Yearly Archives: 2020

Animal Crossing Player Turns Their Island Into the Zelda: A Link to the Past Map

One creative Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has transformed their island into a re-creation of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. In a series of images originally posted on Imgur, we can see a variety of iconic locations from A Link to the Past, including Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle. Here, you can see that this villager used terraforming to create Death Mountain and the Waterfall of Wishing. The Eastern Palace is complete with dirt and stone paths, and the Desert of Mystery is decorated with a handful of dinosaur bones. There's also a re-creation of the starting point in A Link to the Past – Link's house. Finally, to get the full scale of this project, you can take a look at the entire map to see just how closely it resembles A Link to the Past's version of Hyrule, along with the original map for comparison, below. Along with video games like The Legend of Zelda, New Horizons players are re-creating tons of iconic movie moments on their deserted islands. Some players are using the washed-up sailor Gulliver to re-create a memorable scene from The Lighthouse. Other Animal Crossing players are re-creating moments from Midsommar, The Shining, The Blair Witch Project, and more. If you want to bring some Nintendo designs onto your New Horizons island, check out IGN's New Horizons custom design guide to find Design IDs for creations inspired by Mario, Zelda, Overwatch, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/25/how-multiplayer-works-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

That Cool-Looking DuckTales Game Is, Unfortunately, Not Real

While the original DuckTales animated series had a beloved video game adaptation, the new DuckTales TV series has yet to see its own game counterpart. And sadly, despite an impressive looking hint at one, there is not officially a new DuckTales game in the works. FDG Entertainment, the publisher of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom and Blossom Tales, teased an alleged new DuckTales game on its Twitter account today, April 1, with Monster Boy dev Game Atelier allegedly developing it. Sadly, the game isn't happening according to members of the DuckTales TV show creative team, but you can check out the convincing, and beautiful, art of the would-be game in the gallery below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fake-ducktales-game-screenshots&captions=true"] Unfortunately, DuckTales co-executive producer Frank Angones retweeted FDG's announcement, confirming it as just an April Fools' joke, writing "I want nothing more than to will this April Fools Day joke into reality. This looks GREAT! How do I make this not a joke?!" And Angones is seemingly not alone on the DuckTales TV creative team in wanting a game to actually happen. Star Bobby Moynihan responded to Angones, saying "Was REALLY excited for a second. and DuckTales director Tanner Johnson, in response to being asked if the game was real, simply responded "I wish." So for now, it seems this DuckTales game is more of a collective dream — one shared by fans and DuckTales' creative team. In the meantime, the DuckTales Remastered, which is based on the original DuckTales game, found its way back onto digital stores after being removed from digital storefronts last year. It can currently be purchased on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One (via Backwards Compatibility), Wii U, and Steam. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/03/ducktales-glomtales-exclusive-clip"] Meanwhile, the DuckTales TV show on Disney XD is set to return on April 4 for its third season, with the previous two seasons available to stream on Disney+. And you can read why DuckTales is one of the shows we think would make a great, comforting binge. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond! and a major fan of the new DuckTales show who has talked often about why the new series would make an amazing game. Talk to him about it on Twitter @jmdornbush.

That Cool-Looking DuckTales Game Is, Unfortunately, Not Real

While the original DuckTales animated series had a beloved video game adaptation, the new DuckTales TV series has yet to see its own game counterpart. And sadly, despite an impressive looking hint at one, there is not officially a new DuckTales game in the works. FDG Entertainment, the publisher of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom and Blossom Tales, teased an alleged new DuckTales game on its Twitter account today, April 1, with Monster Boy dev Game Atelier allegedly developing it. Sadly, the game isn't happening according to members of the DuckTales TV show creative team, but you can check out the convincing, and beautiful, art of the would-be game in the gallery below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fake-ducktales-game-screenshots&captions=true"] Unfortunately, DuckTales co-executive producer Frank Angones retweeted FDG's announcement, confirming it as just an April Fools' joke, writing "I want nothing more than to will this April Fools Day joke into reality. This looks GREAT! How do I make this not a joke?!" And Angones is seemingly not alone on the DuckTales TV creative team in wanting a game to actually happen. Star Bobby Moynihan responded to Angones, saying "Was REALLY excited for a second. and DuckTales director Tanner Johnson, in response to being asked if the game was real, simply responded "I wish." So for now, it seems this DuckTales game is more of a collective dream — one shared by fans and DuckTales' creative team. In the meantime, the DuckTales Remastered, which is based on the original DuckTales game, found its way back onto digital stores after being removed from digital storefronts last year. It can currently be purchased on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One (via Backwards Compatibility), Wii U, and Steam. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/03/ducktales-glomtales-exclusive-clip"] Meanwhile, the DuckTales TV show on Disney XD is set to return on April 4 for its third season, with the previous two seasons available to stream on Disney+. And you can read why DuckTales is one of the shows we think would make a great, comforting binge. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond! and a major fan of the new DuckTales show who has talked often about why the new series would make an amazing game. Talk to him about it on Twitter @jmdornbush.

JK Rowling Launches New Online Hub, Harry Potter At Home

Hot off The Daily Prophet presses: J.K. Rowling has announced the launch of Harry Potter At Home, a new online hub designed to help children, parents, carers and teachers add a touch of magic to their daily lives while in lockdown due to coronavirus (COVID-19). In a tweet on Wednesday, Rowling shared a link to a news post outlining the resources and activities that have been cumulated by the Wizarding World team in collaboration with their partners at Audible, Bloomsbury, OverDrive, Pottermore Publishing and Scholastic. Casting a Banishing Charm on boredom, these magic-makers are offering a range of exercises to fill out everyone's timetable, with everything from special activity kits and magical craft videos to fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and much, much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/24/best-25-harry-potter-characters"] In addition, Audible and OverDrive are giving people unlimited access to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for free throughout April. Audible's new platform is adding the Stephen Fry edition of the audiobook to its library in six languages, while OverDrive is allowing members to borrow the book in more than 20 different languages up until April 30. A statement on the site reads: "For over twenty years now, Hogwarts has been an escape for all – for readers and fans, young and old. During the strange times we now find ourselves in, we want to welcome you back to Hogwarts, where you will find a friendly retreat for you, your family and those you are caring for." The digital hub is now live with the tagline "Bringing Hogwarts to you" on the landing page. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-harry-potter-universes-most-fantastic-beasts&captions=true"] J.K. Rowling joins a host of other celebrities offering lighter entertainment options for those living in lockdown. John Krasinski just started up a new YouTube series "dedicated entirely to good news" while Seth MacFarlane recently launched a podcast hosted by Family Guy's Stewie and Brian. Plus, Jodie Whittaker transformed into Doctor Who for an "emergency transmission" and Sir Patrick Stewart has been reading daily sonnets to his fans. For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

JK Rowling Launches New Online Hub, Harry Potter At Home

Hot off The Daily Prophet presses: J.K. Rowling has announced the launch of Harry Potter At Home, a new online hub designed to help children, parents, carers and teachers add a touch of magic to their daily lives while in lockdown due to coronavirus (COVID-19). In a tweet on Wednesday, Rowling shared a link to a news post outlining the resources and activities that have been cumulated by the Wizarding World team in collaboration with their partners at Audible, Bloomsbury, OverDrive, Pottermore Publishing and Scholastic. Casting a Banishing Charm on boredom, these magic-makers are offering a range of exercises to fill out everyone's timetable, with everything from special activity kits and magical craft videos to fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and much, much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/24/best-25-harry-potter-characters"] In addition, Audible and OverDrive are giving people unlimited access to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for free throughout April. Audible's new platform is adding the Stephen Fry edition of the audiobook to its library in six languages, while OverDrive is allowing members to borrow the book in more than 20 different languages up until April 30. A statement on the site reads: "For over twenty years now, Hogwarts has been an escape for all – for readers and fans, young and old. During the strange times we now find ourselves in, we want to welcome you back to Hogwarts, where you will find a friendly retreat for you, your family and those you are caring for." The digital hub is now live with the tagline "Bringing Hogwarts to you" on the landing page. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-harry-potter-universes-most-fantastic-beasts&captions=true"] J.K. Rowling joins a host of other celebrities offering lighter entertainment options for those living in lockdown. John Krasinski just started up a new YouTube series "dedicated entirely to good news" while Seth MacFarlane recently launched a podcast hosted by Family Guy's Stewie and Brian. Plus, Jodie Whittaker transformed into Doctor Who for an "emergency transmission" and Sir Patrick Stewart has been reading daily sonnets to his fans. For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Fox Shortens Empire’s Final Season Due to Coronavirus Concerns

Fox's popular hip-hop-themed drama Empire is one of many TV productions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, Fox has now taken the drastic step of ending the series early and canceling the final two episodes. As reported by The Wrap, work has permanently halted on the penultimate episode of Empire's sixth and final season. Fox now lists Season 6, Episode 18 as the series finale, despite ordering a 20-episode final season. A source tells The Wrap that, rather than resume filming after the pandemic has resolved, the filmmakers will attempt to incorporate existing footage from Episode 19 into Episode 18 in the hope of creating a cohesive finale episode. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-tv-show-cancelled-or-announced-to-be-ending-in-2020&captions=true"] Fox has yet to release an official statement on the situation, though a teaser trailer for Episode 16 refers to it as the start of "the shocking final three episodes of Empire." This looks to be an unfortunate end for what was once one of Fox's most-watched series. In addition to a sharp ratings decline in recent years, the series has been beset with scandal after actor Jussee Smollett was accused of staging a hate crime against himself. Smollett's character was eventually written out of the final two episodes of Season 5, and Smollett hasn't returned for Season 6. This abrupt cancellation could be a worrying sign of things to come for the TV industry. With the pandemic bringing so many projects to a halt, Empire may be one of many shows to cut their current seasons short rather than complete filming later. Hollywood faced a similar problem in 2008 when the WGA strike forced a great many shows to end production early, affecting everything from Lost to Friday Night Lights. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/30/netflixs-oscar-worthy-original-films-you-need-to-watch"] The silver lining in this situation is that many actors and filmmakers are finding other ways to entertain fans even while the cameras stop rolling. Scrubs stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison have started a new podcast, while Zack Snyder released a revealing new director's commentary track for Batman v Superman. Let us know what you think of Empire's abrupt end in the comments below. And learn how you can stay safe and help out during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Fox Shortens Empire’s Final Season Due to Coronavirus Concerns

Fox's popular hip-hop-themed drama Empire is one of many TV productions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, Fox has now taken the drastic step of ending the series early and canceling the final two episodes. As reported by The Wrap, work has permanently halted on the penultimate episode of Empire's sixth and final season. Fox now lists Season 6, Episode 18 as the series finale, despite ordering a 20-episode final season. A source tells The Wrap that, rather than resume filming after the pandemic has resolved, the filmmakers will attempt to incorporate existing footage from Episode 19 into Episode 18 in the hope of creating a cohesive finale episode. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-tv-show-cancelled-or-announced-to-be-ending-in-2020&captions=true"] Fox has yet to release an official statement on the situation, though a teaser trailer for Episode 16 refers to it as the start of "the shocking final three episodes of Empire." This looks to be an unfortunate end for what was once one of Fox's most-watched series. In addition to a sharp ratings decline in recent years, the series has been beset with scandal after actor Jussee Smollett was accused of staging a hate crime against himself. Smollett's character was eventually written out of the final two episodes of Season 5, and Smollett hasn't returned for Season 6. This abrupt cancellation could be a worrying sign of things to come for the TV industry. With the pandemic bringing so many projects to a halt, Empire may be one of many shows to cut their current seasons short rather than complete filming later. Hollywood faced a similar problem in 2008 when the WGA strike forced a great many shows to end production early, affecting everything from Lost to Friday Night Lights. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/30/netflixs-oscar-worthy-original-films-you-need-to-watch"] The silver lining in this situation is that many actors and filmmakers are finding other ways to entertain fans even while the cameras stop rolling. Scrubs stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison have started a new podcast, while Zack Snyder released a revealing new director's commentary track for Batman v Superman. Let us know what you think of Empire's abrupt end in the comments below. And learn how you can stay safe and help out during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

PS Plus Games for April 2020 Revealed

Sony has announced that Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Dirt Rally 2.0 are the PlayStation Plus games for the month of April. As detailed in the PlayStation Blog post announcing the titles, both will be available to download for free to all PlayStation Plus subscribers starting next Tuesday, April 7. These titles will be available for download through Monday, May 4. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/playstation-plus-free-games-lineup-april-2020-trailer"] Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is the last mainline entry in Naughty Dog's uncharted series (although it tees up the spin-off, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, quite well) and sees Nathan Drake traversing Madagascar, Scotland, abandoned pirate towns and more on a hunt for treasure, of course. It's the last we've seen of Nathan Drake and could be for a while as Naughty Dog is full speed ahead on its next title, The Last of Us Part II. We thought the game was amazing, giving Uncharted 4: A Thief's End a 9 out of 10. The other free title this month, Dirt Rally 2.0, is all about precision driving in this realistic globe-trotting rally race sim game. Codemaster's Dirt Rally 2.0 features "race-altering weather systems," plenty of customization, loads of courses to race on and more. We thought the game was great, giving Dirt Rally 2.0 an 8.5 out of 10. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-playstation-first-party-exclusive-review&captions=true"] These two free April titles come off the heels of last month's Shadow of the Colossus and Sonic Forces. If you haven't picked up those games yet, you've still got time as they'll be free to download for PlayStation Plus subscribers until Monday, April 6. If you're wondering what Xbox One players are getting for free this month as part of Xbox's Games with Gold, they're getting Project CARS 2, Fable Anniversary, the Knights of Pen and Paper, and Toybox Turbos. If neither these games nor this month's PlayStation Plus games seem like games you're keen to play, Ubisoft recently announced a month of free game and game trials including titles like Rayman Legends and Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. Elsewhere, other entertainment services like Hulu, Netflix, and Comixology are offering free trials of their services as well. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

PS Plus Games for April 2020 Revealed

Sony has announced that Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Dirt Rally 2.0 are the PlayStation Plus games for the month of April. As detailed in the PlayStation Blog post announcing the titles, both will be available to download for free to all PlayStation Plus subscribers starting next Tuesday, April 7. These titles will be available for download through Monday, May 4. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/playstation-plus-free-games-lineup-april-2020-trailer"] Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is the last mainline entry in Naughty Dog's uncharted series (although it tees up the spin-off, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, quite well) and sees Nathan Drake traversing Madagascar, Scotland, abandoned pirate towns and more on a hunt for treasure, of course. It's the last we've seen of Nathan Drake and could be for a while as Naughty Dog is full speed ahead on its next title, The Last of Us Part II. We thought the game was amazing, giving Uncharted 4: A Thief's End a 9 out of 10. The other free title this month, Dirt Rally 2.0, is all about precision driving in this realistic globe-trotting rally race sim game. Codemaster's Dirt Rally 2.0 features "race-altering weather systems," plenty of customization, loads of courses to race on and more. We thought the game was great, giving Dirt Rally 2.0 an 8.5 out of 10. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-playstation-first-party-exclusive-review&captions=true"] These two free April titles come off the heels of last month's Shadow of the Colossus and Sonic Forces. If you haven't picked up those games yet, you've still got time as they'll be free to download for PlayStation Plus subscribers until Monday, April 6. If you're wondering what Xbox One players are getting for free this month as part of Xbox's Games with Gold, they're getting Project CARS 2, Fable Anniversary, the Knights of Pen and Paper, and Toybox Turbos. If neither these games nor this month's PlayStation Plus games seem like games you're keen to play, Ubisoft recently announced a month of free game and game trials including titles like Rayman Legends and Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. Elsewhere, other entertainment services like Hulu, Netflix, and Comixology are offering free trials of their services as well. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Bethesda Will Not Hold a Digital Replacement for its E3 Show

Bethesda will not be broadcasting a digital showcase in June, despite the cancellation of E3 meaning the developer-publisher can't hold its traditional press conference this year. Confirmed in a tweet from head of marketing Pete Hines, the decision stems from the "many challenges" the company is facing due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It sounds as though Bethesda will instead spread its planned announcements out across the year, rather than clustering them into a single show. Bethesda had previously said that it was planning to show off more from Arkane's Deathloop, and Tango Gameworks' Ghostwire: Tokyo at the show. Fans will have been hoping for more teases of The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield, as well. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/06/11/the-elder-scrolls-6-teaser-e3-2018"] It marks a very different approach from the company's competitors - the likes of Microsoft, Ubisoft and more have said that they're exploring how to hold digital replacements for their E3 keynotes. The news arrives a day after Bethesda cancelled QuakeCon 2020, due to be that show's 25th anniversary. IGN is encouraging safety and positivity for all of our readers during this pandemic. Read our tips on how to help, and stay safe, during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.