Zombies Return to Cold War, Smash Bros. Reveals Steve

First look at Treyarch’s Cold War Zombies

Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is bringing back the classic Zombie mode.

“The next generation of Zombies is here. New story, New characters, New ways to play,” according to Activision. Treyarch originally introduced the game mode as a bit of a joke in 2008's Call of Duty: World at War, but quickly gained popularity and spawned no less than three map expansion DLC packs.

Crazier than ever: Since then, Zombies has become a staple feature and has gotten more and more ambitious, including big name stars playing ridiculous characters taking on the undead hordes. It has provided an excuse for the Call of Duty teams to go wild and experiment without detracting from the main game.

Another chapter: “We finished a story but we’re still in that same universe, and this is the next chapter,” explains Treyarch. Check out the trailer to catch a glimpse of characters, story and weapons.

Which was the first console to feature a Spider-Man videogame?

a) Magnavox Odyssey
b) The Atari 2600
c) The Nintendo Entertainment System
d) The Sega Genesis

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.

Guilty Gear wasn’t always a 2D champion

Arc System Works' 1998 fighting game Guilty Gear for PlayStation was originally intended to use 3D models, but the team ended up making the game in 2D after all. All in all, the prototype was significantly different from the final game.

For example, May and Potemkin were armed with huge axes, but May ended up swinging a ship's anchor while Potemkin became a hulking hand-to-hand fighter. Sol Badguy's instant kill move 'All Guns Blazing' is also employed by the EX version of Order-Sol in Guilty Gear XX Slash, since they have an identical move set and uses the first game's charge mechanic for special moves.

Join our community on Twitter and Facebook and discuss today's fact!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate x Minecraft

Nintendo just hosted a live stream where the latest fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was announced.

Surprisingly, the new fighter is from Minecraft. A new Minecraft-themed stage will appear, along with four new characters: Steve, Alex, Zombie and Enderman.

More soon: There are still no precise details, since the big reveal was an animated sequence showing Mario get punched so hard he winds up in Minecraft. More information is expected in the Mr. Sakurai Presents “Steve & Alex” showcase on October 3rd.

Steve enters: Creepers, pistons, redstone, dynamite, zombies, pickaxes, steak … there's plenty of evidence that the team has had fun adding Minecraft to Smash. Check out the full stream to find out more.

Star Wars: Squadrons review round-up

Tomorrow is the launch of Star Wars: Squadrons from developer Motive Studios, who worked in collaboration with DICE and Criterion Games on Star Wars Battlefront II previously.

This is EA's second original Star Wars title, and this time the story focuses on the struggle between the Galactic Empire and New Republic space forces. Star Wars: Squadrons is out for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 2nd.

Reviews with scores

• PCGamesN (Score 9/10) – ”After such a long wait for a successor to X-Wing and TIE Fighter, Star Wars: Squadrons feels like a lucky shot with a proton torpedo.”
• God is a Geek (Score 8.5/10) – ”Star Wars: Squadrons is an excellent aerial combat game and a pleasing return to the franchise roots. No gimmicks, no cons, no messing around: anyone who ever dreamed of being a fighter pilot in the Star Wars universe needs to check this out, asap.”
• Game Informer (Score 8.25/10) – ”Squadrons’ single-player may fizzle out frequently like a malfunctioning hyperdrive motivator, but the multiplayer continually impresses and is worth the price of entry alone.”
• VG247 (Score 4/5) – ”Squadrons feels like more than the sum of its parts. Most importantly, it does exactly what it set out to do – and does it very well indeed. It’s EA’s smallest-scale console Star Wars title yet – but also its best. Fleet Battles feel a little long and sometimes listless, and some will no doubt pine for a little more content – I personally would’ve really liked to see a 20-player (or more) deathmatch mode. But it’s nevertheless difficult to really criticize such a tightly-wound, complete package. As such, it’s an easy recommendation.”

Previews and reviews without scores

• Ars Technica (Unscored) – ”Before I go sending the developers my wish list for additional features, however, I should probably wait for them to finish the game (at least on the PC version). As a straightforward, reasonably priced arcade blaster with some unique flair, Squadrons has its charm—and is easier for me to recommend, especially to families, than Battlefront 2 ever was (not the highest of praise, but still). I'm just hopeful it gets closer to a recommended state of polish and bug squashing.”
• Mashable (Unscored) – ”For me, Star Wars: Squadrons is hands down the very best space combat sim this series has ever seen. That's not hyperbole; the closest rival here is more than 20 years old. Even if Motive never supports Squadrons past release, what we're playing on day one is everything this X-Wing-loving nerd has ever wanted from a Star Wars game.”
• Polygon (Polygon Recommends) – ”Simply put, Star Wars: Squadrons is the total package. If all you have at your disposal is a console, a decent TV, and a working controller, you’re going to have a wonderful time. If you have a throttle, stick, and rudder pedals, you’re really in for a treat. And, if you happen to be able to afford VR, you may never want to take that headset off again.”
• IGN (In Progress) – ”Star Wars: Squadrons’ single-player campaign missions are a feast for Star Wars fans’ eyes and ears, especially in VR. Its engaging space combat is a great balance of approachable arcade control with the added nuance of simulation-like systems, which combine with astonishingly detailed ships and cockpits for the most authentic-feeling ride since LucasArts’ legendary X-Wing and TIE Fighter games back in the ‘90s. Star Wars: Squadrons doesn’t end up doing anything too memorable with its charming characters or interesting rival squadron setup, but this campaign still tells an entertaining Star Wars story I enjoyed no matter which cockpit I was in.”
• PC Gamer (In Progress) – ”Star Wars: Squadrons succeeds where it's most important. It's a thrill to pilot these ships a hair's breadth above the surface of a Star Destroyer and through stunning nebulae and war wreckage more vivid than I could've possibly imagined playing TIE Fighter in the late 1990s. The campaign, which took me about 10 hours to complete on the default difficulty, never really surprises, but it does manage to accomplish something noteworthy: This feels like being in Star Wars in a way no game has in a long, long time.”
• TheSixthAxis (In Progress) – ”Star Wars Squadrons has taken an impressive first step in revitalising the Star Wars fighter pilot game. With a tale that feels like a genuine part of the galaxy far far away, and space combat that gives you the tools to be an X-Wing or TIE fighting ace, it's going to be interesting to see how the Squadron community puts all of that to use.”

• It's Charmander Community Day in Pokémon GO on October 17th complete with Charizard Mega Energy rewards and Dragon Breath for Charizard
• Sony reveals more about Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, including Peter Parker's brand new face
• Vampyr and Need for Speed: Payback free with PlayStation Plus making October a spooky but also racy month
• Super Mario Bros. 35 now available for Switch, turning Super Mario Bros. into a wacky battle royale where you compete to be the last Mario standing
• Switch jailbreak lawsuit close to conclusion, and it looks like a retailer offering ways to play pirated games on Switch will need to pay $2 million in damages

Which was the first console to feature a Spider-Man videogame?

ANSWER: The Atari 2600!

The Atari era was an important period in the development of the medium, even if most of the games haven't aged particularly gracefully. A good example of how long we've come since then is the first-ever Spider-Man game.

Released in 1982 by Parker Brothers, it was also the first game based on a Marvel character. You played Spider-Man and scaled a building to beat up bad guys and disarm bombs while trying to defeat Green Goblin.

Your web supplies are limited, and only replenished by disarming bombs or beating enemies, which made the game pretty tricky. It's not exactly fun, but it's a good reminder of what an achievement 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man really is.

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

We hope you've enjoyed today's issue DailyBits! Please feel free to send any feedback over to team@dailybits.news. Thank You!