Zombies Before Solstice? Not Quite, but They’ll Be Here Next Year with Into the Dead

“The Into the Dead franchise has enjoyed incredible success over the last 10 years,” said Mario Wynands, CEO of PikPok.

Into the Dead: Our Darkest DaysLeading games developer and publisher PikPok® today announced that development has begun on the PC-first title Into the Dead Our Darkest Days, a new installment in the highly successful Into the Dead franchise.

Texas, 1980. Walton City has fallen to a zombie outbreak, and escape is the only chance for survival. Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is a side-scrolling shelter survival game that tasks players with guiding a group of desperate survivors from refuge to refuge in an attempt to get everyone out of the city alive. Here, players have to scavenge for supplies, craft tools and weapons, fight off the dead, and keep moving as the zombie threat closes in. While their experiences will lead survivors to gain new skills, players will also need to manage their physical and psychological needs because in this world, there are no second chances—and death is permanent.

It’s rare to get a videogame such as this, and that’s why this game is worth noting before we get comfortable for the winter season.

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On Kickstarter is Video Games: The People, Games, and Companies in a Detailed Multi-Volume Look Back!

What makes Video Games: The People, Games, and Companies different from other works is that this author uses the same level attention to all four major categories–computer, console (handheld or home), and arcade.

Video Games author Andrea ContatoNow on Kickstarter is Video Games: The People, Games, and Companies, and according to Andrea Contato, he wants to deliver the most comprehensive work to date regarding the history of video games. While the Italian five-book project is a go, the financial assistance through crowdfunding is needed to help translate this book to an English reading audience. The first chapter has been translated, annotated and can be read here.

In this book, there will be a lot of personal accounts detailing more than just the motivation and creation behind a lot of what today considers the retro scene. This author believes his book will cover a whole lot more than what we normally learn in documentaries offered so far. And I have huge respect for those who want to delve deep into the subject. In this work, we have a look at what really started it all, and I had a chance to interview him about what that is.

For people who haven’t read your last work, the comprehensive Through the Moongate about the classic Ultima RPG series, can you please introduce yourself?

I am a history, computer, and video game enthusiast from Italy. In 2015, I ventured into researching the history of Richard Garriott and his company Origin Systems Inc and after three years of hard work, I launched two crowdfunding campaigns to translate my draft into English. My book, Through the Moongate, (as pictured) was well received, and the enthusiasm with which my project was supported encouraged me to continue.

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Pokémon TCG Live Expands to New Testing Territories and the Latest App Update Impressions

Pokémon TCG Live isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The previous version, Online, still looks far more polished than this open world testing.

Pokémon TCG LiveReview platforms: MSI Katana GF66 and iPad 6.

Pokémon TCG Live has opened up to more countries for beta testing, and my advice to tablet gamers is to make sure you are connected to a power outlet for more than an hour of play. It was limited to Canada during the past year for working out the kinks, and with half the problems dealt with, I recommend the desktop version for the Mac and PC. I would not play on any mobile device (laptops not plugged into the wall included)  because it drains the power fast. Players may be able to get three or four long games in before recharging. Hopefully, this issue can be addressed by offering a battery saver option in the next update.

Otherwise, this game is almost like the previous iteration, Pokémon TCG Online. The main difference is in the changes to the layout and more 3D models. For testing, only the last five or so expansions are being put through the paces. In the card construction front, players can get credit for extra cards beyond the needed four in a deck to buy missing cards. In both versions, players can buy real world product to exchange the QR code for extra cards. With the old version, there’s more value by getting ten randomized digital cards over the five; because of that, I love the older version more. Its visual aesthetic is not as garish. Also, I should’ve stayed with the older app.

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9 Years of Shadows (and Retrogaming goodness) is Coming to the Nintendo Switch and PC!

Halberd Studios 9 Years of Shadow is coming next year! This beautiful pixel art game will certainly look gorgeous when done.

Halberd Studios9 Years of Shadows logo is a Mexico-based development team that emphasizes the power of the narrative in games and they have a beautiful looking product that’ll be available next year for the Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam). 9 Years of Shadows promises to bring retrogaming goodness and a style to those who love the anime Saint Seiya, and much more. It’s a side scrolling videogame with a pixel art landscape looks absolutely radient, and it’s been tested at events like PAX and Steam Next Fest.

“We have gotten some immensely valuable feedback and really excited sentiments”, said Miguel Hasson, Creative Director of Halberd Studios. He also added, “We want to make sure we live up to those expectations and over-deliver on the Metroidvania experience. We thank you all for the support.”

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Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed Coming Oct 18th

Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed is a 4v1 hunt and haunt action-packed asymmetrical multiplayer now available for pre-order! 

Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed Key ArtThe Ghostbusters are back in business once again, but this time it’s as a videogame! Although there’s no signs of a virtual reality version, Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed is a 4v1 hunt and haunt action-packed asymmetrical multiplayer now available for pre-order!  The trailer picks up from where the last movie, Afterlife, left off, with Hudson as the CEO, and it’s terrific we got a narrative to go along with the gameplay.

This product from IllFonic, Inc. will be available come Tuesday, October 18, 2022, on PC via Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

From the Press Release

Form a team with up to three other Ghostbusters to track down Ghosts haunting a number of locales. Sniff out paranormal activity with the P.K.E. Meter and charge it to unleash a short-range pulse disabling Ghost movement. Unveil hidden rifts acting as the Ghost’s spawn points and teleportation portals, and destroy them. Use the powerful Particle Throwers to capture the Ghost, deploy a trap, and wrangle them into it before they escape!

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Super UFO Fighter Isn’t So Duper

Super UFO Fighter isn’t all that exciting unless you’re playing against friends. Even then, the novelty wears thin after a while.

Nintendo SwitchSuper UFO FIghter Screenshot and Steam (PC)

The concept behind Super UFO Fighter from Japanese indie developer VV-LABO is simple. It is like those arcade crane games where you are struggling to pull a prize out of a huge bin of goodies. But, unlike the physical version, there’s an opponent to stop you! Not everybody is aware of the popularity of UFO Catchers in Japan, but they have been around for more than a decade (with the original being much older), and they have become quite the phenomenon since SEGA helped popularise them.

Plus, I must note the physical arcade game is much more rewarding. Often, the prize is a stuffed doll from some beloved franchise. In the Land of the Rising Sun, we can find characters like Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog or Hello Kitty. At high end boutiques, sometimes they can include electronics. But as for a video game version, not every variation offers digital rewards unless the game is programmed to offer NFTs,

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