New Game Releases: December 4th-10th, 2014


Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
From Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, which represents yet another outing for relentless globe trotter to Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, which gives the hardworking character his chance in the spotlight, this week brings a number of noteworthy releases. Nostalgia is especially strong, with titles like Fire Emblem and Lode Runner arriving on eShop, while the retail and digital releases of NES Remix Pack and Ultimate NES Remix bring two agreeable amalgams of classic gameplay.

PlayStation 4
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Wii U
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Fire Emblem (eShop, Virtual Console, $7.99)
Lode Runner (eShop, Virtual Console, $4.99)
Lucadian Chronicles
NES Remix Pack (also on eShop, $29.99)

Xbox One
Threes! (XGS, $6.99)

3DS
Christmas Wonderland 4 (eShop, $9.99)
Disney Violetta Rhythm & Music
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Ultimate NES Remix (also on eShop, $29.99)

PC
Adventurer Manager (Steam, $9.99)
BasketBelle (Steam, $TBA)
Bliss (Steam, $TBA)
Club Manager (Steam, $23.99)
Dead State (Steam, $29.99)
Demon Hunter: Chronicles from Beyond (Steam, $5.99)
Distance (Steam, $TBA)
Dokuro (Steam, $TBA)
Frontline: Longest Day (Steam, $TBA)
Galcon 2: Galactic Conquest (Steam, free to play)
I, Zombie (Steam, $TBA)
Kings of Kung Fu (Steam, $TBA)
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (Steam, $17.99)
School of Dragons (Steam, free to play)
Sinking Island (Steam, $3.99)
Skilltree Saga (Steam, $8.99)

Robert’s Pick: I’ve always asserted that first-party Nintendo releases are obligatory gaming purchases. This week’s release of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker pushes the perpetual secondary character into the forefront, with the “fun-guy” expanding on a concept that was first introduced in Super Mario 3D World. Having a subset of navigational abilities, Treasure Tracker might seem rooted in simplicity, but each of the title’s seventy levels reveal prodigious level design as well as Nintendo’s customary level of visual charm and polish. The game’s reduced MSRP only sweetens the deal.

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (1)
Gonçalo’s Pick:
Kickstarter funded games have brought a renaissance of team-based tactical western RPGs. Created by Obsidian, Troika and Black Isle studios veterans, Dead State is the latest title to follow in this trend. Designed as a zombie-apocalypse survival simulator, players must scavenge for food, manage party members and fortify shelters against the undead menace. Let’s just hope Obsidian’s and Troika’s track record of released bug-filled games hasn’t rubbed off onto this fledgling studio.

Dead State

 

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

12 comments

  1. I am a Nintendo fan boy to the core, but Toad’s smiling face bugs me.

  2. I never played the original Fire Emblem, but I’ve heard great things about it (and I like the idea of permadeath) might have to get it.

  3. Wow, I thought Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was $60 bucks. Now I might bite!

  4. Hoping I can find a deal on NES Remix Pack. Where are all the discounts on cards.

  5. I wanted to play Dokuro but never had a Vita.

  6. No PC version of Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris?

  7. Galcon 2: Galactic Conquest is F2P? That means they snuck in micro-transactions, right?

  8. Anyone here play the NES Remix Packs? Worth picking up or does it just feel like playing bits and pieces of the old games?

  9. I’m worried that no one picked Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy yet? Have you guys played the PW games? They’re so fun. Some of my favorite experiences on the DS.

    Even if I know the case, I like to go back and play every few months.

    • I played through all of them twice: once on the DS, and once on my tablet, to try out a DS emulator. I’ve got to say: it kinda ruined me on the idea of playing it on the 3DS. Even though I was just playing an emulated version, it felt like it was made for a tablet. The dpad and buttons just feel like they’re in the way.

  10. I used to be a big advocate for emulation and thought that the people who talked about little difference in pitch or graphical glitches were complainers. But now I came around.

    Now I try to play everything on the original system. It’s just easier that way.