An improved frame rate on Pilotwings 64 is causing problems on Nintendo Switch.

The classic flight sim came to Nintendo Switch Online via the Expansion Pak earlier this month, boasting an improved frame rate compared to its original N64 release. Unfortunately, it’s making certain parts of the game unplayable.

“I thought I was doing something wrong or the buttons were mapped weirdly,” said IGN’s Peer Schneider who has been playing Pilotwings 64. “They have to patch it. It's just not fun this way.”

Although most of the game is unaffected, problems arise during the Birdman bonus stage. Usually a relaxing tour of the island, allowing players to take pictures and soak up the atmosphere, the Birdman stage is renowned for its calm, laid-back gameplay. The player suits up with a large set of wings, hitting the A button occasionally to keep the Birdman in the air.

Unfortunately, the timing of these flaps was originally tied to the game’s framerate, so you can see where this is going. The Nintendo Switch Online version of Pilotwings 64 requires manic button-mashing just to keep the Birdman airborne, transforming the previously relaxing stage into a stressful feat of endurance.

Dakko Dakko developer Rhod Broadbent has taken to Twitter to highlight the change.

I did the science: N64 (red) vs Switch (grey) #Pilotwings64. New version has indeed lost its chill.

The flap timing seems tied to framerate (common back then), and hasn't been adjusted for much higher FPS NSO version. https://t.co/wpy6au9yQP pic.twitter.com/Bvt9Awij0Y

— Rhod Broadbent (@sdrhod) October 20, 2022

According to Broadbent, tying the wing flaps to the game’s frame rate was a common technique when the original N64 version was created.

Speaking with VGC, he explained in more detail, positing that Pilotwings 64 counts the frames that elapse after each button press and that flapping faster leads to harder flaps. Since the game now runs at 60fps, the number of frames between each button push is greater, leading the game to think more time has elapsed between them, and in turn, making the flaps weaker.

The level can still be played, especially if alternating between the A and B buttons to flap… but it’s not quite the same, sedate experience as the original. Hopefully, Nintendo will address this in an update.

Want to read more about Pilotwings? Check out our top 125 Nintendo games of all time as well as our history of flight simulators.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

An improved frame rate on Pilotwings 64 is causing problems on Nintendo Switch.

The classic flight sim came to Nintendo Switch Online via the Expansion Pak earlier this month, boasting an improved frame rate compared to its original N64 release. Unfortunately, it’s making certain parts of the game unplayable.

“I thought I was doing something wrong or the buttons were mapped weirdly,” said IGN’s Peer Schneider who has been playing Pilotwings 64. “They have to patch it. It's just not fun this way.”

Although most of the game is unaffected, problems arise during the Birdman bonus stage. Usually a relaxing tour of the island, allowing players to take pictures and soak up the atmosphere, the Birdman stage is renowned for its calm, laid-back gameplay. The player suits up with a large set of wings, hitting the A button occasionally to keep the Birdman in the air.

Unfortunately, the timing of these flaps was originally tied to the game’s framerate, so you can see where this is going. The Nintendo Switch Online version of Pilotwings 64 requires manic button-mashing just to keep the Birdman airborne, transforming the previously relaxing stage into a stressful feat of endurance.

Dakko Dakko developer Rhod Broadbent has taken to Twitter to highlight the change.

I did the science: N64 (red) vs Switch (grey) #Pilotwings64. New version has indeed lost its chill.

The flap timing seems tied to framerate (common back then), and hasn't been adjusted for much higher FPS NSO version. https://t.co/wpy6au9yQP pic.twitter.com/Bvt9Awij0Y

— Rhod Broadbent (@sdrhod) October 20, 2022

According to Broadbent, tying the wing flaps to the game’s frame rate was a common technique when the original N64 version was created.

Speaking with VGC, he explained in more detail, positing that Pilotwings 64 counts the frames that elapse after each button press and that flapping faster leads to harder flaps. Since the game now runs at 60fps, the number of frames between each button push is greater, leading the game to think more time has elapsed between them, and in turn, making the flaps weaker.

The level can still be played, especially if alternating between the A and B buttons to flap… but it’s not quite the same, sedate experience as the original. Hopefully, Nintendo will address this in an update.

Want to read more about Pilotwings? Check out our top 125 Nintendo games of all time as well as our history of flight simulators.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

There's more than meets the eye (and ear) to the already ominous Silent Hill: Townfall trailer, as NoCode and Annapurna have hidden a secret message within its audio.

Following a tease from co-producer NoCode's creative director Jon McKellan that the trailer includes some secrets, Reddit user MilkmanEX extracted its audio and converted it to an MP3. When viewing the audio's spectrogram, at around 52 seconds in, the secret message appears.

IGN has verified its existence ourselves, and the message reads: "Whatever heart this town had has now stopped". While we still know practically nothing about Townfall, and aren't expecting any new information until 2023, the message likely alludes to the game's premise.

The Reddit post's comment section has already exploded with theories, with fans generally thinking that the player will be called to this town to save whatever may be left, or at least figure out what went wrong.

The tone of the secret message matches the creepy trailer that Konami released during its Silent Hill Transmission showcase. In it, unsettling scenes of black and white (and bright red at the end) ocean waves flick back and forward with a slowly zooming shot of a pocket CRTV that emits a voice asking why the listener is there.

Fans will likely continue digging into the trailer for more secrets, so we'll just have to wait and see what else comes from it as await more official updates from co-producers Annapurna Interactive and NoCode Studios.

Silent Hill 2 Remake was also announced at Konami's showcase alongside two further spin-offs (Silent Hill: Ascension and Silent Hill f), and a new movie.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

There's more than meets the eye (and ear) to the already ominous Silent Hill: Townfall trailer, as NoCode and Annapurna have hidden a secret message within its audio.

Following a tease from co-producer NoCode's creative director Jon McKellan that the trailer includes some secrets, Reddit user MilkmanEX extracted its audio and converted it to an MP3. When viewing the audio's spectrogram, at around 52 seconds in, the secret message appears.

IGN has verified its existence ourselves, and the message reads: "Whatever heart this town had has now stopped". While we still know practically nothing about Townfall, and aren't expecting any new information until 2023, the message likely alludes to the game's premise.

The Reddit post's comment section has already exploded with theories, with fans generally thinking that the player will be called to this town to save whatever may be left, or at least figure out what went wrong.

The tone of the secret message matches the creepy trailer that Konami released during its Silent Hill Transmission showcase. In it, unsettling scenes of black and white (and bright red at the end) ocean waves flick back and forward with a slowly zooming shot of a pocket CRTV that emits a voice asking why the listener is there.

Fans will likely continue digging into the trailer for more secrets, so we'll just have to wait and see what else comes from it as await more official updates from co-producers Annapurna Interactive and NoCode Studios.

Silent Hill 2 Remake was also announced at Konami's showcase alongside two further spin-offs (Silent Hill: Ascension and Silent Hill f), and a new movie.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Valve has released a new Steam Deck Beta update that allows users to skip the device's opening movie and get straight to playing games.

Detailed in a blog post on Steam, the update is only available if Steam Deck users have opted into its Beta and Preview channels, meaning the features are still being tested but will likely be made widely available soon.

For those taking part, however, pressing the B button during the opening movie will now skip straight to the Steam Deck's main menu, shaving vital seconds from the boot time (or 90 minutes for the user who set Shrek to play as their opening movie, below).

The update also added auto-correct for Store and Library search results, support for the Games to Play Together feature, the option to add custom menu icons, and a menu option to view the components in the Steam Deck.

Various quality of life changes were also made, as Valve improved responsiveness to changes in the local network connection, removed the "Connecting to Steam..." delay when loading an offline game, and improved support for third-party PlayStation controllers.

A handful of bug fixes were made too, including an issue where audio would play quietly even when the volume was set to high and a crash caused by the performance graph being enabled with some languages.

The Steam Deck got off to a slow but steady start when it launched in February but has since picked up the pace after Valve committed to improving its production of the device, and customers can now simply buy a Steam Deck without having to join a waiting list.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Valve has released a new Steam Deck Beta update that allows users to skip the device's opening movie and get straight to playing games.

Detailed in a blog post on Steam, the update is only available if Steam Deck users have opted into its Beta and Preview channels, meaning the features are still being tested but will likely be made widely available soon.

For those taking part, however, pressing the B button during the opening movie will now skip straight to the Steam Deck's main menu, shaving vital seconds from the boot time (or 90 minutes for the user who set Shrek to play as their opening movie, below).

The update also added auto-correct for Store and Library search results, support for the Games to Play Together feature, the option to add custom menu icons, and a menu option to view the components in the Steam Deck.

Various quality of life changes were also made, as Valve improved responsiveness to changes in the local network connection, removed the "Connecting to Steam..." delay when loading an offline game, and improved support for third-party PlayStation controllers.

A handful of bug fixes were made too, including an issue where audio would play quietly even when the volume was set to high and a crash caused by the performance graph being enabled with some languages.

The Steam Deck got off to a slow but steady start when it launched in February but has since picked up the pace after Valve committed to improving its production of the device, and customers can now simply buy a Steam Deck without having to join a waiting list.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Digimon is coming back in a big way, with multiple new games.

A new announcement via Twitter from Digimon producers Kazumasa Habu and Takahiro Yokota confirms that there are “multiple” Digimon games in the works.

“Today, I would like to announce that we have decided to release Digimon World: Next Order on Nintendo Switch and steam,” said Habu. “Currently we have multiple Digimon game products in the pipeline.”

Digimon games producers Kazumasa Habu and Takahiro Yokota have a message to all Digimon fans excited for Digimon World: Next Order! pic.twitter.com/7opImklFgG

— Digimon Games (@digimon_games) October 20, 2022

Digimon World: Next Order tasks the player with saving the Digital World from utter chaos after the Machinedramon has taken over. Digimon World: Next Order will launch on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam on February 22, 2023.

“[Digimon World: Next Order] is a Monster raising/training JRPG,” said Yokota. “You can raise and train two partner Digimon at the same time, explore the Digital World with them, and battle with wild Digimon.”

Digimon World: Next Order is actually a re-release, having first appeared on PlayStation Vita in 2016. Now, it’s making its way to Nintendo Switch and Steam, with a few improvements.

“We are adding two new convenient features to the Nintendo Switch and Steam versions,” said Yokota. “One is a lower game difficulty “Beginner Mode,” and the other one is 'running' to help you move faster in the Digital World.”

“Please look forward to Digimon World: Next Order and other upcoming Digimon games,” said Yokota. What these new Digimon titles will be, remains to be seen, but it’s a good day for Digimon fans.

Want to read more about Digimon? Check out the Digimon World: Next Order trailer as well as our review of Digimon Survive.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Digimon is coming back in a big way, with multiple new games.

A new announcement via Twitter from Digimon producers Kazumasa Habu and Takahiro Yokota confirms that there are “multiple” Digimon games in the works.

“Today, I would like to announce that we have decided to release Digimon World: Next Order on Nintendo Switch and steam,” said Habu. “Currently we have multiple Digimon game products in the pipeline.”

Digimon games producers Kazumasa Habu and Takahiro Yokota have a message to all Digimon fans excited for Digimon World: Next Order! pic.twitter.com/7opImklFgG

— Digimon Games (@digimon_games) October 20, 2022

Digimon World: Next Order tasks the player with saving the Digital World from utter chaos after the Machinedramon has taken over. Digimon World: Next Order will launch on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam on February 22, 2023.

“[Digimon World: Next Order] is a Monster raising/training JRPG,” said Yokota. “You can raise and train two partner Digimon at the same time, explore the Digital World with them, and battle with wild Digimon.”

Digimon World: Next Order is actually a re-release, having first appeared on PlayStation Vita in 2016. Now, it’s making its way to Nintendo Switch and Steam, with a few improvements.

“We are adding two new convenient features to the Nintendo Switch and Steam versions,” said Yokota. “One is a lower game difficulty “Beginner Mode,” and the other one is 'running' to help you move faster in the Digital World.”

“Please look forward to Digimon World: Next Order and other upcoming Digimon games,” said Yokota. What these new Digimon titles will be, remains to be seen, but it’s a good day for Digimon fans.

Want to read more about Digimon? Check out the Digimon World: Next Order trailer as well as our review of Digimon Survive.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

HoYoverse, the company behind Genshin Impact, Tears of Themis, and others, has released a new animated Genshin Impact trailer called "Scenery and Sentiment: Mondstadt Edition" that showcases Genshin Impact's first region.

In it, notable NPCs from Mondstadt are shown briefly throughout, living their lives in and around the windswept town. HoYoverse shared that this trailer was produced by Danish animation studio, Sun Creature Studio, clearly noting it's different from their animated series project with Ufotable.

It's unclear whether this trailer is meant to be a scenic advertisement for Genshin Impact, a continued piece to celebrate the game's second anniversary, or something more. At the very least, it's possible to imagine HoYoverse will release more of these to feature the other three major regions in Genshin Impact based on the trailer's name.

Sun Creature Studio has experience with short licensed projects. It's done several animation projects for Riot Games ranging from League of Legends Skins teasers to Legends of Runeterra expansion trailers.

If you haven't seen the Scenery and Sentiment: Mondstadt Edition trailer yet, you can view it below.

HoYoverse recently announced the aforementioned long-term anime project with the popular Japanese animation studio Ufotable (Demon Slayer, Fate/Zero). HoYoverse also revealed to IGN how it's considering making limited-time events replayable for players who missed them and walked us through some behind-the-scenes of the Dendro element's development.

For more on Genshin Impact, be sure to check out IGN's Genshin Impact guide for the 3.1 version update, and a walkthrough of the latest Archon quests.

Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Podcast Unlocked. She's a big fan of stationery and fountain pens. You can find her on Twitter and Twitch.

HoYoverse, the company behind Genshin Impact, Tears of Themis, and others, has released a new animated Genshin Impact trailer called "Scenery and Sentiment: Mondstadt Edition" that showcases Genshin Impact's first region.

In it, notable NPCs from Mondstadt are shown briefly throughout, living their lives in and around the windswept town. HoYoverse shared that this trailer was produced by Danish animation studio, Sun Creature Studio, clearly noting it's different from their animated series project with Ufotable.

It's unclear whether this trailer is meant to be a scenic advertisement for Genshin Impact, a continued piece to celebrate the game's second anniversary, or something more. At the very least, it's possible to imagine HoYoverse will release more of these to feature the other three major regions in Genshin Impact based on the trailer's name.

Sun Creature Studio has experience with short licensed projects. It's done several animation projects for Riot Games ranging from League of Legends Skins teasers to Legends of Runeterra expansion trailers.

If you haven't seen the Scenery and Sentiment: Mondstadt Edition trailer yet, you can view it below.

HoYoverse recently announced the aforementioned long-term anime project with the popular Japanese animation studio Ufotable (Demon Slayer, Fate/Zero). HoYoverse also revealed to IGN how it's considering making limited-time events replayable for players who missed them and walked us through some behind-the-scenes of the Dendro element's development.

For more on Genshin Impact, be sure to check out IGN's Genshin Impact guide for the 3.1 version update, and a walkthrough of the latest Archon quests.

Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Podcast Unlocked. She's a big fan of stationery and fountain pens. You can find her on Twitter and Twitch.