Month: December 2019

Nintendo’s Japanese designer recruitment site has shared some interesting concept art and insight into how the trailer to the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel came together. The site, spotted by VGC, explains Nintendo’s expectations from designers and artists, showing off some of the work that has gone into their most popular recent games and characters. It’s not just valuable for potential designers, though, as the page also features some great concept art.

The page includes some concept art for Isabelle, the mayor’s assistant from Animal Crossing: New Leaf who proved so popular that she became a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It shows several iterations the character went through before her look was settled on. It says that they wanted a character who as many people as possible would grow attached to.

There are also various pieces of Splatoon 2 stage and character design throughout the page, showing off the different models and the colorful designs of the game’s levels. There’s no major revelations here, but it’s interesting how the stage art captures the general vibe of the game well.

Much of the page is focused on the work that went into The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including the reveal of the game’s sequel. The first image below shows how a mix of motion capture and Maya software was used to map Link’s movements in the trailer, which is embedded above. It’s a small but welcome insight into the process involved. The other images from the original Breath of the Wild below are a mix of storyboards for the game’s iconic opening scene of Link running to the clifftop and environmental design examples.

The Breath of the Wild sequel is happening because Nintendo had too many ideas for DLC. A release date has not been announced, but it will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch.

The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance Tactics was first announced during Nintendo’s 2019 E3 Direct, and now it finally has a release date. The turn-based strategy spin-off from the recent Netflix TV series (itself a sequel to the 1982 film) will release for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 4, 2020.

This news comes via the game’s official Twitter account, which also debuted a new short trailer for the game. The trailer can also be watched on YouTube.

According to the game’s Steam page, it will feature over 50 battles and 15 playable characters, which will be a mix of characters from the original film and some from the more recent series. You’ll be able to equip your characters with gear and the game will feature changing, dynamic environments that can help or hinder your strategies.

The Netflix series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, received a 9/10 in our review. Reviewer Chris E. Hayner said that the show “should hook you in with its fantastical storytelling and incredible world.”

Twin Peaks VR is due to release this month, but until now we hadn’t seen any footage from it. Now a trailer has emerged, showing off the Twin Peaks iconography and scenes from the series that fans will soon be able to explore in virtual reality. This is essentially an “escape room” game that will require you to puzzle your way through several situations from the show. The game appears to be heavily based on the enigmatic and wonderful 2017 third series rather than the first two seasons, and anyone who hasn’t watched it should be wary of spoilers in the trailer below.

The trailer begins in Glastonbury Grove, by the pool where Cooper enters the Red Room at the end of the second season, and gets weird from there. The trailer shows off the Red Room, complete with the chairs and statue, as well as Dougie Jones’ waiting body. We also see the white horse from the original series and the Evolution of the Arm, and it seems like you’ll be able to get uncomfortably close and personal with it.

It also looks like the game will take you to the Fireman’s theater room from episode 8 of the third season, as well as the sheriff’s department, the box room in New York, and the traincart where Laura Palmer was murdered. The trailer promises that you can find Easter eggs, including posters of Bob and Laura’s necklace in the woods,

There are several moments from the trailer that match up exactly with the new series, including Naido being flung off into inter-dimensional space in the third episode and the Bob ball from the penultimate episode. It seems likely that the game will not fit within the canon of the Twin Peaks universe, and will instead be a way for fans to explore particular moments from the series.

The game releases on Steam and the Oculus store this month, and according to Welcome to Twin Peaks, Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR versions will follow. Twin Peaks VR comes from Collider Games, in collaboration with Showtime and series director David Lynch.

From Batman to Daredevil, these are nominees for the best comic book series of 2019.

From party and board games to drinking paraphernalia, video game gift cards to ridiculous gag gifts, these are the best white elephant and secret Sanda gifts for 2019.

From Watchmen to Chernobyl to Succession, there was a lot of great TV this year. These are our nominees for the best TV series of 2019.

Here’s how to find an Eevee and evolve it to all Eeveelutions in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

From video games and consoles to gadgets, toys, tech, and more, these are the best gifts for kids in 2019.

From the scares of Jordan Peele’s Us to the cheers of Avengers: Endgame to the trauma of Joker, these are our nominees for the best movie of 2019.