Play an HD Super Mario 64 Level in Your Browser
Built as a demonstration project for Unity, computer science student Erik Roystan Ross has re-created the Bob-Omb Battlefield level from Super Mario 64.
It's been re-tooled in a variety of ways, including updated graphics and swapping out items such as red coins and the Wing Cap for coin blocks and springs. You can play it in-browser or download it to your desktop through his blog.
Ross does not plan to pursue this project further and encourages people to use it as they like so long as it is not for profit.
Dragon Age: Inquisition – Jaws of Hakkon Review
It's been about four months since I've spent quality time in the world of Thedas--nearly 70 hours' worth of it. This week's content release for Dragon Age: Inquisition, Jaws of Hakkon, may have jump started my engine, reminding me what I love most about the core game: the sense of wonder, the thematic richness, a fantastic sense of place and personality. The new adventure becomes available in the second act of the game, taking your Inquisitor to the Frostback Basin, the foothills and valley near the mountain range at the southern end of Thedas. You've been called in to provide support for an archaeological survey of the region that is searching for the final resting place of the world's last Inquisitor, Ameridan. While piecing together the mystery of Ameridan, you'll have to navigate the region's complex geography and even more complex sociopolitical relationships.
The Frostback Basin is a deceptively big zone. What seems easily conquerable on the map screen is actually a sizable and intricate mix of environments. Foothills open up into plateaus, which feature deep, dangerous pits. A lakeshore runs into the bubbling, muddy shallows of the basin, and those turn into misty swamplands and damp jungles. It's all brought to life with vibrant color and fresh ambient sounds. The Frostback Basin feels distinct from the game's other zones, and it's mostly a joy to explore.
I say "mostly," because sometimes it feels like BioWare is trying to stretch out the available content in Jaws of Hakkon. Over the course of eight hours in the Frostback Basin, five different missions make you "follow the trail" across territory you've already explored thoroughly in the course of doing other missions. Most egregious is a mission that sends you around to flip a number of switches scattered across the northern half of the zone. For the previous six hours of play, these switches had been visible but inactive, and I knew that they'd send me back eventually. They did. This decision is particularly strange because Hakkon doesn't need to be stretched in any way. The Frostback Basin is packed with all of the elements that made me love Inquisition to begin with: smart characterization, interesting combat encounters, and carefully written lore.
The Frostback Basin is home to two rival tribes of the Avvar, a human society that briefly pops up early on in Inquisition. The development of these groups (and of the region's history in general) is the high point of Hakkon, and you'll get the most out of this DLC if you dig into the lore about these people and their culture and religion. Dragon Age has always been at its best when the stories it tells are multifaceted and mysterious, and the same is true here: Religious iconography blurs together; magical traditions are at once remarkably similar and fundamentally different; and the final, "true" history is often left unknown.
Best of all, the Avvar work to break apart the classic binaries that show up throughout the Dragon Age series. They share the Elven relationship to nature, but are human. They're human, but don't belong to any of the major political powers. They're deeply spiritual, but also incredibly practical. They have a strict system to govern the use of magic, but use terms and concepts to explain the magical world that are entirely different than those used by the Templars and Circle of Mages. All of this works to complicate the world of Thedas by providing yet another potential perspective to consider.
This makes it extra frustrating that so little of Jaws of Hakkon shares the cinematic sheen of the rest of Inquisition. Most other zones in the world of Thedas have a mix of two different sorts of quests. Firstly, there are the little, MMOG-style missions you complete for this or that character: kill ten bears, or recover a missing satchel, or perform some other small task. Secondly, there are the major story missions that take you out of the third-person perspective and into a cutscene view, where dramatic music supports characters who emote and animate as the plot unfolds. In Hakkon, only the very beginning and very end of the main questline offer this second sort of storytelling. Throughout the rest of my eight hours, I watched as world-shaking information was delivered without any pomp or luster.
If you told me last week that this would bother me, I'd tell you that you'd be absolutely wrong. But here I am, missing the intimate close-ups and the sweeping vistas. (Maybe this shouldn't be be surprising: Imagine an episode of Game of Thrones that never shows the detail of a character's face.) Over the course of the previous 70 hours, Dragon Age: Inquisition had quietly taught me to expect a certain rhythm: I'd meander around a zone until I was ready to commit to one of the many "big" story events. There was a sort of storytelling grammar at work, and by reducing the use of that grammar, Hakkon rarely feels as substantial as it should. Thankfully, the final hour or so of Hakkon does utilize those storytelling tools to great effect, and it joins them with some new, unique mechanics in a series of major combat encounters that build momentum and velocity until an explosive climax.
Though I wish that Jaws of Hakkon was less bloated, and though I miss the cinematic flair of the rest of Dragon Age: Inquisition, I know that in a month I'll have forgotten these quibbles. Instead, I'll remember my time spent in Frostback Basin fondly. I'll remember the sharp wit of Svarah Sun-Hair, the leader of the local Avvar clan. I'll remember the holy symbols that blur the line between competing faiths. I'll remember the mist and the mountains and the sun's light through the trees. I'll remember confronting legendary foes, and the time I got to spend with some of my favorite characters in video games.
Dragon Age: Inquisition – Jaws of Hakkon Review
It's been about four months since I've spent quality time in the world of Thedas--nearly 70 hours' worth of it. This week's content release for Dragon Age: Inquisition, Jaws of Hakkon, may have jump started my engine, reminding me what I love most about the core game: the sense of wonder, the thematic richness, a fantastic sense of place and personality. The new adventure becomes available in the second act of the game, taking your Inquisitor to the Frostback Basin, the foothills and valley near the mountain range at the southern end of Thedas. You've been called in to provide support for an archaeological survey of the region that is searching for the final resting place of the world's last Inquisitor, Ameridan. While piecing together the mystery of Ameridan, you'll have to navigate the region's complex geography and even more complex sociopolitical relationships.
The Frostback Basin is a deceptively big zone. What seems easily conquerable on the map screen is actually a sizable and intricate mix of environments. Foothills open up into plateaus, which feature deep, dangerous pits. A lakeshore runs into the bubbling, muddy shallows of the basin, and those turn into misty swamplands and damp jungles. It's all brought to life with vibrant color and fresh ambient sounds. The Frostback Basin feels distinct from the game's other zones, and it's mostly a joy to explore.
I say "mostly," because sometimes it feels like BioWare is trying to stretch out the available content in Jaws of Hakkon. Over the course of eight hours in the Frostback Basin, five different missions make you "follow the trail" across territory you've already explored thoroughly in the course of doing other missions. Most egregious is a mission that sends you around to flip a number of switches scattered across the northern half of the zone. For the previous six hours of play, these switches had been visible but inactive, and I knew that they'd send me back eventually. They did. This decision is particularly strange because Hakkon doesn't need to be stretched in any way. The Frostback Basin is packed with all of the elements that made me love Inquisition to begin with: smart characterization, interesting combat encounters, and carefully written lore.
The Frostback Basin is home to two rival tribes of the Avvar, a human society that briefly pops up early on in Inquisition. The development of these groups (and of the region's history in general) is the high point of Hakkon, and you'll get the most out of this DLC if you dig into the lore about these people and their culture and religion. Dragon Age has always been at its best when the stories it tells are multifaceted and mysterious, and the same is true here: Religious iconography blurs together; magical traditions are at once remarkably similar and fundamentally different; and the final, "true" history is often left unknown.
Best of all, the Avvar work to break apart the classic binaries that show up throughout the Dragon Age series. They share the Elven relationship to nature, but are human. They're human, but don't belong to any of the major political powers. They're deeply spiritual, but also incredibly practical. They have a strict system to govern the use of magic, but use terms and concepts to explain the magical world that are entirely different than those used by the Templars and Circle of Mages. All of this works to complicate the world of Thedas by providing yet another potential perspective to consider.
This makes it extra frustrating that so little of Jaws of Hakkon shares the cinematic sheen of the rest of Inquisition. Most other zones in the world of Thedas have a mix of two different sorts of quests. Firstly, there are the little, MMOG-style missions you complete for this or that character: kill ten bears, or recover a missing satchel, or perform some other small task. Secondly, there are the major story missions that take you out of the third-person perspective and into a cutscene view, where dramatic music supports characters who emote and animate as the plot unfolds. In Hakkon, only the very beginning and very end of the main questline offer this second sort of storytelling. Throughout the rest of my eight hours, I watched as world-shaking information was delivered without any pomp or luster.
If you told me last week that this would bother me, I'd tell you that you'd be absolutely wrong. But here I am, missing the intimate close-ups and the sweeping vistas. (Maybe this shouldn't be be surprising: Imagine an episode of Game of Thrones that never shows the detail of a character's face.) Over the course of the previous 70 hours, Dragon Age: Inquisition had quietly taught me to expect a certain rhythm: I'd meander around a zone until I was ready to commit to one of the many "big" story events. There was a sort of storytelling grammar at work, and by reducing the use of that grammar, Hakkon rarely feels as substantial as it should. Thankfully, the final hour or so of Hakkon does utilize those storytelling tools to great effect, and it joins them with some new, unique mechanics in a series of major combat encounters that build momentum and velocity until an explosive climax.
Though I wish that Jaws of Hakkon was less bloated, and though I miss the cinematic flair of the rest of Dragon Age: Inquisition, I know that in a month I'll have forgotten these quibbles. Instead, I'll remember my time spent in Frostback Basin fondly. I'll remember the sharp wit of Svarah Sun-Hair, the leader of the local Avvar clan. I'll remember the holy symbols that blur the line between competing faiths. I'll remember the mist and the mountains and the sun's light through the trees. I'll remember confronting legendary foes, and the time I got to spend with some of my favorite characters in video games.
Who is the Greatest Fictional Team of All Time?
Welcome back to IGN's Super Team Tournament 64! With your help, we're now much closer to determining the greatest fictional team in history.
After the tournament's explosive opening and this week's super brutal Round 2 we've seen several high-profile teams knocked out of contention, including The Fellowship of the Ring, The Autobots, and the Ghostbosters. The picks aren't getting any easier, however. The Stunning 16 kicks off right now!
Take a look at bracket as it stands today, and be sure to cast your votes for this round before 11:59 PM this Sunday, March 29:
Mortal Kombat X Liu Kang Variations Detailed
During today's live Mortal Kombat X stream, recently-revealed fighter Liu Kang's variations were shown off. Dragon's Fire, Flame Fist, and Duality variations were shown.
Liu Kang's Dragon's Fire variation was described as being close to the Liu Kang players are familiar with. Perhaps his most recognizable move is his bicycle kick. The Flame Fist variant replaces the bicycle kick with a multi-punch, jokingly referred to during the stream as the "bicycle punch."
The Dualist variant allows Liu Kang to switch stances from light and dark. His light fireball is slightly faster. Liu Kang's bone-snapping X-ray was also shown during the stream.
Yesterday a trailer appeared revealing Liu Kang would be a playable character in the upcoming game.
How to Get the Best Out of Bloodborne
Three guys start playing Bloodborne. One's finished Dark Souls, one played a bit, one ran away in fear of From Software. That pretty much sums up this week's podcast crew of Krupa, Gav, and Luke, who have all been spending the week exploring the dark and winding alleyways of Yharnam.
As always, we also trawl through the week's news, picking our favourite and not-so-favourite items of the past 7 days.
Download the podcast now to listen at your leisure or watch it up above, if you have the time. The decisions is pretty much up to you. You know what you've got on.
IGN UK Podcast #273: To the Manor Bloodborne - 131.8 MB (right click to save)
Mortal Kombat X Custom Costume Revealed
NetherRealm Studios has announced a day one custom skin for Raiden in its upcoming fighting game Mortal Kombat X.
The studio revealed the news during today's live Twitch stream. In order to get the skin, you must be a member of the WB Play customer rewards service.
Check out Raiden's custom costume below.
Just yesterday, Liu Kang was revealed as the latest character to join the Mortal Kombat X roster.
NBC Orders Coach Sequel Series
The '90s sitcom Coach is returning to television, as NBC has reportedly ordered thirteen episodes of a sequel series.
Coach star Craig T. Nelson will reprise his role as football coach Hayden Fox, who will come out of retirement to serve as assistant coach to his now grown son at an Ivy League school in Pennsylvania, according to TVLine. Nelson will also serve as an executive producer.
The original series aired on ABC from 1989-1997. The sequel will take place eighteen years after the original series ended.
Craig T. Nelson
What’s Ahead for DC and Marvel Movies
Welcome back to Keepin' It Reel! In this week's podcast, Jim Vejvoda and Chris Carle bring you the latest in movie news.
This week's topics include Star Wars, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain Marvel, Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 and 2, Spider-Man, X-Men: Apocalypse, Deadpool, Ready Player One, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Star Trek 3, Super Troopers 2, Maggie and more.
Finally, we talk about whether Get Hard, Home or The Divergent Series: Insurgent will top this weekend's box office.
Download Keepin' It Reel, Episode 281!
First Game For Apple Watch Revealed
A few apps have been revealed for the newly released Apple Watch, but the list has lacked games - until now.
Touch Arcade has been keeping an eye on the App Store, and today it discovered that Rules! had had an update approved for the Apple Watch, making it the first game available for Apple's wearable device.
Rules! was originally released for iPhone and iPad on the App Store in August 2014 as a fast-paced puzzle game featuring cute animals. Its newest update sees it playable as an altered, smaller-scale "brain workout mini game" on the Apple Watch.