Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for February, 2020

Geel, Belgium – February 27th – Crazy Monkey Studios is extremely happy to announce that its fourth dimensional hidden object game, Hidden Through Time, will be launching in just a couple of weeks. Explore the four great ages as you search each scene for various objects and people, interacting with the environment to suss out even the most secret of details. You can even concoct your own devious puzzles using the map-editor, building your own scenes packed to the brim with colourful characters and objects.

Hidden Through Time will be available on March 12th for $7.99 USD on Steam (Windows/Mac), Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. It will also be available that same day for $2.99 USD on iOS, and Android.

About Hidden Through Time

Hidden Through Time is a game of hide and seek with objects scattered throughout the wonderful history of our world. Use cryptic hints to discover every secret as you explore the colourful hand drawn levels.

Find enough objects to advance to the next stage, and make your way through all four great ages.

Still desire more or wish to unleash your creativity? Our map editor is available to anyone, allowing you to create your very own levels and share them on our cloud! Here you can also discover, play and rate levels made by other creators from all around the world! So join Clicky on his wondrous adventure in Hidden Through Time!

Source: PR Email

Let’s heat up the cold Boston weekend with some game announcements! We’re excited to reveal our latest title to our 2020 lineup: Kemono Heroes. Plus we have TWO more announcements coming March 3 and March 5!

When the Moon God turns the inhabitants of the forest to stone, four Animal Ninja Masters must fight their way to Mt. Fuji and break his spell in the retro platformer Kemono Heroes. This game is available NOW at the Nintendo eShop and is playable at our PAX East booth #26035!

Source: PR Email

Sweden, February 26th, 2020 – UKIYO Publishing and independent game developer Nexile are thrilled to announce that their critically acclaimed and comically punishing platformer Jump King is heading to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2020.

Jump King is a tough as nails, tongue-in-cheek platforming game that challenges players to ascend a colossal tower to rescue the mythical “Smoking Hot Babe” at the top. In this Tactical Leaping Adventure, players must set themselves in the desired position, charge their jump, aim, then let gravity do its thing as they make each nerve-wracking leap. Should they be the right and true king of jumping, they shall land on a ledge. Otherwise… well, it could be a long drop down.

Every point of progress is saved along the way… but so is every setback. Jumps that cause you little grief one time may become the bane of your existence upon encountering them again. It’s worth experimenting with different routes and tactics though, as Jump King features multiple paths to success. All this is wrapped up in a nostalgic pixel art aesthetic, full of colorful characters and evocative locales.

Make no mistake, Jump King is an extraordinarily difficult game, yet it can be relished by anyone looking for a tough but fair challenge. It’s sadistic enough to drive a seasoned gamer to tears, yet accessible enough due to its simple controls and mechanics, that anyone can overcome its challenges – perseverance is key! Do you have what it takes to be the one true Jump King?

“Jump King was made to make you look silly. It makes jumping, something often taken for granted in games, into the sole challenge of the game!,” said Felix Wahlström of Nexile. “It looks quite stupid – why are people having trouble jumping with simple three-button controls? But once you give it a try you understand why and get sucked into the engaging gameloop! It is a modern idea in a captivating and nostalgic package that we think will hit the spot for console gamers”.

“Jump King has caused our team so much pain and anguish that we lost our sanity and decided we must introduce the rest of the world to this hell we have wrought,” said Paul Hann of UKIYO Publishing. “Its conclusion still eludes me, but one day I know I will conquer it. One day…”

Source: PR Email

London, UK – 26th February, 2020: Curve Digital is delighted to unveil the colourful retro-inspired racing game, Hotshot Racing, from Lucky Mountain Games and experienced racing genre stalwarts, Sumo Digital. Hotshot Racing channels classic arcade racers sporting colorful polygonal visuals, boost-fuelled drift gameplay and a silky smooth 60 frames per second in the game’s single-player modes regardless of platform.

Hotshot Racing is set to emulate and expand upon the classic ‘90s arcade racing game formula featuring eight different hotshot drivers to choose from (each with their own personality and multiple varied four-wheeled rides), 16 personality-filled sun-baked tracks from across the globe, and multiple game modes for players to prove their driving prowess.

“When we first played Hotshot Racing we were immediately transported to the halcyon days of our youth when we used to pop quarters into classic arcade racers like Virtua Racing, Crusin’ USA, SEGA Rally and others that used to punctuate seafronts across the UK” said Simon Byron, Curve Digital’s Publishing Director. “It’s fantastic to see this type of gameplay make a triumphant return and we can’t wait to see what people make of it!”

Hotshot Racing will also feature multiple single-player and multiplayer game modes – both online and offline including 4-player local split-screen co-op.

There’s the traditional Grand Prix mode where challengers race on multiple tracks in multi-round championship, Time Trial mode where players complete laps as they wish to seek out the fastest lap time for the online leader boards, Cops and Robbers mode where the criminals need to evade capture to secure a big cash bonus whereas the police need to take them down, and the Drive or Explode where players need to race to checkpoints to avoid exploding.

Hotshot Racing is set to launch for PC and consoles later this Spring.

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – February 25, 2020 – Bubble Bobble 4 Friends by ININ GAMES, including the legendary original Bubble Bobble, will be released digitally and physically exclusively for Nintendo Switch in North and South America on March 31, 2020.

Bubble Bobble is still an absolute cult game today and is considered the most popular and innovative platformer of the ’80s. The twins, Bub and Bob, set out to free their friends from the hands of the evil Bonner, who also enchanted them in Bubble Dragons. As such, the brothers hop through the differently arranged platforms of the 100 colourful levels and shoot bubbles at numerous enemies. In the ’80s and ’90s, players bounced through the levels solo or in two-player co-op mode. The success of Bubble Bobble has led to it being ported to more than 20 different platforms over the past decades, including the PlayStation, Sega Mega Drive and NES Classic Mini.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, the latest game in the popular Bubble Bobble series, includes a 4-player co-op mode for even more fun with friends. Players can also acquire special skills by collecting letter bubbles that form the word “extend” to add strategic depth and increase replayability. Players will have plenty to discover and craft as they journey through the all-new worlds of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends.

About ININ Games:

ININ Games, the new publishing label of United Games Entertainment GmbH, focuses on the classic digital and physical marketing of high-quality retro, indie and arcade titles. Along with undisputed classics, numerous other milestones of gaming culture are in the planning and will be announced in the coming months.

About TAITO Corporation:

TAITO Corporation (TAITO) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, TAITO operates core businesses such as game arcade operations, coin-operated game machines, and mobile phone content services. A seminal part of gaming history, TAITO caused a worldwide sensation with its arcade legend, SPACE INVADERS, and developed such fan favourites as PUZZLE BOBBLE (BUST-A-MOVE) and ARKANOID. Today, TAITO continues to thrill game lovers of all generations by offering both classic and new family-oriented titles on the latest gaming platforms. TAITO delivers a wide range of entertainment experiences with the goal of providing consumers with fresh surprises and new discoveries.

About Bubble Bobble:

Bubble Bobble is an action game planned, developed, and released by TAITO CORPORATION (TAITO) in 1986.

The game centres around Bubby and Bobby, two boys who were cursed by a wizard and turned into the bubble-blowing dragons, Bub and Bob, who are on a quest to rescue their kidnapped girlfriends. To do this, they must brave all 100 floors of the cave of monsters, defeating their enemies by catching them in bubbles, then bursting them.

The lovable Bub and Bob were a big hit and went on to star in numerous sequels and the original has since been ported to countless home platforms. Puzzle Bobble (a.k.a. Bust-A-Move), a puzzle game spin-off, became a huge hit, going on to personify the franchise.

TAITO is the exclusive owner of the global intellectual property rights, including copyrights and trademarks, for Bubble Bobble and its characters, and takes an active role regarding new Bubble Bobble-related enterprises.

Source: PR Email

IRVINE, Calif. – February 20, 2020 – Sonic and Arle have joined forces to turn February into sequel month. SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Puyo Puyo 2 are now available for the Nintendo Switch for $7.99! With all the special enhancements both landmark titles have to offer here, you’ll find they make for great travel companions.

What more can you say about Sonic The Hedgehog 2 that hasn’t already been said? No other game at the time delivered the sense of speed and feel like this masterpiece, and SEGA AGES takes things a step further. That includes the return of the competitive two-player mode, the addition of the drop dash technique first seen in Sonic Mania, Super Sonic Mode that lets you transform into the yellow-quilled Super Sonic right from the start, a Time Trial mode with online rankings; and the ability to play the game as Knuckles the Echidna. Celebrate the release of the new movie with a blast to the past!

Get ready to drop garbage on your friends – Garbage Puyo, that is! Puyo Puyo 2 is widely considered one of the best entries in Puyo Puyo series history thanks to its upgraded ruleset, and this SEGA AGES release enhances the experience even further. With two-player online battles, online rankings, a quick rewind function, and a colorblind mode, this is the perfect time to drop in!

About Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Hailed as one of the most successful games for the Genesis (Mega Drive), Sonic The Hedgehog 2 garnered critical acclaim swiftly after its 1992 release. Follow Sonic and Tails (in his series debut!) as they team up against the nefarious Dr. Eggman in order to save the Chaos Emeralds from the clutches of evil.

About Puyo Puyo 2

Puyo Puyo 2 (also known as Puyo Puyo Tsu) is considered one of the biggest arcade games of all time in Japan. This sequel introduced an improved ruleset along with the ability to offset Garbage Puyo sent by your opponent by creating Puyo chains of your own. Swap between Arcade, Versus, Endurance, and Online game modes for even more Puyo fun in this classic puzzle experience.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Puyo Puyo 2 are now available individually on the Nintendo Switch eShop in the Americas and Europe for $7.99 (with commensurate European pricing).

Source: PR Email

VANCOUVER, BC., Feb. 20, 2020 – Tom Nook has an eye for business. That’s why the staple Animal Crossing character took time out of his very busy schedule to host a new video presentation about his latest endeavor, the Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package. In the presentation, he details the ins and outs of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, launching exclusively for the Nintendo Switch family of systems on March 20. The video covers everything you, a potential Deserted Island Getaway Package customer, need to know to get started: an introduction to your new island life, the basics of home ownership, details about your new neighbors, land development, exploration, crafting and so much more.

“The Animal Crossing games offer players a unique and relaxing escape from the stresses of everyday life, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons builds on that by letting players build their own island utopia from scratch,” said Dominic Gross, Nintendo of Canada’s General Manager. “When Nintendo Switch owners pack their virtual bags and move into their new island home, they will experience more ways to customize their Animal Crossing life than ever before. Just like Nintendo Switch itself, the game lets you play the way you want to play.”

Some of the highlights of Tom Nook’s information session include:

Features new to the series!

• Life on the Island: Nook Inc. confidently recommends a trip to a remote deserted island. And that’s not just because it’s the only company that offers this type of package! On the island, life is as peaceful and relaxing as it gets. Since the island is deserted, you can create your new life from the very beginning – just like a pioneer! Time flows as naturally as in the real world, including seasons and day and night cycles that mirror real time.
• DIY: By collecting specific materials around the island, you can craft a wide variety of things, including tools and furniture. DIY workshops teach you how to enrich your life by crafting DIY recipes. As you become more familiar with DIY, you can even learn special skills like changing the colour of your DIY furniture or decorating them with custom designs.
• NookPhone: Nook Inc. will provide some basic necessities and services, including your very own NookPhone. It has standard apps, like a camera and map, but over time, new applications will be added to support your island needs. The camera can be used to take in-game photos all over the island – you can even add fancy filters like all the cool kids are doing!
• Nook Miles: For players looking for more concrete goals, and to help offer guidance and inspiration on the island, you can take advantage of the Nook Mileage program. As you fulfill certain challenges and experiences, you will earn miles to pay off the cost of the getaway package or, eventually, to exchange for in-game rewards. Rewards range from in-game Nook Inc. merchandise and helpful items that can enrich your time on the island, to tickets that you can use to visit distant islands.
• Island Tours: These “mystery island tours” are at the whim of the pilot, so you never know where you will end up! Once on these smaller islands, feel free to gather as many items as you want – like DIY materials and creatures – and take them back with you to your island.
• Party Play: With the Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway package, up to eight people can live on one island.* In Party Play, you can call up to three other players to explore the island at the same time. Whoever calls the others will be the Leader, making the others the Followers. It’s easy to change out the Leader, letting others quickly take charge. Any creatures or items found by Followers will be stored in a recycle box at the Resident Services building!
• Land Development: While you can cross rivers on your island by pole-vaulting and climb elevated land using ladders, you can also change the landscape by adding bridges and slopes. Once your island is fully decked out, you’ll receive a permit to freely pave your own paths, as well as perform major construction like changing the paths of rivers or building and demolishing cliffs. With your own maintenance and construction permits, you can flex your creative muscles on the land itself, not just the stuff on it.
• NookLink: Yes, Tom Nook likes to put his name on everything. But when it’s a Nook product or service, you know you are getting something that’s high quality. With NookLink, which is part of the Nintendo Switch Online app, you can scan a Custom Design QR Code pattern from previous games Animal Crossing: New Leaf or Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer with your real-life smartphone and then download them to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. When connected online, you can talk with friends who also have the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game with the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app using your smartphone as a keyboard or for voice chat. NookLink will launch in March, soon after the selected departure included in your Deserted Island Getaway Package.

A detailed breakdown of the Getaway Package experience!

• Choose Your Island: Before boarding your flight to the island, you will choose the island from a range of options. Choosing to live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, for example, will affect the timing of the seasons, so select the location that suits you best. When the seasons change on the island, so do the activities. For Northern Hemisphere residents, spring will just be starting when the game launches on March 20, so expect blooming cherry blossoms to show up soon!
• Orientation: After landing on the island, you will receive a helpful orientation session from the Nook Inc. staff. At this time, you’ll be provided with the tent that’s included with your getaway package. You can chat with other island residents about where you want to set up your new home, and help them choose their home locations as well.
• Resident Services: The Resident Services facility is available to support your daily needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They provide you with services such as the sale of everyday goods, the purchase of unwanted items and helpful advice.
• Become a Home Owner: The tent provided to you by Nook Inc. is great, but have you considered a house? Home loans have no deadlines, interest or assessment, and you can pay your loan back at your own pace. A house offers much more space than a tent and also includes storage space for any extra furniture and baggage. Once you own a home, you can channel your inner interior designer, setting up the walls, flooring and furniture however you like. You can also use extension and remodeling services to expand and customize your home even more.
• Customization Deluxe: Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers more customization options than ever before, from personalizing the look of your character all the way down to skin tone, hairstyle and clothing, to placing buildings and items wherever you want on the island. You can even decorate the inside and outside of your home! Turn that island into a MY land!
• Airport: This is the first place you will land on the island. (It is an airport, after all.) It’s also available to use 24 hours a day, beginning on the day after your arrival. At the airport, you can invite residents of other islands to your own island via the internet or local wireless.You can also travel and visit other islands yourself! Up to eight people can play on a given island at one time**, so feel free to get a good group together and make some fantastic memories.
• Island-wide Broadcasts: At the start of each day, Mr. Nook, CEO of Nook Inc., will make a broadcast to all residents, updating them with the latest on important island events and advice about how to best enjoy island living.

Features and updates to further your island enjoyment!

• New Residents: When you first land on the island you will only have a few animal residents living there with you. But as you develop your island from the ground up, more neighbors will visit and choose to move in. You can even invite some of the new residents to live there yourself! There’s nothing better than a welcoming neighbor.
• Free Updates: Free updates will be added after the game launches, with seasonal events continually added throughout the year. The first free update will be on launch day, March 20. By installing this update, you can celebrate Bunny Day with a special event in April. If you own both Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for mobile devices and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you’ll receive special items in each game. Details will be announced at a later date on the official Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Twitter account.
• Additional Facilities: As you grow your island, more facilities will be built. This includes a museum showcasing the rich ecosystem of the island, a shop full of ready-made furniture and goods you can’t craft yourself, a tailor offering clothing and fashion items, and a campsite where you can invite guests for recreational purposes.
• Tourists & Events: Your island will not only be home to new residents, but also tourists as well! These temporary visitors are always welcome and can offer up items that cannot be crafted on the island. Visitors can also participate in fun events like Fishing Tourneys and Bug-Offs, which will pop up throughout the year. Through free updates to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, new special events and seasonal guests will be introduced.
• amiibo Support: Animal Crossing: New Horizons supports amiibo figures and amiibo cards from the Animal Crossing series. You can also invite these familiar faces to Photopia, an island that exists in the game, where you can place models in creative photo shoots.
• Twitter Takeover: Keep an eye out for social media savvy Tom Nook, who is rumored to take over the @AnimalCrossing Twitter account right after today’s video presentation.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons launches in stores, in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch and on Nintendo.com on March 20 at a suggested retail price of $79.99. In addition to the game, players can accessorize with Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch Lite Carrying Cases, available in stores at a suggested retail price of $32.99 each.

A special-edition Animal Crossing themed Nintendo Switch system will also be available in stores on March 13 at a suggested retail price of $399.99. The system takes design inspiration from Animal Crossing: New Horizons (sold separately), with lovely pastel green and blue Joy-Con controllers that are white on the back, with matching pastel green and pastel blue wrist straps and a white Nintendo Switch dock, adorned with images of characters Tom Nook and Nooklings Timmy and Tommy.

*Up to eight Nintendo Account holders can live on the same island within each game. With one Nintendo Switch system and one game, up to four of those Nintendo Account holders can play on the same island at the same time (additional accessories required). With additional systems and games, up to eight players can play on the same island at the same time via local wireless or online play. Nintendo Switch Online membership and Nintendo Account required for online features. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. Games, systems, additional accessories and Nintendo Switch Online membership sold separately.

**Additional games, systems, accessories and/or Nintendo Switch Online membership required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately.

Source: PR Email

VANCOUVER – Feb. 19, 2020 – Halo Infinite co-developer SkyBox Labs will bring Stela, a cinematic platformer about a young woman witnessing the final days of a mysterious ancient world, to Nintendo Switch and Steam for Windows PC on Friday, March 13, 2020. This definitive version will include post-release content already available on Xbox One and Apple Arcade, plus a final update coming to those platforms alongside the Nintendo Switch and Steam launches.

An expanded ending, visual improvements throughout the game to emphasize story elements and an array of bug and quality-of-life fixes will debut on Xbox One alongside the Nintendo Switch and Steam releases, with an Apple Arcade update to follow within days. These join December’s update for Xbox One and Apple Arcade, which added 15 secret areas and unlockable 3D dioramas unveiling a prophecy about the world of Stela, and shed more light on the setting and apocalyptic narrative.

Escape monstrosities ranging from dormant beasts to haunting shadows and giant beetles. Solve massive puzzles intertwined with beautiful-yet-decaying landscapes including pale snow drifts, abandoned farms and massive catacombs. Experience the events leading to the end of a world accompanied by the refrains of an original ambient soundtrack.

“Everything in Stela – the music, the monsters, the environments – exists in service of the story,” said Shyang Kong, Co-Founder, SkyBox Labs. “We’ve received lots of great feedback from Stela’s players and have worked to improve the narrative experience alongside ports to new platforms, making it the perfect version for new fans while offering those who tried it the first time around plenty of reasons to revisit the tale.”

Stela will come to Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch and Steam on March 13 for $19.99 USD. The game is currently available on Xbox One and Apple Arcade.

Source: PR Email

Santa Ana, CA (February 18, 2020) – NIS America is excited to announce that in collaboration with GAME FREAK, the Little Town Hero Big Idea Edition for Nintendo Switch™ will release on June 2 in North America, June 5 in Europe, and June 12 in Oceania. This edition contains the physical game, art book, poster, lapel pin set, and official soundtrack all within a beautiful collector’s box.

About the game:

In an isolated village at the edge of the world, a young boy named Axe dreams of seeing the outside world, although everyone is forbidden from venturing beyond the town borders. However, everything changes when a giant monster suddenly attacks the village, and Axe discovers he can fight using the power of a mysterious stone that turns his ideas into attacks. Through his trials of defending the village, he gradually unravels secrets of how the stones and the monsters came to be.

Anyone can become a hero! Dive into the world of the young, budding hero Axe as he rises up to defend his home, gains the support of fellow villagers, and uncovers the truth behind the giant monster attacks. With the unique “Ideas” combat system, you can defend against enemies, plan your attacks, and adapt on the fly without needing to grind! This charming title features game design by GAME FREAK and music composed by Toby Fox
(UNDERTALE).

Key Features:

Izzit? Dazzit! – Use your Ideas to outwit and defend against enemies, then strike back with strong attacks.

Charming Locals – Befriend the townspeople to gain their support, as well as unlock more Ideas to use in battle.

There’s No Place Like Home – Enjoy life in this little town with a whimsical soundtrack by Toby Fox (UNDERTALE) and cozy art style by GAME FREAK.

To learn more about this game, click here!

Source: PR Email