Super Mario 3D All-Stars Retail Download Codes Will Still Work After March 31
Despite Nintendo's plan to remove Super Mario 3D All-Stars from Nintendo Switch's eShop and to cease production of physical copies on March 31, the company has confirmed that retail download codes will still be valid past that date.
As reported by VGC, Nintendo's Japan HQ confirmed that these codes will be redeemable "after April," and it would be safe to assume this would be the same for Western markets as well.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/16/super-mario-3d-all-stars-analysis"]
It's a small bit of good news for those who have yet to purchase Super Mario 3D All-Stars, but those interested shouldn't waste time picking up the game if they wish to as March 31 is only seven days away.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars' release was part of the celebration of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. on the NES. When the Mario party ends on March 31 - the day the internet has dubbed "The Day Mario Dies" - Super Mario 3D All-Stars will be gone alongside the battle royale-esque Super Mario Bros. 35., the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. device, and themed merchandise.
If you've been waiting to purchase this collection that includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo has supported it with updates like adding inverted camera controls and GameCube controller support for Super Mario Sunshine.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/22/is-march-31-the-day-mario-dies-ign-now"]
For more on Super Mario 3D All-Stars, check out our full analysis to see how some of the best Mario games of all time perform on the Nintendo Switch.
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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars Retail Download Codes Will Still Work After March 31
Despite Nintendo's plan to remove Super Mario 3D All-Stars from Nintendo Switch's eShop and to cease production of physical copies on March 31, the company has confirmed that retail download codes will still be valid past that date.
As reported by VGC, Nintendo's Japan HQ confirmed that these codes will be redeemable "after April," and it would be safe to assume this would be the same for Western markets as well.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/16/super-mario-3d-all-stars-analysis"]
It's a small bit of good news for those who have yet to purchase Super Mario 3D All-Stars, but those interested shouldn't waste time picking up the game if they wish to as March 31 is only seven days away.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars' release was part of the celebration of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. on the NES. When the Mario party ends on March 31 - the day the internet has dubbed "The Day Mario Dies" - Super Mario 3D All-Stars will be gone alongside the battle royale-esque Super Mario Bros. 35., the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. device, and themed merchandise.
If you've been waiting to purchase this collection that includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo has supported it with updates like adding inverted camera controls and GameCube controller support for Super Mario Sunshine.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/22/is-march-31-the-day-mario-dies-ign-now"]
For more on Super Mario 3D All-Stars, check out our full analysis to see how some of the best Mario games of all time perform on the Nintendo Switch.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
PlayStation Patents the Ability to Add Trophies to Older, Emulated Games
Sony has patented the ability to add trophies to older, emulated games, potentially allowing the rewards to be added to titles that pre-date the Trophy system.
The patent was published on March 18 and spotted by the Bartman013 on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit. The patent is described as a "Method and apparatus for awarding trophies," and describes how an emulated game could still trigger trophies "by comparing a memory value of the emulated game to a predetermined value and assigning the one or more trophies to the user based on the detected trophy trigger."
The patent's description talks about how the technology will allow Sony to award trophies in "previously released or sold video games, without modifying the original game." Essentially, this could allow for older titles to be retrofitted with trophies, so players can earn them in games that pre-date the feature, which was introduced with the PlayStation 3.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/playstation-5-review"]
It also mentions how the system would perform validity checks on the code of older games to determine if criteria has been met to award players with trophies, by tracking disk access in-game and monitoring strings and frames. It also mentions Cloud computing, suggesting this technology could interface with the PlayStation Now service.
One of the most interesting parts of the patent is a section which talks about physical rewards. In describing the trophy awarding process, the patent says the following: "This may be done by transmitting an electronic trophy or sending a notification that a physical award, such as a T-shirt, accessory or other physical merchandise, has been earned by the player."
This isn't the first time Sony has produced a patent for this kind of thing - as far back as 2013, we saw patents that could add Trophies to PS1 and PS2 games, although those were specifically for disk-based games. Given that that tech never emerged, it may be that this new filing is simply an update to that original idea. As always, patents don't necessarily mean a feature is on the way, but do offer us a glimpse at what companies are considering behind the scenes.
In and of itself, the mention of PlayStation game emulation will be of interest to many, after unconfirmed rumours suggested that the PS3, Vita and PSP stores could be permanently closed in a few months, potentially cutting off access to many older games.
In other PlayStation news, Sony recently acquired the Evolution Champion Series, the world's largest fighting game tournament. We also learned that Assassin's Creed creator Jade Raymond will be making a new game for PlayStation, and got a first look at PSVR 2's brand-new controllers.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
PlayStation Patents the Ability to Add Trophies to Older, Emulated Games
Sony has patented the ability to add trophies to older, emulated games, potentially allowing the rewards to be added to titles that pre-date the Trophy system.
The patent was published on March 18 and spotted by the Bartman013 on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit. The patent is described as a "Method and apparatus for awarding trophies," and describes how an emulated game could still trigger trophies "by comparing a memory value of the emulated game to a predetermined value and assigning the one or more trophies to the user based on the detected trophy trigger."
The patent's description talks about how the technology will allow Sony to award trophies in "previously released or sold video games, without modifying the original game." Essentially, this could allow for older titles to be retrofitted with trophies, so players can earn them in games that pre-date the feature, which was introduced with the PlayStation 3.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/playstation-5-review"]
It also mentions how the system would perform validity checks on the code of older games to determine if criteria has been met to award players with trophies, by tracking disk access in-game and monitoring strings and frames. It also mentions Cloud computing, suggesting this technology could interface with the PlayStation Now service.
One of the most interesting parts of the patent is a section which talks about physical rewards. In describing the trophy awarding process, the patent says the following: "This may be done by transmitting an electronic trophy or sending a notification that a physical award, such as a T-shirt, accessory or other physical merchandise, has been earned by the player."
This isn't the first time Sony has produced a patent for this kind of thing - as far back as 2013, we saw patents that could add Trophies to PS1 and PS2 games, although those were specifically for disk-based games. Given that that tech never emerged, it may be that this new filing is simply an update to that original idea. As always, patents don't necessarily mean a feature is on the way, but do offer us a glimpse at what companies are considering behind the scenes.
In and of itself, the mention of PlayStation game emulation will be of interest to many, after unconfirmed rumours suggested that the PS3, Vita and PSP stores could be permanently closed in a few months, potentially cutting off access to many older games.
In other PlayStation news, Sony recently acquired the Evolution Champion Series, the world's largest fighting game tournament. We also learned that Assassin's Creed creator Jade Raymond will be making a new game for PlayStation, and got a first look at PSVR 2's brand-new controllers.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Mortal Kombat Movie Aims to Push R-Rating to the Limit, Without Becoming ‘Unreleasable’
Mortal Kombat director Simon McQuoid has detailed the extent of the brutality in the R-rated reboot of the film series, which is set to debut in theaters and on HBO Max in April.
Speaking to SFX Magazine via GamesRadar, McQuoid discussed how his upcoming Mortal Kombat movie lives up to its ultraviolent roots in order to deliver a faithful adaptation that brings the blood and gore strongly associated with the series to the big screen in a way that pushes the limits of the MPAA's R rating without completely overstepping the boundaries.
"We wanted to push the [blood, gore, and fatalities] right to the limit," McQuoid explained, speaking about the fatality-filled flick. "Obviously, there's a point where the film becomes unreleasable if you push it too far, and that would be a very unwise return on investment for the studio but from day one it's been, 'Okay, we're doing this and we're going to do it properly.'"
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/18/mortal-kombat-movie-official-red-band-trailer"]
According to the MPAA, Mortal Kombat has been rated R for "strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references." Producer Todd Garner said that the movie's R rating had been one of their top priorities from the very beginning. In fact, he revealed that he addressed it in his first meeting with studio executives, though they quickly assured him that there would be "no other way."
McQuoid previously spoke to IGN about the execution of the fight scenes, saying, "We didn't have to hold back on the fights. If there was a fight going on, someone got stamped through the head, blood probably would burst out the back, and we could do that. New Line deserves a lot of credit because they always wanted to do it justice as well."
Warner Bros. will release the new James Wan-produced live-action adaptation of Mortal Kombat to theaters and HBO Max simultaneously on April 16, 2021. The movie's distribution plan was reconsidered due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has impacted several studios and their release calendars over the past year.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=meet-the-cast-of-the-mortal-kombat-reboot-movie&captions=true"]
For more Mortal Kombat action, check out our deep-dive into the history of its bizarre movie and TV adaptations and read more about how the upcoming movie will be grounded in realism.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Mortal Kombat Movie Aims to Push R-Rating to the Limit, Without Becoming ‘Unreleasable’
Mortal Kombat director Simon McQuoid has detailed the extent of the brutality in the R-rated reboot of the film series, which is set to debut in theaters and on HBO Max in April.
Speaking to SFX Magazine via GamesRadar, McQuoid discussed how his upcoming Mortal Kombat movie lives up to its ultraviolent roots in order to deliver a faithful adaptation that brings the blood and gore strongly associated with the series to the big screen in a way that pushes the limits of the MPAA's R rating without completely overstepping the boundaries.
"We wanted to push the [blood, gore, and fatalities] right to the limit," McQuoid explained, speaking about the fatality-filled flick. "Obviously, there's a point where the film becomes unreleasable if you push it too far, and that would be a very unwise return on investment for the studio but from day one it's been, 'Okay, we're doing this and we're going to do it properly.'"
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/18/mortal-kombat-movie-official-red-band-trailer"]
According to the MPAA, Mortal Kombat has been rated R for "strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references." Producer Todd Garner said that the movie's R rating had been one of their top priorities from the very beginning. In fact, he revealed that he addressed it in his first meeting with studio executives, though they quickly assured him that there would be "no other way."
McQuoid previously spoke to IGN about the execution of the fight scenes, saying, "We didn't have to hold back on the fights. If there was a fight going on, someone got stamped through the head, blood probably would burst out the back, and we could do that. New Line deserves a lot of credit because they always wanted to do it justice as well."
Warner Bros. will release the new James Wan-produced live-action adaptation of Mortal Kombat to theaters and HBO Max simultaneously on April 16, 2021. The movie's distribution plan was reconsidered due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has impacted several studios and their release calendars over the past year.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=meet-the-cast-of-the-mortal-kombat-reboot-movie&captions=true"]
For more Mortal Kombat action, check out our deep-dive into the history of its bizarre movie and TV adaptations and read more about how the upcoming movie will be grounded in realism.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Fan Favorite Ex-Bethesda Director Ikumi Nakamura Opens Indie Studio
Fan favorite ex-Bethesda Director Ikumi Nakamura has announced that she is opening her own indie studio, and is developing a new game.
A short documentary from GameSpark and Archipel (which is available on YouTube) follows Nakamura as she tours abandoned buildings in Japan. Nakamura revealed that she left Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks due to health troubles. "I started wondering whether there wasn't a way for me to make games while feeling better," she says. "I took the decision to quit before it was too late." After leaving, Nakamura received over 2000 messages on LinkedIn offering studio visits and support. She used these opportunities to understand "what made a good working environment."
"I decided to use that experience to open my own small studio and build my IP," Nakamura says. Later in the documentary, Nakamura adds that she wants to build a diverse team, noting that after her E3 presentation, 80% of the messages she received were from women "happy to see a female game creator getting on stage and showing her game." Nakamura rounds off the documentary by adding that she wants to make a game "full of dark jokes," and compares herself to Deadpool.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/10/ghostwire-tokyo-full-presentation-reveal-e3-2019"]
Ikumi Nakamura left Tango Gameworks in September of 2019 after nine years as a creative director, her last project being Ghostwire: Tokyo. This came shortly after Nakamura stole Bethesda's E3 show with an on-stage presentation of the upcoming game at E3 2019. Nakamura says that she initially thought that her talk had gone badly, but a colleague later showed her how the presentation was blowing up on Twitter and in the media. "I realised how important it was, to be honest to oneself," Nakamura says.
Nakamura also talks about the games that motivated her to pursue a career in the games industry such as Devil May Cry and provides an overview of her career so far. Describing Ghostwire: Tokyo, Nakamura says "I really like urban legends and everything that touches the occult. Fringe science as well, using science to solve ghost mystery series. There was the 'Fringe' series as well, which I liked a lot. I was thinking that we could make a game that was mixing all of these."
Ghostwire: Tokyo is aiming to arrive for PS5 and PC in October, and will remain a timed console exclusive, despite Microsoft's purchase of Bethesda and, by association, Tango Gameworks. In June 2020, Nakamura told IGN Japan that she has plans to pitch a new Okami game to Capcom, after teasing a potential collaboration with PlatinumGames' Hideki Kamiya in October of 2019.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Fan Favorite Ex-Bethesda Director Ikumi Nakamura Opens Indie Studio
Fan favorite ex-Bethesda Director Ikumi Nakamura has announced that she is opening her own indie studio, and is developing a new game.
A short documentary from GameSpark and Archipel (which is available on YouTube) follows Nakamura as she tours abandoned buildings in Japan. Nakamura revealed that she left Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks due to health troubles. "I started wondering whether there wasn't a way for me to make games while feeling better," she says. "I took the decision to quit before it was too late." After leaving, Nakamura received over 2000 messages on LinkedIn offering studio visits and support. She used these opportunities to understand "what made a good working environment."
"I decided to use that experience to open my own small studio and build my IP," Nakamura says. Later in the documentary, Nakamura adds that she wants to build a diverse team, noting that after her E3 presentation, 80% of the messages she received were from women "happy to see a female game creator getting on stage and showing her game." Nakamura rounds off the documentary by adding that she wants to make a game "full of dark jokes," and compares herself to Deadpool.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/10/ghostwire-tokyo-full-presentation-reveal-e3-2019"]
Ikumi Nakamura left Tango Gameworks in September of 2019 after nine years as a creative director, her last project being Ghostwire: Tokyo. This came shortly after Nakamura stole Bethesda's E3 show with an on-stage presentation of the upcoming game at E3 2019. Nakamura says that she initially thought that her talk had gone badly, but a colleague later showed her how the presentation was blowing up on Twitter and in the media. "I realised how important it was, to be honest to oneself," Nakamura says.
Nakamura also talks about the games that motivated her to pursue a career in the games industry such as Devil May Cry and provides an overview of her career so far. Describing Ghostwire: Tokyo, Nakamura says "I really like urban legends and everything that touches the occult. Fringe science as well, using science to solve ghost mystery series. There was the 'Fringe' series as well, which I liked a lot. I was thinking that we could make a game that was mixing all of these."
Ghostwire: Tokyo is aiming to arrive for PS5 and PC in October, and will remain a timed console exclusive, despite Microsoft's purchase of Bethesda and, by association, Tango Gameworks. In June 2020, Nakamura told IGN Japan that she has plans to pitch a new Okami game to Capcom, after teasing a potential collaboration with PlatinumGames' Hideki Kamiya in October of 2019.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Immortals Fenyx Rising: Myths Of The Eastern Realm DLC Review
We don't see enough Chinese legends and folklore explored in Western games, which is what makes the pitch for Immortals Fenyx Rising's second expansion, Myths of the Eastern Realm, so exciting. Developed by Ubisoft Chengdu, the DLC moves Immortals' open-world structure from Greek to Chinese mythology. But while its open-world fundamentals are still solid, the Chinese mythology that defines its aesthetic is more of a coat of paint than an imaginative look at a new realm.
Myths of the Eastern Realm wastes no time getting you up to speed. After a brief explanation of how chaos threatens to upset the balance of Heaven and Earth and how a mysterious force has wiped out most of the world's gods, new hero Ku wakes up inside a cave filled with his compatriots, who've been turned to stone. The legendary Bu Zhou mountain has erupted and caused the emergence of the Scar, a powerful primordial force reverting the world back into chaos. The premise is almost identical to the base game's, and that ends up being true of the rest of the expansion: The two new islands that make up the DLC's Mortal Lands are hard to distinguish from the Golden Isles from the original game, even if the buildings and foliage are pulled from Chinese history.
Immortals' main loop, in which you search for a nearby mountaintop, tag a bunch of icons so they appear on your map, then hunt them down until you decide to progress the story, is identical. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it was a good loop the first time around. But solving a new round of puzzles and checking icons off on a map lost its allure much more quickly in this DLC--Myths of the Eastern Realm just doesn't have much to keep that loop interesting. Unlocking my glide ability, clearing out vaults (now called gateways), and grappling enemies isn't as fun because Ku plays exactly like Fenyx, and I'm disappointed he doesn't have any new abilities that change how you explore or interact with the world a second time through. The fact that your skills are now called the Blades of Huang Di and Pangu's Strength instead of Ares' Wrath and Herakles' Strength does little to hide that.
Continue Reading at GameSpotImmortals Fenyx Rising: Myths Of The Eastern Realm DLC Review
We don't see enough Chinese legends and folklore explored in Western games, which is what makes the pitch for Immortals Fenyx Rising's second expansion, Myths of the Eastern Realm, so exciting. Developed by Ubisoft Chengdu, the DLC moves Immortals' open-world structure from Greek to Chinese mythology. But while its open-world fundamentals are still solid, the Chinese mythology that defines its aesthetic is more of a coat of paint than an imaginative look at a new realm.
Myths of the Eastern Realm wastes no time getting you up to speed. After a brief explanation of how chaos threatens to upset the balance of Heaven and Earth and how a mysterious force has wiped out most of the world's gods, new hero Ku wakes up inside a cave filled with his compatriots, who've been turned to stone. The legendary Bu Zhou mountain has erupted and caused the emergence of the Scar, a powerful primordial force reverting the world back into chaos. The premise is almost identical to the base game's, and that ends up being true of the rest of the expansion: The two new islands that make up the DLC's Mortal Lands are hard to distinguish from the Golden Isles from the original game, even if the buildings and foliage are pulled from Chinese history.
Immortals' main loop, in which you search for a nearby mountaintop, tag a bunch of icons so they appear on your map, then hunt them down until you decide to progress the story, is identical. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it was a good loop the first time around. But solving a new round of puzzles and checking icons off on a map lost its allure much more quickly in this DLC--Myths of the Eastern Realm just doesn't have much to keep that loop interesting. Unlocking my glide ability, clearing out vaults (now called gateways), and grappling enemies isn't as fun because Ku plays exactly like Fenyx, and I'm disappointed he doesn't have any new abilities that change how you explore or interact with the world a second time through. The fact that your skills are now called the Blades of Huang Di and Pangu's Strength instead of Ares' Wrath and Herakles' Strength does little to hide that.
Continue Reading at GameSpot