Blizzard has elaborated on some of changes they’ve made to Diablo II: Resurrected based on the Technical Alpha test period. As you may recall, I was quite smitten with my exploratory period in the Tech Alpha, and basically kept swapping back between the old graphics and new options with the tap of a button repeatedly in awe. Again, what the Vicarious Visions team has put together for the first few acts that we’ve seen is already quite impressive. Blizzard has a larger outline and documentation of how they’re using the feedback and discoveries from that test period in a blog here that you can check out, but let’s hit some of the major beats.
First, feedback from some iconic Sorceress spells like lightning and ice storm are being retuned to capture the original design visuals and intent. Paladin’s Holy Freeze is also getting a pass on it in the same fashion. Items like potions, scrolls, and gems are getting an amplification pass to help them stand out and pop, along with weapons, quest items, and charms. This should make the stuff in your inventory stand out as you look through page after page of Stone of Jordans.
More options that don’t change the original game but give players choices to make that streamline the experience for the modern era are available. Auto-pick up gold, the new toggle to let you see item names at all times is definitely going to be a welcome addition. Now, you won’t have to hold a button down before you pick through the rewards on the battlefield, you can choose to have them all displayed at once. That’s convenient!
Blizzard has also determined that players will have three tabs in the shared stash space instead of one. This allows players to have 300 account slots to share among their characters, again with the intention of eliminating the old method of storing gear, which was to create characters that you wouldn’t ever play with called “mules” to hold all your extra stuff. Back in the old days, we’d have different mules named after what they were holding, and sometimes to get a set of gear you’d have to swap between a bunch of different characters just to get your items out of storage. Another welcome convenience addition!
Diablo II: Resurrected is slated to launch on September 23. I can’t wait to go back and do some Baal runs! For more details on everything that Blizzard is changing based on lessons from the Tech Alpha, be sure to check out the full post here.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania was a pleasant surprise when it premiered during last month’s Nintendo Direct. While it’s not a brand-new entry in the series, it bundles and remasters Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2, and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe for a new generation of players to enjoy. A new trailer provides a better look at how these fan-favorite stages and minigames have been polished up and gives a peek at the game’s story mode.
The trailer shows off AiAi and his pals taking the fight to the evil Dr. Bad-Boon with up to four players working together in local co-op. The video also gives a good look at how several of the classic Monkey Ball stages have been recreated in HD. Needless to say, they look a lot sharper than they did in the early ‘00s.
Click here to watch embedded mediaIf you’ve never played a Monkey Ball title, the premise is deceptively simple. Guide AiAi’s ball from the beginning of a stage to the end without having him fall off, all while collecting as many bananas along the way as possible. This is easier said than done, though, due to the challenging, comically absurd design of these arenas that made the series such great party choice during its heyday.
Banana Mania’s full package packs in over 300 courses and 12 minigames from the first three Monkey Ball titles (even though Deluxe was in itself a compilation game albeit with some original stages). It also features new playable characters, online leaderboards and time attack mode, but sadly no online play. The collection is the second Monkey Ball remaster in recent years after Sega released an HD remaster of 2006’s Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz in 2019.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania launches October 5 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
Any Monkey Ball fans excited to take a trip down memory lane with banana Mania? Let us know in the comments!