The young man’s name is Logy. Having learned the newest alchemic techniques in Central, he requested a transfer to this understaffed town to make use of his abilities, and meets Escha when he is assigned to the Development Department as well. The two make a promise to use their alchemy together, and bring success to the Development Department.

Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ game features include:

The new Imbue system and the revised Synthesis system deepen the Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ gameplay experience. Allowing the player to make a broad range of custom choices is a strong aspect of both systems!

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The new Imbuing system allows Logy alone to customize his weapons and armour. Imbuing is a form of alchemy that allows a player to add effects from other items to his weapons and armour. Combining skills to add properties to items allows for some intense customization options!

Escha’s synthesis ability grows along with the player. Only simple syntheses will be available at the beginning of the game, but as the player’s synthesis level rises, more in-depth components to the system will be unlocked. This allows beginners to learn the complex system in deliberately paced stages, while synthesis veteran will come to be able to access a more in-depth synthesis experience!

Two protagonists, two stories, more gameplay. Depending on which protagonist a player selects, the story and events will unfold from different perspectives. For players who enjoy the traditional Atelier series, Escha’s story will fulfill their alchemy RPG needs! For players who enjoy a classic RPG, or are newcomers to the series, they can choose Logy’s story to begin their journey in the Atelier universe!

Battle with more teammates! Traditionally, in the Atelier series, only 3 characters could join the battle party, but in Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~, players can have a maximum of 6 characters in battle to allow for more strategy and faster-paced fights!

Streamlined synthesis welcomes newcomers and long-time series fans! The synthesis system and interface have been streamlined to make item creation more approachable and enjoyable. As their Synthesis level goes up, players will be able to access more items for synthesis.

Fast-paced, turn-based combat system! Battles are fought using a turn-based combat system, but character actions and command inputs are optimized for fast-paced fights. During battle, players can use support attacks, in which allied characters hop in and appear one after another in an effort to execute impressive follow-up attacks! Utilize the assist attack system to rule the battlefield!

Alchemist-exclusive attack, Double Draw! As Alchemists, Escha and Logy can use the various items they create through synthesis during battle. Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ has expounded on that concept and created a new alchemist-exclusive command, “Double Draw,” which allows consecutive item use while also increasing their effects!

Gorgeous graphics with lively characters! Characters’ faces are meticulously animated and show a wide range of expressions. With the newly implemented engine, the characters in Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ really come to life!

Raiden Returns in Exclusive Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for Xbox

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Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. has announced an exclusive ‘Jamais Vu’ mission for its eagerly-awaited METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES title for Xbox One and Xbox 360.

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The format-exclusive content will add a new dimension to the game’s stealth content, introducing the METAL GEAR SOLID series’ cybernetically-augmented mercenary, Raiden, to the game’s prison setting.

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The exclusive mission is set within METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES’ Cuban containment camp, and becomes available once certain conditions are met. The mission begins with Raiden charged with investigating an alleged biorobotic incursion, and dropped on the periphery of the camp. Thus, the augmented hero must gain access and secure firm evidence of the “bioroid” presence – dubbed ‘Snatchers’ by the intelligence group.

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The Snatchers, while externally disguised as marines, produce an inhuman X-Ray when tagged using the game’s marking system. Raiden must locate and eliminate the imposters while evading capture by the unaware humans charged with guarding the base.

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The new Microsoft content marks the return of Hideo Kojima’s classic 1988 ’SNATCHER’ universe. The eponymous Snatchers featured in an MSX title followed the release of the first METAL GEAR, and was set in the futuristic city of Neo Kobe, where the mysterious beings were infiltrating society by killing people and assuming their identities. 26 years after its release, SNATCHER still enjoys a huge level of interest among fans.

The ‘Jamais Vu’ mission begins with Snake and his cybernetic ally being briefed, before Raiden – forgoing his famed Katana blade – jumps into the camp. Raiden has been chosen for this mission not only for his superhuman abilities, but also because, unlike Snake, he lacks a human body to snatch.

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The mission will be integrated within both digital and boxed versions, and reintroduces Raiden to the stealth-orientated themes of the METAL GEAR SOLID universe.

The exclusive ‘Jamais Vu’ content is showcased in a specially-created one-minute trailer, detailing Raiden’s mission to defeat the Snatcher invasion, while a 14-minute demonstration movie of the Xbox One version of METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES shows incredible level of detail and shares AI and other feature advances.

GTA Online Update: Free Deathmatch & Race Creators and more

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Get ready for lots of new content updates for Grand Theft Auto Online, beginning with the launch of the free Deathmatch and Race Creators tool coming this week. Here’s a look at what’s on the way in the weeks ahead…

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Deathmatch & Race Creators Beta

This week, we will give you the first chance to build your own content in GTA Online (and play content others have made) with the release of the Deathmatch & Race Creators Beta. With access to some of the same tools as our own game design and development team, you can craft your own custom blood-soaked gunfights, high-octane street races, screaming jet dogfights and more. You’ll also be able to publish your original Deathmatches and Races via the Rockstar Games Social Club for the whole community to discover, download, play, rate and share. Players can create and customize Jobs for the following modes:

  • Deathmatch
  • Team Deathmatch
  • Race
  • GTA Race
  • Rally Race

We’re planning on regularly reviewing some of the best community-created content to recognize and distinguish them as Rockstar Verified Jobs, shared out to the entire GTA Online community. The Deathmatch and Race Creators will come to you via a free update, and you’ll need to have a Social Club account that is linked to your Xbox Live Gamertag or PlayStation Network ID to use them. The Creators are in Beta so please help us iron out any flaws and bugs via the GTA Online email address.

We expect the Creators Beta to become available as soon as today 10th December.

Capture

Also in December, we will introduce possibly our favourite competitive team mode, Capture. A proper GTA twist on classic capture the flag, Capture mode brings territory infiltration and a new form of team-versus-team treachery into GTA Online. Up to four squads battle to steal contraband, trucks, buses or whatever from opponents’ bases using high-speed vehicles, explosive weaponry and cunning teamwork. Craft, cooperation and team tactics are key. The free Capture update will bring a host of new jobs to GTA Online, accessible via the open world and also directly through your phone.  Capture is broken down into four variations – ‘Raid’, ‘Contend’, ‘Hold’ and ‘GTA’ – we will give you full details on each of these next week.

Coming in 2014

Expect big things in both Grand Theft Auto Online and Grand Theft Auto V next year including:

GTA Online Heists. We know many of you in the GTA Online community are super excited for the debut of co-operative Heists. Heists are currently in development and we are working very hard to get them as polished and as fun as they can be. Stay tuned for much more detail in the New Year.

GTAV Story Mode Updates. For those ready to jump back into the story of Grand Theft Auto V, we have big plans for substantial additions in 2014 continuing Michael, Franklin and Trevor’s action, mayhem and unexpected adventures in Southern San Andreas.

For a Limited Time, Bloodmasque is free on iOS

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To celebrate reaching half a million total downloads, the action-RPG BLOODMASQUE will be free to download on iOS devices from today until midnight on Monday December 16, 2013. For those yet to experience BLOODMASQUE, this is your chance to try the game out for yourself and see if you like it!

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‘Tis the season for giving, and BLOODMASQUE is spreading some cheer to players everywhere with a special holiday edition of the Hunter’s Gauntlet. Up until Christmas Day, a series of seasonal hunts will be available, where players choose to pursue two unique foes; Rudolph the Red and Holly Mistletoe. Triumph and you’ll be rewarded with their special gear for your hunter. For more details about festive event, visit: http://bloodmasque.com/christmas/en/

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In addition, the official BLOODMASQUE Soundtrack is now available on iTunes. Containing 34 original and un-edited tracks from the game, fans can download the OST from Apple iTunes Store for £10.99/€11.99/$11.99.

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BLOODMASQUE is a unique action-RPG, set in an alternative version of 19th century Paris. Players take on the role of a Vampire Hunter from a cursed bloodline, who fights back against the lords of the night in a world where humanity is ruled from the shadows.

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze Out Feb 2014

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During this weekend’s VGX event, a live demonstration of the upcoming Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze game for Wii U revealed some exciting details about the addition of Cranky Kong as a playable character. For the first time in the Donkey Kong Country series, players will be able to assume control of the fan-favorite Cranky Kong. Cranky joins Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong as one of Donkey Kong’s partners in the game. At VGX, an event celebrating video games, Nintendo also revealed that the game will launch in North America on Feb. 21 in stores and on the Nintendo eShop.

Donkey Kong Tropic Freeze

The bearded Cranky Kong is very spry for his age, using his cane to bounce on dangerous objects like spikes. This ability helps him access areas other characters can’t reach. During single-player mode, Cranky rides on Donkey Kong’s back. In co-op multiplayer, a second player can control Cranky, Diddy or Dixie directly (an additional controller is required for multiplayer play, and is sold separately).

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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the next installment in the smash-hit Donkey Kong Country series. The new game lets players embark on an original adventure with Donkey Kong and partners Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong as they battle The Snowmads, who have invaded and frozen their home, Donkey Kong Island. Players will jump from island to island as they explore a huge variety of new environments, from lush mangroves to burning savannahs and Donkey Kong’s frozen island. The game introduces a number of new features, such as the ability to swim, a dynamic camera that adds dimension and depth to the gorgeous on-screen action, and the ability to play the full game on the Wii U GamePad controller in off-TV play.