Welcome to TAG Roundup!
Ever wonder what you missed in the world of gaming last week? No worries – we’ve got you covered!
We read a ton of video game articles each week and wanted to share some of our favorites with the Average Gamer community. We’ll feature everything from previews to reviews and everything in between.
The articles we share will be from a combination of well-known sources (like IGN) and more niche blogs that you may not have heard of. In the previous TAG Roundup post, we talked about upcoming Nintendo Switch games, Apex Legends Global Series, Overcooked 2 and more!
This is the final Last Week in Gaming for 2019 so we’ll have a little more content as we head into the new year. Here we go!
Switch Knock-off – Techspot
Where there’s success, there will always be imitators. Nintendo knocked it out of the park with the Switch and we now have an eerily similar console from the folks at Nanica.
The Naninica Smitch has basically the same design as the Nintendo original but plays ROMs instead of current-gen cartridges. It runs on batteries but can still connect to a TV like its more-loveable older brother.
I give this another two weeks before these things are fully removed from retail shelves after a fun cease letter from Nintendo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNeyKNJ7W14
Minecraft Canada Mode – The Star
Creator central time!
YouTuber GamefruitPulp is building Toronto in the Minecraft world. You’ll find towering skyscrapers in beautiful detail, both inside and out!
He’s been playing the game for about half a dozen years and wanted to recreate his hometown. Unfortunately, the Minecraft height limit prevents him from building the 1,815 foot-tall CN tower. Still very impressive what he’s accomplished so far.
https://youtu.be/1WZ5psGHqbI
Ready Player One Begins – The Verge
The HoloSuit from Ready Player One gives haptic feedback to the gamer in the real world. Teslasuit is creating “a breakthrough in human performance training” with their line of products.
Their most recent development is a glove that allows the user to feel virtual textures, collect biometric data and includes force feedback. Although this wasn’t created specifically for gaming, I think it’s inevitable that this type of technology enters the video game industry.
With a hefty $5k price tag, it may be a while before this is a common accessory in the consumer world.
NVIDIA GeForce Now Review – Android Central
I have high hopes for cloud gaming and wrote about what I think Google needs to do with Stadia to take an early lead. NVIDIA and Microsoft are two of the other big players in the space and it looks like there’s been a positive reception to GeForce Now.
One of the key factors in high-quality gameplay for any of these services is having a strong internet connection. 15-25 Mbps seems to be the minimum for streaming games but it’s recommended that you have 50+ download speeds.
The coolest thing I see from GeForce now is that you can bring your games over from other libraries. If you already purchased a title on Steam, you just search for it in GFN and you’re good to go.
If you’re interested, sign up on the waitlist to get beta access (probably will wait several months before you get access though).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Vilh6sdRw
Pokemon on Facebook Gaming – Geeky Gadgets
Facebook somehow got exclusive access to two new Pokemon games!
It’s like Tricky Towers except the blocks are actually Pokemon. You can summon rare Pokemon by using a Master Ball and compete against people online to stack all the mons!
Fans of the trading card game will feel right at home with this one:
Prepare to battle head-to-head against live opponents with your favorite Pokémon! Build your dream team in this card game set in the Pokémon universe. Collect Pokémon, evolve them, and battle stronger opponents for more rewards!
Medallion is only available in the Philippines right now but anyone can try Tower Battle right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJk7M3NfcQAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLCTbum-wBw
Teamfight Tactics on Mobile – Fansided
Teamfight Tactics took off in a major way when people heard that League of Legends was birthing a round-based strategy game. Riot Games has announced that they are bringing TFT to mobile in early 2020!
There will be cross-platform support across PC, Mac and mobile but we don’t have an option to pre-register yet. Get your updates from the website to stay on top of announcements!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggIMDjWURIA
Fast and Furious Video Game – Motor Authority
There are literally 13 Fast & Furious movies that have been released/announced and we still haven’t had a video game yet! That ends now. Or soon. Ish.
We get all the greatness of the films in a virtual world: driving fast, being dramatic, blowing stuff up, you name it! The trailer evokes a sense of Need for Speed while staying true to the film series with authentic voiceovers.
Pick up the game in May 2020!
https://youtu.be/sKfTkNMYq90
Fast Food and Video Games – Esquire
Lots of people love video games. It’s now apparent that some folks over at Arby’s are in this camp.
The “we have the meats” chain created a level in Super Mario Maker 2, full of references that will make your mouth water. This level is decently challenging, with a completion rate of under 10% as of the making of the below video.
I appreciate the creativity, which includes a juicy looking burger and what I assume are onion rings. If you like meats and like Mario, you should probably go try out this course.
https://youtu.be/8eE7LCKzFWs
Nintendo 2010s – Nintendo Life
Nintendo has done a lot over the last 10 years and recently shared an infographic to highlight some epic gaming moments. Both the average gamers are currently binging on the Switch (Flash – Pokemon Shield | Yoshyaes – Breath of the Wild) and it’s cool to see that some of our favorite titles made the list.
There were two items that I didn’t recognize from the image though: Tomodachi Life and Kid Icarus Uprising. The first one looks like a people version of animal crossing and the latter Kid Icarus looks like Starfox mixed with Jet Force Gemini. Have you played any of these titles?
Dying Light Sequel – Gamespot
When Dying Light was released at the beginning of 2015, people fell in love with the zombie apocalypse survival game. The action was tense, the gameplay was fluid and there was a sense of urgency in the fights.
The sequel is set for a 2020 release and boasts “adaptive storytelling”. Decisions made in the game will affect your surroundings.
You can team up with up to three friends to co-op your way through the multiplayer mode. Since this is a separate story that is 20 years after the original, you won’t need to play the first game to enjoy Dying Light 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZybPBQV980
Split-screen Super Mario 64 – Comicbook
You can’t talk about Mario 64 without having nostalgia slap you in the face and heart. YouTuber Kaze Emanuar has created a mod that allows you to relive the 3D Mario glory in split-screen, on an actual N64!
The ROM is actually a smaller file size than the original Super Mario 64. He’s got a bunch of other cool releases coming out, including Mario Odyssey 64 and Sunshine 64.
Check out his YouTube page for more footage of his creations over the year!
https://youtu.be/ReY35uvAZhE
That’s All For Now
There were plenty of other highlights from last week but these ones really stood out. Be sure to check in next time to read about video game current events.Â
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What were some of the most interesting things you read last week? Leave us a message in the comments so we can check it out!
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