A trio of PS2 games that were recently released for PS5 and PS4 have already been discounted on the PlayStation Store. Over the past few months, Sony has steadily been re-releasing a slew of games from the PS2 era on current PlayStation hardware. Titles like Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Mister Mosquito, Sky Gunner, and most recently, Siren, have all made the jump to PS5 and PS4 among many others. Now, three PS2 games from the same series that just launched two months ago have been hit with a sizable sale that won’t last long.

As of this moment, all three entries in the TimeSplitters series can be purchased on the PS Store at a discount of 30%. This deal, which is set to last until November 2nd, brings the prices of TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect down to a mere $6.99. This marks the first time that all three PS2-era shooters have been on sale since they were added to the PlayStation marketplace in August.

While this is a great deal that should definitely be taken into account, it’s worth noting that all three TimeSplitters games for PS2 are also available for “free” as part of PlayStation Plus Premium. Like many other PlayStation Classics, the PS Plus Premium tier gives subscribers access to all sorts of games from PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP, and other legacy platforms. As such, if you’re already a member of PS Plus Premium, you can simply download and play these TimeSplitters games right now as part of your subscription.

If you’re not familiar with TimeSplitters but you’d like to learn more about the throwback PS2 franchise, you can get a look at descriptions and old-school trailers for each below.

TimeSplitters

“TimeSplitters is a renowned first-person shooter series that plunges players into an epic battle against the malevolent TimeSplitters, a race dwelling outside of time and space. Awakened from an ancient sleep, these entities tear through time’s fabric to erase humanity from history. Players must unite against this common enemy or face a grim future under their shadow.

TimeSplitters infuses humor and personality into its gameplay. Its characters are well-defined and often quirky, adding a light-hearted element to the intense action. This blend of humor and high-stakes battle sets the game apart from other shooters.”

TimeSplitters 2

“TimeSplitters 2 returns, surpassing its predecessor with a larger-than-life experience. This sequel expands on every front, offering faster-paced action, richer storytelling, and diverse graphical styles across nine thrilling time-traveling adventures. From the lawless Wild West to the neon-lit streets of Neo Tokyo, each era boasts its own atmosphere and challenges.

TimeSplitters 2 blends engaging gameplay, rich narrative, and multiplayer excitement into a definitive gaming experience. Whether you’re a shooter fan or seeking compelling storytelling, this title promises unforgettable adventures through time and space.”

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

“TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is the pinnacle of the acclaimed series, blending action, humor, and intricate storytelling. Play as Sergeant Cortez, embarking on a time-bending journey across past, present, and future to thwart the sinister TimeSplitters. Explore diverse environments from ancient temples to futuristic cities, each with unique challenges and visual splendor.

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect honors the series’ legacy while innovating with modern gameplay elements, appealing to both longtime fans and new players. Whether for its compelling story, engaging multiplayer, or sheer entertainment value, it promises an unforgettable journey through time and space, making it a timeless addition to any gamer’s collection.”

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Bloober Team, the company most recently behind Konami’s remake of Silent Hill 2, says that it’s ready to move on from some of its “sh*tty games” of the past. Prior to SH2 releasing earlier this month, there was quite a bit of skepticism from horror fans that Bloober Team could pull off remaking one of the most beloved games of all-time. Fortunately, many were proven wrong as Bloober Team was met with rousing acclaim from fans and critics alike for its work on Silent Hill 2. Now, with this achievement under its belt, those at the developer are looking toward improving even further with its next projects.

Speaking to GameSpot, members of Bloober Team opened up a bit about their trajectory in the wake of Silent Hill 2 launching. Just recently, Bloober unveiled Cronos: The New Dawn, which is a new IP from the studio that’s again rooted in horror. Rather than being skeptical of Cronos in the same way that fans were of Silent Hill 2, though, Bloober Team director and producer Jacek Zieba said that he’s already seen a turnaround in perception thanks to the success of the new remake.

“It was tough for those couple of years before [Silent Hill 2‘s] release,” Zieba said. “We made it. Bloober made it. And now, it’s very good spirits inside [the studio.] We want to show what we can do on our own, how we can evolve our ideas.”

Despite wanting to evolve further, Zieba still knows that Bloober’s strength lies in its ability to create horror experiences. This is something that the studio has done almost entirely since 2016 when it released the original Layers of Fear. In the same way that it moved on from its games of the past prior to Layers of Fear, those at Bloober are viewing the company now at another point of evolution where it can put previous projects that might not have been well-received in the rearview mirror.

“We want to be a horror company,” Zieba added. “We want to find our niche, and we think we found our niche, so now we just–let’s evolve with it. […] And how that happens is more complex, but it also happens organically in a way, like with [2016’s] Layers of Fear, people in the studio were like, ‘Okay, we made some shitty games before, but we [can] evolve.'”

For now, it remains to be seen if Cronos: The New Dawn will be met with the same praise as Silent Hill 2. Luckily, interested players won’t have to wait that long to find out as Cronos is due out at some point in 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The post Silent Hill 2 Developer Bloober Team Says It Wants to Evolve From Making “Sh*tty Games” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

October is the perfect time for ghostly things, and that extends to the world of Pokemon. This month, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players can check out a brand-new 5-star Tera Raid event that will be centered around Gengar. During this event, the beloved Ghost/Poison-type will begin appearing in Raids in the Nintendo Switch game. The Gengar that players encounter will have a Ghost Tera type, so players won’t be able to take advantage of its Poison-type weaknesses! The event will begin on October 28th, and will run through October 31st.

When Gengar made its debut in Pokemon Red and Green, it had a lot of negatives attached. While Ghost-type attacks have a type advantage against Psychics, Gengar’s Poison-type makes it susceptible to taking heavy damage from Pokemon like Mewtwo and Alakazam. The beauty of Terastallization in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is that it can help a Pokemon shed some of its weaknesses. In this case, by becoming a pure Ghost-type, Gengar is now harder to type match against (at least while Terastallized). That makes it slightly harder for opponents, but also a lot easier to use in battle! Players that plan on checking out Raids during this event will want to bring in a Dark-type, or a Pokemon that can use Ghost-type moves.

In addition to the Gengar Tera Raids, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players can celebrate spooky season with a mass outbreak event. Starting the same day as the Gengar event, players can expect to see mass outbreaks featuring Gastly, Misdreavus, Shuppet, and Bramblin. These mass outbreaks will all take place throughout Paldea, though nothing seems to be happening in Kitakami or Blueberry Academy. During the event, players will have an increased chance of finding these Ghost-types with the Crafty mark. When that mark is assigned by the player, it will apply the title “the opportunist” when the Pokemon is sent into battle.

All in all, this is a pretty minor event, but it’s nice to see Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is still getting some kind of content to keep players invested. At this point, the game is nearly two years old, and it’s pretty atypical to see Game Freak giving fans a reason to spend any time with an existing game that far into its lifespan. The next mainline game in the franchise is Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but that still does not have a release date at the moment, and we don’t know of any other Pokemon games coming to Switch. Basically, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is going to have to continue to tide fans over for the time being, so even these small events are welcome. As 2025 starts to approach, hopefully we’ll start to get a better idea of when the next Pokemon game can be expected!

Are you planning to check out these Gengar Tera Raid Battles? Are you still spending time with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Announces New Events for Halloween Week appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As part of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, users are often given the opportunity to play trials of various games. A new trial has been announced for North America, and this time around, subscribers can try out three full games for free. The trial is set to begin on October 23rd at 10 a.m., and will run through October 30th at 11:59 p.m. PT. During that time, subscribers will have access to A Little to the Left, Cursed to Golf, and Vampire Survivors. A similar promotion will be happening in Europe, but with Minecraft Dungeons in place of Vampire Survivors.

For those that have never taken advantage of a Switch game trial, it’s important to note that these are not demos. Demos only give the player access to a limited amount of content from a game. Comparatively, Switch game trials give players access to the entire game for a short window, as if it had been borrow from a friend. In theory, this means that subscribers could even beat the campaigns for these games without having to spend anything extra! Of course, the idea is to get Switch users to try a game they might not have otherwise, and potentially convince them to make a purchase. To that end, all three of these games will be getting discounts this week, allowing users to pick them up for a lower cost of entry. The following discounts will go live this week:

All three of these games have been well-received by audiences and reviewers over the years. On Steam, A Little to the Left currently holds a “very positive” rating, Cursed to Golf has a “mostly positive,” while Vampire Survivors holds the rare “extremely positive” designation. Basically, there’s a pretty good chance Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will find something that appeals to them out of this batch of games.

The timing on this Vampire Survivors trial couldn’t be better! Those that decide to purchase the game following the trial’s conclusion will be happy to know that new DLC will be released on October 31st, offering a new collaboration. The collaboration will feature a ton of new content based on Konami’s Castlevania franchise, including new playable characters, weapons, a new location, and new music. That DLC will require a separate purchase, but for those that end up liking the game enough to buy extra content, it should be worth it.

Are you planning to check out any of these free game trials? Have you been looking for an excuse to try one or all of these games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Nintendo Switch Online Users Can Try Three Full Games For Free This Week appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Dragon Ball does a lot of things well, but nothing can compare to its fusions. If you thought Super Saiyan Goku was the pinnacle of the series, well – think again. From Vegito to Gotenks, we have seen a number of top-tier fusions tackle Dragon Ball. Still, there are some combos we’ve yet to see, but Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is helping fulfill those requests. After all, the game is going viral thanks to a mod that brings Goku’s fusion with Gohan to life.

As you can see below, the fusion in question just hit up Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, and it has the fandom buzzing. All it took was a bit of initiative and a mod design to get things going. The mod simple ties together Goku and Gohan using a Potara Earring, and the resulting fusion must be seriously strong.

I mean, this is Goku we are talking about. The only person who can outdo the Saiyan is his son, so imagine the power level a fusion between Gohan and Goku would boast.

GOKU DESERVES A NEW FUSION WITH GOHAN

Thanks to Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, a Goku x Gohan fusion is now a reality. The fandom has been begging for this combination since fusions were introduced. Back in the day, Vegito took the Dragon Ball fandom by surprise, and the character’s power made fans look hard at Gohan. The half-Saiyan is insanely powerful, and Goku has said before that Gohan is the one who could surpass him in power. To be frank, fans have begged for Gohan to get a fusion period, but one with Goku would be extra special. But beyond this fan-made mod, Gohan has never been given a fusion.

Of course, lots of characters have been given fusions over the years. Shin and Kibito fused using the Potara Earrings ages ago, and other temporary merges have come to light. Xeno Trunks and Xeno Vegeta have paired up, and the same goes for Goku Black and Future Zamasu. Honestly, the list goes on and on when you factor in God Fusions and the like. But when it comes to the canon, well – Gohan and Goku have never buddied up for a fusion.

So, c’mon. Throw us a bone, Dragon Ball! Gohan deserves a canon fusion, and Goku is the perfect person for the fighter to pair up with. Dragon Ball Daima just made its debut, and no one would complain if the character made an appearance there.

DRAGON BALL: SPARKING ZERO IS A BONAFIDE HIT

For now, it seems Dragon Ball fans will have to turn to mods to bring Gohan’s fusion with Goku to life. The game has become a sandbox for the fandam to explore, and gamers are flocking to the game. After all, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is being hailed as the anime’s best game in nearly 20 years, and the sales prove as much.

After all, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero sold three million copies in its first 24 hours, and those numbers are only rising. From Steam to Twitch, Dragon Ball is taking over the gaming community with ease. Now, top-tier modders are getting in on the action, and their impressive projects are making dreams come true for fans.

If you are not familiar with Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, you can find the game easily enough. The title is available on Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Plus, three DLC packs have been announced with the first one focusing on characters from Dragon Ball Daima.

What do you make of this Goku x Gohan fusion? Do you think Dragon Ball needs to make this fusion official? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

The post Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Mod Makes Goku’s Fusion to Gohan a Reality appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naughty Dog has today released its first major update for The Last of Us Part II Remastered in nine months. At the start of the year, the latest version of The Last of Us Part II launched on PS5 with improved visuals, a new game mode, and a handful of additional features. Now, with the PS5 Pro console set to launch in mere weeks, Naughty Dog has let loose another patch that paves the way for this new PlayStation hardware.

Available to download now, patch version 1.2.0 for The Last of Us Part II Remastered is predominantly tied to PS5 Pro. Even if you don’t plan on picking up Sony’s new PS5 model, this update will make the game compatible with the upcoming console and brings the new PSSR resolution upgrades. Beyond this, Naughty Dog has also looked to resolve a handful of bugs. Most of these errors are related to the No Return game mode, while others are related to accessibility and audio options.

To get a full look at everything that has been done with this new update for The Last of Us Part II Remastered, you can find the full patch notes attached below.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered Update 1.2.0 Patch Notes

PlayStation 5 Pro

• New rendering mode added that takes advantage of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR)
  • New “Pro” mode renders at 1440p, with PSSR upscaling output to 4K, while maintaining a target of 60 fps*
  • Performance and Fidelity rendering modes are still available and provide smoother experience and high framerates compared to the original PS5*

*Enhanced features require a compatible display in addition to the PlayStation 5 Pro console.

General

• Fixed an issue where some trophies would not unlock after importing PS4 save data
• Fixed an issue where Abby’s torso could disappear when switching between her bonus skins

Gameplay

• [The Tunnels] Fixed an issue where Dina could be grabbed an additional time while escaping in the subway

No Return

• Fixed an issue where the stun bomb was not being accurately counted toward the player’s “Stun” stats
• Fixed an issue where some weapon kills were not accurately tracking toward player’s stats when performing stealth kills in between those weapon kills
• Fixed an issue where shiv kills were not being accurately counted toward the player’s “Shiv” stats

Audio

• [On Foot] Fixed an issue where music tracks would not progress as intended when speedrunning

Accessibility

• Added additional support so more PlayStation 5 console Accessibility settings are now reflected in-game
• [The Tunnels] Fixed an issue where code for the locked room could not be located using Enhanced Listen Mode
• [No Return] Fixed an issue where enemies specified by a Gambit were not properly identified when using High Contrast Mode

Localization

• Various minor localization fixes across multiple languages

The post The Last of Us Part 2 Gets New PS5 Pro Update With Patch Notes appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 hasn’t even released yet but many who intend to play on PS5 are already frustrated with the game. This past year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III drew major criticism for failing to include a Platinum trophy in its trophy list on PS5. While a Platinum was present on the PS4 version of MW3, the PS5 version didn’t feature one as its trophy list was instead merely designated as an add-on for the Call of Duty HQ app. Despite so much anger directed at this previous decision from Activision, it seems that the publisher hasn’t opted to address this criticism and will instead be doing the same thing with Black Ops 6.

Spotted by @PlayStationSize on X, the trophy list for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 today appeared on the backend of the PS Store. In total, BO6 is said to contain 44 trophies that players can unlock. Unfortunately, for those who do earn all 44 trophies, a final Platinum trophy won’t be then granted. It was confirmed that, like with Modern Warfare III, this lack of a Platinum is only present on PS5, as the PS4 version does have one.

Not long after this information came out, prospective Black Ops 6 players on the PS5 subreddit began airing their frustrations. Many hardcore PlayStation fans bemoaned that they wouldn’t be able to get yet another CoD Platinum trophy, which was a big motivator to keep playing each new Call of Duty entry.

“I just love, love how one of the only reasons I was still playing Call of Duty was to get that Plat and now I can’t,” said u/dream066 of the move. “Love how CoD ruins everything.”

Others simply used this as yet another point of annoyance with the Call of Duty HQ app. Rather than have each game be its own separate product, Activision introduced CoD HQ last year as a single launcher that houses games like Warzone, Modern Warfare II, and Modern Warfare III. In the wake of the app being introduced, fans have criticized it for being far too hefty in terms of storage while also generally being a headache to navigate. Now, for those on PlayStation, it seems clear that CoD HQ will lead to no further Platinum trophies coming about.

“I will rage endlessly about this sh*t,” said u/shawnisboring about Call of Duty HQ. “The COD experience is absolutely abysmal and remarkably anti-consumer.”

“I really wish Sony would just ban these launchers for multiple games,” added u/poklane. “Not only because of this but also because they’re just a giant waste of storage space.”

Although there are many Call of Duty fans on PlayStation who are angered by this move with Black Ops 6, it’s unlikely that Activision will look to change anything, especially in the short term. With BO6 launching this week, Activision’s main concern is surely to get the game up and running for millions of players around the globe. After this, it might start to look into rectifying issues like this further down the line. Still, even if a Platinum trophy on PS5 does come back to Call of Duty, it’s more likely to be seen with the 2025 entry in the series rather than BO6.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will launch later this week on October 25th and will come to PS5 and PS4 in addition to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.

The post Black Ops 6 Players on PS5 Are Baffled by Missing Feature: “I Will Rage Endlessly About This” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Typically, November 2024 is packed full of game releases. November 2024 is bit of an outlier in this regard. While there are some promising PS5 games releasing next month, there aren’t as many as you’d expect. How this happened, who knows, but even in a peculiarly slow month there are still plenty of PS5 games for PlayStation fans to check out.

Headlining the PS5 games releasing on the PlayStation Store and elsewhere next month is a new LEGO game, the return of a JRPG classic, and a bizarre new game from the creator of series such as Siren, Gravity Rush, and Silent Hill.

LEGO Horizon Adventures

About: In a far future, where giant mechanized beasts roam a landscape reclaimed by nature and humans live in primitive tribes, an ancient evil seeks to destroy the world… Join hunter Aloy as she leads a colorful crew of heroes on a quest to save the meadows, forests, and mountains of Earth from a man called Helis, who leads a gang of sunworshippers that follow an Ancient Evil shrouded in mystery.

Release Date: November 14

Slitterhead

About: Set in the densely cluttered streets of Kowlong, filled with obscurity and chaos, this battle action-adventure game casts players as the “Hyoki,” an entity devoid of memory and physical form. His only motive is to eradicate the monstrous beings known as “Slitterheads” crawling around the city, disguising themselves as humans. Roaming the vibrant neon-lit cityscape, Hyoki must seek out allies among humans known as “Rarities,” infiltrate and track dangerous organizations, and engage in battles harnessing the power of blood. As the suspenseful drama unfolds, delve into the mystery behind Hyoki’s existence and the appearance of the Slitterheads.

Release Date: November 8

Planet Coaster 2

About: Dive into the thrilling world of Planet Coaster 2! Construct the theme park of your dreams with an intuitive piece-by-piece building system, as you meticulously craft and customize every aspect of your park like never before, down to the smallest detail. From towering rollercoasters to spectacular twisting water slides, let your imagination reach new heights to delight and thrill your guests.

Release Date: November 6

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake

About: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a stunning reimagining of the beloved masterpiece and narrative beginning to The Erdrick Trilogy— the first three games of the mainline Dragon Quest series. Featuring vibrant HD-2D graphics, new and modernized features, and a refined narrative, players are invited to set out on an epic fantasy adventure to save the world from a dark evil.

Release Date: November 14

The Rise of the Golden Idol

About: The award-winning detective saga returns. Uncover the truth behind 15 strange cases of crime, death, and depravity in the 1970s. The world has changed dramatically—the sins of humanity have not.

Release Date: November 12

Metro Awakening

About: Crafted by series creator Dmitry Glukhovsky, this standalone prequel to Metro 2033 follows Serdar, a doctor braving the treacherous tunnels in search of his missing wife. As his sanity is pushed to the limit, Serdar confronts the edge between life and death, ultimately awakening as Khan, the legendary mystic figure whose wisdom and understanding of the tunnels’ supernatural forces will echo through time, becoming the spiritual guide shaping the fate of those who dwell in the Metro depths.

Release Date: November 7

Path of Exile II

About: Path of Exile 2 is a next generation free-to-play Action RPG from Grinding Gear Games, featuring co-op for up to six players. Path of Exile 2 takes place in the land of Wraeclast, a dark continent populated by unique cultures, ancient secrets, and monstrous dangers. A sinister threat, long thought destroyed, has begun creeping back on the edge of civilisation, driving people mad and sickening the land with Corruption.

Release Date: November 15 (Early Access)

Nine Sols

About: Nine Sols is a lore rich, hand-drawn 2D action-platformer featuring Sekiro-inspired deflection focused combat. Embark on a journey of Asian fantasy, explore the land once home to an ancient alien race, and follow a vengeful hero’s quest to slay the 9 Sols, formidable rulers of this forsaken realm.

Release Date: November 26

Empire of Ants

About: Empire of the Ants immerses players in a magnificently microscopic forest ecosystem as 103,683rd, an ant sworn to protect their colony no matter the cost. In Empire of the Ants, use every move to your advantage on the path to world domination. Strategy, exploration, conflict, and alliances with local wildlife species will be essential for your colony’s survival.

Release Date: November 7

Towers of Aghasba

About: Decades after the Shimu people were forced to flee their homeland due to the invasion of a mysterious force known as the Withered, the Shimu have returned to reclaim their rightful home: the fantastical island of AGHASBA. As junior architect, it’s your job to rebuild the villages of your once-mighty civilization as well as nurse Aghasba’s once-thriving ecosystems back to life.

Release Date: November TBA (Early Access)

Honorable Mentions –

• Neon Blood
• Behemoth
• Farming Simulator 25

The post 10 Best-Looking PS5 Games Releasing November 2024 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Physical copies of Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 are cheaper than they ever have been. Since its launch in the first half of 2023, the cost of RE4 has slowly been dropping lower and lower. In fact, since earlier this year, the game’s standard retail price has dropped to $40, with physical versions recently going all the way down to $30. Now, a new sale for Resident Evil 4 remake has kicked in on top of this price cut which makes it available for less than ever before.

As of this week, Resident Evil 4 has seen its price slashed further and is now being sold for only $19.99. While RE4 has been available for this amount digitally in the past, it has never been this low for physical copies across PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. As for the retailers taking part in this promotion, virtually all major storefronts including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, GameStop, and others should be selling Resident Evil 4 at this value.

This deal for Resident Evil 4 remake is also taking place in the midst of a larger sale tied to the entire Resident Evil franchise. Across the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Nintendo eShop, Capcom has cut the cost of just about every game in the Resident Evil saga. Whether it be more recent entries like Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remake or older titles like Resident Evil and Resident Evil 0, this sale is offering up various games for as little as $5. So if you’re looking to dive into the Resident Evil series in a major way with Halloween drawing near, now is your chance to do so while also saving some money.

If you’re somehow not familiar with Resident Evil 4 and would like to learn more about Capcom’s latest RE remake, you can find its launch trailer and official synopsis below.

Resident Evil 4

“Resident Evil 4, 2005’s legendary survival horror, is brought fully up-to-date in this ground-up remake.

Six years after the events of Resident Evil 2, Raccoon City survivor Leon Kennedy has been dispatched to a secluded European village to investigate the disappearance of the US president’s daughter. What he discovers there is unlike anything he has faced before.

Every aspect of the classic game has been updated for the current generation, from modernized graphics and controls, to a reimagined storyline that may surprise even hardened fans of the original game.”

The post Resident Evil 4 Remake Drops to Lowest Price Yet Physically appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The recent Pokemon leaks have revealed a treasure trove of information about unannounced games, including some that won’t be seeing the light of day. The X/Twitter account Centro Leaks has been sharing images and video from many of these games, including a new one today that was under the working title “Project Swallow.” The game was in development for mobile platforms, and seemed to take a page from Nintendo’s cult favorite WarioWare series. Basically, “Project Swallow” would have featured a number of short micro games that all centered around Pokemon themes. Like WarioWare, some of these micro games would have even used assets from past games.

In a post on X/Twitter by Centro Leaks, four different Pokemon themed micro games can be seen. The first of these features Machoke punching a crack in the moon. To successfully do so, the player has to tap the screen when a meter is within the red area. The second game involves moving lily pads to find the Poliwag hiding underneath. The third involves grabbing a Great Ball as it falls from out of the air. The fourth and final of these micro games uses assets from the champion battle in Pokemon Yellow. However, rather than sending their Pokemon into battle, the Rival tosses a Poke Ball which the trainer then has to hit with a baseball bat!

Videos of these micro games can be found in the post from Centro Leaks embedded below.

Mashing up WarioWare with Pokemon is pretty unexpected, but the results look fantastic! This could have made for a very fun game, and it’s unfortunate that The Pokemon Company decided to cancel this project. It’s unclear exactly why they decided to do so, but it’s possible the team couldn’t come up with enough micro game concepts to fill an entire title. At the end of the day, it’s nice fans at least got a chance to see what could have been. The video game industry is unfortunately inundated with promising games that never made it to market for one reason or another. Unless The Pokemon Company decides to offer some clarification on these leaks (which seems unlikely), we’ll all just have to speculate about what happened.

For anyone that sees these micro games and wants to try something similar, Nintendo’s WarioWare series should help you get your fix. The concept is basically identical, but without the Pokemon factor. The WarioWare series has featured callbacks to other Nintendo franchises, including Mario and Zelda, but Pokemon has never made the cut. Given the relationship between Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, it would be nice to see some of these finished micro games get a second chance at life in a future WarioWare game. That seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened!

Are you disappointed that this Pokemon game never ended up released? Do you think a mash-up of Pokemon and WarioWare would have found an audience? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Pokemon Leak Reveals Cancelled Game That Looks Like WarioWare appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Those in charge at Double Fine Productions have acknowledged a desire to return to the world of Brutal Legend. Released in 2009, Brutal Legend is one of the most famous games that Double Fine has ever created. Set within a heavy-metal-inspired world, the title was a mix of action and real-time strategy genres and saw famed actor Jack Black portray the game’s central protagonist, Eddie Riggs. And while fifteen years have now passed without a sequel ever coming about, those at Double Fine are said to be wondering about such an endeavor.

In a recent post on Double Fine’s website, the topic of Brutal Legend 2 was touched on quite directly. Community manager Harper Jay acknowledged that fans continue to request Brutal Legend 2 in droves, as it’s the project that is asked about most often. Despite this, it was said plainly that a sequel isn’t happening at the moment, even if it has been talked about internally at Double Fine.

“It’s one of Double Fine’s best selling games and the one that people ask me about most. When is Brutal Legend 2!?” Jay wrote. “And while that’s not in the card for now, it’s certainly a universe many folks here at the studio wonder about returning to.”

Talking a bit more about what Brutal Legend 2 would even be, creative director Tim Schafer said that he would like to expand more on the RTS elements of the original game. While many fans would like a Brutal Legend sequel to be more akin to God of War, Schafer said what excites him the most is the thought of iterating on the most divisive aspect of the first installment.

“People ask about Brutal Legend 2 all the time and I’m torn about that,” Schafer said. “I know some of them want it with an evolution of the RTS stuff and some of them just want God of War with Eddie Riggs. I understand the logic of making the second option, but I’m much more excited about the first.”

For now, it’s still not known what Double Fine will look to do next. The studio’s most recent game, Psychonauts 2, was released in 2021 to critical acclaim. Since then, Double Fine has been laying relatively low but is surely well into development on its next project. While Brutal Legend 2 clearly won’t be happening any time soon, hopefully, Double Fine can one day satiate requests from fans and return with a sequel or spin-off.

The post Brutal Legend Developer Has Ideas for Brutal Legend 2 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Over the weekend, Xbox’s Aaron Greenberg found himself at the center of a new controversy surrounding Banjo-Kazooie. The VP of marketing at Xbox Games said at a recent event that “nobody cares about Banjo-Kazooie.” That comment began to circulate online, with many fans of the franchise sharing their frustrations with Xbox, and its lack of attention to the once successful series. Greenberg has since clarified his comments on X/Twitter, in a reply made to YouTuber JayWood2010. After JayWood2010 speculated that Greenberg’s sarcasm was lost in translation, the Xbox executive replied that was the case, and that he has a lot of love for the bird and bear pair.

“Correct, I absolutely know how much Banjo-Kazooie means to our fans and gamers everywhere. It holds a special place in my heart, growing up playing these classic games,” Greenberg wrote on X/Twitter.

Obviously, this clarification from Greenberg does not make it more likely that a new Banjo-Kazooie game will actually be released anytime in the near future. However, it does show that Xbox is not being dismissive of the series, and that’s something at least. If fans continue to remind Xbox that they want to see the series make a comeback, it’s possible a new entry could materialize. For that reason alone, it’s worth continuing to share demands for a new game, and mentioning it every time Xbox asks about franchises fans would like to see resurrected. That’s what Greenberg was responding to in the first place, and what led to all of this discussion over the last few days.

It should be noted that there are a lot of potential hurdles that might prevent a new Banjo-Kazooie from being developed, including the fact that we don’t know who would make the game. The current makeup of Rare is a lot different from the one that developed the Banjo-Kazooie games, and they seem to be pretty busy working on Sea of Thieves, a game that has been very successful for Xbox. There’s also the fact that Xbox just obtained the rights to all of Activision Blizzard’s old IPs, many of which have also been neglected for years.

Will Banjo-Kazooie ever make a comeback? It’s hard to say. Rare’s old franchises have certainly not been forgotten, as a new Perfect Dark is in development, and seems to be heading in a positive direction. We also just got a new BattleToads in 2020, which seemed pretty unlikely prior to the involvement of developer Dlala Studios. It’s possible Microsoft will eventually find a studio with a passion for Banjo-Kazooie that has the proper skills to do the series justice. For the time being though, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too high. At the very least, the original games remain playable on Xbox platforms, and Banjo-Tooie will soon make its way to Nintendo Switch. The series might be dormant, but at least it hasn’t been forgotten!

Do you think we’ll ever see a new Banjo-Kazooie? Are you happy for this clarification from Greenberg? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Banjo-Kazooie Comments Clarified Following Xbox Controversy appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new Pokemon game has leaked online as the latest leaks to come out of the massive Game Freak hack. The final title of the new Pokemon game is unknown, at the moment, but it is, according to the leak, in development under the codename Rodeo/Synapse, and it seems to be a co-op multiplayer game for both Nintendo Switch and mobile devices that is inspired by fellow Nintendo series, Splatoon.

In addition to being described as inspired by Splatoon, the main objective is supposedly to to defeat and ride rampaging Pokemon. The latter — specifically the rampaging part — gives off vibes of Pokemon Colosseum and its sequel, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, however, the gameplay footage and additional details reveal something that doesn’t look or sound similar to these two Pokemon classics at all.

According to Centro Leaks, which has surfaced the leak — complete with images and gameplay footage — the game has been in development since 2019, which is longer than any recent mainline game. Whether it is still in development though, is currently unclear. It is quite possible it has been scrapped.

“There’s no information there about it’s current status, however, the hacker mentioned a new game with codename Synapse that matches this game completely, down to the Splatoon inspiration,” writes Centro Leaks on X. “So this is speculation, but our guess is that the game was cancelled. Project Rodeo is no more. However the concept was later re-taken by ILCA/Game Freak under the new codename Synapse, so a new version of this game is potentially still being made.”

Those interested in checking out the leak, which features gameplay footage, the game’s key art, and much more can find it all HERE. That said, Nintendo is likely going to quickly wipe this from the Internet. So far though, this hasn’t happened nor has it said anything about this specific leak and its implications.

For more Pokemon coverage — including all of the latest Pokemon news, all of the latest Pokemon rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Pokemon deals — click here. Meanwhile, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think. Does this co-op multiplayer Pokemon game interest you?

The post New Pokemon Mutliplayer Game Footage Leaks Online appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Vampire Survivors has a nice surprise arriving on October 31st, as a new crossover has been announced. Halloween will see new content released based on Konami’s beloved Castlevania franchise, offering the game’s “biggest DLC to date.” Developer Poncle Games is promising at least 10 additional hours of gameplay, as players will discover over 40 new weapons, more than 30 music tracks, and a “massive” stage. Fans can also expect over 20 playable characters spanning the Castlevania franchise. In a trailer released today, Poncle offered a play on the original Super Smash Bros. Ultimate trailer, teasing that “everyone is here.”

The trailer for the Ode to Castlevania DLC can be found below.

The new Vampire Survivors DLC will arrive on most of the game’s platforms that day, including Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. The lone exception is Apple Arcade, which has not received any of the game’s collaborative DLC. For everyone else, the Ode to Castlevania DLC will retail for $3.99. Fans had been expecting some kind of an announcement today, as October 20th marked the two year anniversary of the game’s original 1.0 release. However, Poncle Games played down expectations, telling fans to expect “a few quality of life changes, bug fixes & improvements” announced. Instead, we’re getting a huge new DLC, with a crossover fans have been eagerly waiting for!

The new playable characters in the Ode to Castlevania DLC will include a metric ton of fan favorites. Lots of characters have been announced so far, including Simon and Richter Belmont, Charlotte Aulin, Maria Renard, John Morris, and many more. The new weapons will include several items closely affiliated with the Konami franchise, including whips, elemental magic, swords, shields, and glyphs. Last but certainly not least, the music tracks will include a mix of new compositions as well as “several dozen original Castlevania tracks.” The map itself also looks huge and imposing, and players can expect to run into several bosses as they make their way through it.

As anyone that has ever played Vampire Survivors knows, Castlevania had a major impact on the game. While the gameplay of Vampire Survivors is significantly different from Castlevania, the overall look and feel of the game was clearly inspired by the Konami series. Given that, it’s not surprising that a collaboration between the two franchises is finally happening! One of the long-running jokes about Vampire Survivors is the fact that the game has never actually had any vampires in it, despite its name. With all of these experienced vampire hunters coming to the game, it stands to reason that some vampires might actually appear right? For the time being, Poncle is playing coy about that possibility, so fans will just have to wait until next week to see what happens!

Are you excited to check out the Castlevania collaboration in Vampire Survivors? Do you think this DLC collaboration was long overdue? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Vampire Survivors x Castlevania Crossover Arriving on Halloween appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It looks like a Rockstar Games employee may have just leaked that Red Dead Redemption is coming to the PS5. Oddly enough, while Rockstar Games looks to potentially preparing a PS5 version of the first Red Dead Redemption game, it does not appear to be potentially doing the same for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

The leak comes courtesy of the LinkedIn profile of Emma Anderson, a production coordinator at Rockstar Games. Within her LinkedIn profile, Anderson notes working on Red Dead Redemption for both the Nintendo Switch and PS5. As you may know, the open-world western already came to Nintendo Switch last year, 2023. So, this part is not that interesting. It hasn’t come to PS5 though, so this part is.

There may be an explanation for this though. In 2023, Rockstar Games didn’t just port Red Dead Redemption to the Nintendo Switch, but the PS4 as well. To this end, it is possible this is nothing more than a mistake. In other words, it is quite possible Anderson meant PS4 and not PS5. This would also explain why there is no mention of Xbox consoles, as there is no need for the game to be ported to modern Xbox consoles because the Xbox 360 version is already playable on these machines via backward compatibility.

Further, now that the game can be played on PS5 — something that wasn’t the case until last year — via PS4 backward compatibility, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to straight port it to PS5. Unless Rockstar Games is going to further upgrade the game to take advantage of the PS5, there wouldn’t be much sense in porting the game to the console as the PS4 version is already available on PS5.

Unfortunately, right now, all we have is speculation. It seems like this is nothing more than a simple mistake from the Rockstar Games employee. However, there is no way to confirm this, and thus a PS5 version of Red Dead Redemption can not be ruled out currently. Likewise, it is also possible this is a typo for Red Dead Redemption 2, which could be Nintendo Switch and PS5 bound. This seems even more unlikely though.

At the moment of publishing, Rockstar Games has not commented on the matter in any capacity. We don’t suspect this to change for a variety of reasons, but if it does, we will be sure to update the story accordingly. In the meantime, take what speculation is here with a grain of salt.

H/T, Tech 4 Gamers.

The post Red Dead Redemption for PS5 Potentially Leaked appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Those on PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X who play Call of Duty have to dedicate a huge part of their storage to play and regularly update the app. Whether COD players are playing Call of Duty: Warzone, the latest Modern Warfare, are anticipating Black Ops 6, a substantial amount of storage has to be sacrificed and long download times suffered through. And it isn’t getting any better.

This morning, Call of Duty players across PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X have relayed word that the next Call of Duty update is available to pre-download. On PS5, this update is 52 GB, which is larger than most game downloads. On Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S though, it is even bigger, at least in some cases.

While PS5 fans need to prepared to wait a substantial amount of time to download the new Call of Duty update ahead of its release, some Xbox fans are going to have to wait about double the amount of time because the update on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles can be up to 112 GB. That said, the update is not actually this big on Xbox consoles. Rather, this is a known bug and is the result of the game redownloading itself. To this end, it is not this big for every Xbox user.

What does the update do? We don’t know. Activision has not revealed the details of the update, but it is no doubt preparing the app for the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. If this is the case, like many assume, it could explain the huge size of the update. Whatever the case, we will keep you updated if Activision provides more information.

In the meantime, for more Call of Duty coverage — including all of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 news, all of the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 speculation — click here. Meanwhile, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think.

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Prior to Switch, Nintendo would support two systems at a time: a console and a handheld. In those days, some series exclusively appeared on the company’s handhelds, including Mario & Luigi. Debuting on Game Boy Advance, the Mario & Luigi RPG series later saw games on DS and 3DS. While subsequent games took advantage of each platform’s improvements, keeping the games on those systems limited what could be done from a technical standpoint. Mario & Luigi: Brothership is the first game in the series to debut on Switch. After spending some time with the game, it already seems the jump to the platform has been beneficial to the series.

When Mario & Luigi: Brothership begins, our heroes find themselves mysteriously transported to the land of Concordia. Concordia is normally held together by plugs linked to the giant Uni-Tree and the flow of Connectar. However, these tethers have been mysteriously unplugged, which has resulted in Concordia splitting into several islands drifting in the ocean. It’s up to Mario and Luigi to reconnect these plugs and reunite the citizens of Concordia. In an interesting move, it seems players will have some freedom in how they explore Concordia and which islands they visit. Early in the game, Mario and Luigi are given the opportunity to choose between exploring Raynforest or Twistee as they seek out the character Willma’s family members. The game cautions players that “the story might change” depending on that choice, but it’s tough to say how much or how little an impact it will actually have on the narrative. Regardless, that flexibility should be a welcome inclusion, and I hope there’s more as the game continues.

For those new to the series, Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an RPG that incorporates action and platforming elements. Unlike Super Mario RPG or the Paper Mario series, players don’t meet a big cast of original party members that fight alongside Mario; Instead, Luigi has a co-starring role, playing an integral part in the story. Players control both characters in the game’s overworld, using their unique skills to solve various puzzles. Sometimes that means jumping, passing items to one another, or using “Luigi Logic” to send the younger brother to complete various tasks.

While exploring Concordia, Mario and Luigi will encounter enemies in the overworld, prompting a turn-based battle. The turn-based system in Mario & Luigi: Brothership also incorporates some rhythm-based elements as Mario and Luigi can inflict more damage on their foes by working together. For example, when attacking as Mario, the player is prompted to hit the ‘A’ button for Mario’s attack and then to press the ‘B’ button to help out as Luigi before ‘A’ one final time as Mario. Getting the timing right isn’t too tough, but the result is a more interactive battle system than some turn-based games, so the combat feels fun and fluid as a result. It also makes the battles a joy to watch as there’s a comedic element to the way the brothers flip through the air, or swing their hammers. Timing is also key when enemies attack as the brothers can avoid most attacks if they can figure out when to jump or dodge.

While stories usually take a backseat to the gameplay in most Mario adventures, the Mario & Luigi series has long been known for its strong writing and sense of humor. A big part of that humor comes from the titular heroes themselves. In classic Mario fashion, the brothers don’t speak all that much, so the developers convey their emotions through their facial expressions. This has been a staple of the series since Superstar Saga, but the developers really seem to be taking advantage of the jump to the Switch with Mario & Luigi: Brothership. Early into the game, Mario and Luigi both seem a lot more expressive than usual with comical exaggerations selling their shock, thoughtfulness, and even physical turmoil. The slapstick expressions look fantastic, far exceeding what we’ve seen from this series in the past, and outdoing any other Mario game on the platform. That includes Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which already felt like a step forward in terms of Mario animation.

The character animation isn’t the only area in which the graphics impress. Mario & Luigi: Brothership isn’t on the level of Tears of the Kingdom, but the developers have created a vibrant world and the early islands look impressive thus far. The water effects in particular look great which is vital for a game set in the middle of the ocean. Nearly eight years into the Switch’s lifespan, it’s great to see developers still finding ways to take advantage of the system’s abilities, and it makes me hope that we get to see this series continue when Nintendo’s next console launches. If this series looks this great now, it makes me all the more excited for a system with a little more horsepower.

A few hours in, Mario & Luigi: Brothership feels like a strong new entry in the series. All of the best elements from past games have been retained yet the developers are taking full advantage of the jump to Switch. The game is already funny and well animated, and it just feels great to have this series back after so many years. It remains to be seen whether the game will be able to stack up against the best the series has to offer, but Mario & Luigi: Brothership is off to a great start.

Are you excited to check out Mario & Luigi: Brothership? Have you played any previous games in the series? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Mario & Luigi: Brothership Preview: An Expressive Adventure appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Earlier this month, Nintendo announced a playtest for something new in development. At the time, details were nonexistent, but applications were open exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass subscribers. Nintendo reached its desired number of testers immediately, and the playtest is currently slated to begin on Wednesday, October 23rd. While the company has yet to reveal any kind of information about the playtest, leakers have already shared a bunch of details online. Apparently, this is a new massively multiplayer game in development from Nintendo. In the game, players must work together to place beacons that heal and purify the land, in order to develop it.

Images of the playtest details were shared on X/Twitter by user @ZikadaPrime and can be found in the post embedded below.

As the world gets developed, players will uncover new areas, which will have new enemies to encounter, and new resources that can be found. The character designs (which could be a placeholder) seem to be based on cavemen, but it’s hard to say based on the limited number of images. The screenshots also show that the game will have some kind of a hub called the Dev Core. In this area, players will be able to level up their characters, get items that can be used on the planet, and interact with other players.

At this time, additional details are extremely limited, but it’s possible we could learn more once the actual playtest gets underway later this week. We don’t know when Nintendo plans on releasing this game to the public, or how it will be offered. It’s possible that the game will be released as a full-priced Switch game, or it could be some kind of freebie offered to Expansion Pack tier subscribers. That wouldn’t be totally out of the question, as we’ve seen free online games like F-Zero 99 offered to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers over the years. Now that information is already leaking online, hopefully Nintendo will use the opportunity to lay out its plans to the general public.

No one has actually had an opportunity to play this new MMO game yet, so it’s far too early to tell how people feel about it. However, some Nintendo Switch Online subscribers are expressing some disappointment on social media; many were hoping that this playtest would revolve around a new feature for the service, or even a new classic gaming app, like the ones we’ve seen for NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, GBA, and Sega Genesis. Some actually thought Nintendo might be testing out GameCube games for the service. At the moment, Nintendo seems pretty content with focusing instead on remasters and ports of GameCube games, rather than a dedicated app, so fans that want to play those games are just going to have to settle for that!

Are you excited to check out this new game from Nintendo? Were you hoping for something else from this playtest? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Nintendo Switch Online Playtest Program Details Leaked appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Valve released the Steam Deck at the start of the 2022. While the handheld Valve machine has not challenged Nintendo’s complete and utter dominance of the handheld market, it has proven to be a success for Valve. And you would expect Valve to build upon this success, but it sounds like it is in no rush to get a Steam Deck 2 out.

According to Valve designer Lawrence Yang, Valve is not going to release the Steam Deck 2 just to release something that is a slight improvement to the current Steam Deck in the name of simply getting another piece of hardware on the market. Rather, Valve is — according to Yang — prepared to wait until a proper generational leap is available; only then will the Steam Deck 2 release. Right now, this is not possible with the Steam Deck 2, hence why a successor isn’t currently out, but this could change over time.

“It is important to us, and we’ve tried to be really clear, we are not doing the yearly cadence,” said Yang speaking to Reviews. “We’re not going to do a bump every year. There’s no reason to do that. And, honestly, from our perspective, that’s kind of not really fair to your customers to come out with something so soon that’s only incrementally better. So we really do want to wait for a generational leap in compute without sacrificing battery life before we ship the real second generation of Steam Deck. But it is something that we’re excited about and we’re working on.”

Yang says Valve is “working on” the second generation of the Steam Deck, but it is unclear in what capacity. It sounds like the tech isn’t there right now, so it is presumably more in a conceptual and prototyping capacity. However, this is not exactly clear. Whatever the case, it doesn’t sound like the Steam Deck 2 is on the horizon. While it isn’t on the horizon though, it is something Valve is clearly committed to releasing. In other words it’s not a matter of if with the Steam Deck 2, but when.

For more coverage on all things Steam Deck and all things Steam in general — including all of the latest Steam Deck news, all of the latest Steam Deck rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Steam Deck deals — click here.

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Nintendo has released the second ever The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom update via Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED. Unfortunately, the second update to the new Zelda game doesn’t do much to the September-released Switch exclusive. Meanwhile, what it does do isn’t very noteworthy.

As the official patch notes for Update 1.02 reveal, the new patch does three things, all of which are just fixing issues with the game. There is no new content, new features, or meaningful improvements to the Nintendo Switch game.

While we have the patch notes below, Nintendo has not provided information about the file size of the update. In other words, we have no concrete information about how long The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will take to download. It is presumably a smaller file size, and thus a quick and easy download, but this is just speculation based on the brevity of the patch notes and the lack of new content, the latter of which usually contributes to larger file sizes for game updates.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Update 1.02 Patch Notes

• Fixed an issue where an invisible wall at the entrance to Goron City would impede progress during a Main Quest at Eldin Volcano.
• Fixed an issue at a particular location where the player could target empty space, then bind to that target and pull in a way that would impede progress.
• Fixed various issues to create a smoother gaming experience.

And that is all The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Update 1.02 does to the new Zelda game. As for when the game’s next update will release, or its first meaningful update, we don’t know. Presumably before the end of the year, but this is just speculation.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is available via the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch only. For more coverage on the latest Zelda game — including all of the Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom news, all of the latest Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom deals — click here.

The post The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Second Update Live With Patch Notes appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The current expectation among a majority of Nintendo fans and the Internet at large is that the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal date is around the corner, with the Nintendo Switch 2 release date not far behind it. More specifically, the expectation — primarily based on rumors — is that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be revealed this year, and then release within the first half of 2025, possibly the first quarter of the year. Time is running out for both of these things to happen, especially the latter. Meanwhile, new evidence may actually confirm the latter just isn’t happening at all.

The latest rumor comes from a hidden post on Famiboards, which has been a source for an increasing number of rumors and leaks. Over on the website, user RandomlyRandom67 reveals details on component shipments they believe are for the upcoming Nintendo console. And these shipments seem to reveal that the console did not enter mass production back in August, as many thought it did, and this hasn’t changed. Naturally, this has big implications for a release date.

If the Nintendo Switch 2 has not entered mass production yet, a release in Q1 2025 seems unlikely. Not only would this be a quick turnaround, but could lead to serious supply constraints at launch, which Nintendo won’t want. If the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t enter mass production very soon, in fact, a release in the first half of 2025 also seems unlikely.

The good news, based on shipments, is it does seem Nintendo Switch 2 production is ramping up, which could indicate mass production is on the horizon, but right now the numbers trickling out do not indicate mass production has commenced yet.

Of course, when a console enters mass production, the chances of it leaking increases. To this end, it has been suggested that Nintendo is currently stockpiling components, preparing to enter mass production when the console is revealed. If this is true, it increases the odds of a Nintendo Switch 2 release date in the first half of 2025, otherwise it is very possible this machine won’t arrive until holiday 2025 at the earliest because Nintendo surely won’t release it too close or during the summer. If it did, it would buck industry norms and standards.

All of that said, take everything here with a grain of salt. Right now, all we have are rumors and speculation. Many Nintendo Switch 2 rumors claim the console is going to be revealed this year, but so many previous Nintendo Switch 2 rumors have been wrong. To this end, it is anyone’s best guess what will happen next.

The post Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date Update Is Not Want Fans Expected appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The newest Xbox Series X consoles have a secret upgrade on the launch Xbox Series X consoles and any other Series X console that came between the Series X launch and now. More specifically, Xbox fans who join the Xbox Series X family late, with a purchase of one of the following two consoles — the Xbox Series X – 1TB Digital Edition in Robot White and the Xbox Series X – 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition — will enjoy a benefit earlier adopters don’t have.

What is so different about these two new Xbox Series X consoles compared to previous consoles? Well, on the surface level nothing more than the storage size and paint job. However, the components they are built with are also actually different.

Where previous Xbox Series X consoles came with a 7nm chip, the new Xbox Series X consoles above, and presumably going forward, will have a 6nm chip. Now, I know what you’re thinking: so what? Well, this actually will have a tangible impact on the performance of the machines, at least in theory.

The new Xbox Series X consoles with the 6nm chip should not only consume less power as a result, but produce less heat, and thus also require less cooling. This also means less overheating, something the Xbox Series X can struggle with at times and will struggle with more and more as the generation goes on, as the console gets older, and games get more technically demanding.

Now, this is fairly common in console development. Over the course of the generation, console hardware is revised to be cheaper and more efficient. So, this isn’t a huge surprise this has happened. However, it has come as a surprise to many Xbox fans because Microsoft has not advertised the change at all.

Whether the reduction in power consumption, overheating, and cooling will be noticeable on the consumer end, we don’t know. This hasn’t been put to the test yet. However, whether noticeable or not, all three of these things will exist with the new Xbox Series X consoles. And this will presumably be the case with all future Xbox consoles as well. Unless this was simply the result of a shortage of 7nm chips, which is very unlikely, for a variety of reasons, this will be the standard going forward.

For more Xbox Series X coverage — including all of the latest Xbox Series X news, all of the latest Xbox Series X rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Xbox Series X deals — click here.

The post Newest Xbox Series X Has a Secret Upgrade on Launch Series X Consoles appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Konami and Bloober Team have released a new Silent Hill 2 update — titled Update 1.04 — via PS5 and PC (Steam). Alongside releasing the update, Konami and Bloober Team have also released the patch notes for the new Silent Hill 2 Update 1.04, which in turn reveals and details everything the update does. And according to the lengthy patch notes of the update, it does a lot.

Unfortunately, while Konami and Bloober Team have released the patch notes for the new update, which can be seen below, they have not provided any information about what the file size of the download is.

That said, Silent Hill 2 owners who boot up the game, whether on PS5 or PC, should make sure the bottom right of the game top screen says v.1.1.242,185. If it doesn’t you are playing an outdated version of the horror game.

PS5 PATCH NOTES

• Fixed some rare crash in AI.
• Fixed some rare crash with texture binding.
• Fixed some rare crash in streaming.
• Fixed some rare crash in audio portal update.
• Fixed an issue with the option of switching In Game Motion Blur.
• Fixed an issue with translation for UI “High” preset not being translated and displayed correctly.
• Fixed an issue with Wooden Plank appearing during James’ death animation.
• Fixed streaming issue where staring at the walls inside the Grand Market caused problems with loading all of the environment around James.
• Fixed an issue where interacting with the wrong side of the peephole in Brookhaven Hospital teleported James to the other side.
• Fixed an issue where breaking windows near Neely’s Bar got James stuck in the window frame.
• Fixed an issue that allowed James to access the inaccessible balcony in Blue Creek Apartments.
• Fixed an issue with Abstract Daddy’s behavior during boss fight where the enemy was not hitting James properly.
• Fixed multiple issues with Abstract Daddy’s 3rd TV – it should now have the correct audio, and the wall won’t interfere with its position.
• Fixed an issue with a question mark from the Conference Room not disappearing after obtaining Cinderella figurine in Lakeview Hotel.
• Fixed an issue with collision detection with the Dayroom walls in Brookhaven Hospital.
• Fixed an issue where James was falling under the map when approaching Laura entering Brookhaven Hospital from the bushes on the left.
• Removed debug numbers displayed behind wallpapers in Blue Creek Apartments’ Clock Room.
• Resolved an issue with James not being able to leave the 3F corridor in the Lakeview Hotel.
• Fixed an issue with the lightbulb on the 3rd floor of Blue Creek Apartments constantly switching on and being impervious to destruction.
• Resolved an issue with the small coffee table blocking James in the corner of the room located in Woodside Apartments.
• Fixed an issue where after completing the Disgust Path in Labyrinth, the player was forced to do it all over again.
• Fixed an issue with Spider Mannequins getting stuck when attacking James while he is going through squeeze traversal.
• Fixed an issue with James getting stuck in the window frame while attacking Lying Figures located outside of the window.
• Added more natural movement for James when switching weapons while aiming.
• Fixed an issue with triggering Spider Mannequin event on Fear Path in the Labyrinth multiple times.
• Improved the ability to pick up items during the final boss fight.
• Fixed an issue with picture frames overlapping in the Moth Room.
• Improved the deformation of Nurses’ skirts.
• Fixed an issue occurring when displaying the information about unlocking NewGame+ which didn’t appear in the player’s chosen language.
• Fixed visible unloading of the door of an abandoned garage in the west side of South Vale.
• Fixed question mark on the map during Chute Puzzle in Woodside Apartments.

Steam Patch Notes

• Reduced visual glitches when using the latest version of NVIDIA DLSS.
• Added an option to enable DLSS frame generation in the menu when using DLSS for supersampling.
• NVIDIA Reflex is now active when DLSS frame generation is enabled.
• Added support for AMD FSR 3.1.1.
• Added an option to enable AMD Fluid Motion Frames in the menu when using FSR 3.1 for supersampling.
• Updated Intel Nanites to support upcoming driver updates.
• Improved performance and optimization for Steam Deck.
• Fixed stuttering issues related to sky map generation.
• Added an option to enable/disable HZB culling to fix stuttering on some AMD/Intel GPUs.
• All graphic settings should be saved locally.
• Fixed an issue with translation for UI “High” preset not being translated and displayed correctly.
• Fixed an issue with Wooden Plank appearing during James’ death animation.
• Fixed streaming issue where staring at the walls inside the Grand Market caused problems with loading all of the environment around James.
• Fixed an issue where interacting with the wrong side of the peephole in Brookhaven Hospital teleported James to the other side.
• Fixed an issue where breaking windows near Neely’s Bar got James stuck in the window frame.
• Fixed an issue that allowed James to access the inaccessible balcony in Blue Creek Apartments.
• Fixed an issue with Abstract Daddy’s behavior during boss fight where the enemy was not hitting James properly.
• Fixed multiple issues with Abstract Daddy’s 3rd TV – it should now have the correct audio, and the wall won’t interfere with its position.
• Fixed an issue with a question mark from the Conference Room not disappearing after obtaining Cinderella figurine in Lakeview Hotel.
• Fixed an issue with collision detection with the Dayroom walls in Brookhaven Hospital.
• Fixed an issue where James was falling under the map when approaching Laura entering Brookhaven Hospital from the bushes on the left.
• Removed debug numbers displayed behind wallpapers in Blue Creek Apartments’ Clock Room.
• Resolved an issue with James not being able to leave the 3F corridor in the Lakeview Hotel.
• Fixed an issue with the lightbulb on the 3rd floor of Blue Creek Apartments constantly switching on and being impervious to destruction.
• Resolved an issue with the small coffee table blocking James in the corner of the room located in Woodside Apartments.
• Fixed an issue where after completing the Disgust Path in Labyrinth, the player was forced to do it all over again.
• Fixed an issue with Spider Mannequins getting stuck when attacking James while he is going through squeeze traversal.
• Fixed an issue with James getting stuck in the window frame while attacking Lying Figures located outside of the window.
• Added more natural movement for James when switching weapons while aiming.
• Fixed an issue with triggering Spider Mannequin event on Fear Path in the Labyrinth multiple times.
• Improved the ability to pick up items during the final boss fight.
• Fixed an issue with picture frames overlapping in the Moth Room.
• Improved the deformation of Nurses’ skirts.
• Fixed an issue occurring when displaying the information about unlocking NewGame+ which didn’t appear in the player’s chosen language.
• Fixed visible unloading of the door of an abandoned garage in the west side of South Vale.
• Fixed question mark on the map during Chute Puzzle in Woodside Apartments.

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Dragon Ball has introduced Gohan Black to its universe with a huge shake up, and it turns out that the newest villain has fixed one of the worst issues about Goku Black in the process. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero opened up all sorts of possibilities for the Dragon Ball franchise as it offers a special new story for Gohan that imagines how things could have gone differently if he had kept up his training during Dragon Ball Super and eventually became the strongest fighter in Universe 7. This would lead to him eventually fighting his strongest foe yet, which was an evil version of himself from the distant future.

Dragon Ball’s canon got shaken up with Gohan not only being capable of handling his own against Frieza during the Resurrection F arc, but defeating Golden Frieza at full power as well. Eventually getting recognized as the strongest fighter of Universe 7, Gohan faces an evil version of himself from the future in place of Goku Black in the main timeline. For all intents and purposes, Gohan Black and Goku Black play the same kind of role in the overall Future Trunks arc. But there’s one key difference between the two that fixes one of the big issues that fans had about Goku Black…his voice.

Gohan Black Improves on Goku Black’s Biggest Issue

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero shakes up the Future Trunks arc in a huge way with Gohan Black being the main villain instead of Goku Black. It’s the same character at its core as Zamasu used the Dragon Balls to take over Gohan’s body, and in that timeline wiped out Videl and Pan instead of taking over Goku to kill Chichi and Goten. There aren’t any significant changes to the character’s role in the story, but swapping Goku’s place with Gohan already makes a massive shift with the fact that Gohan is allowed to play more of a role in Future Trunks’ story as a result of his new involvement.

The other key difference because of the swapping out Gohan for Goku comes through their performances as well. In the English dubbed release, Gohan voice actor Kyle Hebert provides the Gohan Black voice much like how Goku voice star Sean Schemmel voiced his own evil counterpart. Schemmel’s take on the character caused a bit of a debate among Dragon Ball fans, however, as Schemmel’s take on a Zamasu possessed Goku spoke with an English accent. But Hebert’s Gohan Black didn’t go this route and instead speaks like a darker, haughtier take on Gohan as fans would have expected from the character.

Gohan Black Changes Things for the Better

This change in performance helps to make Gohan Black stand out even more from his canonical counterpart. It’s a change in vibe for the arc as Gohan’s inclusion seems like one of those big missed opportunities from Dragon Ball Super. Dragon Ball teased that Gohan could become stronger than his father one day, but he instead chose to study and became the weaker version of the fighter that fans saw in the canon. So it meant when Future Trunks showed up and needed help, Gohan was nowhere near the area.

It would have been a much more fulfilling arc for Future Trunks is if the alternate timeline version of his late mentor was able to fight by his side rather than just living his life in peace. While that was a good sight to see for Trunks, but Gohan being able to contribute to the fight would have hit so much harder. It’s especially notable when Goku and Trunks help out as well as they would have stood aside while their respective sons delivered the final blow to the fused god. Now maybe this villain will pop up in the anime or manga’s future in some way.

The post Dragon Ball Fixes One of Goku Black’s Worst Traits With Gohan Black appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new Nintendo Switch Online tease from Nintendo itself has put GameCube fans on alert, though they may be looking too much into said tease. The expectation is that following the N64, the next home console coming to Nintendo Switch Online is the GameCube. The question for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers has always been when GameCube games will be added to Switch Online, not if.

The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 complicates matters though. The next Nintendo console is expected to release next year, and based on previous teases from Nintendo, a plethora of rumors and reports, and recent leaks of the hardware itself, the next Nintendo console is a successor to the Switch.

What does this mean for Nintendo Switch Online? Well, it will presumably continue as is. If this happens, then the next console to Switch Online will have to be added. What better time would there be to introduce GameCube games to Switch Online than when you release the next Nintendo Switch console? Well, the aforementioned tease may be getting at just that.

To celebrate the three-year anniversary of Nintendo Switch Online, subscribers have been receiving emails about said anniversary from Nintendo. The contents of the email aren’t interesting minus the very last part of it: “What excitement will the next year bring for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members? Stay tuned to find out!”

Now, this is probably just generic marketing speak. However, the stars do seem to be aligning for GameCube games to finally be added to Nintendo Switch Online. However, if this tease is indicative of that, then it is presumably also indicative of GameCube games being locked behind the Expansion Pack tier just like N64 games, which would disappoint many Nintendo fans.

For now, all we have is speculation. While the tease confirms that Nintendo Switch Online will continue in 2025, and thus presumably continue with the Nintendo Switch 2, this is about all it confirms.

For more Nintendo Switch Online coverage — including all of the latest Nintendo Switch Online news, all of the latest Nintendo Switch Online rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Nintendo Switch Online deals — click here.

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Recently, Game Freak was hacked. This, in turn, has flooded the Internet with Pokemon leaks. This includes leaks on upcoming Pokemon games, such as Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Gen 10. It also includes leaks on Pokemon games from yesteryear. In totality, it is one of the biggest leaks in gaming history, amplified by the fact Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, and Nintendo have always been very closed off and secretive when it comes to Pokemon and the development that goes behind it. The curtain has been pulled back though.

One leak, in particular, that caught the attention of Pokemon fans involves Pokemon Ruby, Pokemon Sapphire, and Pokemon Emerald. More specifically, one of the many Gen 3 leaks revealed that at one point there was a bunny Pokemon called Warabbit that was set to be one of the three starter Pokemon as the water representation. When this plan was abandoned and the Pokemon replaced with Mudkip, we don’t know, but obviously this happened at some point, but not before Warabbit was designed for the game.

As you would expect, many Pokemon fans were crestfallen to find out the water bunny with a water floatie was scrapped. That said, Mudkip is one of the more popular starters of all time so it seems Game Freak ultimately made the right call. However, some Pokemon fans on Reddit are dreaming of the parallel universe where this replacement never happened.

“I love Mudkip, I really do . But how this guy didn’t make into the final product ,at least as it’s own thing is wild to me,” writes one Pokemon fan. “Bro was discovered four days ago and already became iconic,” reads another comment.

Those who have been paying attention to the leaks will know a metric ton of scrapped Pokemon have leaked, yet none have garnered the attention Warabbit has. Whether this is because Warabbit was a starter or simply because fans like the design that much, is hard to say.

For more Pokemon coverage — including all of the latest Pokemon news, all of the latest Pokemon rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Pokemon speculation — click here.

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The first free PlayStation Plus game of 2025 has been revealed. In 2025, PlayStation fans have both Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Ghost of Yotei to look forward to. In addition to this, Marvel’s Wolverine, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Fairgame$ are also all unaccounted for and could end up releasing in 2025 as well. Meanwhile, the most anticipated video game of all time — GTA 6 — is set to come out as well.

2025 is going to be a busy, expensive year for PS5 gamers. So expensive that any opportunity to save money will no doubt be a welcome one. Of course, PlayStation Plus costs money upfront, but it represents an opportunity to save a considerable amount of money on a wide range of games. However, the savings largely vanish if you are in the business of playing games at release.

Unlike Xbox Game Pass though, day one games aren’t very common on PlayStation Plus. There are some notable day one PlayStation Plus games each year, but not many. The first PlayStation Plus game announced for 2025 is a day one PS Plus game though.

Those on PS5 planning on picking up FBC: Firebreak when it releases in 2025 will be able to play the game right at release, for no charge, if they have a PS Plus account. The only catch is it will be limited to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium. In other words, it will not be available via PS Plus Essential, the standard tier of the subscription service. Meanwhile, how long it will be available via PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium is also unknown. It is a limited time addition, but that is all we know.

For those unfamiliar with the game, FBC: Firebreak is a cooperative first-person shooter and a Control spin-off from Remedy Entertainment, who, in addition to Control, is best known for the Alan Wake series.

“FBC: Firebreak is a cooperative first-person shooter set within a mysterious federal agency under assault by otherworldly forces,” reads an official blurb about the game for everyone who knows nothing about it. “As a years-long siege on the agency’s headquarters reaches its boiling point, only Firebreak—the Bureau’s most versatile unit—has the gear and the guts to plunge into the building’s strangest crises, restore order, and blast their way back from the brink.”

For more PlayStation Plus coverage — including all of the latest PS Plus news, all of the latest PS Plus rumors and leaks, and all of the latest PS Plus deals — click here.

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One of 2024’s top rated Steam games is on sale for just $1.33, with proceeds set to go charity. The deal specifically comes the way of Humble Bundle, who is set to donate the proceeds specifically to World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that addresses food insecurity around the world during and after natural disasters and humanitarian crises.

Because the deal comes via Humble Bundle though, this deal is only available as part of a bundle that requires you to pay $4 for three Steam games, $10 for five Steam games, or $12 for seven Steam games. The cheapest route to the game game is no doubt the $4 bundle route, which effectively means paying $1.33 for each game inside.

One of these three games is Lone Ruin, which is a bit of a toss away, but the other two are quite good and quite popular. One of these is 2017’s Ruiner. And the other game is 2024’s Windowkill.

Developed and self-published by Torcado, Windowkill released back on February 23, 2024, and it is apparently quite good. To this end, it boasts an “Overwhelmingly Positive” Steam User Review score, thanks a 96 percent approval rating across 1,827 user reviews. With this rating, it is among the highest rated games released on Steam this year.

“Windowkill is a twin-stick shooter, but the game window itself is constantly closing in on you,” reads an official description of the game on Steam, for those unfamiliar with it. “This game is experimental, your screen itself is the play area. Windows move and shift around on your screen as you play.”

Those interested in checking this game out now that it is dirt cheap should expect an experience that can be beaten in about 90 minutes. However, those who want to engage with the side content will want more like seven hours with the game.

Meanwhile, those on Steam Deck who are thinking about checking this out should be warned that the game’s Steam page lists Steam Deck compatibility as “unknown.” It could run perfectly on Steam Deck or not at all, or likely somewhere in-between. Right now though, we don’t know.

For more coverage on Steam — including all of the latest Steam news, all of the latest Steam rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Steam deals — click here.

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Baldur’s Gate games are currently ridiculously cheap via Fanatical. Because the deal comes the way of Fanatical, which deals in Steam keys, there is nothing here for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch owners. For Steam users though, there is considerable savings to be had.

What is — unfortunately — not included in the deals are Baldur’s Gate 3. It will be many, many years before Baldur’s Gate 3 could be as cheap as a couple dollars, if it will ever be this cheap. This is how cheap the first two games in the series are though, at least for the next 24 hours, as the deal is set to expire on October 21.

More specifically, Fanatical right now has Baldur’s Gate I & II Pack for $3.99, down considerably from its normal $39.99 price point. This means paying only $2 for each of Baldur’s Gate and its sequel.

BALDUR’S GATE: ENHANCED EDITION

“Explore the Sword Coast in its entirety, as well as the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack, and never-before-seen content including a new adventure and three new party members – Calishite monk Rasaad yn Bashir, Neera the wild mage, and Dorn Il-Khan the evil blackguard. Choose from 25-player companions and enjoy both single-player and online multiplayer adventures.”

BALDUR’S GATE II: ENHANCED EDITION

“Explore the tactical depth of high-level Dungeons & Dragons combat in this ‘Very Positive’ Steam-rated fantasy RPG. Turn your captors against each other while you dodge traps and battle for your life against Demi-Liches, Mind Flayers, and the legendary Githyanki. Revamped and including both single-player and online co-op, Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition features hundreds of improvements and features that bring the game to life. Travel to Tethyr in this thrilling conclusion to the Bhaalspawn saga, and delve into the treasure-filled halls of Watcher’s Keep!”

It is worth noting that this deal not only expires tomorrow but is contingent on supplies not running out. This means, hypothetically, supplies could run out before the timer runs out, but right now 95 percent of supply remains available, so this is unlikely to occur. If it does though, we will update the story accordingly.

The post Baldur’s Gate Games as Cheap as $2 Thanks to Huge Discount appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is now available on Nintendo Switch, and it marks the first game in the series that does not feature the voice talents of actor Charles Martinet. After decades of voicing Mario, Martinet stepped away from the franchise in 2023. New Mario voice actor Kevin Afghani took over the role with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and can be heard once again in the new Mario Party. In a post on X/Twitter, Afghani talked briefly about how much the Mario Party series has meant to him, calling it “surreal” to hear his voice in the newest entry.

“Hearing my voice in a Mario Party game is surreal,” Afghani wrote on X/Twitter. “A pillar of my childhood has a tiny piece of me and that is so special.”

Presumably Afghani is also the voice actor for Wario in the game, as he voiced the character in WarioWare: Move It! last year. In a follow-up post, Afghani confirmed that Super Mario Party Jamboree marks his debut as the new voice actor for Waluigi, another role previously held by Martinet. Afghani notes that voicing Waluigi “was probably the most fun I have ever had in the booth.”

Charles Martinet’s voice work has been heard in some Switch games this year, including the remaster of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. While Martinet will no longer be heard in wholly new Mario games, Nintendo has no plans to record new lines for remasters of existing games. Martnet still seems to have a good relationship with Nintendo, now serving as a “Mario ambassador” for the company. We don’t know exactly what that entails, but he will continue to appear at conventions in an official capacity. No real reason has ever been given for the change from Martinet to Afghani, but the latter actor has largely stuck to the voice Martinet crafted for Nintendo’s characters. While there are some differences that can be heard, fans could be forgiven for assuming that Martinet is still voicing these roles, given the vocal similarities.

While Super Mario Party Jamboree was just released on Friday, it won’t be too long before Mario fans get another chance to hear Afghani as Mario. Mario & Luigi: Brothership is set to be released on Nintendo Switch November 7th, marking the first new game in the RPG series in nine years. As of this writing, that’s the only confirmed Mario game currently in development. However, rumors have been circulating about a successor to Super Mario Odyssey, which will launch alongside Nintendo’s next video game console. We don’t have any specific details at the moment, but the system will be officially revealed at some point before Nintendo’s current fiscal year ends in March 2025. It’s a safe bet that when the system is revealed, a new Mario game won’t be far behind!

Have you played Super Mario Party Jamboree yet? How do you feel about Kevin Afghani’s voice work so far? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Super Mario Party Jamboree Actor Says It’s “Surreal” Hearing His Voice in the Game appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Nintendo fans have been warned to be careful with their Wii U consoles, which have been described, by some, as “a ticking time bomb.” Of course, the problem with video game consoles is their components can fail them over time. And as consoles have gotten more complicated, and perhaps as console manufactures increasingly cut corners to save on costs, this has become more and more a problem. To this end, hardware from the 90s and early 2000s actually has a better chance of standing strong over the test of time compared to consoles made in the 2010s and now the 2020s as well.

To this end, Nintendo fans have been warned about Wii U consoles dying, despite the console only releasing roughly a decade ago. The warning doesn’t come directly from Nintendo but owners of the last-gen Nintendo machine. More specifically, it comes from retro specialists, Retro Blast.

According to Retro Blast — and others — the Wii U has a major issue, and that issue rears its ugly head when left without power for too long. More specifically, when left without power for too long, the Wii U runs the risk of dying from memory corruption. When this happens, users will be met with the screen below.

This is a known issue, and apparently it impacts different Wii Us differently depending on what internal chip it has. In the development of the Wii U, Nintendo used a variety of manufactures, including: Toshiba, Hynix, and Samsung. And it is believed that Hynix chips are the most prone to failure. Specific to the Wii U, the black version is also believed to be more prone than other versions because of its use of the Hynix chips.

“The Wii U is a ticking time bomb. I hate to say it. It’s still a great console, despite underperforming…. [but] because of modern gaming hardware and features, modern consoles won’t have the same lifespan,” says Retro Blast.

Those interested in checking if their Wii U lives or not should not simply boot it up, see the main menu loaded, and assume there is nothing wrong. Owners are advised to run games or apps because sometimes the message is delayed and only spawns after doing this. Meanwhile, those interested in seeing what chip their console has can check as much here.

As noted the new black Wii Us are believed to be particularly susceptible to the failure. On the contrary, those with one of the launch white Wii Us will be relieved to hear that is is believed to have fewer issues than the models that came after it.

At the moment of publishing, Nintendo has not commented on any of this in any capacity. We don’t suspect this will change for a variety of reasons, but if it does, we will be sure to update the story accordingly.

The post Nintendo Fans Warned About Their Wii U Consoles: “A Ticking Time Bomb” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Sonic x Shadow Generations isn’t set to be released for a few more days, but the game has started to leak online. As a result, fans have seen some of the changes that are in store from the original version of Sonic Generations, and some fans are happier than others. One change that has been revealed includes an exchange between Sonic and Amy. In the original, when Sonic discovers a surprise party for his birthday, the blue blur isn’t too nice to Amy, covering her face with his hand. In the new version, Sonic no longer does that, and Amy can be seen holding out a pair of pink and blue cupcakes.

Images of the changes were shared on X/Twitter by user @sonicas0, and the comparison can be found in the embed below.

Fans have been pretty divided over this change. On the positive side, Sonic is less of a jerk than he was in the original version. A big part of Amy’s early characterization is that she was shown to be obsessed with Sonic, while he would rebuke her advances, sometimes cruelly. The slight tweak makes Sonic come across kinder towards her, while her advances are more subtle. That’s something that a lot of Sonic fans have wanted for years now; Sega isn’t going to suddenly pair the two characters up, but fans have long argued in favor of making Sonic kinder to Amy. Clearly, this is a step in that direction!

All of this also makes sense given how Sega has been trying to convey Sonic across various media. Sonic’s earlier attitude has been toned down a bit over the years, making him a little softer and friendlier. It’s kind of hard to imagine Sonic shoving his hand in the face of one of his friends these days, making that moment outdated when compared with recent Sonic games. However, some fans have argued that Sega is now depriving Amy of the elements that made her stand out as a character in the first place. The argument is that Amy had more definition when she was head over heels for Sonic, and making that subdued makes her less interesting. Given that, some fans actually preferred the original version of this sequence in Sonic Generations.

As the Sonic franchise continues to grow in popularity, it’s likely we’ll see Sega continue finding ways to modernize these characters and make them more accessible to audiences of all ages. If it helps these characters endure and find new fans, that’s certainly a good thing! Sonic and Amy aren’t alone in that regard; Sega has also toned down Shadow quite a bit in recent years. Sega has noted that we probably won’t see the character wielding guns like he did in Shadow the Hedgehog, and that’s another change that’s likely for the better!

How do you feel about this change in Sonic x Shadow Generations? Do you approve of the way Sega is tweaking the Sonic characters? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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Xbox Game Pass subscribers across Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X claim there is an RPG available in the subscription as good as Baldur’s Gate 3. The RPG in question hails from 2020, three years before the release of Baldur’s Gate 3. In 2020, the likes of The Last of Us Part 2, Hades, Ghost of Tsushima, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Genshin Impact, DOOM Eternal, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Persona 5 Royal, Half-Life: Alyx, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Demon’s Souls, Crusader Kings 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Spelunky 2, and Call of Duty: Warzone headlined what was a fairly stacked year for game releases.

In a year like 2020, some releases undoubtedly fly under the radar. According to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Reddit, one of these games is Wasteland 3 from developer inXile Entertainment and publisher Deep Silver. Before the release of the game, Xbox acquired the former, but the game did end up being published not by it, but Deep Silver.

Upon release, the game garnered an 85 on Metacritic. It didn’t light the world on fire commercially though, which is perhaps why under Xbox inXile Entertainment has shifted to a different, new IP.

Those interested in playing the sequel to 2014’s Wasteland 2, which was a sequel to 1988’s Wasteland, can do so for free via Xbox Game Pass as long as you have a PC, Standard, or Ultimate subscription. In the libraries of these versions of Xbox Game Pass, it is a permanent addition. It is not available via Xbox Game Pass Core though.

“Everyone should play Wasteland 3,” reads one of the top posts on the Xbox Game Pass Reddit page right now. “I barely ever hear about Wasteland 3. Hell, I have had Game Pass since 2020 and look up this sub for recommendations and nobody talks about it. I’m 30 hours in, and I can say it is almost as good as Baldurs Gate 3. The writing, the characters, the comedy is pure gold. If you guys like CRPGs, this one is a must.”

“Wasteland 3 is very underrated,” reads one of the top comments on the post. “One of my favorite CRPGs ever. Shoutout to the soundtrack also they have some real bangers in there, some church hymns remixed as creepy post apocalyptic cult songs, it’s amazing!”

“In Wasteland 3 you take command of a squad of Desert Rangers, lawmen and women in a post-nuclear world, trying to rebuild society from the ashes,” reads an official blurb about the game for those unfamiliar with it. “More than a century after the bombs fell, you’re fighting a losing battle to keep your beloved Arizona alive. Then the self-proclaimed Patriarch of Colorado radios, promising aid if you’ll do a job he can only entrust to an outsider—rescue his land from the ambitions of his three bloodthirsty children.”

Those who do decide to check out Wasteland 3 based on these recommendations, be prepared to set aside 35 to 50 hours to beat the game, with the variance coming down to how much side content you engage with. Meanwhile, completionists will need closer to 70 hours with the game.

The post Xbox Game Pass RPG Is as Good as Baldur’s Gate 3, Say Subscribers appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Xbox fans have been begging for years to see the return of Banjo-Kazooie, but the possibility of a new game might be less likely than ever. During a recent event to promote Microsoft Flight Simulator, attendees were apparently asked about which franchises they would like to see return in the future. The event was attended by YouTuber Puerta al Sotano, who replied that he’d like to see Banjo-Kazooie make a comeback. Apparently this prompted a response from Aaron Greenberg, the VP of marketing at Xbox Games. Puerta al Sotano reports that Greenberg’s response was that “nobody cares about Banjo-Kazooie.”

It’s worth noting that Greenberg has said nothing about this exchange on social media, and we could be lacking greater context. It’s possible Greenberg was simply making an off-hand joke, given the sheer number of people that have requested a new Banjo-Kazooie over the last 15 years or so. It’s also possible that Greenberg was being serious, and doesn’t think that the series has the kind of pull it did when it first made its debut. If the latter is the case, he’s certainly entitled to that opinion! However, without being in attendance, there’s no real way of knowing the context of his comments.

The original Banjo-Kazooie was released in 1998 on Nintendo 64. The game was a big success on the system, prompting developer Rare to create a sequel called Banjo-Tooie just two years later. In 2002, Nintendo made the decision to sell Rare to Microsoft, alongside the Banjo-Kazooie IP. After releasing a couple Banjo games on Game Boy Advance and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts on Xbox 360, the franchise was effectively shelved. Fans got some renewed hope in 2019 when Banjo and Kazooie appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable guest fighter; a deal was struck between Microsoft and Nintendo to allow the characters to appear, and the news was met with a lot of excitement among fans of the series. Following that announcement, rumors started to circulate that Microsoft was testing the waters to make a new Banjo-Kazooie game, but five years have now passed, and things aren’t looking too good.

While Banjo-Kazooie was a big deal at one point, it’s hard to say how the series would make a comeback. Several of the original game’s developers have left Rare over the years, founding the company Playtonic. While Playtonic does not have the rights to make Banjo-Kazooie games, the developer has created a spiritual successor known as Yooka-Laylee. The Yooka-Laylee games have borrowed a number of elements from past Rare games, and a remaster of Yooka-Laylee is currently in development. It might not be quite what Banjo-Kazooie fans have been hoping for, but in the absence of a new game, it will have to do for the time being!

Would you like to see Banjo-Kazooie return? Do you think the ship has sailed on the series? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: ResetEra]

The post Xbox Exec Reportedly Claims “Nobody Cares” About a Banjo-Kazooie Return appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new Nintendo Switch 2 leak surfaced online this weekend. The leak — a drawing based on a leaked image – supposedly reveals what the console looks like, what the new dock looks like, and what the console’s stand looks like. As you would expect, the console more or less looks just like the current Nintendo Switch. To this end, the dock also looks very similar, though perhaps a bit more rounded than the current dock. What looks different, based on the drawing, is the stand.

Those who bought the original, standard Nintendo Switch will know it has the most dainty little built-in stand of all time. It is far from sufficient, which is why it got an upgrade with the release of the Nintendo Switch OLED, but even this stand left plenty of room for improvement.

To this end, it looks like Nintendo knows this. According to the aforementioned leak, the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to have a stand that is wider and looks a bit more sturdy as well.

Whether it ends up being an upgrade on the Nintendo Switch OLED wide stand, remains to be seen, but it will no doubt be a major upgrade on the standard Nintendo Switch and its world’s smallest support stand.

All of that said, take everything here with a grain of salt. This is just speculation based on a leak that can currently not be verified and that comes from a source with a brief history of reliability.

The rumors are that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be very similar to the current Switch which would lead you to believe it will have a stand. The question is how robust this stand will be. But as alluded to, anything would be an upgrade on the original Nintendo Switch stand.

At the moment of publishing, Nintendo has not commented on this leak, nor the speculation it has created, in any capacity. We don’t suspect this to change for a variety of reasons, but if it does, we will be sure to update the story accordingly. In the meantime, for more Nintendo Switch 2 coverage — including all of the latest Nintendo Switch 2 news, all of the latest Nintendo Switch 2 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Nintendo Switch 2 deals — click here.

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Most of Pokemon Go‘s gameplay can be enjoyed without breaking the bank, but the game can get pretty expensive if players aren’t careful. When completing one of the game’s Dynamax Raids, players are given rewards for completion, and they can double those offerings by spending 200 coins (roughly $2). As a result, the player receives bonuses such as more XP, Golden Razz Berries, and Rare Candies. That’s been the case since Dynamax Raids were introduced a few weeks ago, but players have started to take notice of a recent change. Sometimes, the game will feature a mystery box among these items simply labeled “and more.”

After a little digging, players on The Silph Road subreddit determined that the “and more” box appears when there are more than four rewards, and is usually a placeholder for bonus XL Candy and additional Premier Balls. The game does reveal what items are in the “and more” box if they click the button to spend the coins, and they are given one more chance to get out of the purchase after they see everything offered. Still, players are calling this design choice “predatory” on Niantic’s part, as it could get players (especially younger ones) to spend their PokeCoins due to fear of missing out.

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of attention on microtransactions in mobile games, and the language they use to extract money from players. Regulators in several countries have been cracking down on predatory practices in these games, especially language that makes younger players worry about missing out. As one poster on The Silph Road subreddit notes, Niantic has to be careful with this sort of thing or Pokemon Go “might suffer the same fate as Pokemon Unite” in Belgium and the Netherlands. Pokemon Unite service is set to end in those regions next month, and while The Pokemon Company has not offered a specific reason for that, it’s widely assumed that support is ending as a result of tighter restrictions on gacha mechanics and loot boxes.

Monetization in Pokemon Go has long been a source of controversy, with many fans in the community airing frustrations about how the game tries to wring money out of players. In just the last few years, Niantic has greatly increased the amount of things that can be purchased in the game, from limited time Research, to Dynamax Raid bonuses. While it’s easier for older players to avoid unnecessary spending, the reality is that Pokemon Go has a lot of younger players. Niantic should consider what impact these design choices might have on the player base, and how they can negatively impact the overall enjoyment of the game. With players bringing this to light, hopefully Niantic can make some adjustments so players don’t unnecessarily waste their money!

Have you come across this “mystery box” in Pokemon Go? Do you think the game’s monetization has become a problem? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S users — as well Xbox One users — have a new free Call of Duty download or, more specifically, a free Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 download. The next Call of Duty game is set to release this coming week on October 25. When it does, it will likely be the biggest release on Xbox of 2024 and going head-to-head with Black Myth: Wukong as the best-selling game of 2024. Not only is Call of Duty still huge, but much like Modern Warfare, the Black Ops brand specifically remains very popular.

Those on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X looking forward to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 unfortunately can not get the game for free, though it does come with an Xbox Game Pass subscription. This isn’t a free download though because the moment your Xbox Game Pass subscription lapses, so will your free access to the COD game.

What Call of Duty fans on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One looking forward to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 can get for free is a new, special dynamic background that takes the key art for BO6 and resizes it to be a home screen on Xbox consoles.

In this case, “dynamic” means the theme is not static. That said, the dynamic-element of the dashboard background is pretty minimal. It is more than most of the Xbox dynamic backgrounds, but that isn’t saying much.

The dynamic background is completely free to download on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X, no Xbox Game Pass subscription needed. Further, this offer is available regardless if you own the new Call of Duty game or not.

So far, every Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S dynamic background has been free to download, and this one has been no exception. How long it will be available for though, remains to be seen. Each and every previous dynamic background has remained available in perpetuity, so far, but there is no explicit guarantee this. Unfortunately though, also like the pervious themes, this does not come with any exclusive music, sounds, or any other bells and whistles.

For more Xbox coverage — including all of the latest Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S news, all of the latest Xbox Series X and Xbox Series rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S deals — click here.

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The new Secret Level anthology series coming to Prime Video won’t be releasing until December, but today during New York Comic-Con, Prime Video revealed the cast of the games-to-TV series. And as one might expect from a series like Secret Level that’s going to include some of the biggest names in gaming such as God of War, Warhammer 40,000, Dungeons & Dragons, and many more, the cast is absolutely stacked with talent as well. Keanu Reeves has been confirmed for a role just as many speculated when the first Secret Level trailer dropped, and he’ll be joined by many more household names.

Secret Level will consist of 15 episodes airing on Prime Video starting on December 10th, and when those start releasing, you’ll hear the following stars lend their voices to different characters: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves, Temuera Morrison, Ariana Greenblatt, Heaven Hart, Emily Swallow, Gabriel Luna, Ricky Whittle, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Merle Dandridge, Claudia Doumit, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Clive Standen, Laura Bailey, and Michael Beach. Some of those names need little introduction, but others who you may not be as familiar with by name alone have credits in shows like The Last of Us, The Boys, and even some games themselves. Laura Bailey, for example, is well known in the Dungeons & Dragons community as member of Critical Role as well as her role of Abby in The Last of Us Part 2.

We don’t yet know which episodes these actors and actresses will be in, however, with the exception of one: Keanu Reeves. When the first trailer for Secret Level dropped and people were busy trying to pick up on all the different IPs that’d be featured in the 15 episodes, some noticed that it sure did look like Reeves‘ likeness was being used in the Armored Core episode. Prime Video didn’t attach names to episodes today, but it seems pretty safe to say that we’ll hear (and see) Reeves in at least the Armored Core adaptation. It’s unknown if other stars’ likenesses are being used as well.

Aside from Armored Core, other gaming IPs set to be featured in Secret Level include Sifu, The Outer Worlds, Pac-Man, Mega Man, and various PlayStation properties. One of those PlayStation games featured in Secret Level is Concord, the hero shooter which failed spectacularly and was shut down within no time after it released. Rumors have circulated to suggest that Concord may make a comeback as a free-to-play game or some other kind of revitalization, but as far as anyone can tell, the Concord episode in Secret Level is still happening.

Secret Level is helmed by Tim Miller, the director known for Deadpool and Terminator: Dark Fate. Miller is also the mind behind Love, Death & Robots which, surprise, is very much like Secret Level except the latter focuses on adapting different games.

Secret Level is scheduled to release on Prime Video on December 10th with the episodes split into two weekly drops.

The post Prime Video Reveals Secret Level Cast Stacked with Keanu Reeves, Kevin Hart, and Many More appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Resident Evil games are as cheap as $5 right now, thanks to a few ongoing sales. Currently, the best, most plentiful, and cheapest of the deals come the way of the PlayStation Store. There are also some Resident Evil games heavily discounted on the Xbox Store and Nintendo eShop as well, but the discounts are not quite as meaty nor as plentiful. Why the deals vary platform to platform, we don’t know.

On the PlayStation Store, the Resident Evil deals are live up until Halloween, and a bit after. More specifically, they are set to expire on November 2. On the Xbox Store and Nintendo eShop though, the window of opportunity is a little smaller, as the deals are only live on these digital storefronts until October 31, aka Halloween.

PlayStation Store

• Resident Evil – $4.99
• Resident Evil 0 – $4.99
• Resident Evil 4 – $4.99
• Resident Evil 5 – $4.99
• Resident Evil 6 – $4.99
• Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2 Bundle – $7.49
• Resident Evil 7 – $7.99
• Resident Evil 2 Remake – $9.99
• Resident Evil 3 Remake – $9.99
• Resident Evil Village – $15.99
• Resident Evil 4 Remake – $19.99

In addition to the various game deals above, a variety of DLC and expansion content for some of the games above is also on sale, again, via the PlayStation Store and until November 2. The discounts are similar to the discounts above, which is to say, meaty.

Xbox Store

• Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2 Bundle – $7.49
• Resident Evil Triple Pack – $12.49
• Resident Evil 4 Remake – $19.99

Nintendo eShop

• Resident Evil Revelations – $7.99
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 – $7.99
• Resident Evil – $9.99
• Resident Evil 0 – $9.99
• Resident Evil 2 Remake – $9.99
• Resident Evil 3 Remake – $9.99
• Resident Evil 4 – $9.99
• Resident Evil 5 – $9.99
• Resident Evil 6 – $9.99
• Resident Evil 7 – $15.99
• Resident Evil Village – $15.99

For more Resident Evil coverage — including all of the latest Resident Evil news, all of the latest Resident Evil rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Resident Evil deals like these ones — click here. Meanwhile, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think. What Resident Evil games are you playing this Halloween?

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A new Nintendo Switch 2 leak features what the console looks like, what its new dock look likes, and what its stand looks like, the latter of which is a substantial upgrade on the current Switch stand. Unfortunately, like previous Nintendo Switch 2 leaks, this one comes from slightly dubious sources.

Back on September 18, the world’s first look at the Nintendo Switch 2 supposedly leaked when Chinese sources revealed what is said to be factory prototype images of the Nintendo Switch 2. At the time, some other sources of decent reliability confirmed the images to be real, or at least similar to what they’ve been hearing about the console’s design.

Fast-forward a month, and we have another leak, this time from an anonymous Famiboards leaker who in the past has proven reliable. The leaker did not share any official or even unofficial images of the Nintendo Switch 2, but drawings of what they claim to be the console.

Unfortunately, the drawings are not done by the world’s finest artist, and are more basic sketches than anything. Further, they don’t reveal much of note. As you can see, the Nintendo Switch 2 console and dock look very similar to the current Switch console and dock. The latter looks like it may be a bit more rounded this time around, but this could just be the result of a bad drawing. What is notable is the stand, which looks larger and sturdier than what the current Switch is working with.

Since the leak went live, a fairly well-known Nintendo insider that goes by Nate the Hate chimed in, collaborating the leak, at least to an extent.

“All I can say is that the dock sketch is similar in design/shape to one I was sent several weeks ago (meaning a drawing of the alleged dock); but I’ve been working to verify it,” said Nate the Hate. “Whether this design has circulated Chinese forums or not, I don’t know; but the general design matches what I was sent in September. Again, haven’t verified the design with any contact/source at this time.”

As always, take this leak with a grain of salt, like any leak. There seems to be some smoke here, suggesting a fire, but none of this is official nor does it come from a bulletproof source. Until this happens, proceed with hesitancy. As for Nintendo, it has not commented on this leak in any capacity. We don’t suspect this will change, for a couple of reasons, but if it does we will update the story accordingly.

For more Nintendo coverage — including all of the latest Nintendo Switch 2 news, all of the latest Nintendo Switch 2 leaks and rumors, and all of the latest Nintendo Switch 2 speculation — click here.

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The Last of Us and Uncharted fans have been put on alert following a new tease about a new Naughty Dog from an industry insider. Whether this game is The Last of Us Part 3 or Uncharted 5, is unfortunately not clear. As for the tease, it comes from Ben Hanson, formerly of Game Informer, and now of MinnMax.

According to Hanson, who is not known to tease for attention unlike some industry insiders, the game Naughty Dog is cooking up is “amazing,” which isn’t very surprising considering the pedigree of the studio and its catalog of releases.

“I heard from somebody very in the know who worked on the game that they’re like J***** C*****… the tone was like you are all not ready for how amazing this is going to be… and the tone was. I’m not going to say the game that they referenced to..… but they compared it to a game with a lot of player freedom…”

The interesting thing here is not that the game is reportedly amazing, but the part about “player freedom.” The Uncharted and The Last of Us series are not completely linear, but they are pretty linear and fairly scripted. Something like player freedom is not associated with either. This begs the question: is this something new? Well, unless Naughty Dog is preparing to change the formula of these two series, then it seems to be something new.

Some PlayStation fans will hope this is about a Jax and Daxter revival, which you could imagine fitting this billing. However, this is just wishful thinking. With how much Naughty Dog games cost to make, it is hard to imagine a Jax and Daxter game will ever release again, at least from the California-based studio. The only option for this to happen would be for it to be a side project from a smaller team within the studio, which is possible, but again not likely.

All of that said, take everything here with a grain of salt. Right now, all we have is this cryptic rumor and speculation. As for PlayStation and Naughty Dog, neither has commented on this rumor. We don’t suspect this will change, for a variety of reasons, but if it does we will be sure to update the story accordingly.

The post The Last of Us and Uncharted Fans Put on Alert After Naughty Dog Tease appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Like most fighting games, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has a bit of a rage quitting problem. Part of that is due to the inherently unbalanced roster of 182 character where some are naturally stronger than others which means you can put yourself at a disadvantage by going off-meta, but most of it has to do with people just not being able to accept a loss. The rage quitting problem is one that affects players of all levels including Twitch and Kick streamer xQC who, in this case, just so happens to be the one doing the rage quitting himself.

xQc isn’t exactly known for playing fighting games, but Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has been part of his rotation as of late ever since it released. One of his clips made it to the Sparking! Zero subreddit where other players watched him go off on people who were using “cheese” to win fights.

“Nope, no points for you,” xQc said after pulling the plug on the match. “I don’t give a f–k. I don’t care. You get no points. You cheese. You’re in my lobby, you do a cheese strategy, no problem. You get no points.”

He continued by tossing all kinds of expletives at his long-gone opponent, a Captain Ginyu player who, by the looks of the clip from the stream, didn’t appear to be doing anything cheesy at all other than what one might consider some light spamming. What’s ironic about the clip is that xQc is using Yajirobe here, a supremely underpowered character in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero who has only managed to find success in the meta because of his Senzu Bean ability which lets him restore health over and over again. The Yajirobe abuse online has become so bad that it’s Yajirobe — not Broly, Vegito, Gogeta, Ultra Instinct Goku, or anyone else — who’s first up for nerfs in the Sparking! Zero patch that’s coming out this month. So the irony of losing a match as Yajirobe and plugging while accusing someone else of cheesing was not lost on Sparking! Zero players.

Clips like this one from xQc in particular are not hard to come by. One of his channels, xQc Clips on YouTube, plays up these moments in the title by saying he’s “embarrassed” and “cries after losing,” so sure, part of this is probably an engagement bit after the fact. But the quitting in the moment part sure looks pretty real with how those fights are going, and it speaks to a larger problem that the game’s facing even when the camera’s not on.

Other posts in the Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero subreddit have seen players begging others to stop rage quitting in ranked matches (or any matches, for that matter). Quitting in ranked is especially annoying because as xQc points out in his rants, the other player gets no points if you quit.

“Genuinely curious why so many people are rage quitting,” one of the posts said. “Especially at higher ranks and the beginning of the match.”

Other posts pointed out this inherent flaw with the ranked system which inadvertently punishes players whose opponents quit since their time is wasted with no points to show for it. Some suggested that players fighting those who disconnect intentionally should be granted at least partial points while others proposed a “surrender” option in the menu so that players could forfeit a match instead of just quitting.

But what does Bandai Namco think about quitters in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero? Over on the support page for the game, the publisher states that there are in fact penalties for those who quit games repeatedly. It also hurts your stats that show the percentage of matches you finish so that other players can see that you are indeed a quitter. These penalties are geared solely towards queue times, however, and do not affect points.

“In this title, to maintain fair gameplay in Ranked Matches, penalties are imposed on players who repeatedly disconnect or engage in disruptive behavior,” the support page says. During a penalty, matchmaking time will increase according to the penalty level.”

Perhaps the next update will impose harsher penalties for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero quitters, but for now, players will have to deal with those situations online.

The post Dragon Ball Sparking Zero’s Rage Quitting Problem Revealed in Explosive Streamer Rant appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A popular Marvel game is its lowest price yet thanks to a new sale on both the Microsoft Store and the PlayStation Store. This means, whether on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4, or PS5, the deal is available to you. The only exclusions are PC and Nintendo Switch. Meanwhile, those interested will also want to keep in mind the deal is only available until November 1.

In recent years, Marvel games have been amongst some of the biggest releases any given year. Sometimes these releases work out, like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but other times they haven’t always worked out, like Marvel’s Avengers. The mystery game in question falls somewhere in between these two categories.

Back in 2022, storied strategy game developer Firaxis Games — best known for the Civilization and XCOM series — released, with the help of 2K, and in collaboration with Marvel Games, Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Upon release, the tactical RPG received positive reviews — earning Metacritic scores ranging from 81 to 83 — but commercially it flopped a bit.

All of that said, if you never checked out but are interested, you can now grab it on the Microsoft Store and PlayStation Store for 75 percent off. This means rather than pay $59.99, you only have to pay $14.99. Consequently, this is the cheapest the game has ever been digitally or physically.

“When the demonic Lilith and her fearsome horde unite with the evil armies of Hydra, it’s time to unleash Marvel’s dark side,” reads an official description of the game for those unfamiliar with it. “As The Hunter, your mission is to lead an unlikely team of seasoned Super Heroes and dangerous supernatural warriors to victory. Can legends such as Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Blade put aside their differences in the face of a growing apocalyptic threat? If you’re going to save the world, you’ll have to forge alliances and lead the team into battle as the legendary Midnight Suns.”

“Marvel’s Midnight Suns is not only one of the best Marvel games out there, but it may be one of the best RPGs of 2022,” reads a snippet from our official review of the game. “Of course, that’s going to sound like a pretty absurd statement in the year of games like Elden Ring, but it is really damn good. If you like games with a lot of meat on the bone, thoughtful combat, and characters that are titans in the general pop culture landscape, this is made with you in mind.”

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Dead by Daylight has two big events it celebrates every year: one is the anniversary of the game that’s celebrated in the summer, and the other happens around Halloween. These Halloween festivities just so happen to coincide with DbD Day, a Dead by Daylight event celebrated in Japan where the game has a pretty significant following. Thankfully for Dead by Daylight fans worldwide, that celebration is far from region-locked which means that players everywhere now have some free Dead by Daylight codes to redeem for Iridescent Shards, cosmetics, and more.

Dead by Daylight‘s big DbD Day event officially got underway on October 18th in Japan. The event itself is not explicitly tied to the Halloween season but just so happens to conveniently fall within the already big month for Dead by Daylight thanks to how the game is abbreviated in Japan.

“Since 2022, our friends in Japan have been celebrating DbD Day, also known as Dedoba-no-hi (“デドバの日),” a post from Behaviour Interactive explained. “For those who might not be familiar, October 18th can be read in Japanese as 10 (de), 10 (do) and 8 (ba), which resembles the common Dead by Daylight abbreviation Dedoba.”

Some neat insight into other regions’ Dead by Daylight celebrations from Behaviour there, but if you’re just here for the free Dead by Daylight codes, here’s what you can get this month. Behaviour Interactive has announced two codes so far: one that gives you two unique charms pictured below and another that’ll give you some Iridescent Shards and Bloodpoints. To get the Silk Omamori Charm and the Dbd Day Celebration Coin Charm, enter DBDDMAYOKE in Dead by Daylight‘s code redemption menu. To get 300,000 Bloodpoints and 300 Iridescent Shards, enter DBDDAY2024.

In addition to these free DbD Day codes in Dead by Daylight, the Haunted by Daylight event which is the actual Halloween celebration comes with an Event Tome that has challenges unique to DbD Day. If you complete those challenges, you get cosmetics for Dwight Fairfield, Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, Jake Park, Yui Kimura, Adam Francis, The Spirit, and The Oni. You also get 25,000 more Bloodpoints each time you unlock one of these, so plenty to be earned during DbD Day and Haunted by Daylight events.

So far, only those two Dead by Daylight codes for October’s DbD Day have been announced, but Behaviour said in its initial post that it’ll be sharing “a few promo codes,” so keep an eye out for more if they drop on socials.

The post Dead by Daylight October Codes Given Out for DbD Day appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Any given week, a ton of Steam and Steam Deck games are released. Sifting through the filler to find the hidden gems, in addition to the big hype train releases is sometimes difficult. To this end, we are compiling the best Steam games released every week.

To achieve this, there are a few qualifications to consider. Both the critical and consumer reception of the game, as well as how relevant it is. To this end, this is not just the highest-rated Steam games each week, because a game with a perfect rating but only one review makes this model defective. No system is perfect though, so if you see a new Steam game missing that you think should be on here, let us know in the comments. Otherwise, enjoy the five best Steam games released this week, and one honorable mention.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

About: “Experience the story of Basim, a cunning street thief seeking answers and justice as he navigates the bustling streets of ninth-century Baghdad. Through a mysterious, ancient organization known as the Hidden Ones, he will become a deadly Master Assassin and change his fate in ways he never could have imagined.”

Steam Rating: 72% Approval

Price: $24.99

Neva

About: “Neva is an emotionally-charged action adventure from the visionary team behind the critically acclaimed GRIS. Neva chronicles the story of Alba, a young woman bound to a curious wolf cub following a traumatic encounter with dark forces. Together they embark on a perilous journey through a once-beautiful world as it slowly decays around them.”

Steam Rating: 95% Approval

Price: $19.99

Drova – Forsaken Kin

About: “Drova – Forsaken Kin is a pixel art Action-RPG inspired by the grim dark classics of the genre and the mystical allure of Celtic mythology. Dive into a handcrafted open world where your choices and actions shape the environment. A society has discovered the power of a dead empire: to capture the spirits that govern nature and rule over them instead. However, the anger of the remaining spirits divided them. Where will you stand?”

Steam Rating: 96% Approval

Price: $22.49

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead

About: “A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a single-player horror adventure game inspired by the critically acclaimed blockbuster movie franchise that highlights a unique survivor story after an invasion of deadly creatures. In this exclusive spin-off, experience the journey of a young woman who must endure a treacherous apocalypse in the midst of interpersonal family conflicts, all while coming to terms with her own inner fears.

Steam Rating: 74% Approval

Price: $29.99

Citadelum

About: “Defy the Gods of the Pantheon or follow their will. Become the master of oh so many lives and destiny of so few in this twist to the genre face to face with the old deities.”

Steam Rating: 78% Approval Rating

Price: $19.99

Honorable Mention: Sniper Killer

About: “In Sniper Killer, you take on the role of both Detective Comardy and the cryptic “Sniper Killer” as the story unravels after each victim has their brains splattered across the ground by a well placed shot. From the scummy streets of the city to the state carnival, no location is safe from the Sniper’s watchful eye.”

Steam Rating: 89% Approval

Price: $10.79

The post 5 Best Steam Games Released This Week appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Black Myth: Wukong may soon be coming to the Xbox Series X|S console if a new rating for the 2024 hit is anything to go off of. An Xbox version of Black Myth: Wukong was recently spotted on the ESRB page for the game alongside the PlayStation 5 and PC platforms which already host the game. No release date was attached to the Xbox version of Black Myth: Wukong, of course, but these ratings typically precede official announcements about releases and ports, so it may not be much longer now until we hear something about Black Myth: Wukong coming to Xbox.

As most ESRB ratings go, the platform is the most interesting part of the page since it suggests the existence of an Xbox version of Black Myth: Wukong. The usual process for ESRB ratings like this one is that we’ll see a rating pop up for a game or console version that hasn’t officially been announced yet with an announcement to follow soon afterwards. There’s been plenty of talk of an Xbox version for this game as well, so there’s already precedent for Black Myth: Wukong to make the Xbox jump.

First released in August, Black Myth: Wukong, like many other games such as Baldur’s Gate 3, came elsewhere first and skipped Xbox at launch. Since then, there’s been plenty of talk about why Black Myth: Wukong didn’t come to the Xbox platform initially. Initial suggestions were that the lack of an Xbox version was due to a memory leak issue which resulted in a degraded experience while others put the blame again on the Xbox Series S which has been criticized heavily as a console that holds back releases from coming to the Xbox Series X in a timely manner. Microsoft, however, suggested that the issue did not pertain with anything related to Xbox consoles and suggested instead that there was some sort of exclusivity deal in place.

The contradictory reports on why the game wasn’t on Xbox consoles were inconclusive and didn’t leave us with any answers other than the reality that you had to have a PS5 or PC to play Black Myth: Wukong. Whatever the reason, it was another huge miss for Xbox in line with losing out on the initial launch of Baldur’s Gate 3. Black Myth: Wukong skyrocketed on Steam and is the second most-played game ever in terms of peak concurrent counts despite it only being a single-player game. While it’s true that the player count is owed to the Chinese community flocking to the game on PC and that the same success wouldn’t have necessarily translated to Xbox, it’s an overdue game regardless.

Given that Xbox just recently held a Partner Preview event with no Black Myth: Wukong in sight, it might be awhile before we hear anything official about an Xbox version. The Game Awards is the next big event on the horizon, though that’s in December, so hopefully Xbox fans will hear something before then instead of having to wait.

The post Black Myth: Wukong Leak Points to Xbox Series X Release appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It looks like PlayStation is preparing to re-release the PS2-era God of War games on PS5 and via PS Plus. In 2018, Sony rebooted the God of War franchise and brought it up from Ancient Greek mythology to Norse mythology. In 2022, it continued the reboot with the release of God of War: Ragnarok. While God of War has been supported well during the PS4 and PS5 generations, PlayStation has done little with the God of War games that came before it. It looks like this is changing though.

As pointed out over on Reddit, the PlayStation Plus tab on PS5 was recently updated by Sony to make navigating the PS Plus offering easier. One of these changes includes separated the PS Plus classics into different categories depending on their platform. And for each platform, there is accompanying icon art featuring a character from one of the supported games. Right now, the PS2 section features a Greek-era Kratos icon, which is odd because there are no PS2 God of War games available via PS Plus.

This is noteworthy by itself, but even more noteworthy with context. As you may now, the same thing happened with Regina from Dino Crisis before the PS1 game was added to PS Plus Premium this month.

This could be a mistake or an oversight, but that seems unlikely. The question is not whether this is indicative of PS2-era God of War games coming to PS5 and PS Plus Premium, but what games specifically.

There are only two PS2 God of War Games: the first God of War and God of War 2. Presumably, the pair would be added together, but it is possible one or the other, probably the first game, will be added first. Whatever the case, Sony is up to something with beardless, angry Kratos that involves PS Plus Premium.

If either or both PS2 God of War games do come to PS Plus Premium, it means subscribers to the most expensive tier will be able to play both games free of charge. PS Plus Premium won’t be required to play the games on PS5 though. They will be available for purchase, as is always the case when PlayStation classics are brought to PS5 via PS Plus Premium. Those who don’t want to buy the games outright will need a PS Plus Premium subscription though.

At the moment of publishing, neither Santa Monica Studios nor PlayStation has commented on this apparent leak in any capacity. We don’t suspect this will change for a couple different reasons, but if it does, we will be sure to update the story accordingly.

The post PlayStation Leak Reveals Return of PS2 God of War Games appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Behaviour Interactive announced last year plans for a Dead by Daylight movie made in partnership with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse company and James Wan’s Atomic Monster. The Dead by Daylight movie is already in good hands then just by being associated with those two names, but since last year, we’ve heard precious little about the plans for the adaptation. During New York Comic-Con, ComicBook caught up with Blum and got an update from the Blumhouse founder on the Dead by Daylight movie who said that everyone’s still working on a script while comparing the adaptation process to the work that went into Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s movie.

“Working on the script,” he said when asked if there was any update to be shared on the Dead by Daylight movie. “You know, we don’t put movies in the calendar until we have the right script.”

For those who might be impatient about hearing more on the Dead by Daylight movie, Blum used the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie adaptation as an example of how long these things sometimes take. The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie was in the works in some form or another for nearly a decade before it released and even changed hands from Warner Bros. to Blumhouse during that process before it finally released in 2023. The movie performed well with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 fans even if critics weren’t as fond of it, and another one is on the way, so the time spent cooking up the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie was apparently worth it.

“It took 10 years to make Five Nights at Freddy’s, and I think one of the reasons the movie worked is because we spent 10 years trying to get it right,” he said.

Returning back to Dead by Daylight, he said he hopes that those working on the movie get a script that they’re in love with, but he said broadly it could take anywhere from a year to five years.

“I hope we get a script that we love,” he said. “We’re working on a script, but it could be five years, it could be 12 months. You just don’t know. You can’t make the movie until the script is right, and you don’t know how long that’ll take.”

When the Dead by Daylight movies was first announced, it was said that the search was underway for a director and screenwriter. Nobody has been confirmed for those roles since then, so aside from Blum, Wan, and executive producers from their companies and Behaviour Interactive, no other names are attached to the film currently.

Dead by Daylight is in the midst of one of its biggest events of the year since we’re right around Halloween, so Behaviour Interactive still has plenty to do with the game itself while work continues on the movie. More DLC is on the way, too, including one for none other than Five Nights at Freddy’s that’s releasing next year.

This weekend, Blumhouse launched its Shop Blumhouse online store full of exclusive Blumhouse merchandise. You can find it at here.

The post Jason Blum Shares Dead by Daylight Movie Update, Compares Process to Five Nights at Freddy’s appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Call of Duty is no stranger to be being barred from release in various countries around the world over the years, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is proving to be no exception. Due to the violent nature of Call of Duty, its sometimes controversial content, and of course the political nature of telling stories within the confines of real world wars, Call of Duty games have been getting banned for years. Not in the United States, but other parts of the world.

For those that don’t know: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 takes place in/during the Gulf War, or at least its campaign does. The Gulf War is not as commonly explored as other 20th century wars, but has been the backdrop for games in the past.

At the center of the Gulf War was Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, and a 42-country coalition spearheaded by the United States. The war was — at least officially — the direct result of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, which it seized control of in two days. This prompted a global response, spread across two campaigns that ran between 1990 and 1991: Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

History aside, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has perhaps usurpingly been banned from release in Kuwait or, more specifically, it has not been “approved for release” in the country. This is according to Activision, who relayed word of the intervention a week out from release.

Anyone in this part of the world who already pre-ordered Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 — on any platform — will see their pre-order cancelled and refunded.

Activision has not said why Kuwait has declined the game’s release, but it is no doubt because it is set in the Gulf War, which is certainly a painful memory for the nation. That said, right now, this is just speculation. To this end, if more information on the matter surfaces, we will be sure to update the story accordingly.

For more Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 coverage — including all of the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 news, all of the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 speculation — click here.

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Has Already Begun to Get Banned For Content Issues appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Subnautica players finally got this week the teaser trailer for Subnautica 2 that they’d been waiting for with even better news attached: Subnautica 2 will be releasing into early access in 2025. No more specific release window was given, so we don’t know if it’ll be earlier or later in the year, but it’ll be the first game in the Subnautica series we’ve gotten since the spin-off Subnautica: Below Zero which released back in 2019. For those who are familiar with developer Unknown Worlds’ early access strategies, however, you should expect Subnautica 2 to stay in early access for quite a while.

Unknown Worlds has alluded to early access plans for Subnautica 2 in the past and did so again more plainly this week now that the Steam and Epic Games Store pages for the new Subnautica game are up. On Steam, early access games are typically accompanied with an FAQ for why the game is releasing that way with other topics addressed, too, to clue potential buyers in on why they should trust a game that’s admittedly releasing in an unfinished state. Unknown Worlds has a strong track record with its early access plans, so there’s no reason to doubt Subnautica 2, but the FAQ there does provide more info as to how long the game will stay in early access.

“It is difficult to accurately predict how long Early Access will last,” said Unknown Worlds when addressing how long Subnautica 2 might be in early access. “Based on previous Early Access games we have developed, we expect it to take about 2 to 3 years. We have a number of goals that we are adamantly working towards. We are focusing on delivering quality at a reasonable pace. At the end of the day, we’re dedicated to completing Subnautica 2 and making it the best game possible.”

Unknown Worlds added in its Subnautica 2 FAQ that the early access method is how it’s “historically built our games,” and it’s correct. The first Subnautica game was release in early access on the PC platform back in December 2014 and stayed in early access until it fully launched in January 2018, so three years and some change in early access before the full release. The next year, Subnautica: Below Zero released in early access in January 2019 and wasn’t fully released until over two years later in May 2021.

During early access, Subnautica 2 will include a multiplayer mode as well as multiple biomes, creatures to find, and some story elements to embark on. Over the 2-3 years that it’s in early access, it’ll get updated with new content including more biomes, creatures, and other features based partially on community sentiment. There were some concerns about Subnautica 2 earlier in the year when its publisher, Krafton, suggested that it would follow a games-as-a-service model, but Unknown Worlds soon clarified afterwards that the plans were more in line with past early access games updated over time which is exactly what’s been laid out after Subnautica 2‘s announcement.

Subnautica 2 will release into early access on the Steam and Epic Games Store platforms in 2025, but it does not yet have a specific release date.

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