SNES Classic Hands-On: I Hope I Can Buy One
Assuming you can actually purchase one when it launches this September 29th, the Super Nintendo Classic is a faithful, tiny tribute to Nintendo’s early ‘90s 16-bit gaming console. Sure, it’s mostly just a little plastic grey box with purple buttons (or not, depending on the part of the world you grew up in) but the magic it has inside of it will bring back a million magical gaming memories.
While the form factor of the console itself is adorable, it’s the games lineup that you’re obviously here for, and the SNES Classic comes with an impeccably strong roster of masterpieces. From Super Mario World to Contra III and Donkey Kong Country, there legitimately isn’t a weak game in the entire collection. The NES Classic may have had nine more games, but it also had stuff like Ice Climbers - a game about jumping where the characters are bad at jumping - so I’ll gladly take quality over quantity here. Legends like A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy III and Earthbound will take you dozens of hours to complete in their entirety and all of them still hold up today. This is a fantastic collection of games and seeing them all together in one place will make you truly appreciate how special the Super Nintendo was.
Stalking in Memphis in Assassin’s Creed Origins
Usually when I think of Memphis as a place of worship I picture jumpsuited Elvis fans singing Love Me Tender outside of his Graceland estate in Tennessee, but just over two thousand years ago the city of Memphis, Egypt was home to god worship of a decidedly more ancient variety. It’s in this lush setting on the west bank of the Nile river that I take my first steps into Assassin’s Creed Origins during an hour long hands-on demo at Gamescom 2017.
“For us, Memphis was like touching true ancient Egypt,” explains game director, Ashraf Ismail. “This city is 3000 years old
. So for us it was an opportunity to show a location with a lot of
who still believe in the old religions and the old gods.”
How Fairy Pokemon Ruled the World Championships
We knew Fairy-type Pokemon would be powerful at the 2017 Pokemon World Championships this past weekend, but we had no idea they would seize such key roles in the finals matches in both the Video Game Championship (VGC) and Trading Card Game (TCG). Here’s a recap of the huge tournament and how the exciting matches played out.
Unlike the 2016 season of the competitive Pokemon VGC, this season’s rules restricted “uber” Legendary Pokemon, like Lunala and Solgaleo. This increased the viability of more Pokemon, letting players choose more freely without the fear of being taken out if they chose Pokemon other than super-powerful legends.
Game of Thrones: “Beyond the Wall” – Dragons on the Wall
Full spoilers for Game of Thrones: Season 7's "Beyond the Wall" continue below. Read on at your own risk!
Dragons on the Wall, IGN's weekly Game of Thrones show, finally got to see its namesake come true in this week's episode of Game of Thrones, "Beyond the Wall." With trouble brewing to the North, trouble brewing in Winterfell and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea investing in some very speedy ravens, there was a lot to discuss this week about an episode we were a bit divided on.
Terri Schwartz hosts this week from IGN's San Francisco office, and is joined by Editor-in-Chief Steve Butts. Make sure to also read our review of "Beyond the Wall!"
Fear Effect Remake Coming in 2018
A remade version of the fan favorite PlayStation action adventure title Fear Effect is coming to Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC in 2018.
Square Enix Collective has announced that French developer Sushee, who is also behind the crowdfunded sequel Fear Effect Sedna, is taking the reins on the upcoming remake, titled Fear Effect Reinvented.
The game will remain loyal to its roots by maintaining the soul of the original title, and as such, will have fixed camera angles. That said, Fear Effect Reinvented will feature improved controls and visuals, as well as a few new secrets along the way.
According to Sushee founder Benjamin Anseaume, fan support for the Fear Effect Sedna Kickstarter campaign helped spark the notion of recreating the first game so that new fans would be able to experience what started the craze.
Which Guardians Vol. 2 Blu-Ray Should You Buy?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is coming to home entertainment Tuesday, August 22, and as is the case with all blockbuster Blu-ray releases, there are tons of options available for anyone looking to just watch the movie, see it in 4K, or go all-out with a cool collector's edition. We've gone ahead and put together a list of available editions so you can be better informed with your choices.
The good old Blu-ray combo pack never fails to deliver the goods. Three times, to be specific. You get the movie, bonus content, a DVD, and the digital code. This is the base model for those who just want to watch the movie and maybe check out the bonus features sometime down the road. No biggie: we aren't here to judge.
Hellboy Reboot Casts Deadpool Villain
Deadpool villain Ed Skrein has reportedly joined the cast of the Hellboy reboot in a main role.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Skrein will portray Major Ben Daimio, a military member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. The character is able to turn into a jaguar when he gets angry or is in pain because of a prior supernatural incident.
Skrein played main villain Ajax in Deadpool and also starred as Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones before being replaced by Michiel Huisman.
Ed Skrein in Deadpool
Age of Empires IV Announced
Age of Empires IV is officially in the works, Microsoft announced today at Gamescom 2017.
According to a post on Xbox Wire, the latest entry in the long-running real-time strategy series is being developed by Relic Entertainment, the studio behind the Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000 games. A release date has yet to be announced.
Check out the announcement trailer below:
A remastered version of the first Age of Empires is also coming, and will launch on October 19 as a Windows 10 exclusive. Called Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, this remaster includes 4K support, various gameplay enhancements, a completely remastered soundtrack and multiplayer support.
Top Comics to Buy This Week: August 23, 2017
With dozens of comic books to choose from, let us show you which are the best coming out this week. Take a look at this list spotlighting our favorite comics that we know are money-well-spent and new books that look cool and are backed by some top-tier talent.
Check out our picks, then head to the comments to let us know what you’ll be buying this week!
By writer Jason Aaron & artist Mahmud Asrar | Marvel
Gamescom 2017: Overwatch Junkertown Map Revealed
New Overwatch Escort Map, Junkertown, has been revealed at Gamescom, as well as an animated short.
Former home to Junkrat and Roadhog, Overwatch’s new Junkertown Escort Map will task players to escort a payload laden with treasure and explosives through a post-apocalyptic town come battle arena.
Early story details reveal that this shabby map was once an Omnium (where the likes of Bastion were constructed) and has since become home to the Junkers and their boss, the Queen of Junkertown.
As well as the usual slew of screenshots and a trailer, Blizzard have also released an in-game video featuring some hilarious back and forth from Junkrat and Roadhog.
This reveal precedes an absolutely packed Gamescom schedule from Blizzard. Including a brand new Overwatch character short that’s set to be livestreamed at a Blizzard Reveal Ceremony on August 23.