Monthly Archives: April 2022

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Metroid 64 Imagines the 64-Bit Entry That Never Happened

While the Nintendo 64 never got a Metroid game, two fans are working on showing the world what a Metroid 64 could have looked like.

As reported by Nintendo Life, Luto Akino took to Twitter to share his Unity 3D project that aims to create what Metroid 64 could have been.

Instead of opting for a first-person camera a la Metroid Prime, this version features a third-person perspective and shows Samus running around a purple cave area, using her arm canon, and even using her Morph Ball form and bombs.

There are currently no enemies besides static blocks, but it gives a good glimpse into Akino's vision and what a Metroid game on the N64 would play and look like. Akino is working on this project with a friend and has revealed no plans as to when they would make this available to the public.

You can check back through Akino's Twitter to see even more updates on this Metroid 64 project.

Super Metroid was released for the SNES in 1994 and it took eight years for fans to get a new entry. While Samus did show up in the original Super Smash Bros., she never had a proper entry on the N64.

The wait may have been tough, but fans were treated to two new adventures - GBA's Metroid Fusion and GameCube's Metroid Prime - just days apart in 2002.

Nintendo tried to make Metroid happen on N64, but it revealed it "couldn't come up with any concrete ideas or vehicle at that time." Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto also said he couldn't imagine how the N64 controller could be used to control Samus.

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.

Legends of Tomorrow Canceled By The CW After Seven Seasons

DC's Legends of Tomorrow has been canceled by The CW after seven seasons.

As reported by THR, Legends of Tomorrow follows the cancellation of DC's Batwoman after three seasons and leaves The CW with only The Flash and Superman & Lois for its DC slate in the next year. The Flash is expected to end after its ninth season, and it will be replaced by shows like producer Greg Berlanti's Gotham Knights.

"Well, folks. It’s been an incredible run," co-showrunner Keto Shimizu wrote on Twitter. "However, the CW has let us know that there will be no season 8 of #LegendsOfTomorrow. We are heartbroken, but also immensely grateful for the amazing work our cast, crew, and writers have contributed to the little show that could.

"Thank you to our fans; your love and passion for our strange band of misfits has made every break, every script, every daily, every cut, and every mix worth all the hard work. We see you, we love you, and you’ll always have a place on the Waverider."

The void left by Legends of Tomorrow will be filled by some of The CW's recent renewals, including All American, Kung Fu, Nancy Drew, Riverdale, and Walker. Those seven renewals are fewer than the 10 or more the network usually chooses to continue early.

Legends of Tomorrow recently celebrated its 100th episode and earlier this year we took a look at how Zari and Behrad became a roadmap for better representation.

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.

Blake Lively and Edgar Wright Team Up for Seconds, Another Graphic Novel From the Scott Pilgrim Creator

It's been a long time since Scott Pilgrim stepped up to save the world on the big screen. The 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, directed by Edgar Wright, didn't set the box office on fire, but it remains a well-loved movie to this day. Now, it seems another work from Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley is getting an adaptation.

Actress Blake Lively is looking to make her directorial debut by adapting O’Malley's graphic novel Seconds. The film is being made at Searchlight, with Edgar Wright producing and writing the script. Wicked, Cruella, and Dear Evan Hansen producer Marc Platt is also producing the film.

Seconds is the tale of Katie Clay, the head chef of the restaurant the graphic novel is named after. One night, a young girl named Lis gives her a way to "do-over" aspects of her life. With a magical notebook and a cubbyhole full of mushrooms, Katie starts to change her life for the better. Sadly, there are rules to the magical MacGuffins that Katie ignores, causing her life to trend in the other direction.

While this will be Lively's feature directorial debut, she actually debuted last year as the director of Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me." The video earned Lively nominations for directing and producing from the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards.

That's not the only adaptation that O'Malley has in the pipeline. The creator has an anime adaptation of Scott Pilgrim in development at Netflix. O'Malley is writing and executive producing the project alongside Are You Afraid of the Dark? reboot showrunner Ben David Grabinski.

Science SARU, the studio behind Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Devilman Crybaby, and the T0-B1 and Akariki shorts of Star Wars: Visions will handle the animation if the project moves forward. Hopefully, the project won't fall afoul of the cancellations across Netflix' animation line.

Mike Williams is a Freelance Writer for IGN.

The Song ‘Barbie Girl’ Tragically Won’t Be in the Upcoming Barbie Movie

Any reasonable person, upon seeing the upcoming Greta Gerwig 'Barbie' film starring Margot Robbie, would naturally assume that the movie's primary anthem had already been set.

There is, after all, a perfectly functional earworm about Barbie that has delighted listeners for years: 'Barbie Girl' by Danish pop group Aqua. Unfortunately, you'd be wrong.

As baffling as it sounds, that song won't be in the movie. At all. Ulrich Møller-Jørgensen, manager of Aqua lead singer Lene Nystrøm, has told Variety that “The song will not be used in the movie."

Okay, it's maybe not actually all that baffling, even if it's a bummer for fans of the 1997 Europop hit. Despite the song's immense popularity, it's also been the subject of significant controversy. Barbie manufacturer Mattel sued record label MCA Records over it not long after it came out, claiming it violated their trademark. Mattel was especially aggrieved over the sexual nature of lyrics like "Kiss me there, touch me there, hanky panky" presumed to be sung by the Ken doll character in the song. Mattel claimed that this presentation of Barbie had impacted the overall perception of the doll and harmed their marketing plans.

The lawsuit got weirder, too, with MCA Records not only arguing the song was a parody protected under the First Amendment but also suing Mattel right back, accusing the manufacturer of defamation over Mattel's characterization of MCA as a "bank robber." Both parties' suits were ultimately dismissed, with Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski notably concluding his written opinion by saying, "The parties are advised to chill."

While this history is far in the rearview, it still makes sense that Mattel wouldn't want to try and play nice with the Barbie Girl group for their own movie, even if it would be extremely apropos. Maybe we'll get an attempt at a new Barbie song instead, though it's hard to imagine a catchier Barbie anthem.

Barbie is coming to theatres on July 21, 2023 and will star Margot Robbie as Barbie. We got a first look at Robbie in her full doll regalia earlier this week at CinemaCon. Other cast members include Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, and America Ferrera. Lady Bird's Greta Gerwig is directing the film.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Spider-Man: No Way Home Director Jon Watts Will No Longer Direct MCU’s Fantastic Four

Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts will no longer direct the MCU's Fantastic Four film, as he "needs a break from the superhero realm."

As reported by Deadline, there is "nothing sinister" attached to Watts' departure and Watts is expected to rejoin Tom Holland and Zendaya for the next entry of the Spider-Man franchise, whenever that may be.

"Making three Spider-Man films was an incredible and life changing experience for me. I’m eternally grateful to have been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for seven years. I’m hopeful we’ll work together again and I can’t wait to see the amazing vision for Fantastic Four brought to life.”

“Collaborating with Jon on the Spider-Man films has been a true pleasure," Marvel studios president Kevin Feige and co-president Louis D'Esposito said. "We were looking forward to continuing our work with him to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU but understand and are supportive of his reasons for stepping away. We are optimistic that we will have the opportunity to work together again at some point down the road."

Prior to directing Spider-Man: No Way Home for Marvel, which grossed $1.89 billion, Watts also led the first two films in the Holland-era of Spider-Man. Now, Watts will look to continue work on an Apple Studios film that he will write and direct. The film will star George Clooney and Brad Pitt as rival "fixers" who "find themselves simultaneously hired for the same job."

The latest Fantastic Four film was announced in 2020, and it has been mostly quiet in the news department since then. In February 2021, it was reported that the studio was still looking for writers and that "it will be a while" before production begins.

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.

The CW Cancels Batwoman After Three Seasons

The Batwoman showrunner for The CW, Caroline Dries, has announced on Twitter that the DC superhero show will not be returning for a new season.

In a Tweet Dries writes, "Just got the sad news that #Batwoman will not be seeing an S4. I am bummed, but full of gratitude." Dries added that it was an honor to make 51 episodes and thanked the show's producers, cast, crew, and fans.

Batwoman premiered in 2019 as part of The CW's DC universe of TV shows. The series originally starred Ruby Rose as Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne's cousin who takes on a cowl herself to fight crime.

After the first season, Rose announced she would be leaving the show with both Rose and CW offering different reasons for the split. The original plan was to recast Rose's character but this changed and instead, Batwoman's title was inherited by a new character, Ryan Wilder played by Javicia Leslie.

Leslie played Wilder's Batwoman for two seasons, the most recent of which premiered on October 13, 2021. It would end up being the final season for the character.

No reason has been given for why The CW canceled Batwoman, but the news follows reports that CW owners Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global are looking to sell the network. Despite the report, The CW is still exploring new DC shows, including Gotham Knights while renewing others like The Flash for a ninth season.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Captain Marvel 2 and Ant-Man 3 Swap Release Dates

Marvel Studios is a massive movie-making machine, but even machines need to shift gears every now and then. Today, Disney announced that two of its 2023 films will be changing release dates. Well, to be more specific, they're swapping dates.

Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels was originally scheduled for release on February 17, 2023, while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was scheduled on July 28, 2023. The films have simply traded places. IGN has learned that Quantumania is now coming in February, while The Marvels now releases in July.

Why are the films shifting? An easy guess points to problems in the delayed production. Insiders tell Variety that the change is simply due to one film being further along in the production process. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has already finished principal photography, while The Marvels still has a bit more to go.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfieffer, and Kathryn Newton as the recast Cassie Lang. The film will take the whole Ant-Man family to the quantum realm and pit them against Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors. The film now releases on February 17, 2023.

The Marvels is the next adventure for Captain Marvel, played by Brie Larson. This time around, she'll be joined by Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, hence the film's title. Sam Jackson also reprises his role as Nick Fury. Korean star Park Seo-joon and Zawe Ashton are in the film in undisclosed roles. The Marvels is coming out on July 28, 2023.

Mike Williams is a Freelance Writer for IGN.

Neal Adams, Batman Artist and Comic Book Legend, Dies at 80

Neal Adams, the acclaimed comic book creator who worked on titles like Batman, The X-Men and The Avengers, has passed away at 80.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the sad news, with Adams' wife Marilyn confirming he died from complications due to sepsis.

Following an early career working in comic strips and advertising, Adams became a major name at Marvel and DC in the late 1960's. Adams was notable for bringing a very different storytelling sensibility to comics, one that emphasized dynamic angles and detailed anatomy and facial expressions. Alongside contemporaries like Jim Aparo, Adams helped redefine the look of Batman, presenting a Dark Knight who was lean and lithe like a gymnast rather than the burly brawler of earlier Golden and Silver Age stories.

Adams is probably best known for his work on the monthly Detective Comics and Batman books, where he helped bring the franchise back to its darker roots following the cancellation of the 1966 TV series. Working frequently with writer Denny O'Neil, Adams introduced key new villains like Ra's al Ghul, Talia al Ghul and Man-Bat and revamped existing villains like Joker and Two-Face. 1973's Batman #251, titled "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge," is largely credited with transforming the Clown Prince of Crime from a comedic antagonist into Batman's deadliest foe. IGN previously ranked Adams at #2 in the list of the ten greatest Batman artists.

Adams and O'Neil also collaborated on the hugely influential Green Lantern/Green Arrow, which paired the two philosophically opposed heroes on a series of adventures steeped in real-world politics and conflicts (very rare in superhero comics at the time). That was the series that featured Hal Jordan being lambasted for ignoring the plight of African Americans, as well as the shocking reveal that Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy was addicted to heroin.

Adams' resume also includes the seminal Avengers storyline "The Kree Skrull War," the Deadman-focused Strange Adventures and the crossover special Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. He remained fairly prolific even in recent years, releasing books like Batman: Odyssey and The Coming of the Superman at DC and The First X-Men at Marvel.

In addition to his Marvel and DC work, Adams was an early voice in the battle for increased creator rights in comics. He helped spearhead an early comics union called the Comics Creators Guild and formed an artists studio called Coniniuity Associates (which also led to the creation of an independent publisher called Continuity Comics). Adams was instrumental in leading public pressure against DC to give official credit and financial compensation to Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, especially as the release of 1978's Superman: The Movie drew new attention to Siegel and Shuster's dire financial straits.

Adams certainly belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Batman creators, but his influence and impact on the industry extend far beyond Gotham City.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Destiny 2: Where Is Xur Today? Location and Exotic Items Guide for April 29

Our boi, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Where Is Xûr Today?

Xûr's location today can be found at Watcher's Grave on Nessus on April 29 through May 3. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Watcher's Grave. When you arrive, make for the red moss-covered tree straight ahead. Climb up the roots and you'll find Xûr waiting at the top.

What Is Xûr Selling This Weekend?

Exotic Engram

Hard Light - Exotic Auto Rifle

Gemini Jester - Exotic Hunter Leg Armor

  • 12 Mobility
  • 18 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 22 Discipline
  • 6 Intellect
  • 2 Strength
  • Total: 62

MK. 44 Stand Asides - Exotic Titan Leg Armor

  • 27 Mobility
  • 3 Resilience
  • 6 Recovery
  • 7 Discipline
  • 16 Intellect
  • 9 Strength
  • Total: 68

Nezarec's Sin - Exotic Warlock Helmet

  • 7 Mobility
  • 13 Resilience
  • 15 Recovery
  • 26 Discipline
  • 2 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 69

Holy Mother of Zavala, Guardians! Finally some good Fenchurching food! All three exotics are pretty bananas this week, but none more so than the deliciously God-rolled Nezarec's Sin, with an insane 69 stat points in some good spots. The other two are also pretty high, although the stat distributions are perhaps not totally ideal unless you've got a unique build.

Exotic Weapons

Hawkmoon - Exotic Hand Cannon

  • Paracausal Shot
  • Hammer-Forged Rifling
  • Alloy Magazine
  • Rangefinder
  • Combat Grip

Dead Man's Tale - Exotic Scout Rifle

  • Cranial Spike
  • Full Bore
  • High-Caliber Rounds
  • Vorpal Weapon
  • Short-Action Stock

Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale are great weapons normally and once again we've got another pretty great rolls for both. Hawkmoon's roll this week is probably one of the best Xur has ever offered, so I highly recommend picking it up. Dead Man's Tale also has vorpal this week, so will be a pretty good pick, though certainly not a God roll.

Legendary Weapons

Seventh Seraph Carbine - Auto Rifle

  • Corkscrew Rifling/Full Bore
  • Alloy Magazine/Appended Mag
  • Hip-Fire Grip
  • Elemental Capacitor
  • Stability Masterwork

Timelines' Vertex - Fusion Rifle

  • Signal MS5/Transmission MS7
  • Accelerated Coils/Particle Repeater
  • Lead From Gold
  • Snapshot Sights
  • Range Masterwork

Jian 7 Rifle - Pulse Rifle

  • SRO-37 Ocular/SLO-21 Post
  • Appended Mag/High-Caliber Rounds
  • Zen Moment
  • Outlaw
  • Range Masterwork

False Promises - Auto Rifle

  • Fluted Barrel/Polygonal Rifling
  • Alloy Magazine/Armor-Piercing Rounds
  • Killing Wind
  • Sympathetic Arsenal
  • Stability Masterwork

Widow's Bite - Sniper Rifle

  • Fluted Barrel/Hammer-Forged Rifling
  • Extended Mag/Alloy Magazine
  • Firmly Planted
  • Opening Shot
  • Range Masterwork

Negative Space - Sword

  • Enduring Blade/Honed Edge
  • Burst Guard/Heavy Guard
  • Tireless Blade
  • Surrounded
  • Impact Masterwork

Frozen Orbit - Sniper Rifle

  • Full Bore/Polygonal Rifling
  • Appended Mag/Steady Rounds
  • Moving Target
  • High-Impact Reserves
  • Range Masterwork

Some interesting rolls this week! I always recommend snagging the Jian 7 when it's in stock (one of my favorite energy pulses) and the roll this week is pretty great. Also may want to pick up the False Promises roll in case Bungie's ambition to buff auto rifles next season makes them more viable.

Warlock Legendary Armor

For Warlocks, Xûr is selling the Praefectus set which includes:

Praefectus Gloves

  • 8 Mobility
  • 9 Resilience
  • 15 Recovery
  • 16 Discipline
  • 6 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 60

Praefectus Chest Armor

  • 21 Mobility
  • 2 Resilience
  • 6 Recovery
  • 7 Discipline
  • 13 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 55

Praefectus Helmet

  • 18 Mobility
  • 6 Resilience
  • 6 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 13 Intellect
  • 11 Strength
  • Total: 56

Praefectus Leg Armor

  • 9 Mobility
  • 16 Resilience
  • 6 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 19 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 58

Praefectus Bond

This week the Warlock Legendary Armor is low-stat this week, but maybe the gloves might suit you in a pinch.

Titan Legendary Armor

For Titans, Xûr is selling the Praefectus set which includes:

Praefectus Gauntlets

  • 6 Mobility
  • 12 Resilience
  • 16 Recovery
  • 6 Discipline
  • 13 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 59

Praefectus Chest Armor

  • 8 Mobility
  • 16 Resilience
  • 8 Recovery
  • 16 Discipline
  • 6 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 60

Praefectus Helmet

  • 10 Mobility
  • 20 Resilience
  • 2 Recovery
  • 10 Discipline
  • 11 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 59

Praefectus Leg Armor

  • 2 Mobility
  • 6 Resilience
  • 19 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 11 Intellect
  • 13 Strength
  • Total: 53

Praefectus Mark

Titans' Legendary Armor this week isn't anything to be crazy about, but the chest piece or the gauntlets might help with certain builds.

Hunter Legendary Armor

For Hunters, Xûr is selling the Praefectus set which includes:

Praefectus Grips

  • 16 Mobility
  • 6 Resilience
  • 6 Recovery
  • 6 Discipline
  • 16 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 56

Praefectus Chest Armor

  • 12 Mobility
  • 9 Resilience
  • 6 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 14 Intellect
  • 11 Strength
  • Total: 54

Praefectus Helmet

  • 6 Mobility
  • 13 Resilience
  • 9 Recovery
  • 2 Discipline
  • 17 Intellect
  • 6 Strength
  • Total: 53

Praefectus Leg Armor

  • 10 Mobility
  • 13 Resilience
  • 7 Recovery
  • 10 Discipline
  • 6 Intellect
  • 11 Strength
  • Total: 57

Praefectus Cloak

Hunters certainly got the worst of the bunch this week. Skip on these pieces unless you're really desperate.

That's a wrap on Xûr for this week, Guardians! Hope you're all enjoying your adventures in the Witch Queen's throne world. Who do you think's going to win Guardian Games? Let me know in the comments!

For more on Destiny, check out some of the new weapons and gear you can find in The Witch Queen and read about how Sony's purchase of Bungie fits into its larger plans.

Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.

Xbox Games With Gold for May 2022 Revealed

Microsoft has announced that May 2022's Games with Gold are Yoku's Island Express, The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, and Viva Piñata: Party Animals.

As revealed on Xbox Wire, the four Games with Gold will be available to anyone with Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with Yoku's Island Express and Hydro Thunder Hurricane available starting on May 1.

Yoku's Island Express is an open-world pinball game with Metroidvania and platforming elements. Players take on the role of Yoku, a pint-sized mailman turned hero as he traverses and works to save Mokumana Island.

We named it among our top ten Metroidvania games (that aren't Metroid or Castlevania), and in our 8/10 review said: "Yoku’s Island Express is a novel Metroidvania-pinball hybrid that stands as something wholly unique and incredibly fun."

Also available on May 1, but only until May 15, is Hydro Thunder Hurricane. This rocket-powered speedboat racing game from 2010 didn't receive as much of IGN's favor.

"Between uninspired references to the original game and its reliance on aged arcade racer elements," we said in our 5/10 review, "Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a dull, monotonous experience that shows its hand early and fails to deliver on its pedigree."

Available later in the month on May 16 is The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk, a sequel to the 2013 point and click adventure game. Players take on three characters - Robert, Laura, and Peck the pigeon - as they embark on an adventure to save their friends in a completely wacky world.

Last but not least, Viva Piñata: Party Animals is available on the same day but only available for two weeks until May 31. This isn't a traditional Viva Piñata but a party game instead, featuring a number of minigames that players take part in using beloved characters of the franchise.

IGN didn't love this one either, as in another 5/10 review, we said: "The inherent problem that really bogs down the action in Viva Pinata's aesthetic successor is that the mini-games simply don't stem from a fun design scheme."

Be sure to redeem April 2022's Xbox Games with Gold before they leave the service, which includes Another Sight, Hue, Outpost Kaloki X, and MX vs ATV Alive.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

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