New Pokémon Snap actually has a number of twists on how it handles "Legendary" Pokémon. For one, it features a number of "boss battles" with Illumina Pokémon — giant Pokémon that glow when exposed to a special kind of flower unique to the Lental Region. You've likely already seen one of these Pokémon, Meganium, in the trailers. But there's far more to New Pokémon Snap's treatment of legendaries than initially meets the eye, and while the choice of what Pokémon to feature is rather surprising if you're familiar with how Pokémon normally handles legendaries, it's also very, very cool. Warning: What follows below this video is major spoilers for the end of New Pokémon Snap. Scroll past at your own risk. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/28/new-pokemon-snap-review"] Aside from Meganium, there are a number of other Pokémon that also get the Illumina treatment. These include Milotic, Steelix, Volcarona, and Wishiwashi. All of these Illumina encounters take place on special Illumina courses, where the Illumina Pokémon is thrown into the spotlight similar to how Mew was the sole focus of Pokémon Snap's Rainbow Cloud course. Though other Pokémon can and do appear in these stages, their appearances are incidental to the Illumina Pokémon's. Your goal is to get the coolest shots possible of the big, glowing creature, and it will often require careful timing and clever puzzle-solving to get them. Your encounters with these Illumina Pokémon all eventually lead to a special encounter with a legendary Illumina Pokémon, and this is where New Pokémon Snap really surprised me. While Pokémon Snap eventually led up to an encounter with the then-rarest Pokémon in existence, Mew, New Pokémon Snap spotlights an unlikely hero in Pokémon X's legendary creature, Xerneas. Xerneas as a final boss is a bit of a strange pick given that Pokémon X is nearly a decade old now, and we don't seem to be set up for remakes anytime soon the way we are with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. There's a Pokémon GO event featuring Xerneas going on right now, marking its first appearance in the game alongside its Y counterpart Yveltal, but that's likely been timed explicitly because of New Pokémon Snap. Still, the Illumina Xerneas encounter makes sense in the context of New Pokémon Snap, as you meet it in a ruined temple surrounded by a lush forest, and it emerges from a tree similar to its appearance in Pokémon X. It's the most challenging Illumina Pokémon to catch on film, requiring a multi-stage puzzle just to get it to emerge to be photographed, but the gorgeous glowing shots at the end are well worth it. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=our-favorite-photos-from-new-pokemon-snap&captions=true"] That said, Xerneas isn't the only legendary Pokémon in New Pokémon Snap. We won't spoil who else shows up, but once you get a photo of Xerneas and roll the credits, more legendary monsters from multiple Pokémon games will appear in stages you've already visited. Some will show up unprompted, while others will be a bit more challenging to coax out. These aren't major, stage-wide encounters like Xerneas, but they can be quite cool and provide a good chunk of post-game content to work through. We reviewed New Pokémon Snap and found it delightful, with far more content than the original and a surprising variety of different takes on some of our favorite Pokémon. The game is out now on Nintendo Switch, and if you're struggling to get the perfect shot of any of the Illumina Pokémon including Xerneas, we have guides for that. We also have a guide for all the post-game legendaries to help you in your hunt for each elusive monster. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

New Pokémon Snap actually has a number of twists on how it handles "Legendary" Pokémon. For one, it features a number of "boss battles" with Illumina Pokémon — giant Pokémon that glow when exposed to a special kind of flower unique to the Lental Region. You've likely already seen one of these Pokémon, Meganium, in the trailers. But there's far more to New Pokémon Snap's treatment of legendaries than initially meets the eye, and while the choice of what Pokémon to feature is rather surprising if you're familiar with how Pokémon normally handles legendaries, it's also very, very cool. Warning: What follows below this video is major spoilers for the end of New Pokémon Snap. Scroll past at your own risk. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/28/new-pokemon-snap-review"] Aside from Meganium, there are a number of other Pokémon that also get the Illumina treatment. These include Milotic, Steelix, Volcarona, and Wishiwashi. All of these Illumina encounters take place on special Illumina courses, where the Illumina Pokémon is thrown into the spotlight similar to how Mew was the sole focus of Pokémon Snap's Rainbow Cloud course. Though other Pokémon can and do appear in these stages, their appearances are incidental to the Illumina Pokémon's. Your goal is to get the coolest shots possible of the big, glowing creature, and it will often require careful timing and clever puzzle-solving to get them. Your encounters with these Illumina Pokémon all eventually lead to a special encounter with a legendary Illumina Pokémon, and this is where New Pokémon Snap really surprised me. While Pokémon Snap eventually led up to an encounter with the then-rarest Pokémon in existence, Mew, New Pokémon Snap spotlights an unlikely hero in Pokémon X's legendary creature, Xerneas. Xerneas as a final boss is a bit of a strange pick given that Pokémon X is nearly a decade old now, and we don't seem to be set up for remakes anytime soon the way we are with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. There's a Pokémon GO event featuring Xerneas going on right now, marking its first appearance in the game alongside its Y counterpart Yveltal, but that's likely been timed explicitly because of New Pokémon Snap. Still, the Illumina Xerneas encounter makes sense in the context of New Pokémon Snap, as you meet it in a ruined temple surrounded by a lush forest, and it emerges from a tree similar to its appearance in Pokémon X. It's the most challenging Illumina Pokémon to catch on film, requiring a multi-stage puzzle just to get it to emerge to be photographed, but the gorgeous glowing shots at the end are well worth it. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=our-favorite-photos-from-new-pokemon-snap&captions=true"] That said, Xerneas isn't the only legendary Pokémon in New Pokémon Snap. We won't spoil who else shows up, but once you get a photo of Xerneas and roll the credits, more legendary monsters from multiple Pokémon games will appear in stages you've already visited. Some will show up unprompted, while others will be a bit more challenging to coax out. These aren't major, stage-wide encounters like Xerneas, but they can be quite cool and provide a good chunk of post-game content to work through. We reviewed New Pokémon Snap and found it delightful, with far more content than the original and a surprising variety of different takes on some of our favorite Pokémon. The game is out now on Nintendo Switch, and if you're struggling to get the perfect shot of any of the Illumina Pokémon including Xerneas, we have guides for that. We also have a guide for all the post-game legendaries to help you in your hunt for each elusive monster. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Black Panther and Us star Lupita Nyong’o has commended Black Panther 2 director Ryan Coogler’s new plans for the much-anticipated sequel, praising Coogler’s adjusted approach as highly reverent to the late Chadwick Boseman. “People will ask me, ‘Are you excited to go back?’ Excitement isn’t the word. I feel like I’m in a very pensive and meditative state when it comes to Black Panther 2,” Nyong’o told Yahoo Entertainment. “His passing is still extremely raw for me.” “But at the same time we have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well. And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we’ve all experienced as a cast and as a world. So it feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this. And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honoring what he started with us and holding his light through it. Because he left us a lot of light that we’re still going to be bathing in. I know that for sure.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Chadwick Boseman passed away in August 2020 after a secret, four-year battle with colon cancer. Marvel has previously confirmed it will not recast Chadwick Boseman’s role as T'Challa, and has also dismissed the prospect of using a digital double. Black Panther 2 is scheduled to commence shooting in July, 2021. Marvel is also working with Coogler on a new Disney+ series based on the Kingdom of Wakanda. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/01/disney-confirms-black-panther-series-coming-to-disney-ign-news"]

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Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

Black Panther and Us star Lupita Nyong’o has commended Black Panther 2 director Ryan Coogler’s new plans for the much-anticipated sequel, praising Coogler’s adjusted approach as highly reverent to the late Chadwick Boseman. “People will ask me, ‘Are you excited to go back?’ Excitement isn’t the word. I feel like I’m in a very pensive and meditative state when it comes to Black Panther 2,” Nyong’o told Yahoo Entertainment. “His passing is still extremely raw for me.” “But at the same time we have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well. And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we’ve all experienced as a cast and as a world. So it feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this. And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honoring what he started with us and holding his light through it. Because he left us a lot of light that we’re still going to be bathing in. I know that for sure.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Chadwick Boseman passed away in August 2020 after a secret, four-year battle with colon cancer. Marvel has previously confirmed it will not recast Chadwick Boseman’s role as T'Challa, and has also dismissed the prospect of using a digital double. Black Panther 2 is scheduled to commence shooting in July, 2021. Marvel is also working with Coogler on a new Disney+ series based on the Kingdom of Wakanda. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/01/disney-confirms-black-panther-series-coming-to-disney-ign-news"]

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Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

The long-gestating Masters of the Universe movie has hit another road block. After reports circulated in 2019 that Noah Centineo would be taking on the role of He-Man for the film, Collider has reported that the actor has exited the project. A representative for the To All the Boys I've Loved Before star confirmed the news to Collider, though no reason was given. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/03/16/watch-skeletor-hijack-a-he-man-commercial"] Centineo's exit is only the latest setback for the Masters of the Universe film, which has been in development at Sony since as early as 2009. Various directors have been attached to the project over the years, including Joseph Nichol "McG" Nichol and In the Heights director Jon M. Chu. Writers like The Dark Knight's David S. Goyer, Thor: Ragnarok scribe Christopher Yost and Iron Man co-writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway have also done passes on the script over the years. In October 2019, it was reported that Sony would explore the option of selling the Masters of the Universe project to Netflix. A CG animated series based on the property is currently in development at the streamer. Mattel's Masters of the Universe was previously adapted into a live-action feature film in 1987, in which Dolph Lundgren starred as He-Man and Frank Langella played the villainous Skeletor. Though the film was a commercial flop, it has garnered a passionate fanbase over the years and now stands alongside various other Masters of the Universe comic and television series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=black-adam-whos-who-in-the-cast%20&captions=true"] Centineo will still be suiting up to play a hero in Warner Bros. and New Line's DC film Black Adam. The actor will play Atom Smasher alongside Dwayne Johnson's titular anti-hero. [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

The long-gestating Masters of the Universe movie has hit another road block. After reports circulated in 2019 that Noah Centineo would be taking on the role of He-Man for the film, Collider has reported that the actor has exited the project. A representative for the To All the Boys I've Loved Before star confirmed the news to Collider, though no reason was given. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/03/16/watch-skeletor-hijack-a-he-man-commercial"] Centineo's exit is only the latest setback for the Masters of the Universe film, which has been in development at Sony since as early as 2009. Various directors have been attached to the project over the years, including Joseph Nichol "McG" Nichol and In the Heights director Jon M. Chu. Writers like The Dark Knight's David S. Goyer, Thor: Ragnarok scribe Christopher Yost and Iron Man co-writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway have also done passes on the script over the years. In October 2019, it was reported that Sony would explore the option of selling the Masters of the Universe project to Netflix. A CG animated series based on the property is currently in development at the streamer. Mattel's Masters of the Universe was previously adapted into a live-action feature film in 1987, in which Dolph Lundgren starred as He-Man and Frank Langella played the villainous Skeletor. Though the film was a commercial flop, it has garnered a passionate fanbase over the years and now stands alongside various other Masters of the Universe comic and television series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=black-adam-whos-who-in-the-cast%20&captions=true"] Centineo will still be suiting up to play a hero in Warner Bros. and New Line's DC film Black Adam. The actor will play Atom Smasher alongside Dwayne Johnson's titular anti-hero. [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Though The Sopranos reached its ambiguous end in 2007, it seems that Tony Soprano had one last job to pull after the series finale. It was recently revealed that the late James Gandolfini played the character one more time in 2010 in an effort to convince LeBron James to join the New York Knicks. As reported by Deadline, he production behind the lost video was recounted on a recent episode of the docuseries podcast Shattered: Hope, Heartbreak and the New York Knicks. The Knicks recruited celebrities to take part in a presentation for James once he became a free agent, a period that ultimately ended with the player signing with the Miami Heat. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/the-sopranos-virtual-cast-reunion-fundraiser"] "They thought, 'Wouldn't it be funny if we could somehow start the piece with The Sopranos?' because it had just more or less ended," producer Rocco Caruso recalled. "And I said, 'I know Edie [Falco], … I could send her an email,' and she said 'Great. I'll do it.'" The scene was shot in Gandolfini's New York apartment. It followed Tony and his wife Carmela as they looked for a place for James to live, ultimately culminating in the decision for the player to go to Madison Square Garden. Tony was implied to have been in the witness protection program, a creative decision that explained the full beard that Gandolfini had at the time. "I do remember doing it, and what is absolutely amazing to me is I didn't know who LeBron James was," Falco admitted. "We got those requests all the time back then and Jim Gandolfini, he did nothing. And somehow he agreed to this thing, which I was shocked by... He must have been a bigger basketball fan than I realized." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true"] Though The Sopranos concluded over a decade ago, HBO will return to the show's cast of characters this year with The Many Saints of Newark, an upcoming prequel movie to the series. Michael Gandolfini, James' son, will take on his late father's role as Tony. The film is set to premiere in theaters and on HBO Max (for 31 days) on September 24. [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Though The Sopranos reached its ambiguous end in 2007, it seems that Tony Soprano had one last job to pull after the series finale. It was recently revealed that the late James Gandolfini played the character one more time in 2010 in an effort to convince LeBron James to join the New York Knicks. As reported by Deadline, he production behind the lost video was recounted on a recent episode of the docuseries podcast Shattered: Hope, Heartbreak and the New York Knicks. The Knicks recruited celebrities to take part in a presentation for James once he became a free agent, a period that ultimately ended with the player signing with the Miami Heat. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/the-sopranos-virtual-cast-reunion-fundraiser"] "They thought, 'Wouldn't it be funny if we could somehow start the piece with The Sopranos?' because it had just more or less ended," producer Rocco Caruso recalled. "And I said, 'I know Edie [Falco], … I could send her an email,' and she said 'Great. I'll do it.'" The scene was shot in Gandolfini's New York apartment. It followed Tony and his wife Carmela as they looked for a place for James to live, ultimately culminating in the decision for the player to go to Madison Square Garden. Tony was implied to have been in the witness protection program, a creative decision that explained the full beard that Gandolfini had at the time. "I do remember doing it, and what is absolutely amazing to me is I didn't know who LeBron James was," Falco admitted. "We got those requests all the time back then and Jim Gandolfini, he did nothing. And somehow he agreed to this thing, which I was shocked by... He must have been a bigger basketball fan than I realized." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true"] Though The Sopranos concluded over a decade ago, HBO will return to the show's cast of characters this year with The Many Saints of Newark, an upcoming prequel movie to the series. Michael Gandolfini, James' son, will take on his late father's role as Tony. The film is set to premiere in theaters and on HBO Max (for 31 days) on September 24. [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

We got a fresh look at Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's gameplay during today's PlayStation State of Play stream, with Insomniac releasing 15 minutes of commentary featuring a glimpse at its traversal mechanics, boss fights, and of course, Rivet. The presentation gave us a glimpse of what it's like to play as the brand new Lombax, who finally received a name earlier this week. It features footage of Rivet battling bug enemies with an energy pistol, with Clank strapped to her back. At one point she hops into a dimensional pocket, where she rides a Speetle across crates and ramps. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/29/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-gameplay-overview"] Traversal will be a big point of emphasis in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac says. Apart from riding Speetles, it will be possible to evade, wall run, and dash. The traversal drew comparisons to Sunset Overdrive on Twitter, another Insomniac joint released at the beginning of the previous generation. As previously revealed, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will also take advantage of PS5's complete feature set. That includes taking advantage of the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, as well as the SSD. In the course of a boss battle against a Nefarious Juggernaut, Ratchet beams to not just another arena, but another world — a moment made possible by the PS5's SSD hard drive. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ratchet-clank-rift-apart-state-of-play-screenshots&captions=true"] Beyond that, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will feature special armor, pocket dimensions to explore, a "slew" of accessibility features, open areas to explore, and of course, a photo mode. There will also be plenty of collectibles to find, so be ready. Ultimately, none of what was shown was particularly new, but it did provide us with a really nice look at what should be another excellent exclusive for PS5. Call it a victory lap after the positive reception afforded Returnal. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was one of the first major PS5 exclusives revealed for the platform. The reveal included our first glimpse of a playable female Lombax, who we now know is Rivet, and the promise of modes support 4K and 60fps. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is out June 11. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

We got a fresh look at Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's gameplay during today's PlayStation State of Play stream, with Insomniac releasing 15 minutes of commentary featuring a glimpse at its traversal mechanics, boss fights, and of course, Rivet. The presentation gave us a glimpse of what it's like to play as the brand new Lombax, who finally received a name earlier this week. It features footage of Rivet battling bug enemies with an energy pistol, with Clank strapped to her back. At one point she hops into a dimensional pocket, where she rides a Speetle across crates and ramps. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/29/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-gameplay-overview"] Traversal will be a big point of emphasis in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac says. Apart from riding Speetles, it will be possible to evade, wall run, and dash. The traversal drew comparisons to Sunset Overdrive on Twitter, another Insomniac joint released at the beginning of the previous generation. As previously revealed, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will also take advantage of PS5's complete feature set. That includes taking advantage of the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, as well as the SSD. In the course of a boss battle against a Nefarious Juggernaut, Ratchet beams to not just another arena, but another world — a moment made possible by the PS5's SSD hard drive. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ratchet-clank-rift-apart-state-of-play-screenshots&captions=true"] Beyond that, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will feature special armor, pocket dimensions to explore, a "slew" of accessibility features, open areas to explore, and of course, a photo mode. There will also be plenty of collectibles to find, so be ready. Ultimately, none of what was shown was particularly new, but it did provide us with a really nice look at what should be another excellent exclusive for PS5. Call it a victory lap after the positive reception afforded Returnal. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was one of the first major PS5 exclusives revealed for the platform. The reveal included our first glimpse of a playable female Lombax, who we now know is Rivet, and the promise of modes support 4K and 60fps. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is out June 11. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.