Author: Thomas Ortsik

Founder and Kinda-Editor-In-Chief at Twinstiq.
Also known as Dr. Strangethumb

Super Amount of Smash Bros. News

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Quite a few updates on this game during the Nintendo Direct.
Mewtwo will join the parade on April 28. He will be free to those of you who already bought and registered both the WiiU and 3DS version of the game (deadline was March 31). Everyone else has to pay $4 for him ($5 if you want him on both versions of the game).

Lucas, the main character of Mother 3, will arrive in June and if you’d rather play with your Mii, April 15 sees the release of a costume pack.
But wait, there is even more after the break.
List of Mii Costumes:

·         Smash Bros. T-Shirt (all types of Mii fighters)
·         Cat Suit and Hat (Brawlers only)
·         Monkey Suit and Hat (Swordfighters only)
·         Link Outfit incl. a cap (Swordfighters only)
·         Majora’s Mask (only Headgear, all types)
·         Dunban Outfit and Wig (Swordfighters only)
·         Mega Man X’s Armor and Helmet (Gunners only)
·         Proto Man Armor and Helmet (Gunners only)

Each costume will cost $0.75 ($1.15 for both systems). Complete bundle is available for $6 ($9.20)

Still not happy? You want to play as Soda Popinski? You now have a way of letting Nintendo know that! Head over to the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot, where you can request new fighters.

Oh, and there is an update coming.
Update Ver. 1.0.6 changes:

·         Downloadable Content
·         Tweaked Character Balancing
·         Sharing Functionality on WiiU: Photos, Mii Fighters, Replays, Custom Stages and more.

Prepare for some Nintendo Direct news

Missed the Nintendo Direct yesterday? Don’t worry, so did I. Thanks to the internet though, you can still watch it! Isn’t the world we live in amazing? Don't want to watch it? Fine, I'll write some news too.

But what exactly did we miss? Not much. You know Nintendo, they have no games. It was basically Mario, Pokemon and some Yoshi.
Oh, and Animal Crossing. And Fire Emblem (incl. the Shin Megami Tensei cross-over). And Attack on Titan. And Xenoblade Chronicles. And Puzzle & Dragons Z. And Box Boy. And a load of indies. And Splatoon. Did I mention Fatal Frame yet? No? Well, and Fatal Frame. And new Amiibo stuff. And N64/DS games on the WiiU. And I’m sure I missed something.

Konami Reinstating Kojima into Metal Gear Branding

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Konami can't seem to make up their minds, or maybe Kojima can't? A few weeks ago we all heard that Kojima and his team Kojima Productions have been switched to working as "Contractors" rather than employees of Konami, presumably to prepare for their departure after the release of MGS: The Phantom Pain. Shortly after this, Konami began removing his name from various products and brand names. But are they trying to bring his name back to these advertisements? 

More after the break.

David Scammell managed to grab this image on the right from Google Cache and claims it is from March 30th.

The one beneath it shows the newest Brand Image for The Legacy collection and how they have included the Kojima Production text again. 

So does that mean that Kojima is maybe having second thoughts about leaving his beloved franchise in the hands of Konami? Or is is it that Konami believes that Kojima's name holds so much to gain from just including it on their brand images? Maybe it's just Kojima making sure he's credited for his work. Was it just Kojimas special style of PR all along? Whatever the case, keep an eye out for some more details or from either Kojima or Konami in the near future. 

Sources:
VideoGamer
Polygon,

Hearthstone’s New Expansion Launches April 2!  Great Balls Of Fire For Everyone

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I loved the Curse of Naxxramas expansion for Hearthstone:  it gave you new cards, it looked pretty cool and you got to fight some neat AI opponents. Probably the best thing about it was the Hunter challenge where you had nothing but Webspinners with which to kill your opponent.

So, I was certainly hoping for more gameplay in that vein. Blizzard has not disappointed. Mark your calendars. 2 April, 2015 is launch day for this new adventure. But what lies in wait for you in the heart of fire? Read on past the break to find out.
Blackrock Mountain comes with a new game board, new class challenges, new cards, but most importantly, new AI opponents to battle to the death.

Built on the foundation of the Blackrock Mountain zone in World of Warcraft, the new expansion ships with five wings, each based off of a raid that has taken place in the Warcraft Universe.

The wings are as follows:

  • Blackrock Depths
  • Molten Core
  • Blackrock Spire
  • Blackwing Lair
  • Hidden Laboratory

Each wing will cost $6.99 or 700 gold. Unlike the previous expansion, Curse of Naxxramas, there won’t be a free wing during the release month, so if you’re playing for free, be sure to stock up gold by doing the daily. For those who wish to throw money at the screen, you are looking at a total price point of $24.99 with wings getting cheaper the more you own.

Wings will be released on a weekly schedule, starting on April the 2nd for America and April the 3rd for the EU.

In total there will be 31 new cards, all of which can be earned as you defeat bosses in each wing. Elect to do the heroic version of the wing and, after completing every fight in Blackwing Mountain at that level, you will receive a new card back.

These new cards will be unlocked for arena play as each wing unlocks [so cards found in week one of the event will start showing up in Arena drafts the moment the doors open on the expansion, but the cards for week four will only show up in week four.]
If you’re heading to Blackrock Mountain when it opens, I suggest you take your Thermoweave Underwear so you can beat the heat!

[April Fools] Rumor: Twinstiq closing shop

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'AOL is likely to shutter' Twinstiq, reports Recode. Hey, wait a minute... that's us! Well, we may as well handle this the same way we've been covering the video game industry for 1 1/2 months.

"We do not comment on rumor and speculation," one staffer told us, wishing to remain anonymous, preparing for their lucrative PR career. Others are still trying to figure out next steps. Another anonymous staffer said, "We're still working until we can't."

Sources tell Twinstiq that the staff is aware of the closure, but corporate hasn't officially told them, so they are unable to acknowledge anything out of concern that it will cause immediate shutdown. We've reached out for more information. We will update, as we always have, when we know more.

Mega Man Board Game Status Update

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A long time in the making, Mega Man: The Board Game seems to be experiencing delays. Capcom's character specifications need to strictly be followed, and Jasco Games seems to be struggling to meet them.

Thanks to Twinstiq user Den Gar for the heads up! We have more details after the jump.
While certain aspects of the main game are not quite finished, a recent update from Jasco Games states that the approval process has largely contributed to the delays.

"Several of the miniatures have been given the go ahead; anything that the production model and colors matched. Capcom wanted the flesh tones more pale, and decided that some colors were off. Going back and forth, I sent them what I felt could be a better replacement, and they gave me some and approved the others. Now we're waiting for updated color models so I can send those back into Capcom."

Check out photos of the game pieces, and more details on the ongoing development process on their blog!

[April Fools] Nolan North to Voice Link in Mobile Zelda Title

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One of the first mobile games from the Nintendo and DeNA partnership is a story-focused Zelda game, fleshing out the story of the Wand of Gamelon. Read on for more details!
"While some feel we have shunned the CD-i games, the truth is that we were waiting for the right moment to remake them for a new audience. There were seeds of ideas planted in these games that we weren't able to build upon until the right platform came along." an unnamed source at Nintendo said.

Further research revealed on Nolan North's IMDB page lists him as the voice of Link in an unannounced game. When confronted with these details, a DeNA spokesperson stated that it was indeed true, and a digital novel with high production values was currently under development.

Nolan North commented "Gamers have been waiting since the introduction of disc-based games to hear Link's voice, and I hope I can do the character justice. I have been watching as many Captain N episodes as possible for inspiration. 'Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me, princess!' How does that sound?"

We expect to hear more very soon, perhaps in tonight's Nintendo Direct!

Xbox Deals With Gold: 31st March – 7th April 2015

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This week on Xbox there is a lot to pick from, even if you aren't paying for Gold. The main theme seems to be aimed at Lego, but there is plenty more to be had.

If you are running out of things to play, then you should definitely throw a bit of cash Microsoft's way and pick up some great bargains.

Head after the jump for all the games.

Xbox One - Gold Deals

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls: Ultimate Evil Edition - $30.00 | £30.00
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - $5.00 | £8.00
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham - $29.99 | £29.99
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Deluxe Edition - $44.99 | £34.49
The LEGO Movie Videogame - $9.90 | £10.56
LEGO The Hobbit - $12.00 | £12.80
Slender: The Arrival - $6.99 | £5.59

Xbox 360 - Gold Deals

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - $19.99 | £14.99
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - $4.99 | £6.24
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham - $29.99 | £26.99
The LEGO Movie Videogame - $4.99 | £6.24
LEGO Lord of the Rings - $4.99 | £3.74
LEGO The Hobbit - $7.99 | £9.99
LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 - $4.99 | £3.74
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes - $4.99 | £3.74
Bioshock Infinite Season Pass - $13.39 | £10.71
Bioshock Infinite Burial at Sea Ep 1 - $10.04 | £8.03
Bioshock Infinite Burial at Sea Ep 2 - $10.04 | £8.03

Xbox One - Silver Deals

FIFA 15 Deluxe Edition - $30.00 | £27.50
Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare - $13.20 | £11.55
Peggle 2 Magical Master Edition - $6.00 | £5.12
Battlefield 4 Ultimate Shortcut Bundle - $25.00 | £20.00
Battlefield 4 Vehicle Shortcut Kit - $10.00 | £8.00
Battlefield 4 Soldier Shortcut Kit - $12.50 | £10.00
Battlefield 4 Weapon Shortcut Kit - $7.50 | £6.00
Battlefield 4 Air Vehicle Shortcut Kit - $5.00 | £4.00
BF4 Ground & Sea Vehicle Shortcut Kit - $7.50 | £6.00
Dragon Age: Inquisition Deluxe Edition - $35.00 | £32.50

Xbox 360 - Silver Deals

FIFA 15 - $29.99 | £24.99
Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare - $9.89 | £8.24
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening - $4.99 | £4.99
Dragon Age: Origins – Warden’s Keep - $3.49 | £2.34
Dragon Age II: Mark of the Assassin - $4.99 | £3.37
Dragon Age II: Legacy - $4.99 | £3.37
Kingdoms of Amalur- Teeth of Naros - $4.99 | £3.37
Kingdoms of Amalur- Legend of Dead Kel - $4.99 | £3.37
Need for Speed: Most Wanted Complete DLC Bundle - $9.89 | £6.59
Battlefield 4 Soldier Shortcut Bundle - $12.49 | £9.99
Battlefield 4 Weapon Shortcut Bundle - $7.49 | £6.04
Battlefield 4 Air Vehicle Shortcut Kit - $4.99 | £3.99
Battlefield 4 Ground & Sea Vehicle Shortcut - $7.49 | £6.04
Battlefield 4 Ultimate Shortcut Bundle - $24.99 | £19.99

[April Fools] Zynga Files for Chapter 11

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In an unfortunate turn of events, social games developer Zynga has filed for chapter 11, a state of reorganization that usually prompts heavy cutbacks and asset solvency.
"The free-to-play market is saturated and unfortunately this means our prospects have been diluted" says Chief Engineer Kostadis Rousso, but he adds "We see huge potential in the downloadable content segment, and we will be bringing our magic touch to properties from EA, Activision, and Nintendo." There is no news on how this is affecting Zynga's share price, as the flailing company has been dropped from the NASDAQ, resulting in Don Mattrick stepping down from his CEO position.
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While we could not reach him for a comment, one employee has shared a photo when Mattrick was last seen walking away from the Zynga campus earlier this morning. More updates will follow as the story develops.

[April Fools] Kojima Moving to Nintendo, Producing Next Nintendogs

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Ahead of today's Nintendo Direct, some exciting information has been leaked about Kojima's next project! Read on for more exclusive information!
"If you know me, you know I love dogs. They have been an integral part of the latest Metal Gear Solid because I have such an affinity for the creature. This is why I have chosen to partner with Nintendo and produce the next Nintendogs title." This comes straight from an intercepted email containing the announcement.

What will the famed director bring the project? "The concept of this next game will be complete realism in the behavioral simulation. We have written an engine from the ground up, called the Canine Engine. This has been a pet project of mine for the last 12 years, and while you may catch a glimpse of the technology in the latest Metal Gear, it will be nothing compared to the achievement that will come to fruition in the latest Nintendogs game."

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The Canine Engine attempts to model the animal's behavior based on recorded feedback from over 900 dogs at the Asahikawa Medical University for Laboratory Research. "I want the player to feel like they have a live animal in their pocket. If you accidentally bump into someone while walking down the street, the first thing you think of is to check your New 3DS and make sure the animal is ok."
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Shigeru Miyamoto, who is closely involved with the project, tells us "Using the advanced facial detection and motion sensors of the New 3DS, the game will be able to register feedback directly from the player. We have actually designed the New 3DS with 'New Nintendogs' in mind."
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Also in the works is a program that will create a custom Amiibo from your personal Nintendog, called the Doggiibo. Please stay tuned to the latest Nintendo Direct for more information!