I wrote the headline in Billy Eichner's voice

Ten years ago, former Destructoid Editor-in-Chief and 100% certified piece of Angus beef Chad Concelmo declared it Zelda Week to recognize the impending launch of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Today, as we near the 35th anniversary of the franchise, I, Destructoid's F?ea?tures Editor and 100% certified bucket o' lard, am doing the same. For the next seven days, it's Zelda Week at Destructoid, bitches.

It's crazy to think a series that started well before I could even walk is still one of the most important franchises in all of entertainment. The Legend of Zelda has a passionate fanbase, and while the popularity of some series may wane over the years, Zelda's is only getting stronger. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the first game in the series to sell more than 20 million copies on a single platform, and its sequel might just have the bigges?t launch the Switch will ever see.

We have no clue how or even if Nintendo will choose to mark the anniversary, but here at Destructoid, you can expect a week of original Zelda content from our contributors leading up to the franchise's official an??niversary on February 21.

And because I don't want to limit the celebration to just the staff, if you'd like to get in on the action, we're still taking submissions for our Zelda 35 Bloggers Wanted post. Try to get it finished by February 19 to be incl?uded in the front-page recap.

The post It’s Zelda week again, bitches! appeared first on Destructoid.

Twirling, twirling, twirling toward death

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild really is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only is it possible to play this game for 10,000 hours, but the millions of fans who picked it u??p for Switch and Wii U are still finding ways to pull off impres?sive stunts and sick kills.

This story covers the latter. From YouTuber Peco, it's a head-turning way to lay waste to a Lynel using a small collection of boom??erangs.

The camera at the end is always a nice touch.

The post This Breath of the Wild boomerang kill will make a Lynel’s head spin appeared first on Destructoid.

It's even being promoted by Nintendo

It's no secret now that Nintendo and Microsoft are getting a bit chummy with one another. The two companies have advertised Minecraft together, former Xbox console exclusives have started popping up on Switch, and the??y never shy away from gloating about how players on either console can play with one another in some of the biggest games on the market. It's nice to be past the days of the idiotic and juvenile "console wars," to be in a period where we can all focus on just havin??g fun instead of arguing until we're blue in the face about which piece of hardware is better.

There are plenty of examples of this "Kum by yah" attitude out there, but this new video, being promoted by Nintendo of Japan, showcasing a magnificent Minecraft recreation of Hyrule Castle from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, may be my favorite. Take a look:

I am in awe. This spectacular piece of craftsmanship was created by Team Kyo, a 17-member Minecraft group that has produced recreations of real cities in the past. Thirteen of those team members participated in the construction of the castle over a period of about two months. The team used screenshots and pr?omotion materials to help get every detail right.

If it's not obvious now, I'm simply dumbfounded by what Team Kyo was able to pull off here and can't wait to see what they create next. May I suggest sticking with Nintendo and giving us a recreation of Blackbelly Skatepark from Splatoon?

I made Hyrule Castle from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" with Minecraft [Nintendo]

The post Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule Castle has been recreated in Minecraft and it’s spectacular appeared first on Destructoid.

Requires Bethesda.net account

In a surprise update, The Evil Within 2 has scored a new difficulty mode and cheat codes. If players link their game to a Bethesda.net account, they'll unlock the "AKUMU" difficulty option and various cheat codes that enable things like infinite stamina, invincibility, and one-hit kills. This update is available on all platforms (PC, PS4, Xbox O?ne).

Why this was done is anyone's guess, but it certainly is a welcome addition. I miss the days of unlocking cheat codes in games. Some of my best memories of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater are when I put on m?oon gravity and floated on top of buildings. While it is nice to have a super challenging game that pushes me to my limits, sometimes I just want to jump in and blow off steam with gigantic heads or slow-motion.

The Evil Within 2 Update Version 1.05 For PS4 Released Just In? Time For Halloween [Gear Nuke]

The post The Evil Within ??2 scores a new di??fficulty and cheat codes appeared first on Destructoid.

I am down with the sickness, unfortunately

According to my doctor, since I have lost my job I have been working my body to??o hard and am now suffering the consequences: tonsillitis and a head cold, as well as consistent fatigue, has done a rea?l number on me over the past two days.

My day, before falling ill, consisted of job interviews (at least one a day) on top of exercising, socialising, gaming, working on my final dissertation project for next year, and applying for internships (which only led to more interviews). Laying it out like that, I can see why my body betrayed me --?? especially when I consider that I suffer from anxiety, especially now I'm stressed due to having no job.

It is a??lso why this edition is five days late; unfortunately my stubbornness prev?ented me from telling the other CotW members about what ails me, so here we are.

I??'m five days late, medicated to hell, still in bed despite it being late into the evening (I always write these things last), and am going to forget my worries as I bring you last week's edition of Comments of the Week!

_{reward me with medicine please}

EA acquires Industrial ?Toys, who makes 'hardcore games for mobile'

TheLimoMaker: "The ole pump ??and dump" is also the name of my sex tape, volume 2.

WWE 2K19 has been counted out on Switch

TheLimoMaker: These WWE games make Deadly Premonition look polished.

TheLimoMaker: There is no world of pure imagination here. Just cynical corporate bulls?hit.

Yooka-Laylee's Nintendo 64 makeover looks neat

TheLimoMaker: A kindred spirit.

Pokemon GO has made?? a?? staggering $1.8 billion in two years

TheLimoMaker: Pokemon Go home you're drunk.

Hold the phone: All 151 Gener??ation One Pokemon are getting plush toys

TheLimoMaker: That is true devilry.

TheLimoMaker: As a Gen 4 fan, I can relate.

No one allegedly recognized this Zelda Fier?ce Deity Link cospla??y at a con: do you?

TheLimoMaker: Truly, I am a fake gamer for I did not know.

Subnautica is o??ne of the best survival games out there and now it's coming to PS4

TheLimoMaker: A man of few words.

TheLimoMaker: My biggest fear is other people te?lling me their biggest fears?.

TheLimoMaker: So at least we established today that JordanXZ??ack?? Guinea Pig Rule 34 is officially canon.

Ellie will have an?? NPC companion of her own in The Last of Us Part II

TheLimoMaker: I am terrified of his foresight.

Zombieland 2 ??is hap?pening with the entire original cast

TheLimoMaker: Unfortunat??ely it breaks eve??ryone in the end, my man.

Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?

TheLimoMaker: Never played a Star Ocean&?nbsp;game, and the way the s??eries is talked about I don't think I ever will.

TheLimoMaker: Randy Pitchfraud indeed.

Recent study claims an overwhelming percentage of UK parents allow kids to play?? mature-rated games

TheLimoMaker: Parents eh, who nee??ds them? Especially your dad! *crie?s*

GOG ending B??razilian language support, will continue to sell games

TheLimoMaker: Never mind found my dad.

And that's a wrap folks. Apologies for the lack of QToid stuff, but trying to write this has literally taken me all day, as ?I keep doing?? off sporadically. Hopefully this was passable and I can come back with a bang in a few weeks.

Laters.

The post Comments of the Week 58: Lateness ?is apparentl??y an option appeared first on Destructoid.

Team Xbox rockin' some neat footwear

At E3 this week, various representa?tives of Team Xbox have been?? treading the floor of the Los Angeles Convention Center this week in some new sneaks, an apparent collaboration between the Xbox and Nike brands.

The Nike Xbox Air Jordan 1features the brands recognisable green and black design, along with the Xbox symbol prin??ted within the shoe and optional lace colours; black, grey and two shades of green, all featuring the Xbox brand design on the tips. The soles of the shoe also have a luminous effect, reminiscent of the Xbox console's power-on process.

No price or date has been revealed for a public release of these shoes, but given the promotional image??s, which you can check out in the gallery below, they will likely be headed to store shelves at some point in the future. I've covered quite a few gaming themed shoes on Destructoid, but this might be the first time I've seen a pair I'd actually wear myself.

Xbox Air Jordan 1 mid on show at E3 [SneakerNews]

The post Sha??rp-looking Nike Xbox Air Jordan sneakers show up at E3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Content out the Yakuza!

[If there's one thing I constantly hear about the Yakuza series, it's how incredibly stuffed to the brim it is with stuff to do. For some, that much content habitually crammed into a series is great! For others, it can be just a bit much. Kerrik52 falls somewhere in the middle of that distinction. Join him as he guides us through the massive amounts of stuff to do in Yakuza 5, and remember that writing a prompt for Bloggers Wanted is a great way to get your work featured by Destructoid! - Wes]

The Yakuza games are near and dear to my heart due to their drama, silliness, and face-breaking fights. After struggling to both purchase and download it (46 GB Sega! On PSN! How's that for overstuffed!?), I finally got my hands on Yakuza 5.

After playing 4 and Dead Souls, I was hyped to continue the story of the Dragon of Dojima and friends. And ?boy, what an odyssey it was.

There was a conspiracy, family troubles, Japanese quirkiness, betrayals, honour, and that special kind of shirtless final bos??s that always brings me back to the series.?? But that wasn't everything, oh no.

As dictated by the title, there's five playable characters, all with their own story, abilities, sidestories, and minigames. It's an exercise in excess that I partook in fully. Since my gaming time is precious and I wanted to go for ”light completion” (do all quests) plus what else I could be bothered with so that I wouldn't be tempted to replay it for years to come. Follow your own teachings, and whatnot.

First up, there's Kiryu ?”Disarmed & Dangerous” Kazuma himself, who has taken up work as a taxi driver. Playing as him is basically cheating, since he has Heat moves for almost every situation. And a drop kick that chains onto a backflip, can't forget that. He's more or less a god on the streets. Very fitting for the tutorial character.

Every character (besides Shun ”Dancing Feet” Akiyama) has ??a big sidequest that takes at least two hours, if not more. Kiryu's is centered around his service to the masses as a taxi driver. It's split between driving properly and engaging in crazy races. By playing both, ??you earn regular EXP and get the chance to pimp his ride. The races get samey, but they have a fully-developed story to go along with them. And that's one of the appeals of the series - the writers went through much effort to give all side activities some flavour and context.

Taiga ”The Bear Whisperer” Saejima has a hunting minigame to his name. It's quite layered, but still not that dee??p. You hunt animals with a gun, set traps, collect meat, and earn upgrades, all so you can earn a rematch with a giant bastard of a bear and punch it in the throat.

The survival aspect is very easy, since hunger does little to impede your health and the western release comes bundled with a golden gun that's rather easy to earn and?? abuse. But shooting ang??ry animals between the eyes is rather satisfying.

Changing gears, the game then let's you play as Haruka ”The Japanese Pop Industry Is My Oyster” Sawamura, Kiryu's adopted daughter, as she tries to win an idol competition and get her big break. This is accomplished by engaging in the game's biggest timesink, as you must train her up and earn her fans in an idol sim. It's a weird thing to do in a crime drama, but it's fun for a while. Sadly, it does get tedious as you engage in yet another dance-off, listen to the same few songs or have to shake more sweaty hands than you'd ever want to. And she doesn't even use the power of her singing to slash airships in half or parry tank she?lls!

Kinda makes me wish that this was canon:

To round out the cast, there's everyone's favorite washed out B-Baller, Tatsuo ”Kanada!” Shinada. He starts poor and weak, so random battles are actually a bit threatening. This soon fades as you level up and get involved with his batti??ng minigame. It's an extension of the normal batting cage, except ?you can make it much easier with some grinding.

Taking the main story, the sidestories and the big minigames together adds up to a lot. But this is Yakuza, where content rules and your? free time doesn't matter. Let's go thr?ough all the other crap you can do!

For every character (certain exceptions apply, nat?urally, you can't get Haruka to go on dates.) there's the main story, sidestories, and big minigame, as previously mentioned. But there's also the locker keys and town-specific collectibles to find plus tourist spots to photograph.

Then you need to scout out the restaurants for a chef for food buffs, find a master to train with, beat up Komato and his grandson in order to break the level limit, track down revelations, date a hostess, win enough encounters to earn the right to compete in Victory Road, compete in Victory road, and also do? VR training with Japanese Doc Brown.

All of this culminates with a fight with the Amon family. The fight is a majestic marathon where you compete with each of the family members to see who can cheat the hardest. Filling your inventory with nothing but the best healing items is just enough to w?in, they are that evil.

I swear that Jo Amon has to be a Stand user, since he not only switches to the powers of the others, but also can summon and shoot exploding umbrellas! I call it Unchain The Rain (Power B, Speed C, R??ange B, Durability D, Precision B, Pote?ntial D,). Haruka even gets a dance-off with Jo's niece!

That's where I gave up, but you can go even further beyond! There's the assorted minigames, like gambling, fishing, snowball fights, bowling, Virtua Fighter, and probably a dozen more I can't name ??right now. And if you're completely crazy, there's also Heat move and food completion. Did I mention that there's NG+ as well? Jesus ”Heffing” Chris almighty on a trampoline!

Even with all that said, Yakuza 5 is very engrossing. I feel like the 80 hours I spent on it could've been reduced to 60 though. Less is more sometimes. Then again, most o?f what I did was optional content, so the blame is on me. Still a good game.

And I still have an unplayed copy of Kiwami resting on my shelf! And my copy of 0 is on the way! 6 comes out next year and Kiwami 2 isn't far behind! It really is a great time to be a Yakuza fan.

Loads of cinematics...

Dozens of minigames...

Hundreds of sidestories...

Thousands of collectibles...

just...great...

The post Overstuffed: Conquering Kamurocho appeared first on Destructoid.

Doesn't come with Star Fox 2, sorry

Nintendo have revealed a new 3DS variant to add to their ongoing collection of weird and wonderful designs. This time a??round based on the?? Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)

The handheld device's clamshell casing is stylised in the form of the E?uropean and Japanese (ie better) design of the 16-bit machine. Even cooler, the A,B,Y and X buttons on the inside?? are coloured to match the console's original controller.

The? Nintendo 3DS XL: SNES Edition launches in Europe on October 13??.

The post No SNES Classics left? Have a SNES-themed 3DS XL? instead appeared first on Destructoid.

Slam Dunk

While I wasn't really sold on ARMS from last week's Testpunch, it looks like Nintendo is adding a few more things to keep the hype train rolling. For this weekend's time slots, players will have access to the sexy character Twintelle as well as the ??Hoops game mode. Twintelle, specifically, was added due to fan feedback on wanting to try her.

While the Tweet from ARMS' Japanese account only states June 3rd and 4th, the Testpunch isn't live in other countries tonight. I'm pretty sure that is the reason, though maybe these little bonuses won't be active today. Either way, getting to check out a few more things might help sway me to jumping on board with ARMS, though I'd really like to know how the sin??gle-player content holds up.

As for the timeslots, they are as follows:

June 2

• 5 PM PT/8 PM ET/1 AM BST

June 3

• 5 AM PT/8 AM ET/1 PM BST
• 11 AM PT/2 PM ET/7 PM BST
• 5 PM PT/8 PM ET/1 AM BST

June 4

• 5 AM PT/8 AM ET/1 PM BST
• 11 AM PT/2 PM ET/7 PM BST

Twintelle Will Be Playable In This Weekend’s ARMS Testpunch Thanks To Fan Demand [Siliconera]

The post This weekend’s ARMS Testpunch adds Twintelle and ‘Hoops’ appeared first on Destructoid.

HackyZack Furniss

I can't say I've even thought about hacky sacks in any capacity over the last decade. They were a massive fad in the '90s that took the world by stor??m. There was an inherent joy in maneuvering a sack of beans through the air that clicked immediately for a lot of people.

Now, would I want a video game of that? Not particularly, but at least if one existed it should strive to be deeper than the crap seen in California Games back on the NES. Than??kfully developer Spaceboy Games has done just that; they've created a fun little game about kicking a sack of beans through the air.

HackyZack (PC)
Developer: Spaceboy Games
Publisher: Humble Bundle
Released: March 28, 2017
MSRP: $9.99

Trying to overcomplicate HackyZack by setting some kind of story up would be pointless. Even the developers didn’t pull that on the offi??cial Steam page. "You are Zack. Juggle balls with unique properties through platformin??g puzzles to a goal at the end of each stage," reads the description. Done; signed; it’s in the movie!

Like I said above, HackyZack follows a simple puzzle platformer formula. The game begins with a simple concept, explains itself through visual cues and direct interaction and then ups the ante or changes the gimmick in each "world." What you end up with is a simple game that tests your reflexes and ?puzzle-solving skills along with providing some cool visuals and music.

The main mode of the game has you kicking around different sacks to a goal and then proceeding to the next level. You can find collectible stickers in each level that unlock a secondary option, Target mode. Target mode shares the same ?gameplay concept, but switches out a single goal for multiple targets that need to be broken.

The controls are super simple and easy to grasp. You move around with the arrow keys or d-pad, and you have a double jump, a wall jump, and your basic kick. By holding the d-pad or arrow keys in specific directions, you can control how Zack is going to kick the sack in the air (exemplified by a grid around the sack). Some levels will have a regular old sack while others will give you a floaty beach ball, some Matrix-esque slow-motion sack, or hyper bouncy sacks.

Through the process of natural experimentation, you figure out what the properties of each sack are, what ??the level is asking of you, and how you should go about it. A few le?vels do allow for different solutions, so you can sometimes get around by breaking the rules set in front of you. That makes for some good replayability, even if the developer’s solution is usually the simplest to execute.

Of course, since this is a platformer, you aren't just kicki??ng sacks around with no obstacles. You'll need to guide the sacks through time-sensitive walls, moving platforms, and even death blocks. If Zack isn't careful, he can die by missing a jump or running into an obstacle, but the punishment isn't too severe. Since each level is micro-sized, you'll lose approximately 30 seconds of progress depending on what the challenge is asking of you.

Along with that extra game mode, collecting stickers also unlocks different costumes for Zack. They don’t modify the gameplay in any manner, ?so it acts purely as a cosmetic difference. I particularly like the frog suit that has Zack ribbit as he jumps about.

Honestly, that is all HackyZack has. There are no hints of some grand evil schemes or any explanation for why Zack is playing a game of death sack; you just get put into a level and are told to complete it. It is refreshing to see a game state its intention and deliver on that premise with no ??compromising.

The presentation is really killer, evoking the charm of Yoshi's Island in its visuals. The level select scr?een is shown like a storybook and everything has a crayon style to it. Zack sports a goofy face and makes funny sounds when he jumps. It's hard not to smile when playing the game.

The soundtrack is? also very relaxing, probably as a counter to the sometimes difficult puzzles. Even when I was getting a little frustrated at the timing required for some of the later levels, just taking ?a second to soak in the ambiance helps with calming your nerves.

So if everything is simple and it works without a hitch, why aren't I more positive? Mostly for one reason: the game lacks ambition. I suppose that is more a personal thing, but I would have liked to see more levels with different concepts or even a level editor??. Heck, a multiplayer sack-off would have been great, especially with how crazy some of the levels are.

There is also the fact that I've played a lot of indie platformers that iterate on what Braid did, so the very idea of a mechanic-focused platformer isn't novel anymore. Just this year I played through HoPiKo, another indie platformer that follows in the same vein as Jonathan Blow's masterpiece. That doesn't mean HackyZack is bad or shouldn't be played, just that I didn't gel with it as m??uch as previous efforts in this genre.

The thing with these types of games, though, is that they really engage the player at a mechanical level.??????????????????????????? I think it's impossible to walk away from one of them and think your time was wasted. It doesn't patronize you with endless tutorials or wrestle control away from you at key moments; everything that happens in the game is because of your input.

So even if I'm not in love with HackyZack, I still really like it. It only lasts a few hours, but it's a few hours of genuine fun that makes you f??eel good. There is no need to complicate that further.

_{[This review is based on a ret?ail build of the game provided by the publishe?r.]}

The post Review: HackyZack appeared first on Destructoid.

Sans prize money

Swordquest is one of the more interesting pieces of video game history to come out of t??he Atari 2600 era. Atari had massive plans to make a multi-game franchise that spun an intense narrative design that far outclassed the limitations of its home console. Along with creating this new world came the chance for players to win $150,000 and a bunch of replica weapons from the individual games in the series.

Sadly, the video game crash of 1983 ruined Atari's plans and the scheduled fourth game in the series, Airworld, never happened. Fans that were looking forward to the end of the competition have de?sperately searched for any kind of clues of the prizes or even game code, but that has basically yielded nothing.

It looks like Swordquest isn't quite finished as Dynamite Entertainment is looking to sort of reboot the series in comic form. The new Swordquest comic is going to follow a fan playing the original games and looking to eventually win the contest ??that Atari had planned.

Here is a synopsis from Dynamite Entertainment:

Peter Case was a boy on a quest... the quest to win the prizes from Atari's Swordquest challenge! He was counting down the days to the release of the final game, AirWorld, only to be shattered when the news surfaced that it would never be released. Now Peter is an adult... and things aren't going well. The bad news is he has to move back in with his mother. The good news is she still has all of his old Atari stuff. With nothing else to look forward to, his obsession with Swordquest is reignited, in a more daring—and fantastic—way!

Some of the original artists for Swordquest, namely Dick Giordano and George Perez, have provided artwork for the c??over art of the comics. It looks super neat and I hope this series can spark enough interest to get at least some kind of closure on what h?appened to the prizes Atari had lined up. Last I read, one of the executives had the sword locked in storage somewhere.

Atari resurrects cult classic Swordquest after 30-year absence [PC Gamer]

The post Swordquest, the ill-fated Atari ser??ies, is returning in comic?? form appeared first on Destructoid.

Playing with power

Reworking the Air Jordan 4 with a stylish Super Nintendo aesthetic? Cool enough.

Wait'll you see the backside, though.

For this design, which will be available in super limited quantities, creator Freaker Sneaks took thin?gs a step further, incorporating the face buttons and d-pad from an official PAL SNES controller.

Risky, and arguably a tad too ??eccentric, but I think the concept works with the pops of color?? against the more muted grays. During times like these, I count my blessings that I'm not a sneakerhead.

Jordan "Super Nintendo" IV [Freaker Sneaks via @JuicyGameReview]

The post These Super Ninten?do shoes have real buttons and a?? d-pad appeared first on Destructoid.

Ocarina sold separately

As I've mentioned before, I get a charge out of watching something being built. This Legend of Zelda themed pool table isn't being b??uilt from the ground up, but it's really cool to watch how the team at Hand Prop Room transforms it into a custom work of art. 

You may want to skip to 1:55 since the host segment is incredibly annoying. That's when you'll start to see Lonnie Goodman and his team begin work on the customization. I'd recommend watching the rest of the video to ??see all the work that?? went into the final design, but you can skip to 9:45 for the reveal if you're feeling antsy.

From the sage symbols from Ocarina of Time on the sides to the felt with the map of Hyrule and the Hyrule and Lorule symbols printed on it, this billiard table is almost too pretty to play on. Here's hoping it doesn't sit idle for seven years while the owner is locked in a time bubble. Dah nah na nahhhhh!

Pool Table fit for Legend of Zelda! [Awe.Me YouTube]

The post This custom Zelda Pool table is masterful appeared first on Destructoid.

Yo dawg, I heard you like videogames

We've shown you some impressive Minecraft projects before, but this one takes things to a whole new level. Minecraft has been great for people who want to look backwards at the history of video games. It's easy to go and build a sprite out of blocks, since they match up perfectly with the pixels all game characters used to be rendered with. YouTuber SethBling has gone several steps further though, creating a working Atari 2600 emulator in Minecraft's creative mode.

The emulator is an impressive technical feat that uses about 2000 command blocks and treats dirt blocks as zeroes, and stone as ones. It's not quite the same as pulling out your dad's old wood panel system and hooking it up, though; ?while an original Atari would render on a television at 60 frames per second, this one refreshes the screen 60 times in about four hours. There's also no way to control the games yet, so all you can do is watch their attract mode. You can, however, alter the values for the data the emulator renders by manually replacing dirt with stone, or vice versa.

Seth's included the ROM files for Space Invaders, Pac Man, and Donkey Kong. He says that any ROM that's 4 Kilobytes can be imported, though he cautions that larger or smaller ROMs may not work. The emulation isn't quite perfect, but the fact that it's running at all is extremely impressive. If you're interested, you can download the world to play around with the emulator yourself. There's also a more technical version of the vid??eo above,?? with more information on how the project came together.

Seth, if you're reading this, here's a new challenge for you: try and get the original Dragon Quest up and running in Dragon Quest Builders.

Super Hacker Bu??ilds Atari 2600 Emulator... In Minecr?aft?! [Wired]

The post Spectacular Minecraft build emulates the Atar?i 2??600 appeared first on Destructoid.

Game with the Zettasuckstoid Community!

Huge thanks to our very lovely, very sexy, very Australian: Nekro. He gave us the beautiful header you see above. Jed, normall??y you're pretty fuckable. Times you by four and animu you though? Me-fucking-ow. Fist me Mr. Whitaker. Fi??st me long, and fist me hard. Be the fist of my north star. Let me feel the marvel of your iron fist. Slap another fist reference in here and then slap my ass.

My word. Is it getting hot in here? Sorry folks, I got carried away. Anyway, did you guys know that OverlordZetta and Malthor suck and are liars? It's true. Richard Grieco took a brea?k from the Ed Hardy boutique he works at to tell me so. I mean c'mon now, would this face lie?

Only if you're an undera?ge gi?rl with a case of Zima, and a fondness of the late 80s. So yeah, with the truth out of the way, let's fight!

New to FNF? Read this! Each week, a bunch of us Dtoiders get together to play videogames on?line?! It's a 100% community-run event, so feel free to join in or even host something yourself!

The planning for FNF used to start in the forums, where community members signed up to host matches and post their pertinent details (game, time, Gamertag, etc.). Now, every Monday, posts go up in the community blogs where you sig??n up and it's all kept?? up thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers. I then recap it all here on Friday, on the front page to give it a bit more exposure.

To join in, simply send a friend request to the match host! If you'd rather host somethin?g yourself, sound off in the comments section below!

Tonight's Games:

• Killed First, Sexed Last: Werewolves and Love
  Host: Mr Andy Dixon (GT: Mr Andy Dixon)
  Time: 8pm PST | 11pm EST

Check the XBOX FNF blog for more info!

Tonight's Games:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Tres
  Host: Some buttface (PSN: ThDefenstrator)
  Time: 12am PST | 3am EST

• Tom Clancy's: Clancy Tom - The Division: Clancy
  Host: The best dick you'll ever get (PSN: MickGuerrera)
  Time: 12am PST | 3am EST

• PvZ: Garden Warfare Dos
  Host: Some buttface (PSN: ThDefenstrator)
  Time: 2am PST | 5am EST

Check out the PS FNF blog for more info!

Tonight's Games:

• Basement Tails
  Host: Nekro (PSN: NekroDungeon)
  Time: 3pm PST | 6pm EST

Check out the PS FNF blog for more info!

Tonight's Games:

• I do nothing but qpost about Pokken
  Host: StriderHoang (NID: Striderhoang)
  Time: 4pm PST | 7pm EST

Check out the Nintendo FNF blog for more info!

Tonight's Games:

• The Writers (NSFW)
  Host: Smurfee McGee (NID: 4828-3774-2570)
  Time: 7pm PST | 10pm EST

Check out the Nintendo FNF blog for more info!

Tonight's Games:

•  Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon Shitty
  Host: Mike Effin Martin (Steam: Pheral Phallus)
  Time: 11pm PST | 2am EST

• Team Fortress 2 (Early Game)
  Server: 68.232.163.42:27015
  Time: 5pm PST | 8pm EST

• Team Fortress 2 (Late Game)
  Server: 68.232.163.42:27015
  Time 9pm PST | 12am EST

Check out the PC FNF Blog for more info!

Free this weekend? Why not sign up to host something for Weekend Warriors?! It's like Friday Night Fights all weekend long! Sign up in the comments or Forum thread if you're interested!

Saturday:

• Street Fighter V/Resident Evil 6 (PS4)
  Host: Mike Martin (PSN: MickGuerrera)
  Time: Off and on. Hit me up.

Sunday:

• PvZ: GW2 (PS4)
  Host: Mike Martin (Steam: Pheral Phallus)
  Time: Off and on. Hit me up

Check out ??the Weekend Warriors thread for more i??nfo!

Want your channel featured here? Sign up in the Monday blog!

• Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat (Every week) - Games (PS4)
  Host: GrumpyDad813 (Youtube, NOT TWITCH)
  Time: 4pm PST | 7pm EST (Mon - Wed) - Fri: 7pm PST | 10pm EST - Sat: 6pm PST | 9pm EST
• I think Thursday & Saturday I'll do Agar.io streams if ya'll wanna join those.

• Remember folks, hosts with a * by their name are streaming! Click the game title for the link

The post Friday Night Fights – Lucky Jed appeared first on Destructoid.

Sega classics reimagined

Nothing like a jo??lt of awesome art to wake you up?? on a sleepy Friday.

Art dealer Cook & Becker has teamed up with Sega for a series of poster-sized prints based on some of our old favorites from Jet Set Radio to Phantasy Star. The idea was to create ?tribute pieces that "would capture the feeling of those games," said Cook & ?Becker's Maarten Brands. The art was "officially licensed and made in conjunction and with direction of the rights holders and people on the original teams if they were still there."

Click away!

• Phantasy Star by Kilian Eng
• Golden Axe by Gerald Parel
• Streets of Rage by Julien Renoult
• Jet Set Radio by Roman van der Haven
• Shinobi by Emmanuel Malin

The s?eries will pick up again this summer with a f??resh batch of artists and prints.

Top artists draw their favorite classic SEGA game [Cook & Becker via Super Punch]

The post This Jet Set Radio print is unreal appeared first on Destructoid.

Inspired!

Several weeks ago, I heard about Flyer Fever, an online archive of thousands of arcade game advertisements dat??ing back to the 1970s, and the site has been clawing at my mind ever since.

I've finally succumbed. This is just too great a resource not to share with every??one.

Some of the flyers promote familiar arcade classics, and seein?g those again brings back fond memories. But many of ??the ads are for international games that to my eyes look like lost treasures.

While scanning through the feed, a flyer for Data East's Meikyuu Hunter G (aka The Real Ghostbusters in the West minus actual?? "Ghostbusters"? because licensing) stood out. It is raaaad.

I looked for some footage on YouTube and found a clip. On an intro screen, the game warns: "If you are playing this ?video game outside of the country of Japan, you are involved in a crime!"

This is the beginning of an hours-?long Internet rabbit hole. I can f??eel it.

The post Let’s revisit thousands of old arcade game flyers appeared first on Destructoid.

Hold your breath. Make a wish. Count to three

The first time I booted up my Dreamcast with The House of the Dead 2, I believe it was, I thought the machine was broken. I'd ordered it along with a bundle of used games and cont??rollers on eBay, so that was a real possibility. But, no, these things are just noisy. You eventually get used to the loud disc drive and beeping VMU and learn to l?ove the Dreamcast anyway -- that's how good it is.

This new 3DS them??e, en route to the Japanese eShop, replica??tes those fond feelings.

Great as it is, I'm not going to download the theme -- I've already got my Slowpoke jam, thanks -- but while we're talking Sega and 3DS I might as well snap up the 3D Classics release of OutRun.

So, about that Dreamcast 3DS theme [Attract Mode]

The post This Sega Dreamcast theme for 3DS is legit appeared first on Destructoid.

Who knew a PlayStation could do this?

Rodensoft, a Japanese indie developer, has revealed new information regarding a Final Fantasy VII fan game in development as a personal project. Final Fantasy VII: Time Guardian was planned to be an alternate version of the original Final Fantasy VII, deviating at the Temple of ?the Ancients. In this version of events, after Cait Sith takes the Black Materia, he triggers the Time Guardian, scram?bling time and scattering the party.

The story was to focus more on individuals than the original events. The characters did not remember each other, so without the driving force to reunite, each of them took off alone into the world. Each of them would start in a place that was meaningful to the character: Yuffie in Kalm, Barret in North Corel, and it was entirely ??possible to not have any of them meet at all. Each of their stories was to be on one disc for a total of 9 CDs.

T??he playstyle was going to change to a more open-world approach as well. Time would pass and there was to be a day and night cycle, along with changing weather. Shops would close at night and more dangerous enemies woul??d lurk in the darkness. Non-player characters (NPCs) would also have their own routine depending on the time, and player characters would persist in the same place when you switched between them. Characters would also have field skills like lock-picking for Yuffie and explosives for Barret, which would allow for problem-solving or simply having fun.

At the heart of this was the upgraded PHS, which controlled charac??ter swapping, displayed the time and a calender, and allowed you to purchase and play mini-games to pass the time. A?s the characters met up, they would be able to form parties. If characters didn’t know each other, they wouldn’t be able to join up. This could have resulted in two or three completely different teams completing various parts of the game without ever meeting.

It was an ambitious attempt, and was planned to actually run on PlayStation hardware, which is crazy to me. Unfortunately, due to more pressing needs, Rodensoft has reclassified the game as a tech demo and moved on to other projects. It’s impressive that an engine as old and clunky seeming as the Final Fantasy VII ??engine could do so much more than anyone thought. Hopefully, someone will pick up his work and continue it as I find it incredibly interesting.

Final Fant??asy VII Open-World Sequel Project "Time Guardian" [Qhimm]

The post We’ll never get to play this Final Fantasy VII fan sequel appeared first on Destructoid.

You know, for those enormous laps we all have!

Eddie Zarick, the Doc Brown-esque craftsman behind those cool PS4 and Xbox One la??ptops, has gone one step beyond: he's put both current-generation consoles into one big shell.

Apparently, the PS4's capacitive power button has a few kinks (it doesn't work 100% of the time),?? but otherwise, this is exactly what you'd expect: a pretty big laptop that can play just about every console game on the market. Next step is duct-taping a Wii U to this thing, right?

Zarick will make a PlayBox Forty-One for any "seriously interested customer," so if you've got the cash to burn, head on over to Eddie's website and shoot him an email!

The post Mad genius makes a PS4/Xbox One combination lapto??p appeared first on Destructoid.

But those things are still expensive

This super-cool Metal Gear Solid Codec watchface by njdom24 is the most powerful argument in favor of smartwatches I've seen yet. For a moment there, I was excited. Real excited. Then I looked up what it costs to own the device in question, a Moto 360, and reality sucker-punched me.

If you've got one, you know what you must do: represent!

skittleguy [Tumblr]

The post This Metal Gear Solid Codec theme???? makes me want a smartwatch appeared first on Destructoid.

What we saw when we were young

For Matter's New York Review of Video Games, a "weeklong celebration of our most experimental, most alive, least respected art form," the publication asked eight artists to illustrate a single game that dominated their youth, whether it be Final Fantasy VII, Jet Grind Radio, or Alien 8.

If Tim McDonagh's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time piece above doesn't say it, allow me to: you're going to want to see the rest of the illustrations. Even Minesweeper comes to life!

I'm also fond of Sachin Teng's take on the cool-as-hell Sega Genesis mascot platformer Rocket Knight Adventures. "I always feel five years old when I play it," he writes.?? "It reminds me of a ??time when electronics didn't just feel like the future, they felt like magic."

The post Eight childhood game obsessions, illustrated appeared first on Destructoid.

Shake the street

I hadn't heard of Force Dynamics' crazy-looking 401cr motion platform before today but I'm already convinced: it is the coolest way to play Sega's arcade classic OutRun.*

"This is the original arcade OutRun from 1986, ported to the PC via the incredible open-source work of Reassembler," the company says. "We modified the source to provide the output we need to run our platform, which was easier than you might think: While OutRun is worlds away from a modern simulation like Live For Speed, rFactor, or iRacing, it?? feels remarkably good once you combine the data the game calculates about the vehicle's position."

It's also said to be "even more fun than it looks." I am sufficiently jeal?ous.

_{*That won't end in you dying, probably.}

[Via NeoGAF]

How I imagi??ne my? first several (hundred) races would go:

The post I think we’ve found the ultimate OutRun machine appeared first on Destructoid.

Too cute for words

I'm not into Skylanders, but even I can't he?lp but want this fantastic snow globe created from one the game's portal devices.

Using a smaller 3DS portal and a snow globe creation kit, the holiday themed Skylanders ball of festivities features the crazy alchemist Pop Fi?zz. It stands about 6 inches ta??ll with the base illuminated with color changing LED lights.

For more pictures of this creative Skylanders portal alteration, be sure to check out Kody Koala's Flickr page. 

Kodykoala’s Pop Fizz Snow Globe [Kody Koala]

The post Now this is what you do with a Skylanders Portal appeared first on Destructoid.

For science, or something

What would you do for a shiny Pokemon? Y'know, other than the default answer of "spend hours upon hours encountering wild Pokemon for the slim chance that one will have alternate coloring." Granted, the process has gotten easier (some might even say sexier) over the years, especially with Pokemon X and Y. Especially especially if you bui??ld yourself a machine that will take care of the dirty work.

That's precisely what YouTube user dekuNukem has done, as shown in this video demonstration. 300 lines of (open-source) code power an Arduino micro hooked up to a 3DS. I'd be uneasy about opening up my handheld like that, bu??t props for such commitment?. The creator says they're going to Wonder Trade some of these rare catches which is just lovely.

[Via /r/pokemon]

The post This contraption automatically fin??ds shiny Pokemon appeared first on Destructoid.

Pew pew pew pew pew pew pew!

It's funny how the Needler is sort of iconic with respect to the Halo series. Back in the days of the original Halo, it was almost exclusively used as a way to humiliate an opponent, since it was typically so easy to avoid being hurt by it. Despite the expanded fiction's attempts to make the weapon seem imposing and destructive, it's just difficult to make slow-moving, glowing pink crystals in?timidating.

Leave it up to Volpin Props to take that on and make it awesome. You may remember the studio from works such as this Mass Effect rifle replica, this Skyrim Draugr helm, or perhaps even this little robot thing you may have heard about previously. The video above does more than just showcase an incredible end result; it shows just how much work goes into one of these projects in order to make it perfect. More high resolution stills are available in the Volpin Props portfolio.

The post Volpin Props makes an amazing Hal?o 4 Needler replica appeared first on Destructoid.

Blast from handheld gaming's past

Hey, 80s babies! Have fond memories of portable gaming in the days before Game Boy? Did your parents ever buy you those Tiger ?electronic han??dhelds for $10 a pop to shut you up on those long drives? Or were you born just a little too late and missed out on the LCD gaming boom?

Polish graphic design team Hipopotam Studio has set up an interactive museum where you can play accurate recreations of those old-school delights. The site currently has 26 LCD units on display, from Game & Watch classics like Donkey Kong and Octopus to some rather obscure titles from Russia and Taiwan. Each is fully playable via keyboard, so you can?? once again experience the ??magic of limited animation frames atop a static background.

As I've said in the past, these devices have not aged well. Like, at all. But if you've got a free block of time today?, ther??e are much worse ways to kill a few minutes.

Pica Pic [Hipopotam Studio via Twitter]

The post Play Game & Watch and other LCD games in your browser appeared first on Destructoid.

Those are some nice rings!

Do you ever feel like you never really get your love of the Zelda series across through your clothes, wallets, watches, mints, hats, action figures, replica weapons, posters, tattoos, or limited-edition game cartridges and systems? Well, have no fear fan who has far more expendable income than I, for here is a new item to shock and impress your friends with: Ocarina of Time Song Rings.

Peregrine Studios has created a collection of rings featuring the tunes from one of the most popular entries in the Zelda series. If you have your heart set on that Minuet of Forest ring, and happen to have $60 kicking around, than today is a good day to be a Zelda fan. Customers can also select six rings f??or $250, or snag ??the entire set for $450.

The post Wear Ocarina of Time’s famous songs on your hand! appeared first on Destructoid.

STOP! Hammer time!

Taiwanese stop-motion animator Counter656 is no stranger around these parts -- we've of course shared some of his work in the past. But maybe you haven't?? caught his vids before. ??If not, you are in for a treat!

Using the super sexy figma Link figurine, some clay, and other assorted toys, he's whipped up the first part of a The Legend of Zelda stop-motion mini-series that, truthfully, has little to do with Zelda at all. I mean, since when can Link cast Final Fantasy magic and summon partners into battle?

Whatever. This joint is sick.

Zelda Stop Motion - Stage 1 : The Knife Lord [YouTube]

The post Check out this friggin’ sweet stop-motion Link battle appeared first on Destructoid.

For a documentary

E.T. for the Atari 2600 has a crazy story behind it, and it's something any videogame fan should learn about. Long story short, Atari crushed all the copies of E.T. they couldn't sell and buried it under concrete in a l??andfill.

This was back in 1983, and now here we are 30 years later to find out Canadian-based Fuel Industries plan to excavate the Atari dump site for a documentary based on the Al??amogordo landfill it's located at. The Alamogordo City Commission already approved this, and digging begins on Tuesday.

It's said that the dump site contains truckloads worth of games, consoles, and other products that Atari just had to get rid of. Historical I?? find this event kind of cool. But at the same time, people are about to dig up a bunch of broken consoles and games that barely anyone really cares about anymore.

Alamogordo approves Atari excavation [KRQE]

The post The legendary Atari ??E.T. landfill is getting excavated appeared first on Destructoid.