Metroid: Samus Returns’ First Few Hours Have Us Hooked
IGN producer Zach Ryan and I have played a few hours of Metroid: Samus Returns so far, and we can’t stop talking about it. Instead of keeping our thoughts to ourselves (and annoying our deskmates), we thought we’d share our discussion with you all right here. We’ll talk about Metroid: Samus Returns more on IGN’s weekly Nintendo show, Nintendo Voice Chat (be sure to tune in to the September 8 episode), and we’ll have our full review of Samus Returns on September 12.
Sam: We’re not supposed to use the intro “It’s hard to believe it’s been XX years since…” here at IGN. It’s a banned phrase! So just let me say it’s unthinkable, unfathomable -- unjust -- that it’s been 14 years since the last “2D” classic Metroid (which was Metroid: Zero Mission). Samus Returns? About frackin’ time, amiright?
It Filmmakers on Delivering a Scary Pennywise
A few months ago, with the anticipation for the new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel growing by the day, I was among a small group of journalists who paid a visit to the It edit bay, where the filmmakers were hard at work completing the September 8th release.
Director Andrés “Andy” Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti – the brother-sister duo who previously collaborated on Mama – showed us several scenes from the film, and discussed their approach to bringing King’s novel to the big screen.
The scenes we were shown were from fairly early on, beginning with one in which young friends Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher), Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard), Stanley Uris (Wyatt Oleff) and Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer) investigate an opening in the Derry, Maine area known as the Barrens that leads them into the sewers – and make a discovery connected to one of the many missing (and presumed dead) kids in the area, which includes Bill’s own brother, Georgie.
Pokken on Switch Is the Portable Pokemon Fighting Game I’ve Always Wanted
As a kid, battling was always my favorite part of Pokemon. Even more than catching ‘em all, building my party and carefully selecting a strategy was what got me hooked on the games (and eventually even the Trading Card Game) in the first place. When Pokemon Stadium came around on N64, it was like a dream come true to finally see those battles in 3D, but it was always missing a key element for me: portability.
With Pokken Tournament DX on Switch, I feel like I finally have the portable Pokemon fighting game I’ve always wanted. While I spent some time with Pokken on Wii U, it looks even better on Switch, and, at least for me personally, I can’t overstate the appeal of being able to play it on the go.
Amazon Gaming Preorder Deals: Destiny 2 for £41, FIFA 18 for £43, Call of Duty: WWII for £43, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 for £43
Final Fantasy XV Pocket Is Such an Exact Remake It’s Surreal
From the second it starts, playing Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition is surreal. Aside from its chibi art style, the beginning of the game is identical to the console edition of Final Fantasy XV, from the early flash-forward to saying goodbye to King Regis, and even pushing the Regalia after it breaks down.
As you’d expect for mobile, battles have been drastically simplified, now based on tapping instead of the turn-based mechanics you’d find in XV on console. Warp Strikes are performed by swiping, and you can target an enemy from afar by holding down a finger on them. Parrying and dodging comes in the form of touch-based quick time events, and movement is simply dragging your finger to where you want Noctis and friends to run.
Destiny 2 Launch Day Livestream – When It Goes Live, So Do We
Destiny 2 launches worldwide on Sept. 6, and we'll be here to play it as soon as Bungie flips the switch to make the servers go live. So join us starting at 9PM PT on Sept. 5, (12AM ET Sept. 6 / 5AM BST Sept. 6/ 2PM AEST Sept. 6) as we start our journey through story mode.
You can catch the action via IGN.com/live, or watch us on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and get your questions answered by tweeting at IGN on twitter using the hashtag #IGNPlaysLive.
Until then, Guardians out!
Mario + Rabbids Dev on Balancing Both Franchises
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle not only offers a turn-based tactical take on Mario, it merges Nintendo's universe with Ubisoft's wacky Rabbids. Ubisoft Milan creative director Davide Soliani has shed light on how the team was able to find the right balance between Mario and Rabbids as they brought both worlds together.
On the debut episode of IGN Expert Mode, Soliani discussed how they were able to successfully bring together the Mario and Rabbids characters, saying it was about "exchanging what is good on one side and what is good on another side."
Han Solo: Paul Bettany Joins Cast of Star Wars Spinoff
Paul Bettany has joined Disney and Lucasfilm's upcoming Han Solo movie.
Director Ron Howard shared the news on Twitter, posting a photo of himself and the actor, and saying, "The Outer Rim just got a little bit wilder."
Ron Howard and Paul Bettany, via Twitter
Howard confirmed the actor's involvement in a subsequent post, noting this isn't the first time the two have worked together. "It's my third opportunity to work with Paul. He's a blast and so talented," Howard said. Bettany appeared in both A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code, both of which were directed by Howard.
Some Switch Games Will Soon Require Memory Cards
While revealing a new partnership with SD card maker SanDisk, Nintendo has also revealed that, moving forward, some Nintendo Switch games will require a MicroSD card in order to experience the full content of certain upcoming games.
In an announcement, Nintendo noted that "a microSD card will be needed for certain Nintendo Switch games that contain an especially large amount of content and require additional storage for players to enjoy the full experience." At least one upcoming release, NBA 2K18, will be such a game requiring a MicroSD card in the system, as evidenced by the game's updated box art.
NBA 2K18 box art with memory card requirement
NVC: SNES Preordeals, Rabbids, No More Heroes
Welcooooooome to episode 371 of Nintendo Voice Chat, our weekly Nintendo talk show shot in front of a live studio audience of exactly one person in our office in San Francisco. Last week, we reported back from Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, but this week, we're back to our full one-hour format complete with a "Young George Lucas", hidden J.O. and Question Block.
Join Brian Altano, Zach Ryan, Peer Schneider, and J. Jonah Jonathon Dornbush for war stories from the front lines of preordering the most elusive of treasures, the courageously named Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Super NES Classic Edition. I think we forgot a TM somewhere, but onward: we also all spent time with Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and are eager to share our impressions. Plus, the latest news and announcements, including copious indie announcements for Switch.