Also an early example of John Romero making you his *RADIO EDIT*

DOOM and DOOM II on Switch now run faster *and* can be expanded if you choose.

Updates for the July 26-released versions of the classic shooters are now available. The games now run at 60 frames per second, up from 35 at launch, and a quicksave/quickload function is now available by hitting R (to save) and L (to load in the pause menu). A quick weapon select has also been implemented.

We've got a cute-'em-up and ninjas (thousands of them).

The release schedule for the 23rd just got a load of old-school Sega.

Sega has announced that the Ages versions of Fantasy Zone and Shinobi will release outside of Japan on January 23. Both will retail for the standard Sega Ages prices: $7.99 US/€6.99/£5.99.

Fantasy Zone is a 1985 (arcade)... Read more...

Who has two thumbs and bought Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Crafted World full price two weeks ago? *This* guy.

Nintendo of America has kicked off a gigantic eShop sale for the new year.

The sale began with today's eShop update, and will end at 3 a.m. ET on Friday, January 17 (midnight Pacific). Both Switch and 3DS titles are included. Among the notable games on sale are Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Yoshi's Crafted World, Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition, Luigi's Mansion (3DS) and The Witcher 3 (warning: 31.7GB required).

Each update will increase the potential immigrant count to Galar.

Rather than third or fourth versions, Pokémon Sword and Shield will be receiving an expansion pass.

The pass will be available for purchase today for US$29.99 or equivalent, and will include special ingame outfits themed around Pikachu and Eevee when bought. The pass will release in two parts, one in June and the other in "Fall". The pass will need to be bought separately for owners of two games.

It's (mostly) coming home.

The doors will open on Pokémon Home next month.

During the Pokémon Direct, it was announced that the Pokémon Home service would launch in February: no specific date was given or cost indicated.

The service will allow for Pokémon to be stored in the cloud and transferred to Sword and Shield... Read more...

The secret darkest Pokémon game returns with a sort of new entry.

The original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games are returning.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a remake of the original 2006 roguelike games by Chunsoft. Unlike the originals, which were two games split across the GBA and DS, both games will be on one cart for Switch.

Mystery Dungeon DX launches on March 6, and a demo will be available today that will allow save data to carry over to the launch game.

You may want to find another general for this one.

Wargroove will be drafting new campaigns on February 6.

The military strategy game will add a new, co-op focused (both local and online) campaign, a quick play mode, new troops, a lobby system, and new map editing tools. There won't be any cost for the DLC.

The base game will also receive balance updates outlined on the game's dev blog.

War continues to be other people.

A new trailer for upcoming Switch strategy/adventure hybrid Broken Lines is now available.

The trailer shows some of the possible choices the alternate-history World War II presents, as well as some additional combat.

Broken Lines is currently slated to release before the end of March.

The other two titles are still to be announced.

The Oddworld series won't be stopping with just this month's Stranger's Wrath.

French publisher Microids have entered into an agreement with Oddworld Inhabitants for three Oddworld releases in 2020. A new title is in development for "consoles" called Oddworld: Soulstorm with an expected 2020 release date.

And with your choice of preorder incentives.

The end of February will be all right for fighting on Switch.

Samurai Shodown will launch in North America on the 25th of February, as first revealed by an entry on the Nintendo game list and later confirmed by SNK. The MSRP will be $49.99 in the US and $59.99 in Canada.

Preordering the physical version will include a Switch controller skin (attached) while digital preloads are available now with a 10% discount.

Some of us waited two and a half years for this: others waited even longer.

One of the final games from August 2017's Nindie Showcase has finally secured a release date.

Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition will launch on Switch on January 28, according to Annapurna Interactive. The five-part adventure game launched its first episode on PC in 2013, with the Switch version being a collection of all five episodes.

The girl with the glowing gun.

2020 will see a new ghostly shooter come to the Switch.

ITTA has been announced by developer Jakob Williams and publisher Armor Games. It will be out this year and is based on Williams's experiences. It stars Itta, a little girl who has to fight through a horde of monsters armed with her father's revolver and the aid of a ghost who takes the form of her pet cat.

And we have no idea what could be Hoopaning.

The first Direct of the decade will be a Poké-chat.

A Pokémon Direct will air on Thursday (January 9) at 9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT / 1430 UTC. The presentation will run for approximately 20 minutes.

All prior Pokémon announcements have focused on handheld or console games, but no other indication as to the content has been given.

"Tell me if you would about the Great Disappointment." "Were you talking with my wife?"

The efforts to improve our Disappointment of the Year are continuing, with a new loosening of a Super Mario Maker 2 restriction.

In celebration of 10 million+ courses being uploaded into the game, players are now able to upload 100 courses. This is up from 64 added in a update in July and 32 at launch.

Not its first rodeo on a Nintendo platform... if you're in Japan.

The Switch's book club is about to get a major new member.

The House in Fata Morgana has been announced for Switch in a post on their Pixiv account. Although the game is described as "almost done" in the post, no release date information is available.

Originally developed for PC and iOS, House... Read more...

The big game of the week is a) only confirmed in Europe and b) involves a country that's burning.

We're not back to full service quite yet this week, but we might have a higher quantity of shadowdrops than usual as certain branches of Nintendo return from a long vacation. We're not looking at double digits yet, though Europe gets there on the strength of an Australian Open tennis game (be sure to help where you can with the devestating wildfires there this Aussie summer).

It's got style and styyyyyyyyyyle. Right, Vinny?

A recent cult adventure hit has been announced for Switch release this year.

Later Alligator, the crocodilian point-and-click adventure that released on PC last year, has been confirmed for a 2020 release by Smallbu Animation, the artists of the game.

LATER ALLIGATOR IS COMING TO SWITCH!!! 8[_________] pic.twitter.com/gCeB1YwjHt

Do you have anything left after the third parties loaded up at Christmas?

Some first party games have received an early year sale in Europe.

The sale will run until January 12, and discounts are between 30-40% for eight first party game as well as Overwatch. The full list of sales by percentage:

Pizza delivery for... I. C. Weiner?

"One game? That's all we got? One goddamn game?"

"You can't say goddamn in the Downloads column!!"

"Who cares, nobody's reading it anyway."

- Harry Doyle and Monty, Major League (1989)

For this last downloads of 2019, or the first one of 2020, we have apparently traveled back in time... Read more...

Normal service resumes next week, but we needed to get back on the horse.

You OK, dog? It's been a while.

The only positive thing in the last few weeks is that I managed to win Whamageddon, but that was largely due to spending ten nights in the QE2 and I don't mean the cruise ship. Diabetic infections SUCK. But I'll refer you here for more details on that, and we'll catch up the profiles I missed over the weekend.