Month: January 2019

While the Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo thus far, its predecessor, the Wii U, will be remembered as one of the company’s biggest sales flops. But while a number of the console’s best titles, such as Mario Kart 8 and Bayonetta 2, have since been ported to Switch, the system is still home to some great exclusives, making it something of a collector’s item. If you’re looking to pick up a new one, however, be prepared to shell out a lot of money.

As pointed out by Twitter user RSGabe (via Nintendo Soup), prices for brand-new Wii U consoles have skyrocketed on Amazon. The Deluxe 32 GB model with the pack-in launch title, Nintendo Land, is listed for $789 as of this writing, while the New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U bundle is currently going for $879. Even the basic set, which features a white 8 GB console and no pack-ins, is listed for an exorbitant $729.

If you don’t mind picking up a second-hand system, however, you’ll be able to get a Wii U for much cheaper than that. Refurbished consoles can be found for roughly $100 on Ebay, while used systems start at around $140 on Amazon.

The Wii U first launched in November 2012 and would go on to be Nintendo’s poorest-performing home console to date, selling 13.56 million units worldwide over its lifetime. Nintendo officially ended production of the console in January 2017, two months before the launch of the Switch. The hybrid system has fared much better, surpassing Wii U’s lifetime sales in just 10 months.

Despite its poor sales, Wii U amassed a solid library of exclusive titles, such as Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, and Xenoblade Chronicles X. As previously mentioned, a number of the system’s best games have already been re-released on Switch, the latest of which is New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, which combines the base game along with the New Super Luigi U expansion. It hits the console on January 11.

The entire playable teaser for Konami’s Silent Hills has been remade in Unreal Engine for PC. Called Unreal PT, the remake comes with VR support, allowing you to further immerse yourself in the teaser’s terrors.

Created by a fan of the original P.T., who goes by RadiusGordello on itch.io, Unreal PT has been in development since April 2018. The game supports mouse and keyboard, as well as PS4, Xbox One, and VR motion controllers. Unreal PT is nearly identical to the original teaser, with the biggest change made to the ending. Beating the game and reaching the ending is less random, allowing you to complete the experience without relying on chance.

Silent Hills first appeared as a sequel to the Silent Hill franchise, created as a joint effort between Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro. It also starred The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus. Its teaser opted out of the series’ traditional third-person, survival horror mechanics for a first-person, puzzle game experience. Although the teaser was met with excitement from the gaming community, Silent Hills was cancelled, and P.T. was removed from the PlayStation Store.

In the wake of Silent Hills’ cancellation, numerous teams and solo developers have tried to remake the game or create something similar. However, most have followed in the legacy of the teaser that came before them and no longer exist. Some, like Allison Road, were cancelled by their own creators. Others, like a fan remake that was finished last year, were shut down by Konami. A few, such as Visage, have managed to make it to Early Access though. Kojima, del Toro, and Reedus would also all reconvene for the creation of Death Stranding, an upcoming PS4 exclusive with a story that becomes more convoluted with every new trailer.

If you want to play Unreal PT, you’ll need to download the game to your PC. The minimum system requirements are outlined below.

Unreal PT Minimum PC Spec Requirements

• CPU: i3-7100U 7th Generation with Intel HD 620
• GPU: Integrated
• RAM: 8GB DDR4

The enigmatic vendor of the nine is back for the new year and with some different perks on old exotic favorites. Here’s what he has in store. Captured on PC.

While everyone’s talking about the new year, the important thing for Amazon and Twitch Prime members is that it’s a new month. That’s because January’s batch of free PC games is now available to download for Twitch Prime members. To take advantage, all you have to do is link your accounts, claim the games, and you’re good to go.

January’s Prime games are Hyper Light Drifter, Bomber Crew, Republique, and Orwell. You can also still get the Devolver Digital Holiday Pack, which became available just before Christmas. It contains The Messenger, Broforce, Hotline Miami, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Strafe, Crossing Souls, and The Swords of Ditto. You can claim all of these games between now and January 31. Once you do, they’re yours to keep and play forever, even if you cancel your Prime membership.

Hyper Light Drifter is a gorgeous action RPG GameSpot awarded 9/10 in our review. Bomber Crew is a survival sim about maintaining a plane and crew as you run military missions. Orwell has you use an invasive computer program to figure out who’s responsible for an act of terrorism, and Republique is a futuristic stealth game.

Standouts in the Devolver Digital Holiday Pack include the Ninja Gaiden-style game The Messenger and the two ultra-violent top-down Hotline Miami titles. Also currently available for Prime members are a pair of in-game loot bundles for Warframe on PC.

If you’re wondering whether being a Twitch Prime member is worthwhile, the streaming company announced it gave away over $3,000 worth of games and digital items over the course of 2018. Here’s to 2019.

Twitch Prime Games for January 2019

• Hyper Light Drifter
• Bomber Crew
• Orwell
• Republique

Devlover Digital Holiday Pack (Available Through January 31)

• Broforce
• Crossing Souls
• Hotline Miami
• Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
• The Messenger
• Strafe
• The Swords of Ditto

It’s the first GameSpot Community Friday of the year, and Jean-Luc and Ben are back checking out the new progression system for Quake Champions. Follow “seipkejl” in-game to play with us.