New Game Releases: March 9th-15th, 2017

This week, the wait for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and other first-party Switch titles becomes a bit bearable with the release of six NeoGeo classics on the portable/console (portsole?) hybrid. For those who have already mined the maximum amount of enjoyment from SNK’s library, there’s also Blaster Master Zero, which recreates the look and feel of Sunsoft’s well-liked 1988 title.

Header image: Danganronpa 1-2 Reload, PS4

PlayStation 4
Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe (PSN, $TBA)
Danganronpa 1-2 Reload (retail and PSN, $39.99)
Styx: Shards of Darkness (retail and PSN, $49.99)

Nintendo Switch
ACA NeoGeo Metal Slug 3 (eShop, $7.99)
ACA NeoGeo NAM-1975 (eShop, $7.99)
ACA NeoGeo Shock Troopers (eShop, $7.99)
ACA NeoGeo The King of Fighters ’98 (eShop, $7.99)
ACA NeoGeo Waku Waku 7 (eShop, $7.99)
ACA NeoGeo World Heroes Perfect (eShop, $7.99)
Blaster Master Zero (eShop, $9.99)
Voez (eShop, $25.00)

Wii U
Blue-Collar Astronaut (eShop, $10.00)
Bomberman 64 (eShop, Virtual Console, $9.99)
Candy Hoarder (eShop, $1.49)

Xbox One
2Dark (XGS, $29.99)
ACA NeoGeo: The King of Fighters ’94 (XGS, $7.99)
Clicker Heroes (XGS, free)
Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker (XGS, $11.99)
Styx: Shards of Darkness (retail and XGS, $49.99)
Table Top Racing: World Tour (XGS, $14.99)

3DS
Blaster Master Zero (eShop, $9.99)
Frontier Days Founding Pioneers (eShop, $5.99)
Mini Sports Collection (eShop, $4.99)
Pink Dot Blue Dot ($1.49)

PC (via Steam unless noted)
– Arcane Raise – ($2.00)
Bunny Bounce ($5.94)
Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe ($TBA)
Chosen 2 ($TBA)
Davyria: Heroes of Eternity ($7.64)
Fated Souls 3 ($TBA)
Gungungun ($2.99)
Real Heroes: Firefighter ($TBA)
ROTii ($1.79)
Streets of Rogue ($13.49)
Styx: Shards of Darkness ($35.99)
Trajectory ($9.99)

Robert’s Pick: Uncommon in the West until a few years ago, the visual novel has exploded in popularity, filling digital marketplaces with works that range from inferior to indispensable. With writing that effortlessly dances between the satirical, comical, thought-provoking, and peculiar, the Danganronpa games are undoubtedly in the latter, extending some of the medium’s most interesting characters and places them in murderous setting. The end result is a bit like Christopher Nolan helming one of the Saw films. Yes, it’s an artless analogy but often transgressive works are difficult to pigeon-hole. If you’re a PS4 owner who never experienced the original Vita or PC ports of Trigger Happy Havoc or Goodbye Despair, this collection offers an attractive way to enjoy Kodaka Kazutaka’s masterful madness.

 

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.

5 comments

  1. The Neo Geo games are on every platform already so its hard to get too excited.

  2. Is Blaster Master Zero worth $10?

    • I’ve heard it is, especially if you liked the original game. I also heard the new one is easier with saves and checkpoints.

  3. Hows the upscaling for Danganronpa Reload?

  4. Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker makes in sound like hentai snuck on the Xbox.