Halo Infinite criticism, Super Mario 64 ported to 3DS

Top Story

Microsoft and 343 Industries responds to widespread Halo Infinite criticism

While Halo fans were excited to finally see gameplay footage from Halo Infinite at the Xbox Games Showcase, there was also a lot of criticism of its perceived lack of next-gen graphics.

343 Industries tried to explain that the footage was from a work-in-progress build, and Xbox’s Aaron Greenberg said: “Listen, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, it’s July, we’re far from Holiday, you’re seeing a work-in-progress game.” That didn’t stop gamers, media outlets and even Domino’s Pizza from taking potshots at the game’s apparently underwhelming graphics.

We’re listening: “I’ve been in your shoes. I know what it’s like to have expectations built + feel let down. I want you to know your voice matters + is heard. You’re not falling on deaf ears,” said Halo Infinite’s Narrative Experience Director. “I always want to live up to the legacy that Bungie pioneered. I personally care a lot about honoring that.”

Still early days: “The team is very focused on bringing the best experience possible to fans and we still have a ways to go,” said 343 studio head Chris Lee. “So this is definitely a pre-release version of the game that folks are seeing today.” Halo Infinite will be a launched alongside the Xbox Series X this holiday season.

Time For A Quick Daily Quiz?

What was the only Resident Evil game released on the Game Boy Color?

• Resident Evil 1
• Resident Evil: Gaiden
• Umbrella Corps
• Resident Evil 2

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today’s issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Daily Fact

Metal Slader Glory was the swan song for both HAL and the Super Famicom

Metal Slader Glory was HAL Laboratory’s last game as an independent studio before it went bankrupt and was acquired by Nintendo. The adventure game filled an 8Mbit cartridge, and released just before the Super Famicom launched.

It was one of the largest Famicom games ever made, but sold only 10,000 units despite HAL’s expensive advertising campaign. Metal Slader Glory: Director’s Cut was re-released for Super Famicom on November 29th in 2000, making it the final official release for the console.

Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today’s fact.

Flight Simulator News

Microsoft Flight Simulator will support all major VR headsets

Microsoft promises virtual reality support for its revival of the Flight Simulator series.

HP Reverb G2 headset will be the first supported headset: “We’re starting with them,” said Microsoft’s Jorg Neumann. “There’s some extra work to be done for some of the others. I mean, we’re going to bring it to all the devices – all the common ones. It’s just going to take a few more months after that.”

Virtual cockpit: The VR update will be free and is part of Microsoft’s goal to have monthly content and updates for Flight Simulator. They recently added head tracking to the beta version, and the VR update will follow in the first update after the launch on August 18th.

Free and paid: Next up is a free world content update and another free simulation update, before the first premium DLC is launched. The plan is to release two more free updates after that, and then another premium DLC.

Super Mario News

Fans port Super Mario 64 to 3DS

A huge cache of source code and assets stolen from Nintendo has allowed fans to port Super Mario 64 to various platforms, drawing the ire of Nintendo’s legal team.

In addition to a PC port, the community has managed to produce a Super Mario 64 port for 3DS, running natively without any graphical glitches at a solid 30 frames per second.

Legal to a point: Technically, the port itself does not infringe on Nintendo’s copyright as it is a so-called clean room reimplementation that doesn’t actually use any of Nintendo’s code, but the game assets and trademarks still belong to Nintendo, so expect intense lawyering until the ports are scraped from the web.

Real passion: Unsurprisingly, the unofficial Super Mario 64 PC port has spawned an avid modding community, which has produced graphic mods and even patched the game to run at 60 frames per second.

VR Bits

InXile announces Frostpoint VR

Wasteland and The Mage’s Tale developer InXile has announced Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds, a 20-player, team-based multiplayer shooter set in an abandoned military base in Antarctica.

For now, the game will feature Team Deathmatch and Domination, with a twist: There are also hostile creatures roaming the battlefield, so not only do you have to fight the opposing team, you must also keep an eye on the local wildlife. The trailer looks promising, and Frostpoint will support Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Valve Index. The open beta starts in September.

Leaked images of new Quest headset

Promotional images of Oculus Quest 2 has appeared on Twitter, along with a date: September 15th. There have already been rumours about the device entering mass production, but it remains to be seen if that is the announcement or launch date.

VR enthusiasts have already examined the pictures carefully and suspect that the Quest 2 could have adjustable interpupillary distance. Check out the full gallery and see for yourself.

What Else Happened Today?

• Fornite gets angry with Hulk Smashers Pickaxe and bonus Hulkbuster style as part of a Marvel’s Avengers cross-promotion
• Skin DLC for Resident Evil: Resistance and Resident Evil 3 featuring classic Claire and Leon outfits for both games
• Hawkeye revealed as playable character in Marvel’s Avengers in a new trailer starring the nimble archer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1unyo3KWNSU) ahead of the September 9th launch
• Undead Labs reveals details about State of Decay 2 Riding Shotgun update featuring vehicle handling overhaul, deadlier shotguns, map improvements and more
• Take-Two’s Private Division label signs new studios, inking deals with Moon Studios, League of Geeks and Roll7

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Quiz Answer - Did You Get It Right?

What was the only Resident Evil game released on the Game Boy Color?

Answer: Resident Evil: Gaiden!

There were attempts at porting the original Resident Evil, but they never got past the prototype stage.

Instead, Capcom created the spin-off Resident Evil: Gaiden, which mixes top-down adventure and exploration with first-person combat. It’s not exactly fondly remembered despite starring Barry Burton, inventor of the Jill Sandwich.

Resident Evil: Gaiden is set on a ship overrun by zombies, and is not afraid to try new and exciting things, including a plot twist so shocking (and unpopular) that the game is not considered canon. It’s also a pretty rare game, and cartridges can fetch over a hundred dollars on auction sites. Fortunately, you can enjoy Barry Burton’s eminent company in your favorite emulator.

Today’s issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, Christian Vaz and Jamie Davey.