Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Hangar 13
Release: April 26, 2024
Rating: Everyone

In the heyday of the tennis-sim video game genre, Top Spin and Virtua Tennis were the best players in the crowded space. However, in the time since the genre’s boom settled, the offerings have fallen off considerably, with both franchises going more than a decade without a new release. TopSpin 2K25 signals the reemergence of the critically acclaimed series, and though it’s been a while since it stepped on the court, it’s evident the franchise hasn’t lost its stroke.

TopSpin 2K25 faithfully recreates the high-speed chess game of real-world tennis. Positioning, spin, timing, and angles are critical to your success. For those unfamiliar with those fundamental tennis tenets, 2K25 does a superb job of onboarding players with TopSpin Academy, which covers everything from where you should stand to how to play different styles. Even as someone who played years of tennis in both real life and video games, I enjoyed going through the more advanced lessons to refamiliarize myself with the various strategies at play.

Once on the court, you learn how crucial those tactics are. The margin of error is extremely thin, as the difference between a winner down the baseline and a shot into the net is often a split-second on the new timing meter. This meter ensures you release the stroke button timed with when the ball is in the ideal striking position relative to your player. Mastering this is pivotal, as it not only improves your shot accuracy but also your power.

TopSpin 2K25 is at its best when you’re in sustained rallies against an evenly-matched opponent. Getting off a strong serve to immediately puts your opponent on the defensive, then trying to capitalize on their poor positioning as they struggle to claw back into the point effectively captures the thrill of the real-world game. I also love how distinct each play style feels in action; an offensive baseline player like Serena Williams presents different challenges than a serve-and-volleyer like John McEnroe.

You can hone your skills in one-off exhibition matches, but I spent most of my time in TopSpin 2K25 in MyCareer. Here, you create your player, with whom you’ll train and climb the ranks. As you complete challenges and win matches, you raise your status, which opens new features like upgradeable coaches, equippable skills, and purchasable homes to alleviate the stamina drain from travel. Managing your stamina by sometimes resting is essential to sustain high-level play; pushing yourself too hard can even cause your player to suffer injuries that sideline you for months.

I loved most of my time in MyCareer, but some design decisions ruined the immersion. For example, I ignored portions of the career goals necessary to rank up my player for hours, so while I was in the top 10 global rankings, I was unable to participate in a Grand Slam because I was still at a lower status than my ranking would typically confer. And since repetition is the path to mastery, it’s counterintuitive that repeated training minigames award fewer benefits, particularly since the mode as a whole is a repetitive loop of training, special events, and tournaments. Additionally, MyCareer shines a light on the shallow pool of licensed players on offer. Most of my matches were against created characters, even hours deep. 2K has promised free licensed pros in the post-launch phase, but for now, the game is missing multiple top players.

 

I’m pleasantly surprised by how unintrusive the use of VC is. In the NBA 2K series, VC, which can be earned slowly or bought using real money, is used to directly improve your player. In TopSpin 2K25, it’s used primarily for side upgrades, like leveling up your coach, relocating your home, earning XP boosts, resetting your attribute distribution, or purchasing cosmetics. Though I’m still not a fan of microtransactions affecting a single-player mode – particularly since it’s almost certainly why you need to be online to play MyCareer – it’s much more palatable than its NBA contemporary.

If you’d rather play against real opponents, you can show off your skills (and your created character) in multiple online modes. World Tour pits your created player against others across the globe in various tournaments and leaderboard challenges, while 2K Tour leverages the roster of licensed players with daily challenges to take on. Outside of minor connection hiccups, I had an enjoyable time tackling the challenges presented by other players online. However, World Tour’s structure means that despite the game’s best efforts, mismatches occur; it’s no fun to play against a created character multiple levels higher than you. Thankfully, these mismatches were the outlier in my experience.

TopSpin 2K25 aptly brings the beloved franchise back to center court, showing that not only does the series still have legs, but so does the sim-tennis genre as a whole. Though its modes are somewhat repetitive and it’s missing several high-profile pros at launch, TopSpin 2K25 serves up a compelling package for tennis fans.

Score: 8

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Blizzard has decided to cancel this year’s BlizzCon. The company states the event will return in the future, but it plans to showcase upcoming games in a different manner over the coming months. 

First announced in a blog post, Blizzard plans to share details on upcoming games like World of Warcraft: The War Within and Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion at other trade shows, such as Gamescom. The company also plans to launch “multiple, global, in-person events” for Warcraft’s 30th anniversary, which are described as being “distinct” from BlizzCon. 

“Our hope is that these experiences – alongside several live-streamed industry events where we’ll keep you up to date with what’s happening in our game universes – will capture the essence of what makes the Blizzard community so special,” Blizzard states in the blog post.

A Blizzard representative tells Windows Central that Blizzard made the call to cancel BlizzCon and not Microsoft, which completed its acquisition of the company last year. In a statement to the outlet, the representative says, “This is a Blizzard decision. We have explored different event formats in the past, and this isn't the first time we're skipping BlizzCon or trying something new. While we have great things to share in 2024, the timing just doesn’t line up for one single event at the end of the year.”

BlizzCon began in 2005 as an annual convention celebrating all things Blizzard. Last year's show saw the reveal of World of Warcraft’s next expansion, The War Within, as well as two other expansions coming after it. It's good that event is only taking a year off as opposed to being canned for good, and we're curious to see how the alternative events shape up over the coming months. 

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is the first brand new Monkey Ball game in years. Brian Shea recently got hands-on with the game, and you can watch his experience, and hear him talk about it, right here. You will see a few adventure mode levels, but we also show off a handful of the new multiplayer modes. You can also read Brian's written Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble impressions by following the link.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble released exclusively for Switch on June 25.

Head over to Game Informer's YouTube channel for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today right here.

Stellar Blade is heading into full release, and you can dive into the action-heavy sci-fi adventure for yourself. You can read our full review for more details about how it turned out, or read our interview with the game's creative director to learn more about how the game came together.

Developer Shift Up does a good job of gradually introducing new core systems as you move through the lengthy adventure, but as we played ahead of public launch, our team discovered several things the game doesn’t tell you that can lead to a more enjoyable journey.

Turn On Auto Loot

While the developer made many smart decisions in creating Stellar Blade, we’re a little confused why the default choice for gathering dropped loot requires pressing and holding one of the shoulder buttons.

As soon as you start the game, pause and go to Settings > Gameplay and adjust the Auto Loot option to “On,” which is not the default. Eve will begin to pick up items and currency automatically without the need for your input – as long as you get close enough to the items on the ground, they’ll go into your inventory.

Set Hair Length

In that same menu we just pointed you toward (Settings > Gameplay) you’ll find another option to adjust Ponytail Length.

This is primarily a cosmetic choice for how you like the main character to look, but we mention it here for functional reasons. Depending on your playstyle, extraneous visual “noise” onscreen can be distracting, especially in a tense encounter.

Eve’s extremely long ponytail shows off some cool physics, but if it’s preventing you from having a clear view of enemy actions, consider changing the ponytail length to “Short”

Ambush When You Can

Even standard wandering Naytiba enemies in Stellar Blade can lead to some tough and even game-ending battles. Take every advantage you can, including prioritizing an early unlock of the Ambush ability (findable in the Attack section of the Skill Tree).

Ambush lets you backstab enemies if you can get close enough before they turn around and see you. It’s generally an instakill, so it’s a good choice for eliminating the most powerful foe in a group before facing off against the less dangerous ones.

Rush To Open

Similar to the Ambush option above, it’s smart to unlock and use the Rush skill early on and use it to open fights where Ambush isn’t an option. This skill lets you close with an enemy instantly, and you can get some hits in before they have a chance to fight back.

It’s also an essential skill in more protracted combats, including bosses. After dodging or running out of the way of a dangerous attack, Rush lets you get back into the fray right away.

Guard First, Then Strike Back

More than many action games, guarding is an essential skill that you should practice from the very start. Excessive offensive play without guarding is a recipe for failure.

Your guard/shield will diminish with hits taken, but it’s an excellent way to confront the early moments of a fight, when you’re still feeling out an enemy. And while perfect parries and dodges are great, you may need a few strikes to recognize an enemy’s attack patterns, and guarding is the best way to weather those moments, with the exception of unblockable attacks.

Improve Perfect Dodge And Parry

There’s no more surefire way to succeed in Stellar Blade than getting good at Perfect Dodge and Perfect Parry. It’s absolutely core to the combat system, and success with those skills opens up additional options and abilities.

Of course, the most important thing you can do here is observe and improve your timing in nailing these abilities. Much of that is about memorizing the different colored flashes and knowing which color corresponds to the need to dodge or parry. The training modules inside the Skills menu can help a lot with that practice. To find those, go to the Skill Tree Survival section, and tap Square while hovering over the Perfect Dodge or Perfect Parry ability. Seriously, there are no better skills to master.

But you can also hedge your bets. There are additional abilities in the skill tree and equipment in the game that make it easier to nail those tight windows for perfect dodges and parries. If you’re having trouble consistently hitting that timing, these are excellent skills and equipment items to focus on.

Scan, scan, scan

A tap of the central touchpad on your DualSense controller will send out a pulse scan of your surrounding area. It’s an easy thing to forget about as you run around slicing through enemies.

That would be a mistake. Making a point to scan frequently is a smart move. It reveals enemy locations that may be hiding. And it also shows critical interactable items and individuals, including dead bodies that can sometimes hold precious upgrades, like max health improvements.

It costs nothing to tap that scan, so get in the habit of doing it in each new area you arrive in.

Keep up with your sidequests

If you plan to try and mainline the golden path of Stellar Blade, feel free to ignore this tip. But for the rest of the players, you may be wondering what to prioritize in your extracurricular activities.

Sidequests provided by actual individuals in the game world are almost always a good bet. They provide more and better experience and rewards than just roaming around taking out monsters. Those character-provided sidequests also tend to be more interesting than the less personal assignments you can pick up from bulletin boards.

And, while we don’t want to spoil anything, it’s safe to say that the latter hours of the game turn out differently depending on certain sidequests you might have chosen to complete. Talking with and completing those character-connected side quests is a great place to put your time if you want to expand your time in the world of Stellar Blade.

Pick up the phone!

It goes without saying that you should enter and use supply camps when you find them in order to rest and get your health and supplies back. But early on, you might not realize that you should also be trying to activate all the payphone locations that you encounter.

Phones activate a new fast travel point; you want as many of those as possible.

Even if you don’t initially plan to do a lot of fast traveling, later missions sometimes send you back to explore areas you’ve already visited, and having a more comprehensive selection of fast travel points gets you back to the action and the quest completions faster.

Unlock Beta and Burst Wisely

As you play through Stellar Blade, you’ll gradually unlock access to the Beta and Burst skills. Each skill tree adds new abilities that you can bring to bear in a fight by holding down L1 or R1 along with one of the face buttons. These are usually high-powered attacks; you should integrate them into your combat flow.

But even knowing that, it’s easy to cast too broad a net and weaken yourself by playing with too many different skills. That’s especially true in the midgame, while there’s still much to unlock.

In both the Beta and Burst skill trees, consider unlocking and completing the upgrades for one (or maybe two) of these skills before moving on to the others. Remember, both Beta and Burst skills pull from their own respective meters, so if you use one of the abilities, it will deplete that meter, preventing you from doing another deployment. It’s rare that you’ll be able to spam out multiple abilities that tap into the same meter. As such, it’s best to focus on individual skills that shore up weakpoints in your combat repertoire.

For instance, Shield Breaker is the bottom skill (L1+X) on the Beta Skill Tree, and as the name implies, it does a great job of breaking enemy shields. If you’re struggling with the early phases of boss fights when your foe often still has a high shield, this is a great choice. And rather than diversifying into other skills, we recommend unlocking the upgrades to Shieldbreaker before focusing on other skills. Alternately, Triplet (L1+Square) is a solid and consistent damage dealer and a great choice if you’re just looking to bring down standard enemies quickly.

Take the time to look through the full suite of Beta and Burst skills, and consider which individual abilities would be the biggest help to your playstyle, then focus on those.

Follow the Green Dot

As you get started in Stellar Blade, you may encounter many individuals you feel you need to talk to. If that’s your thing, go for it. But if you’d like to focus on the individuals that actually have something to offer, look for the green dot next to an individual; these are actual quest-givers or other meaningful conversations.

Take the Hint

Occasionally, you’re going to encounter panels that demand that you enter a code sequence of symbols. Generally speaking, you need to find a different location that provides that code before you can input it.

Don’t bother trying to jot down the symbols. Instead, when you return to the appropriate unlockable panel, tap the “Hint” button to see the code. It’s not cheating. It’s simply showing you the code you already found elsewhere in the game, which matches this particular panel. If the “Hint” option is grayed out, you just don’t have the code yet.

Experiment With Story Mode

We always advise that the best difficulty setting is the one that leads to the most fun for you as a player.

With that said, Stellar Blade features a tight and rewarding combat system – if you can enjoy the challenge of some tough combat, the default Normal Difficulty is the way to go. It has some hard fights, but with patience, you’ll succeed.

With that said, there’s nothing to say you can’t experiment with Story Mode, and doing so can help you prepare for winning a hard fight in Normal (or the eventual Hard mode, which unlocks after you beat the game).

In Story Mode, combat prompts pop up and time slows down in critical moments of battle, letting you learn exactly what buttons to press when that vicious boss descends on you.

If you’re committed to beating the boss on Normal, but you’re having a hard time, consider bumping the difficulty down to Story Mode to learn the ropes of the fight. Then, before you defeat the boss, switch back to Normal mode, which will reset you to your most recent save point. You can then go into the fight armed with a clear understanding of what buttons to press to react to each attack – but you’ll still have to nail the timing to win.

Good luck in your adventures with Eve across the post-apocalyptic wastelands of Stellar Blade!

For every issue of Game Informer magazine, we print a handful of Game Informer Gold editions. These versions sometimes feature alternate art, have a gold embossed logo on the front, are individually numbered, and feature higher-quality paper. They're very nice, and we reserve them for special occasions like charity auctions or, as is the case here, giveaways.

For the recent Star Wars Outlaws issue, we have two Game Informer Gold editions we are prepared to send to readers. For a chance at winning one of these collectible issues, we want to hear from you about what's on your mind about gaming and Game Informer. Send a message to our Replies section for a chance to be featured in our monthly magazine letters column.

If you fill out the form below before May 26, 2024, you will be entered to win one of two Game Informer Gold copies of our Star Wars Outlaws issue. In terms of the kind of feedback we're looking for, we want thoughtful responses to our content, general thoughts on the video game industry, your criticisms of previously released or upcoming games, or anything else that will make the magazine better. We're flexible! We want to know what's on your mind and potentially share your thoughts and questions with the rest of Game Informer's readers.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: August 30, 2024

In Star Wars Outlaws, protagonists Kay Vess and Nix must navigate the criminal underworld by interacting with the various crime syndicates thriving in this period between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Kay's standing with these syndicates is primarily represented by the Reputation System, an ambitious mechanic that tracks her relationship with these criminal organizations. In the recently released story trailer, we hear the names of three of the syndicates present in Star Wars Outlaws: the Hutt Cartel, the Pyke Syndicate, and Crimson Dawn. During our trip to Massive Entertainment, I was able to learn more about the fourth syndicate with which Kay will have to balance her reputation: the Ashiga Clan. 

Massive created the Ashiga Clan in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, just like other original elements like Kay, Nix, their ship, the Trailblazer, and the new moon, Toshara. "Every week, we have several calls with them where we share what we'd like to do, the intentions, and they challenge us; we do a back and forth like that over several weeks to be able to get the shape language right, to get the lore right, to make sure it becomes part of Star Wars canon," creative director Julian Gerighty says. "The Ashiga Clan is part of Star Wars canon now. Toshara is part of Star Wars canon now. And that's super gratifying when you help design a creature that's as lovable and fierce as Nix and it becomes part of one of the most storied IPs in the world."

An Ashiga hive

The Ashiga Clan, which has a large presence on Kijimi (a planet most famous for its role in The Rise of Skywalker), finds itself at a crossroads as it pushes to expand beyond Kijimi. "They have a long tradition and certain events in the recent history put them at a fork in the road where there are different ways they could go forward, and they're not necessarily in agreement with what the best path forward is," associate narrative director John Björling says.

It operates as a hive of the Melitto species (first introduced in The Force Awakens with Sarco Plank) with an emphasis on function and survival. "You have these insectoid, humanoid, kind of very ant-like species and it's taking that principle of, 'What would a crime syndicate that is essentially operating like an anthill – what is that like?' Björling says. "It's a syndicate with a long tradition, they have a strong hierarchy, and there's a lot about putting the hive before yourself. I think those aspects make it stand out as a unique kind of crime syndicate."

To learn more about how you'll be interacting with the Ashiga Clan and its leader, Ashiga, head to our feature about how the Reputation System within the game works. Star Wars Outlaws comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. Be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub through the banner below.

Purchase

The Fallout franchise is in the midst of a resurgence lately, thanks to the live-action series adaptation on Amazon Prime (which is good, by the way). Even though it's been almost a decade since its release, Fallout 4 has rocketed to the top of sales charts like a mushroom cloud into the atmosphere, which makes today's update perfectly timed: Fallout 4 is finally getting a proper next-gen update.

ICYMI: The Fallout 4 free next-gen update lands on consoles and PC April 25th! https://t.co/lFnD4X5Q3o

📺 Performance and Quality Mode
🛠️ Stability improvements and fixes
💻 PC widescreen support
🎮 Steam Deck Verified
🎁 Free Creation Club Content pic.twitter.com/JrJDqdn9tW

— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) April 19, 2024

The update brings major technical upgrades to console players. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S now get their own native versions of the game rather than relying on running applications made for older consoles. These new apps come with a Performance Mode, which targets 60 fps with 4k resolution and standard graphics settings, as well as a Quality Mode, which plays at 30 fps with a 4k resolution and graphics set to ultra. The notes also clarify that, when connected to a 120 Hz display, Quality Mode will target 40 fps, and when connected to a 1440p display, the game will run at 60 fps with a 1440p resolution regardless of rendering mode.

PC players aren't left out, either. In addition to launching on the Epic Store, the game will also support widescreen and ultra-widescreen for those who have them. Steam players will also be happy to hear that the game is now officially Steam Deck Verified, so you can take it on the go. That said, the update is not yet available on GOG, but will be sometime soon. "We will let you know as soon as we can," the patch notes read.

In addition to a number of bug fixes across PC and console, the update provides all players with nine free Creation Club items. You can read the patch notes in their entirety here. For more Fallout, check out the trailer for the (now delayed) Fallout 4 London mod, get ready for season 2 of the TV series, and read our review of Fallout 4, which we called "one of the most rewarding (and time-consuming) experiences in gaming."

This week on The Game Informer Show podcast, it's all about reviews. We had three big reviews drop this week (on the same day [around the same time]), as well as a TV show review. Join host Kyle Hilliard as Matt Miller discusses Stellar Blade, Wesley LeBlanc chats about Another Crab's Treasure, and Brian Shea tells us what he thinks of the Knuckles TV show. Kyle also talks about his time with Sand Land and Brian shares preview impressions of the first original Monkey Ball game in years as well as the new TopSpin tennis game.

Episode 704 – Stellar Blade, Sand Land, Monkey Ball, Crabs, And Knuckles:

Follow us on social media: Kyle Hilliard (@KyleMHilliard), Brian Shea (@BrianPShea), Wesley LeBlanc (@LeBlancWes)

The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join host Alex Van Aken every Thursday to chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Matt Storm, the freelance audio editor for The Game Informer Show, edited this episode. Matt is an experienced podcast host and producer who's been speaking into a microphone for over a decade. You should listen to Matt's shows like the "Fun" And Games Podcast and Reignite, a BioWare-focused podcast.  The Game Informer Show – Podcast Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:57 - Stellar Blade Review
00:25:13 - Sand Land Review
00:38:59 - Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Preview
00:49:23 - Another Crab's Treasure Review
01:01:23 - Knuckles TV Series Review
01:21:43 - TopSpin 2K25
01:27:00 - Housekeeping

Dragon's Dogma 2 launched a little over a month ago and has already managed to sell 2.5 million copies, but Capcom is still releasing updates to patch minor issues with the game. While a large volume of complaints have been about the lack of a performance mode, this update (like the last update) does not address that issue. However, it does aim to clean up a number of irritating errors involving the behavior of pawns, the player's AI companions.

An update for Dragon's Dogma 2 is now live on all platforms!

It includes adjustments to the dragonsplague, Pawn behavior and fixes to various issues.

See details on the official website:https://t.co/waEdG0ntSv

We will keep you posted for future updates.

— Dragon's Dogma (@DragonsDogma) April 25, 2024

For starters, this update makes it easier to detect dragonsplague, an affliction that, if untreated, can lead to devastating consequences for your pawns and your world. It's also contagious, so it's a good idea to nip it in the bud as soon as you first encounter it. When afflicted, pawns' eyes will glow red – after this update, they'll glow more noticeably. The update also causes the disease to infect pawns less frequently.

Pawns should also be a lot less annoying now, thanks to a whole slate of minor refinements to their behavior. They'll jump off cliffs less often (which is hilarious but a wild inconvenience), say some lines less often, say other lines at more appropriate times and become less likely to offer to be hired while passing by on the street. They're one of the highlights of the game, so anything done to make their constant presence more consistent is always welcome.

There are also smaller adjustments, like adding the ability to zoom in on a character's face in shops, preventing monster attacks in town from leading to the player's arrest, and other miscellaneous bug fixes. You can read the full list of updates, as well as all past updates, here.

Developer Trialforge Studio and publisher Tate Multimedia revealed Deathbound, a new Soulslike with a unique class-based twist, last August. At the time, PC was its only platform but now, Game Informer can exclusively reveal Deathbound will also come to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S day-in-date with PC later this year. 

As we learned with Deathbound's reveal last year, the game wears its Soulslike inspiration on its sleeve. However, it aims to differentiate itself within the ever-growing genre with what Trialforge calls a single-player party-based system. Players will control a single vessel that channels various heroes known as the fallen. These are individual characters, each with unique skill sets, combat styles, and lore, that share the player-controlled vessel. As such, players can switch between different characters, but they'll need to do so with caution as they aren't all necessarily in alliance with each other. 

Check out the newest Deathbound trailer for yourself below: 

"The relationships between characters also must be taken into effect as it greatly impacts gameplay," a press release reads. "The Church of Death and Cult of Life are at odds with one another. Aligning opposing factions close to one another in the vessel will cause conflict, resulting in consequential combat effects. Alternatively, strong synergies with shared beliefs may offer combat buffs that can spell disaster for the ruthless boss awaiting steel and magic. No matter the creed, the fallen must fight as one." 

Trialforge says in combat, players will charge something called a sync meter that's shared across the fallen within the vessel. When the right opportunity shows itself, players can dispel the sync meter to unleash a devastating "Morphstrike, with the combined power of the party." 

 

Deathbound will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store sometime this year. If you're curious how it plays, there's a demo available right now on Steam. 

For more, read Game Informer's write-up about Deathbound's reveal from last year. After that, check out our list of the top 10 best Soulslike games. 

Are you excited for Deathbound? Let us know in the comments below!

Stellar Blade is out this week and our review, which you can read right here, is positive. We liked the game and were impressed by the depth of its action and world-building. Ahead of its release, but after spending some time with the game, we had a chance to reconnect with Shift Up CEO and Stellar Blade director Hyung-Tae Kim after speaking with him earlier this year. This time we spoke to him (through a translator) about inspirations for the game beyond Nier Automata (like the Bible and The Matrix), the approach to costumes and how they fit in the lore, and why having no minimaps in the game was a purposeful decision.

Game Informer: There are multiple endings?

Hyung-Tae Kim: There are multiple endings and actually, if you complete certain quests, there is a post-credits clip, as well.

Is there an ending you prefer?

This all depends on what choices and decisions the player makes throughout the game. There is no particular ending that I prefer. But then there is this hidden stage so I hope that players discover this and play that. If you want, I guess, a little happier ending then you will have to discover that post-credits clip.

There's no gameplay reward for unlocking costumes, but they are an important incentive for the player. Why are the costumes so important?

I do definitely believe that it is very charming for an iconic character to have this one iconic costume. But my strength is in character concept design. There was so much that I wanted to show to the world and to be able to convey that to the players. I decided that it would be a good idea to include different costumes, that was a good way to show what I wanted to show. And I also wanted the players to be able to go on a journey with the character in a style that they prefer. That's why.

What is the process of choosing and creating a costume?

It's not one method that is decided when creating the costumes. For example, the body suit – I designed it myself and then the 3D modeler; when they are done with the modeling of the costume, I will come back to it and then add more details and texture and typography and finish it for the game. Or for other costumes, we buy the actual clothes in real life, and then scan them, take the scan data, modify it so it looks more futuristic, and then complete it that way. So, it's very different. This way, you get to meet very diverse costumes in the game.

And on top of that, sometimes, when you play the game, you will see some costumes that look like swimming suits. And for those costumes, it's very important to depict the skin texture like how it changes because of pressure and how it's pushed up, or how it folds, how it bends like the body and the flesh and the skin. That's very important when we're trying to detail. So, for this, we actually cast a real-life model and then had the model wear the costumes and scan the model to use the data.

Is there a lore reason why Eve wears so many costumes? Is she interested in fashion?

There was some kind of lore behind Eve showing a lot of interest in the costumes that were left behind on the surface of Earth. We did have that concept, and it was part of her character, but then we later decided that this doesn't really have to be shown in the game. We don't have to really make it known in the game, so that got taken out, but that lore still exists.

Did you ever consider tying costumes to character upgrades?

When making games in the past, I took it very seriously that I didn't connect the stats of the character and the costumes. It was important to me not to make it like that because if that happens, then only certain costumes will be picked by the users because they have better stats than the other outfits. I didn't want that to happen. I just wanted everyone to enjoy all kinds of different costumes that are provided in the game, regardless of the stats.

But of course, if you don't wear anything at all, then it would be dangerous on the surface of a desolate Earth. So we did put a little bit of a disadvantage there if you're not wearing anything.

Does the team see Eve as a Bayonetta-type figure who embraces her sexuality and uses it as a weapon?

I don't think Eve is aware of those charms that she possesses, so she's not that kind of character. So, she won't be able to combine that central attractiveness that the Bayonetta character has and to be able to combine that with their battles. But then it's not fully decided how Eve will evolve in the future, and what kind of realization she'll be met with in the future, so I guess it would depend on the users and what they like and what kind of interest they show towards the game. Maybe Eve will go through some kind of… being more socialized and adjusted, and maybe she will get to have new realizations and become someone different.

Cans are an important collectible. Why cans?

That may be a personal taste. I personally like different can designs. And also, I thought it'd be more realistic to use cans where the Earth is ruined. As one of the preserved goods, cans would make more sense than other elements.

Are they based on real Korean brands?

We tried to, but no can brands would partner with us to have a collaboration, so we had to create them all originally in-house. We also consulted someone who is an expert in designing can packaging. We hired that person to come up with designs that would make them look real. In the future, hopefully we'll be able to have a collaboration with a real-life brand. Especially Pepsi, which we are very interested in.

Was a minimap ever considered? I would really like one in Xion.

If you slide up on the touchpad, you have access to the map in Xion.

Oh, but I want a little map that’s always available on the bottom corner of the screen.

I wanted to show as little UI design on the screen as possible. That's why I didn't include the minimap on the screen. But then yes, it is pretty necessary in an open-world area. When it's a linear area, of course, there are other hidden paths, but if you use the map, then maybe it'll become too easy in this linear part of the game. That's why I wanted to avoid having the map there for the players to constantly use. But then yes, of course, in Xion, you will want to consult the map more because as things constantly change, you'll be given new quests constantly, so the map does become handy. I do actually recommend using the map there.

In the movie The Matrix, there is the haven city of Zion. In Stellar Blade there is the haven city of Xion. In Stellar Blade there is a location called Matrix 11. The Matrix was co-directed by Lilly Wachowski. In Stellar Blade there is a character named Lily. Are these all coincidences, or is The Matrix a big inspiration for Stellar Blade?

The Matrix is, of course, one of the movies that I love, but then rather than any direct inspiration or references that we got from the movie, you should see the Bible as more of a source of those inspirations. But then that doesn't mean this whole story was based on the Bible, heavily. It is more like they share similar lores.

That makes sense because The Matrix looks to the Christian Bible, as well. And of course, Adam and Eve are both characters in in Stellar Blade. Is the Bible a primary source of inspiration?

In terms of materials that we got for the plot, yes, the Bible, and yes it does have to do with the themes of the plot as well, but then ultimately, at the end of the day, this is an action-adventure game so when the players play this game, they can just take this lightly and just enjoy the game.

When people think, “Oh, this was based on the Bible,” then they tend to take it more seriously and expect maybe a heavier, more serious story there. And of course, we're very thankful for that interpretation, but what we wanted to focus on was more the gameplay itself.

Why is there a setting to change the length of Eve’s ponytail?

I actually personally like the long ponytail that Eve has because it adds more to the movement and the action and I see that as an important element, but then I also realized that this wouldn't be for everyone. Some people might find it annoying, or maybe it obstructs a certain outfit or the screen when moving around, and I thought that could be interrupting or disturbing to some people, so I also wanted to include the shorter ponytail. But then after that, there have been demands about middle-length ponytails or the option to be able to control the length of the ponytail and so on.

Stellar Blade is out this year. There's another big game from a South Korean developer, The First Descendent coming out later this year. Does Shift Up feel it is a big year for Korean representation in video games?

We do have a hope that, starting with Stellar Blade this year, it will be an outbreak year for South Korean developers. In the past, up until recently, actually, Korean games have been rather isolated from the world because the gaming market in Korea is mostly mobile-centric. For console games, it was hard for them to gain any attention and there wasn't that much of a point where other global users were getting to access these games. There haven't been that many overlapping elements there.

But then, starting with Stellar Blade, hopefully, many global users will get to discover more Korean games and actually realize, “Oh, these are actually really good games!” And I'm starting with that; hopefully, other Korean developers will be more well-known. This year will be that year. And in that way, we even have a certain sense of duty there.

Are you hoping to make a Stellar Blade sequel next, or does Shift Up want to do something different next?

Right now, we’re focusing more on Stellar Blade – the game itself. We're focusing more on what the users will like, what they'll want to see more of, and what kind of additional content we'll be coming up. Hopefully, you'll enjoy the game that's coming out soon.

For more on Stellar Blade you can read our previous feature on the game here, and read Game Informer's Stellar Blade review here.

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Aggro Crab
Developer: Aggro Crab
Release: April 25, 2024
Rating: Teen

Another Crab's Treasure, as the name suggests, is a humorous and pun-filled world where the sea is your Soulslike oyster. A fork acts as your defacto sword, while various other remnants from above, like shot glasses, soda cans, and more, serve as your shield. With fork in hand and can on back, Kril, a shy but easygoing hermit crab, sets out into the aquatic kingdom to find his favorite shell, stolen from him by a loan shark tax collector. What follows is an adventure that excels at being an amusing and bright reprieve from the otherwise dark and terror-filled Soulslike genre. However, the action doesn’t hit the same highs; while unique and expansive in some ways, it feels too floaty, too imprecise, and too annoying too often, polluting an otherwise fun 15-hour jaunt through a trash-filled ocean. 

Developer Aggro Crab smartly leans into the game's premise, and the results often had me chuckling. Whether it was in-world jokes, pokes at real-world and human-made problems with the ocean, or simple wordplay (words like shuck, carp, cod, and more replace similar-sounding real-world curse words), I was constantly smiling while interacting with the various creatures of the ocean. Solid voice acting and design also make each NPC and boss a treat. 

This lean into the premise extends to the game's action, too, but it's less successful. To Aggro Crab's credit, the combat progresses meaningfully with distinct, eccentric mechanics and abilities. Instead of a standard weapon-based parry, you must hide in your shell and pop out of it right before an enemy strikes to parry properly; defeating a large crustacean boss grants you a special hammer claw-like ability for large sweeping strikes; "Umami" magic within each shell manifests in interesting ways, like a shot glass that splits into shards when attacked, a bowling ball-like roll within a tennis ball shell, or homing carbonation bubbles that shoot out of a soda can. 

Most of my joy in combat came from seeing the "new" – the special Umami magic in a new shell, the new ability gained after defeating a major boss, or the new stowaway attachment that increases my vitality or defense, for example. There's no shortage of quirkiness in the combat, and there's a respectable amount of departure that works from what I typically expect in a Soulslike. 

 

That's why it's a shame the foundation of the combat is so shaky. It's floaty, likely on purpose, considering Kril's adventure largely takes place underwater, but the tradeoff for that feel is impreciseness that doesn't work with such challenging gameplay. The camera is finicky, too, leaving me to fight various enemies at once who cornered me against a wall giving me no real view of what's happening. Critically, when I died in combat, it usually felt less like something I could personally improve on – an important aspect of the genre – and more like the game had cheated me into death. 

All of this is exacerbated by a story that starts strong before meandering into a rushed finale, with my least favorite area and a slew of bosses that each felt like they could have been the final in the game. It doesn't help that various game crashes and bugs in the final hours slowed my progression forward here. 

Though the combat, which falls between serviceable and irritating, threatened my enjoyment, I still found delight in the currents of Another Crab's Treasure. Kril's reluctance to become a hero and his subsequent journey, messaging surrounding the dangers corporations pose to our oceans, and clever twists on the Soulslike formula deliver a satisfying, albeit uneven and flawed, wade through uncharted waters.

Encouraged by Aggro Crab to try the game out on Steam Deck, I was impressed with how well Another Crab’s Treasure performs on the handheld PC device. Its visuals popped on the smaller screen, and the performance rarely dipped below 30 FPS, often climbing higher, even to 60 FPS at some points. Locking the Steam Deck’s FPS to 40 ultimately made for the smoothest experience, and Steam’s cloud saving worked flawlessly, making Another Crab’s Treasure an easy game to play at a desktop or on the couch, Steam Deck in hand.

Score: 7

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Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Ilca
Release: April 26, 2024
Rating: Teen

Sand Land is experiencing an oddly timed resurgence. Its creator, Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball), recently passed away unexpectedly, effectively pointing a spotlight on his 24-year-old creation just as it was being adapted to film, anime, and video game. The video game has been my entry point into this world with characters, vehicles, and architecture that all resemble Dragon Ball beyond even just an art style, and I enjoyed the opportunity to live in a brand new Toriyama world and story. Other elements of the game, like its animation and performances, vacillate between high and low quality, but ultimately, Sand Land is the kind of experience I want from adaptation – the opportunity to spend time in a big, realized world with a story that pulls you all the way through.

The Sand Land video game functions as both a retelling and a sequel to the 2000 manga. For franchise newcomers like myself, this is a fantastic entry point, but there is a jarring line in the narrative between old and wholly new. Moving beyond the borders of the Sand Land region, on a basic level, doesn’t make sense considering the world built up to that point. But, overall, I like the plot and was locked in to see where it was going early on, even if the characters lack depth. Outside of the overt bad guys, no one learns much in Sand Land, and its characters are basically fully defined from their first line of dialogue. Rao, however, stands out as a smart and committed do-gooder who is quickly accepting of everyone despite their differences – a rare character trait for someone whose accurate, uncreative nickname is “old man.”

As Beelzebub, son of the demon king Lucifer, you decide to assist a human in bringing water back to a dehydrated world. This entails exploring large, open worlds with a collection of vehicles that you can call at any time. Swapping between a tank for skirmishes and a motorcycle to speed across the dunes is a quick process, but you do it so often that I admit getting frustrated with the slightly cumbersome swapping system. I also didn’t love that swapping between vehicles basically requires a full stop. It may sound like nitpicking, but every encounter in the game requires frequent vehicle swapping.

Fighting enemies using your collection of vehicles is a highlight and, understandably, the focus of the game. Despite the focus on vehicle combat, the action feels closer to a third-person shooter and does a good job painting control styles between disparate vehicles. I favored the tank with its powerful guns and strong armor, but the jumping tank used to leap up mountains and the mech used to punch other robots are fun in their own way. Upgrading and customizing them is a slow process, and I rarely felt I was making big, impactful improvements by leveling up or swapping out vehicle parts, but I was always eager to check the garage and see what I could do to inch up my stats.

 

The process of upgrading the town of Spino is similarly rewarding as completing sidequests (many featuring genuinely interesting little stories and characters) brings new people to the growing town. Saving a painter in the middle of the desert, for example, opens up a shop where you can paint and decal your vehicles. You can even decorate the town with furniture, but I admit little interest in that aspect since all of my resources went into improving my vehicles.

Sometimes, Beelzebub progresses without a vehicle, and these sections are generally annoying without ever being too difficult, thankfully. Beelzebub is a powerful demon with a literal garage of armored weapons in his back pocket but insists on occasionally sneaking around for interminable stealth sections. These parts of the game feel like they're from a different era of video games that we have left behind. The hand-to-hand combat scenarios aren’t as bad, but I was always eager to be back in a tank.

Sand Land has its shortcomings and feels a little overlong despite seeing credits around the reasonable 20-hour mark, but it maintains a charm throughout. Toriyama’s fun sense of humor is front and center with Beelzebub taking on the adventure primarily so his dad will give him an extra hour of video game time every day. I may not have had strong connections with most of the cast and was annoyed with a number of specific sections, but I liked spending time in Sand Land (and beyond) and seeing my garage upgrade and grow.

Score: 7.75

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Platform: PlayStation 5
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: ShiftUp
Release: April 26, 2024

After a long absence, the Super Monkey Ball series returned in 2019 and 2021 with remasters and remakes of previous games, but it's been over a decade since fans received an all-new Super Monkey Ball title. That changes in June, as Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is poised to deliver the continuation longtime players pine for. But with some recent mixed results, massive changes in game design best practices in the time since the series' heyday, and likely a whole lot of cobwebs to shake off for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, I was skeptical about the viability of a new Super Monkey Ball in 2024. Thankfully, after spending an hour playing Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, those fears have subsided almost entirely.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble brings a ton of content and changes to the series while still remaining definitively Monkey Ball. Banana Rumble apes its freshest new move from Sega's flagship franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog. In previous Super Monkey Ball games, you could jump, but that ability is replaced by a Spin Dash, a technique in Sonic's moveset since Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992. At first, I was unsure of this change, but as soon as I got my hands on it through the tutorial, all my concerns were dashed away.

The Spin Dash fits incredibly well into the Super Monkey Ball formula, giving you a better flow through the levels but also letting you peel out and blast off ramps and lips to find shortcuts. During my hands-on session, my most thrilling moments came when I lined up and blasted through a level using the Spin Dash. It's useful for cutting corners in the stages, but it's essential for hitting the missions each level gives you, particularly when combined with the refreshed physics that make the series feel better than ever.

As you play through the 200 all-new levels in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble's Adventure mode, you can simply make it your goal to reach the end of the stage. However, if you want to be a completionist, each level has three side missions: One for collecting a set number of bananas, one for grabbing the Golden Banana, and one for completing the stage in a set amount of time. You don't have to get all of them in one go, but I still strived to do so during my demo. It quickly became apparent that I could complete the banana-centric missions during a normal playthrough of the level, I'd have to get crafty to finish some of the levels under the time target. That's where the Spin Dash and creative thinking come into play.

On one level, I waited for a moving platform to lift up, giving me enough airtime if I Spin Dashed into it at the right time to send me flying over the other platforms and into the goal. On another, I had to drop down at just the right point in the stage to skip huge swaths of the level and reach the goal faster, harkening back to games like Super Mario 64 in the best possible way. I loved tackling these head-scratching stages, and having only played through the first two worlds, I can't wait to see how the challenges escalate in the levels still to come. If you end up stuck on any level, you can turn on various assist options, including ghosts that show you optimal routes and checkpoints that let you continue the level if you fall off the platforms. As you complete these worlds, you earn trophies to display on your island, as well as in-game currency to purchase cosmetics in the shop.

Outside of Adventure mode, I had a chance to participate in the Battle modes, which allow for up to 16 players online or 2 players locally. Since the game isn't out yet, I play against 15 bots, which will be an option in the final game if you want to fill out with up to 16 total competitors mixed in with your actual players.

The Battle modes give me a lot of hope for the multiplayer aspect of Banana Rumble. Whether it's the Mario Kart-style Race game, the collectathon Banana Hunt, or the fun risk/reward game of Goal Rush, where you players roll down a hill at high speeds to try and go through the highest scoring goals to contribute to your team's total, Banana Rumble delivers a diverse array of experiences within this suite. However, my two favorites are Ba-Boom, which is basically a game of tag where you need to pass off a bomb before the timer reaches zero and eliminates those with bombs, and Robot Smash, where you use momentum and the Spin Dash to blast into robots in the arena and rack up points for your team. I can't wait to actually get into these modes with real-world players, as they feel like they hold a surprising amount of depth for side modes.

And that was my main takeaway from my time with Banana Rumble in general: I came away impressed by how the game feels like far more than surface delights and lighthearted fun. The puzzle-solving fan inside of me can't wait to figure out the best paths through the various Adventure mode levels, while the party-game lover is itching to play more rounds of the Battle mode titles. 

I had an absolute blast during my time with Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, and what I played was just a sampling of the content that awaits players. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble arrives exclusively on Switch on June 25.

Purchase

Nintendo has been slowly beefing up its library of games available to Nintendo Switch Online and Expansion Pack subscribers. 

What began as a library of just 20 NES games has grown to include dozens more. Plus, Nintendo has since introduced SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, and even Sega Genesis games, giving players a chance to play some fan-favorite classics and some deep cuts, too. It’s hard to predict when new games might arrive as the company has maintained a somewhat inconsistent cadence in doing so, but that’s okay because this list is all you need. 

As Nintendo adds new titles, we’ll be sure to update this list to include them. If you’re looking for something specific, use this story’s Table of Contents to jump to the different consoles quickly. Here’s every NES, SNES, Game Boy, N64, Genesis, and GBA game added to Nintendo Switch Online. 

Added September 19, 2018

• Balloon Fight
• Baseball
• Donkey Kong
• Double Dragon
• Dr. Mario
• Excitebike
• Ghosts ‘n Goblins
• Gradius
• Ice Climber
• Ice Hockey
• The Legend of Zelda
• Mario Bros.
• Pro Wrestling
• River City Ransom
• Soccer
• Super Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Tecmo Bowl
• Tennis
• Yoshi

Added October 10, 2018

• The Legend of Zelda SP
• NES Open Tournament Golf
• Solomon’s Key
• Super Dodge Ball

Added November 14, 2018

• Gradius SP (Stage 5)
• Metroid 
• Mighty Bomb Jack
• NES Open Tournament Golf SP (Japan only)
• TwinBee

Added December 12, 2018

• Adventures of Lolo
• Adventures of Lolo 2 (Japan only)
• Dr. Mario SP
• Metroid SP (Ridley Battle)
• Ninja Gaiden
• Wario’s Woods

Added January 16, 2019

• Blaster Master
• Ghosts ‘n Goblins SP
• Joy Mech Fight (Japan only)
• Ninja Gaiden SP
• Zelda II: Adventure of Link

Added February 13, 2019

• Blaster Master SP
• Kirby’s Adventure
• Metroid SP (Mother Brain Battle)
• Super Mario Bros. 2
• Tsuppari Oozumou (Japan only)

Added March 13, 2019

• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (Japan only)
• Kid Icarus
• Kirby’s Adventure SP
• StarTropics
• Yie Ar Kung-Fu (Japan only)
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link SP

Added April 10, 2019

• Kid Icarus SP
• Punch-Out!
• Star Soldier
• Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Added May 15, 2019

• Clu Clu Land
• Clu Clu Land: Welcome to New Cluclu Land (Japan only)
• Donkey Kong Jr.
• Star Soldier SP
• Vs. Excitebike

June 12, 2019

• City Connection
• Double Dragon II: The Revenge
• TwinBee SP
• Volleyball

Added July 17, 2019

• Donkey Kong 3
• Mighty Bomb Jack
• Wrecking Crew

Added August 21, 2019

• Downtown Nekketsu Koshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundokai (Japan only)
• Gradius SP (Second Loop)
• Kung Fu Heroes
• Vice: Project Doom

Added December 12, 2019

• Crystallis
• Famicom Wars (Japan only)
• Journey to Silius
• Route-16 Turbo (Japan only)

Added February 29, 2020

• Atlantis no Nazo (Japan only)
• Eliminator Boat Duel
• Shadow of the Ninja

Added April 20, 2020

• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light SP (Medeus Battle) (Japan only)
• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light SP (Triangle Attack) (Japan only)

Added May 20, 2020

• Rygar 

Added July 15, 2020

• The Immortal

Added September 23, 2020

• S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team

Added December 18, 2020

• Nightshade
• Smash Ping Pong (Japan only)

Added February 17, 2021

• Fire ‘n Ice

Added May 26, 2021

• Ninja JaJaMaru-kun

Added July 28, 2021

• Super Mario Bros. 3 SP

Added February 9, 2022

• EarthBound Beginnings

Added March 30, 2022

• Dig Dug II
• Mappy-Land

Added May 26, 2022

• Pinball

Added July 22, 2022

• Daiva Story 6 Imperial of Nirsartia

Added March 16, 2023

• Xevious 

Added June 6, 2023

• Mystery Tower

Added September 5, 2023

• Joy Mech Fight
• Downtown Nekketsu March Super-Awesome Field Day!

Added October 31, 2023

• Devil World
• The Mysterious Murasame Castle

Added February 21, 2024

• R.C. Pro-Am
• Snake Rattle 'N' Roll

Added September 5, 2019

• Brawl Brothers
• Breath of Fire
• Demon’s Crest
• F-Zero
• Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
• Kirby’s Dream Course
• Kirby’s Dream Land 3
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• Pilotwings
• Smash Tennis
• Star Fox
• Stunt Race FX
• Super Earth Defense Force
• Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts
• Super Mario Kart
• Super Mario World
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
• Super Metroid
• Super Puyo Puyo 2
• Super Soccer
• Super Tennis

Added December 12, 2019

• Breath of Fire II
• Kirby Super Star
• Star Fox 2
• Super Punch-Out!

Added February 19, 2020

• Pop’n TwinBee

Added May 20, 2020

• Operation Logic Bomb
• Panel de Pon
• Wild guns

Added July 15, 2020

• Donkey Kong Country
• Natsume Championship Wrestling
• Shin Megami Tensei (Japan only)

Added September 3, 2020

• Super Mario All-Stars

Added September 23, 2020

• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest
• Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem (Japan only)
• Mario’s Super Picross
• The Peace Keepers

Added December 18, 2020

• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!
• The Ignition FActor
• Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen’in Shugo (Japan only)
• Sugoi Hebereke (Japan only)
• Super Valis IV
• Tuff E Nuff

Added February 17, 2021

• Doomsday Warrior
• Prehistorik Man
• Psycho Dream
• Shin Megami Tensei II (Japan only)

Added May 26, 2021

• Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War (Japan only)
• Joe & Mac
• Magical Drop II
• Spanky’s Quest
• Super Baseball Simulator 1.000
• Super Mario Kart SP

Added July 28, 2021

• Bombuzal
• Claymates
• Jelly Boy
• Shin Megami Tensei If… (Japan only)

Added February 9, 2022

• EarthBound
• Super Metroid SP

Added March 30, 2022

• Earthworm Jim 2
• Harvest Moon
• Super Mario World SP
• Super Punch-Out! SP

Added May 26, 2022

• Congo’s Caper
• Rival Turf!
• Umihara Kawase (Japan only)

Added June 9, 2022

• Kirby Super Star SP
• Kirby’s Dream Course SP
• Kirby’s Dream Land 3 SP

Added July 22, 2022

• Fighter's History
• Kirby's Avalanche

Added March 16, 2023

• Side Pocket

Added June 6, 2023

• Harvest Moon

Added September 5, 2023

• Kirby's Star Stacker

Added February 21, 2024

• Battletoads in Battlemaniacs
• Killer Instinct

Added April 12, 2024

• Amazing Hebereke
• Super R-Type
• Wrecking Crew '98

Added February 8, 2023

• Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
• Game & Watch Gallery 3
• Gargoyle's Quest
• Kirby's Dream Land
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
• Metroid II: Return of Samus
• Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
• Tetris
• Wario Land 3

Added March 16, 2023

• Kirby's Dream Land 2
• BurgerTime Deluxe

Added June 6, 2023

• Kirby Tilt 'N' Tumble
• Blaster Master: Enemy Below

Added July 26, 2023

• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Added August 8, 2023

• Pokémon Trading Card Game

Added September 5, 2023

• Quest for Camelot

Added October 31, 2023

• Castlevania Legends

Added March 12, 2024

• Dr. Mario
• Mario Golf
• Mario Tennis

Added October 25, 2021

• Dr. Mario 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Mario Kart 64
• Mario Tennis
• Sin and Punishment
• Star Fox 64
• Super Mario 64
• WinBack
• Yoshi’s Story

Added December 10, 2021

• Paper Mario

Added January 20, 2022

• Banjo-Kazooie

Added February 25, 2022

• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Added March 11, 2022

• F-Zero X

Added April 15, 2022

• Mario Golf

Added May 20, 2022

• Kirby 64, The Crystal Shards

Added June 24, 2022

• Pokémon Snap

Added July 15, 2022

• Pokémon Puzzle League

Added August 15, 2022

• Wave Racer 64

Added October 12, 2022

• Pilotwings 64

Added November 2, 2022

• Mario Party
• Mario Party 2

Added January 27, 2023

• GoldenEye 007

Added April 12, 2023

• Pokémon Stadium

Added August 8, 2023

• Pokémon Stadium 2

Added August 30, 2023

• Excitebike 64

Added October 27, 2023

• Mario Party 3

Added December 7, 2023

• 1080° Snowboarding
• Harvest Moon 64
• Jet Force Gemini

Added February 21, 2024

• Blast Corps

Added April 24, 2024

• Extreme G
• Iggy's Reckin' Balls

Added October 25, 2021

• Castlevania: Bloodlines
• Contra: Hard Corps
• Dro. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Golden Axe
• Gunstar Heroes
• MUSHA
• Phantasy Star IV
• Puyo Puyo (Japan only)
• Ristar
• Shining Force
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Streets of Rage 2
• Strider

Added December 16, 2021

• Altered Beast
• Dynamite Headdy
• Sword of Vermillion
• Thunder Force II
• ToeJam & Earl

Added March 16, 2022

• Alien Soldier 
• Light Crusader
• Super Fantasy Zone

Added April 21, 2022

• Shining Force II
• Sonic Spinball
• Space Harrier II

Added June 30, 2022

• Comix Zone
• Mega Man: The Wily Wars
• Target Earth
• Zero Wing

Added September 15, 2022

• Alisia Dragoon
• Beyond Oasis
• Earthworm Jim

Added December 12, 2022

• Alien Storm
• Columns
• Golden Axe II
• Virtua Fighter 2

Added April 19, 2023

• Flicky
• Kid Chameleon
• Pulseman
• Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition

Added June 27, 2023

• Ghouls 'n Ghosts
• Crusader of Centy
• Landstalker
• The Revenge of Shinobi

Added February 8, 2023

• Kuru Kuru Kururin
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
• Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames

Added March 8, 2023

• Metroid Fusion

Added May 26, 2023

• Super Mario Advance
• Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
• Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

Added June 23, 2023

• Fire Emblem 

Added September 22, 2023

• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror

Added January 17, 2024

• Golden Sun
• Golden Sun: The Lost Age

Added March 29, 2024

• F-Zero Maximum Velocity

Be sure to check back monthly to see if Nintendo’s dropped any new games onto Nintendo Switch Online.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: August 30, 2024

The June 2023 reveal of Star Wars Outlaws gave us our first glimpse of Kay Vess and Nix, the two protagonists of the game. From talking with Massive Entertainment during our recent trip out to Sweden to get our hands on Star Wars Outlaws, it sounds as though their bond will be special. However, they aren't on this journey alone, as they are joined by a trenchcoat-wearing BX-commando droid named ND-5. Though Kay and Nix were greater points of emphasis during our studio visit, we had to ask the developers about the internet-popular droid that joins the Star Wars Outlaws adventure.

ND-5 joins Kay Vess in her trip around the Outer Rim and beyond, but he has a long history in the Star Wars galaxy prior to meeting up with Kay. "He is a BX-commando droid – a veteran of the Clone Wars – and he works as an enforcer droid for a character named Jaylen," associate narrative director John Björling says. "ND-5 is there to make sure that Kay follows through with the heist job, but together, they're going to face some big challenges and really get to know one another."

The job that Björling refers to is referenced in the latest story trailer (see below). At the start of her adventure, Kay crosses Sliro, the leader of the Zerek Besh criminal syndicate, resulting in him putting a bounty on her head. Jaylen Vrax and ND-5 drop in on Kay to offer her a path forward. The only way she sees out of it is to pull off the ultimate heist to earn her freedom.

Since Kay meets ND-5 early on, he plays a crucial role in the story, as well as Kay's mission to pull off this heist. Because he has experience in the Clone Wars and the criminal underworld, he's a valuable asset to her. "He comes from the Clone Wars and he is wearing a lot of emotional kind of baggage from that," Björling says. "He's an enforcer droid and he's seen a lot and he has a lot of experience in the underworld. Matching him up with Kay, it feels like the perfect kind of combination because she's new to that world; she doesn't know the key syndicates and the major players, but ND-5 is there to guide her and support her as they are moving towards the mark."

The reveal of ND-5 inspired a lot of excitement, with much social media attention put on his design. "First of all, I was very excited to see the fans' reactions to ND-5's design; it was really great to have all these reactions, and I think it really added to his character," associate art director Marthe Jonkers says with a smile. "For his design, we really had a similar approach as we did to all the other characters in really trying to show his background story in his look. So, of course, he's a BX-commando droid. He was made by separatists during the Clone Wars. He's been through a lot; you see that – he has a scar on his chest, but he tries to hide that with his jacket. You will find out more about him in the game, so I'm not going to spoil too much, but you know, he's walking a bit [lumbering]. He's usually sitting hunched over. And, you know, we tried to put a lot of personality into this droid by using these kinds of elements. I'm really happy that people really picked up on them and he became very popular. I think he's a super interesting character and I'm looking forward to people playing the game and finding out more about him."

ND-5 graces the box and key art of Star Wars Outlaws, all but guaranteeing he's a major player in the game

Star Wars Outlaws arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. For more exclusive information about Star Wars Outlaws, be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub at the banner below.

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Taming a wolf in Minecraft is one of the game's simplest joys, and no matter how many times I start a new world, I always hoard bones in case I encounter one. But once you've adopted a canine companion, you probably hide them away in a house for safe-keeping, shielding them from the horrors of the game's hostile mobs. Today, Minecraft is adding a way to make them a little stronger – wolf armor.

Like leather armor, wolf armor can be colored using dyes in-game, so if you've got multiple adopted animals, it'll still be easy to tell them apart. This variation is separate from the collar colors as well, creating plenty of possibilities. Even better, the game is also adding wolf fur variants for the first time, bringing eight new patterns for a total of nine. Each variant (Pale, Woods, Ashen, Black, chestnut, Rusty, Spotted, Striped, and Snowy) spawns in a specific biome. You can take a look at all the new breeds in the gallery below.

 

Of course, players will need to be able to craft this wolf armor as well, which is where the new mob, the armadillo, comes in. These armored relatives of anteaters can be found in savannah or badland biomes, where they can be seen strolling around and curling into a defensive ball when certain enemies come near. Armadillos drop armadillo scutes, which are used to make the wolf armor, but the developers have reassured players that they can be brushed rather than defeated, so you won't have to go on an armadillo massacre to protect your pets. Armadillos can also be used to scare away spiders since they eat insects and arachnids in real life, and spider eyes can be used to breed them if you want to make your own armadillo farm.

You can read the rest of the notes for the 1.20.5 update right here.

Epic Games has revealed a new setting for Fortnite that allows players to hide emotes the company considers "confrontational." This doesn't outright ban these emotes from the game and those with them can still use them, but if someone has this new setting turned off, they won't see others use them. 

Called "See Confrontational Emotes," players can choose whether they want to see emotes like "Laugh It Up," "Take the L," "Whipcrack," and "Make It Plantain" from anyone, from friends in a party, or never. Epic says players who have these emotes hidden with this new setting will see a player using the emote standing still, with no emote sound. 

This new setting can be found under "Social Privacy" in the Fortnite settings and it defaults to only show these confrontational emotes from friends in your party. Epic stresses that this setting does not change a player's ability to use any emotes. It is now live in-game. 

For more about Fortnite, check out these Avatar: The Last Airbender skins now available in the game, and then read about how Fortnite's next Star Wars crossover will span Lego, Fortnite Festival, and Battle Royale. After that, read about how Billie Eilish is headlining Fortnite Festival Season 3. 

How do you feel about this new emote setting? Let us know in the comments below!

Publisher Atlus and developer Studio Zero have released a new trailer for the upcoming fantasy RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and it features plenty of new gameplay. It also reveals Metaphor: ReFantazio will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 11. 

Dubbed "The King's Trial," this new trailer sets up a bit of the Metaphor: ReFantazio's world more, highlighting a tournament for the king's throne at the center of the narrative. It seems our protagonist and the friends and allies they encounter along the way are vying for a crown that others are also after. In order to claim it, players must complete trials across the lands, proving their worth. 

Check it out for yourself in the Metaphor: ReFantazio gameplay trailer below: 

As you can see, Metaphor: ReFantazio continues to look excellent, with its Persona inspirations on full display. That's not surprising, though, considering Studio Zero is composed of various leads from Atlus' popular Persona series, including the latest in the franchise, Persona 5. 

If you've played Persona 5 Royal, or even the recently released Persona 3 Reload, then you know we're likely in for a treat when it comes to a few things: combat, narrative, and art. And if this new look at the game's menu are any indication, the Persona team has been cooking something special for Metaphor: ReFantazio. 

The trailer also reveals Metaphor: ReFantazio will get a special Collector's Edition for $149.99. The game's standard release will cost $69.99.

Here's what the Collector's Edition looks like: 

Metaphor: ReFantazio hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 11, 2024. 

For more about the game, watch the Metaphor: ReFantazio reveal trailer. Read Game Informer's Persona 5 Royal review, and then read Game Informer's Persona 5 Tactica review after that. 

Are you picking up Metaphor: ReFantazio on day one? Let us know in the comments below!

With the introduction of Fortnite Festival, Epic's rhythm game within the chart-topping Battle Royale, there's more incentive than ever for musicians to have their likenesses added to the game. The latest of these artists is Billie Eilish, who announced her collaboration with the game on social media earlier today.

Fortnite Festival Main Stage: 4.23.24 pic.twitter.com/dxaQBsqD4A

— billie eilish (@billieeilish) April 22, 2024

Eilish is not just getting a skin added to the game (like Eminem, for example), she's the next headliner for Fortnite Festival's main stage event, which will start tomorrow, April 23. This includes a set of artist-specific rotating songs players can compete for high scores in, as well as unlockable skins, songs, instruments, and other cosmetics, though unlocking all of these requires the purchase of the pricey 1,800 V-Buck Festival Pass. Previous headliners were The Weeknd and Lady Gaga.

Eilish recently made headlines for winning a Grammy, Golden Globe, and Oscar for "What Was I Made For" from the Barbie movie, which is a task she's now accomplished twice. Even more recently, she announced her upcoming album Hit Me Hard And Soft, which is likely her main marketing incentive for appearing in the game. For more Fortnite, check out the current Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover and read about the upcoming Star Wars event.

Will you be buying Eilish's festival pass? Which artist do you want to see in Fortnite next? Let us know in the comments!