I remember whenMortal Kombatlaunched in 1992, or rather, I remember when it was ported to consoles in 1993. I was six at the time, but it was impossible to avoid the media fervor around its ultra-violence. My parents didn’t bat an eye when I rented it. My mother’s reaction to seeing me play it was to just ask if it was that game everyone was talking about. Then she continued with her day....

Stabby stabby stabby Here’s a smattering of new screenshots forAssassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, showing off the multiplayer for this year’s annual release. There are three actual gameplay images, the other pictures showing a variety of pirate characters whose skullduggery you’re able to indulge in. Those images that show off gameplay give us a look at some vine sliding, face shooting, and gut stabbing. That’s what we like to see....

What a thrill… It’s finally time forGoldenEye 007to come home to the Nintendo eShop. After months of waiting, Nintendo decided to dropGoldenEye 007(also known asGoldenEye 64)on January 27: as part of the Switch Online Expansion Pack service. While the jury is still out on whether or not the Expansion Pack premium upgrade will be remembered fondly long term, this is a great addition and one folks have been wanting for a long time (the best part is that it’s also on Xbox, so the love is being spread a bit)....

Odys-sey Mario in action Nintendo will be in Cologne, Germany later this month for Gamescom, and they’re bringing two of their heavy-hitters with them;Super Mario OdysseyandMetroid: Samus Returns, which they will stream during Europe’s largest video game show. The games will be played live on air and developers will be in attendance to provide details on the upcoming titles, set to spear-head the Nintendo holiday season.Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem Warriorsand other games are also expected to be showcased....

I hate being the bearer of bad news, but alas, I’m the only one here to do the baring. Dyson and Colette have seen fit to run off with Chad Concelmo, for what can only be called the “Best Elopement EVAR,” and there’s no one left to record the show with me. So there’s nopodcastthis week. However, being a nearly full-blooded Irishman and thereby practically impossible to keep down, I have decided to forge on and do my own show....

Xin Nian Hao! Team17 has released a super-short, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it trailer, announcing a new update for their chaotic and colourful culinary battle,Overcooked 2. The update will be free for all players. Very little is known about the content of this new add-on, but it is believed to be a seasonal update which will align with Chinese New Year, which takes place on February 5. The short trailer gives a glimpse of a water garden-type environment, a porcine chef (2019 is The Year of The Pig)… and that’s about it!...

1080p, 60 frames per second on PS4 I played a ton ofPlants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfareon Xbox 360, and now I’m getting into it again on PC. Still super fun and arguably one of the best shooters of the past few years. On August 19, the game comes to PlayStation 3 and PS4, with support for PS Vita via Remote Play. “All the content that’s been released on all our other platforms is going to be there day one,” said senior development director Kyle Duncan....

No one knows what will get you in Respawn’s gearing up for its big February 14 beta forTitanfall, but no one really knows yet how to get into it. In the past, many high-profile games have handed out their beta invites to people that pre-ordered. That won’t be the case here. According to studio founderVince Zampella, you don’t need to pre-orderTitanfallto gain entry to the beta. Besides that tidbit of information, Zampella remarked that some things have to be approved before he can announce any more details....

I’m not an athletic person. To me, exercise if the farthest thing from fun, and exhausting myself half to death is akin to self flagellation. Even the never-changing world of sports is something that I find quite uninteresting. But that doesn’t mean I don’t respect and admire the effort and hardship required to be great at any physical activity. Unlike the mongoloids who make the vacuous (and overdone) claim that cage fighting is “homoerotic,” I commend professionals of the sport for doing something that I have no problem admitting I wouldn’t be able to do…ever....

Hope you like spreadsheets In preparation forRock Band 4‘s release next week, I figured it’s about time to start downloading the songs I bought on Xbox 360 for use on my Xbox One. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I have friends over to play and all the tracks they love aren’t there, well, I may have a small mutiny on my hands. I am decidedly less excited to go through this process now that I’ve seen what a pain in the ass it is....

Brand new IP from Paradox with Heroes of Might & Magic inspiration Paradox has announced a new game today during their 2014 Paradox Convention and surprise, it’s not a grand strategy title! The game is calledRunemaster, and it’s a role-playing game based on Norse mythology. Three playable classes are on offer, and players will explore six different worlds such as Midgard (Earth), Jotunheim, and more. Combat is all turn-based, and will see players building up armies to either bring about or prevent Ragnarök....

Remember when I showed you thatpainfully awkward first episodeof an online talk show forThe Walking DeadcalledPlaying Dead? Well, it’s back for a second episode that’s a little bit better. Except that Telltale is still sticking with Marty McFly’s voice actor fromBack to the Future: The Gameas the host of the show. At any rate, Sean Vanaman is back along with Gary Whitta this time around. For a majority of the time they talk about how your decisions and actions inThe Walking Deadwill change the course of the story throughout the entirety of the game....

Private beta begins August 25 on PS4 Just over a week out from theCall of Duty: WWIIprivate beta, Sledgehammer Games has a trailer up. As someone who doesn’t tend to get down withCall of Dutythese days, this footage looks good. The beta’s main draw, at least to my mind, is the chance to try the new War mode. It’s a squad-centric objective-based mode where you’ll work together to, say, take control of a manor, repair a bridge, or escort tanks....