Dual Core Preview
It’s not super common for a small development studio to have its console debut on a Nintendo system, but Dual Core is one of the few coming to Wii U first. It’s a twin-stick shooter with an emphasis on couch co-op multiplayer action for up to four players.
Set in 2147, you control a security drone that has just rebooted after a lengthy hibernation. You must attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding what happened to the human colony of Europa by taking up arms and destroying the vast array of robots standing in your way.
Several modes of play will be at your disposal. Up to 4 players can battle together in local co-op. Story mode has you battle through a plethora of handcrafted levels as you piece together clues about what went down during your hibernation period. Arcade mode is an arena shooter, where you battle waves of enemies. Then there’s versus mode that allows you compete against up to three of your friends or you can go up against AI controlled bots if you’re playing solo.
Dual Core should release by the end of March, 2016 on the Wii U eShop. We’ll let you know when an official date is announced and we hope to have a review up by launch.
Dual Core is a vibrant, futuristic, “twin-stick” style, shooter, with a strong focus on local co-op multiplayer (up to 4 players). Lots of robots, lots of lasers, lots of aliens, lots of explosions! The numerous retro arcade influences are front and center, but spiced up with a colorful modern style, a generous helping of sci-fi intrigue, and a dash of RPG ELEMENTS! This isn’t an arena shooter (though there is an arena-style arcade mode); there’s a full story mode with a ton of handcrafted levels to explore, and battle through.
Dual Core has been in development for several years now, and originally was conceived as a mobile/tablet game – however, somewhere along the line, I realized that very few of my favorite games were actually on mobile devices, *most* of them were in fact, on the Wii U, and usually because of the local multiplayer. So I decided to trust my instincts and that became the focus – our goal is to get players having a blast, working together, laughing, and (occasionally) yelling at the each other! One of my fondest gaming memories was playing co-op Gauntlet as a kid, and that’s still a strong influence today.
But it’s not just multiplayer – even in single player, you don’t play alone; your robot buddy “Corby” sticks with you, and battles by your side through the whole game. So in a way, it’s co-op multiplayer, even when it’s not.
[Source: Nintendo Life]
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
