It’s almost the weekend! This has been a relatively quiet Thursday evening in the video game world, but that’s to be expected after all the virtual reality-related news that was announced in the last few days. It doesn’t mean there aren’t interesting news stories. So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. In today’s Gaming Daily, watch an incredibly touching Satoru Iwata tribute, Katee Sackhoff speaks to Nerdist about her role in EVE: Valkyrie, three more games –including Alan Wake — are now backwards compatible on Xbox One, there’s going to be a Resident Evil musical, and Below gets a new trailer and release window. Warning: prepare to cry.
Incredibly touching Satoru Iwata tribute
The industry suffered a huge loss 8 months ago when the legendary Nintendo President Satoru Iwata passed away. Last night, the legend was remembered at the GDC Awards with an animated short drawn by Braid artist, David Hellman. The three-minute tribute features some of the most important innovations that came from Nintendo while Iwata was at the helm. Watch the clip above, and make sure to have some tissues nearby.
<Wipes tears from eyes> That last line “…in my heart, I am a gamer” always gets me. It’s weird that it has almost been a year since his passing, but his presence is still felt in the industry. I’m glad so many have honored Nintendo’s late CEO. We’re talking about a man who not only had a hand in shaping the video game industry; he changed the world.
[HT: The Verge]
Katee Sackhoff speaks to Nerdist about her role in EVE: Valkyrie
Our very own Samantha Sofka sat down with EVE: Valkyrie‘s Katee Sackhoff to talk about her role as Rán in the aforementioned game. The talented actress, who’s had roles in everything from Call of Duty to Battlestar Galactica, discussed what she tried to bring to her role as Rán in Valkyrie. “For starters, sheâs basically dead, so, sheâs incredibly tortured,” Sackhoff said. “I wanted you to be able to hear that in her voice.â She continued, âSo I had to lead you on this emotional journey that sheâs gone on with just my voice. She also talks a lot lower than anyone Iâve ever played before. My goal was to see how low I could get her voice, to make her sound sort of otherworldly.” You can check out the rest of the interview here.
[HT: Nerdist]
Alan Wake, Pac-Man, and Castlevania are now backwards-compatible
According to Xbox’s Larry Herb, Alan Wake, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (one of the best games ever made), and Pac-Man are now available to play on the Xbox One. Yay! Three more games. Here’s the tweet for reference:
Alan Wake, Castlevania: SOTN & PAC-MAN are now available on Xbox One Backward Compatibility https://t.co/qPMRNrLoTQ pic.twitter.com/A55On4TWIY
— Larry Hryb, Gamer Emeritus ð±â¨ï¸ð±ï¸ð® (@majornelson) March 17, 2016
Not too shabby, right? We already knew Alan Wake was on its way because it came included with the purchase of Remedy’s upcoming Quantum Break, and Castlevania: SotN was leaked not too long ago. But Pac-Man is definitely a surprise. You should see an option to install these games on your Xbox One if you had previously purchased them on the 360. Alternatively, you can insert your disc of Alan Wake if you have one.
[HT: GameInformer]
There’s going to be a Resident Evil musical
Yup, it’s happening. The musical Biohazard (aka. Resident Evil): Voice of Gaia will premiere this September at Tokyoâs Akasaka ACT Theater. Capcom’s Hiroyuki Kobayashi is overseeing the project. The musical will supposedly mix a good amount of action and ballet, and of course some tunes. It will also be “original,” so it doesn’t seem like it’ll be an adaptation of any of the games in the series. This isn’t the first time the series has made its way to the stage, but it’s the first time the franchise will be performed in the musical format.
[HT: Nerdist]
Below gets a new trailer and release window
Xbox One/PC title Below has garnered a lot of interest since its original reveal not too long ago. (Especially since Sword & Sworcery EP was so dang good.) CapyGames has now released a new trailer that shows off more of the gorgeous game, but more importantly it reveals that it’s slated for a summer release. Peep the trailer above.
I recently went hands-on with the Xbox One version, and I can tell you it’s a total blast. Though difficult, it’s still a fun romp that blends a The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker-like combat system with all the traits of a survival game. Dungeons are also procedurally generated, so this game will never not test your skills.
[HT: CapyGames]
That’s it for this Thursday, ladies and gents. We have one more day to go before we can all go enjoy our weekend. Make sure to check out all of our SXSW coverage, as well as the rest of our GDC updates. Did you guys tear up while watching the Satoru Iwata tribute? Don’t lie, we know you did. Does the new Below trailer get you excited for the title? Let us know in the comments below!
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Images: GDC, Microsoft, Capcom