Terraria: Wii U Edition Review @ School Library Journal

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terrariaAfter beginning life on the PC all the way back in 2011, Terraria is now available for the Wii U. The side-scrolling sandbox game features Wii U GamePad support for quick item selection, and might just be the best version of Terraria yet.

Teen Librarian Alanna Graves recently reviewed Terraria: Wii U Edition for School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox and she certainly seems to agree:

Terraria on the Wii U is hands down the best console adaption of this PC original. The GamePad allows players to make quick selections, and players who use the GamePad will feel immersed in this Minecraft-like game. While the setback is you can only use one GamePad at a time, multiplayer groups can figure out how to enjoy to game by sticking together or assigning different roles. Either way, Terraria requires teamwork and communication for success. I highly recommend this for both circulation collections and Teen Game Night programs.

Terraria is also available for a number of other platforms including the 3DS, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: August 8, 2016

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A handful of new games were released on retail shelves this week, but the Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is once again taking the week off because none of them stand out too strongly. But a complete look at industry news from the last seven days and this week’s digital releases can be found below.

All Links in “This Week’s New Releases + Game News” are Provided by Warp Zoned.

New Release Round-Up

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Old Issues of Nintendo Power Have Been Added to the Internet Archive

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nintendopowerUPDATE: All issues of Nintendo Power have been removed from the Internet Archive.

If you’ve got patrons interested in the history of video games, you may want to point them towards the Internet Archive and their collection of back issues of Nintendo Power. The magazine got its start in the late 80s, and quickly became a very popular publication for readers who wanted to learn more about Nintendo consoles and handhelds.

As of today, the Internet Archive has digitized more than 100 issues of Nintendo Power, which covers more than half of the magazine’s complete 24-year run. So there’s still a few holes, but every issue from Nintendo’s NES-Super NES-Nintendo 64 heyday is just a click away.

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: August 1, 2016

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A handful of new games were released on retail shelves this week, but the Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is once again taking the week off because none of them stand out too strongly. But a complete look at industry news from the last seven days and this week’s digital releases can be found below.

All Links in “This Week’s New Releases + Game News” are Provided by Warp Zoned.

New Release Round-Up

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Pokemon Go Battle Map for Libraries @ International Games Day Blog

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pokemongoPokemon Go has become one of the most popular mobile apps of all time, so it’s not surprising that the American Library Association is making it a big part of this year’s International Games Day @ Your Library.

Over at the ALA’s International Games Day @ Your Library Blog, they’ve created a Pokemon Go Battle Map for Libraries, so librarians can report which of the game’s three teams (Mystic, Valor, or Instinct) currently control the Gym closest to their library:

As part of the fun activities of this year’s IGD, we are hosting a Library Pokemon Battle Map which shows team leadership at gyms at libraries all over the world. Librarians can report which Pokemon Team is in control of their library’s Pokemon Gym using the Pokemon battle form. Once you have entered your library’s information, you will have the option to edit the form to update the information as it changes each day or as often as you would like.

It’s a fun idea to add a little bit more competition to the game, especially on this year’s International Games Day @ Your Library, which will be held on Saturday, November 19. Continue reading →

Preview of New Game Consoles and Peripherals Set to Launch in Fall 2016 @ School Library Journal

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nesclassiceditionAre you up-to-date on the new video game hardware and add-on peripherals that’ll be available this Fall? Microsoft will release an update to their Xbox One console this Summer, while Sony will unleash their highly-anticipated PlayStation VR headset in October. Nintendo is also in the thick of things, and they’re technically going back in time to release the NES Classic Edition, a microconsole pre-loaded with 30 favorites from the NES.

Teen Librarian Alanna Graves recently looked into each new piece of hardware for School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox:

This year is a big year for video games. Pokemon Go is sweeping the nation, and there is new hardware being released for the Big 3 consoles: Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo within the next 12 months. Many libraries are still circulating older console games for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, and justifiably so since many patrons have yet to make the jump. So, what does all this new hardware mean for libraries?

For libraries that already have a PS4, the PlayStation VR could offer a virtual reality experience at a cheaper price, while Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition would be great for “Retro Night” programs.

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: July 25, 2016

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Every publisher took the week off, so there’s no Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week this week. But there’s plenty of news from Comic-Con available after the break.

All Links in “This Week’s New Releases + Game News” are Provided by Warp Zoned.

New Release Round-Up

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