The Gadget Helpline’s GAMING WEEKLY has returned!
Each week our dedicated team of gamers will gather some of the top gaming news and announcements from the last seven days and deliver them here to you, our fellow players!
In this exciting issue we have plenty of hardware news to cover, with the rumours surfacing of a new Nintendo handheld and two new Xbox One consoles which are said to be slimmer and more powerful respectively. Also the first cross-platform Xbox One and PC game has been released!
Nintendo NX to be Joined by a Handheld – Code Named MH?
Rumours surrounding Nintendo’s next endeavour point towards the Japanese gaming giants’ anticipated big release which is said to be a TV console code named “NX”. This one we know of (see earlier article). But now this is joined by another rumour of a possible handheld release with the working title “MH”.
The rumours originate from a business report from Mitsubishi UJF Morgan Stanley mentioning a Next-Gen gaming machine known only as “NX” and a “Portable Next-Generation Game Machine” under the tentative name “MH”
The articles relating to the product requiring translation (Japanese #1 #2). Suggest without a doubt that the new product/s are in the works in Nintendo, it’s very strange that the first hint to a new product would come from a side-note in a business analysis note rather than Nintendo themselves.
However, these speculations are a safe bet considering Nintendo have released a handheld and home console since on an almost regular basis since the late 80s; though I do not think I will be happy until they release another N64 or Gameboy.
At least now we have firm knowledge that Nintendo won’t be going anywhere any time soon and we should still be able to look forward to our regular fix of Super Mario revamps.
– Stuart.
New Xbox One Rumoured to be Four Times as Powerful:
Exciting reports have surfaced about Microsoft’s console plans for the next two years. As you may have heard, the computing company has decided to end production of the classic Xbox 360 console to focus attentions on the Xbox One. But we now understand that the current gen console is not the only ‘One’ on the agenda and Microsoft will likely be releasing two more Xbox One variants in the near future.
More interestingly however, is the possible existence of a more powerful Xbox One console – codenamed ‘Scorpio’. In fact, this upgraded edition is said to feature 4K video output and four times the performance power than the predecessor. The leaked spec sheets also show considerably more power in teraflops than the upgraded PS4 ‘Neo’ which is also yet to emerge from the shadows. The Xbox One ‘Scorpio’ is slated to hit stores at some point in 2017.
– Jay.
Cross-Platform Play on Xbox One and PC Goes Live with Rocket League:
This week games developer Psyonix brought us the first Microsoft cross-platform, multi-player game – Rocket League.
Although Rocket League gamers have been able to battle across platforms between PC to PS4 for a little while now this news marks the first ever game that can have matches played over Xbox One and PC.
This feature is optional for both PC and Xbox One players, to which there is an enable and disable section available in the settings of the game. When playing on either platform, to access this new feature you would have to be connected and logged in to your Windows Account and be connected with friends on the network in order to play against them.
Rocket League itself is a popular sports action game that has been eagerly waiting for a development in Microsoft cross-platform playing. The first Xbox One to PC matches went live this past Wednesday.
Jeremy Dunham, Vice President of Psyonix said: “Cross-network play has been something that Xbox One gamers have been asking us for since the day we launched, and thanks to Microsoft’s new cross-network policies, we’re proud to give it to them.”
– Shelley.
To outro this edition of the Gaming Weekly, we’ve got something that’s gaming related but not strictly about the gaming side itself – it’s just something incredibly cool that was announced this week that I think will appeal to nostalgic arcade gamers and our geek-minded readers alike. Without further waffle, let me introduce you to the SDCC-exclusive figure sets based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game.
Appearing in amusement arcades in 1989, before hitting up the Nintendo Entertainment System, the TMNT game ate up a lot of my pocket money and was beloved by many as it marked the first occasion that the Heroes in a Half-Shell were featured as playable 8-bit characters. Before online multiplayer gaming was even a pipe dream, four dudes could gather around an arcade machine and button bash on baddies such as Beebop and Rock-steady taking the fight all the way to the Shredder himself as a team in one of the best co-op games of all time.
Attendees at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, which starts on July 21st, will get first chance to own two sets of four action figures based on the Turtles themselves – as they appeared in the game, and also the Shredder and his foot soldiers. Each of the figures comes loving sculpted by the maker NECA and feature multiple points of articulation, along with signature weapons.
All are painted in bright and vivid colour and detailed with a pixelation effect – a great touch which makes them look like they’ve leapt out of the arcade screen onto our desk or shelf. But you may not actually want to take them out of the packaging when you see the display case they come in which features a retro design based on the classic arcade cabinet!
‘Til next time – Cowabunga, Dudes!
– Jay (Chief Editor).