Yearly Archives: 2018
Nintendo Labo Now Compatible With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch has just received a free update that enables use of the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con Motorbike.
Using this Labo set-up will allow players to utilize the Joy-Con's motion controls to steer, accelerate, and play with all the functionality of simply using the Joy-Cons by themselves, but in a more unique way.
The Toy-Con Motorbike is sold in the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit, which also includes the piano and fishing rod, and can be purchased for $69.99.
In our review for the Variety Kit, we said that the included motorcycle game that utilizes the Toy-Con Motorbike "feels a bit like Mario Kart 8 – it’s fun to play, but so short that it felt like playing a glorified tech demo."
10 Awesome Games You Might Have Missed at E3 2018
E3 2018 had tons of awesome games, but not all of them got time in the spotlight. Many of our favorites have popped up at other events in the past, while others were brand new and had their exciting debuts during the busy week of E3. All of them deserve your attention.
Here are 10 awesome games you might have missed at E3 2018.
Sable
I’ve never seen another game that looks quite like Sable. Its art style is simple yet striking, and the almost stop motion animations of its main character stand in stark contrast to the smooth and fast ride of its desert hover bike. It’s a game both inspired by and conceived before Breath of the Wild, and doesn’t feel derivative even if you can climb over literally any surface in the same way. Sable still seemed early on when I played it at E3, but I am extremely excited to see how it grows. - Tom
Why WWE 2K19 Should Have Featured a Female Superstar on the Cover
Earlier this week, the newest cover star of 2K's WWE 2K19 was revealed as AJ Styles, the current WWE Champion, and arguably one of the best modern wrestlers alive. Styles has enjoyed a brilliant run in WWE since debuting at the Royal Rumble in 2016, sharing great matches with the likes of John Cena, Roman Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor. Through this series of stellar feuds, Styles has gained the respect of WWE audiences, becoming a revered member of an increasingly talented roster.
While there's no argument that Styles doesn't deserve the cover of WWE 2K19, having achieved near-greatness during his current WWE run, it's arguable that there weren't superstars that deserved the cover more.
How This Amazing Spider-Man Cover Reinvents a Classic Formula
Marvel Comics has published literally thousands of Spider-Man comics over the years. Heck, their flagship Amazing Spider-Man series just reached issue #801 last week. When it comes to cover images, many of those comics feature variations on a familiar theme, with Spider-man swinging through the streets of New York and contorting his body in ways only a spider can. You'd think after several thousand comics that there's nothing new any artist could possibly bring to the table in that regard. But as Russell Dauterman's Amazing Spider-Man #801 cover shows, you'd be wrong.
Amazing Spider-Man #801 cover by Russell Dauterman. (Marvel Comics)
Volcano vs. Dante’s Peak: Which Disaster Movie Was More Explosive?
In 1997, Hollywood fell in love with volcanoes. Never mind why, they just seemed to think that giant lava flows would result in pretty cool movies, so two separate studios decided to make big blockbuster event movies out of the most cinematic geological phenomenon. The films were called Dante’s Peak and Volcano, and even now - over two decades later - fans still argue over which film was better.
Let’s put that argument to rest. (And when you're done here, be sure to check out our Armageddon vs. Deep Impact retrospective too!)
Dante's Peak (left) and Volcano (right): When lava movies clash!
Avengers 4 Title Will Be Revealed by the End of This Year
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has provided an update on when Avengers 4's title will be unveiled.
Speaking to Collider, Feige has confirmed the name for the fourth Avengers movie will be announced by the end of this year. The mysterious title is expected to be revealed sometime after Captain Marvel's teaser trailer debuts, which we recently learned won't be timed with Ant-Man and the Wasp.
“That’ll be after the Captain Marvel teaser probably, announcing that title," Feige said. "It’ll be towards the end of the year with however we launch that film.”
More Cloud-Based Games Could Be Coming to Nintendo Switch
Following the release of Resident Evil 7 Cloud Version for Nintendo Switch, Capcom has decided to continue exploring the possibility of bringing even more cloud-based games to the hybrid console.
Now the creator of massively popular franchises like Street Fighter, Mega Man, and Monster Hunter is seeking to expand its cloud service offerings, though as to which titles are being considered and when they could show up is still unknown.
Capcom released a cloud-based variant of Resident Evil 7 for Switch exclusively in Japan using a system that requires users to pay in advance for play time, similar to a rental system. A spokeswoman from Capcom told The Wall Street Journal that the company is using the performance of Resident Evil 7 Cloud Version to determine whether or not it would expand its cloud offerings for other titles.
Westworld Season 3 Won’t Have a Big Time Jump, Despite That Ending
This story contains spoilers for Season 2, episode 10 of Westworld, titled "The Passenger" and speculation for Season 3. Check out our Season 2 finale review here.
The Westworld Season 2 finale leaves us with two major cliffhangers: In the episode's official ending, we see that Dolores, Bernard and another unidentified host (in Charlotte Hale's body) are now out in the real world beyond the park, and Dolores is ready to go scorched earth on mankind in retribution for the years of torture the hosts have endured. Bernard, on the other hand, is determined to stop her, since he still sees the good in humanity. (Even after being double-crossed by Elsie, who then poetically got double-crossed by Hale!)
Meet Sabretooth’s Villainous X-Men Team
Marvel's Weapon X comic is getting a major overhaul later this summer, and today the publisher revealed the new team lineup as Sabretooth takes charge of this team of mutant killers.
Check out the newly revealed final cover for Weapon X #22:
Weapon X #22 cover by Rahzzah. (Marvel Comics)
As this cover shows, Sabretooth, Domino and Lady Deathstrike are sticking around, while Old Man Logan and Warpath are leaving the team and Omega Red and Mystique are stepping in to replace them. This means that, apart from Domino, the entire "Weapon X-Force" team consists of characters who are traditionally X-Men villains. This cover also shows off the new look for the team, with all five members sporting color-coordinated black and orange outfits.
Hiddleston Knew About Loki’s Fate in Infinity War Two Years Ago
Warning: Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War follow.
Tom Hiddleston found out about Loki's fate in Avengers: Infinity War two years ago.
Per CBR, Hiddleston revealed during ACE Comic Con in Seattle he knew about Loki's death since May 2016. Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo told Hiddleston their plans to kill off Loki early on in production.
“So, I’ve known about that scene for two years,” Hiddleston said. “I met with Marvel in May 2016, and they were actually telling me the story of Ragnarok with concept art and images.
"The Russos came in, and I introduced myself. So, all four of us sat down, and they said this is how Infinity War begins.”