Before we prepare for the new exotic quest in Penumbra, the latest addition to Destiny 2’s annual pass, we have another visit from our favorite enigmatic vendor of The Nine. Check out this guide to see what Xur has in stock, and the new random rolls on old exotic favorites. Captured on PC.
EU and Mercosur agree huge trade deal after 20-year talks
EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker says it is the biggest deal the EU has ever concluded.
Tetris 99-Like Battle Royale Game Announced For Mobile
The Nintendo Switch’s surprising battle royale-like Tetris 99 is getting some competition. A new Tetris battle royale game, Tetris Royale, is now in development for iOS and Android.
The Verge reports that the game is a mobile version of Tetris 99. It will feature a Solo Marathon mode and daily reward challenges, alongside its 100-player competitive mode. Though no release date has been announced, beta testing for the game will start sometime later this year.
Tetris 99 was announced during and released after a February 2019 Nintendo Direct. It’s free to download and play for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers and pits you against 98 other Tetris players around the world. Tetris 99 also recently added paid DLC that includes offline modes (CPU Battle and Marathon) for $10 USD / $14 AUD / £8 GBP.
In our Tetris 99 review, we said, “Tetris 99 may not be a proper battle royale game, but it taps into the same emotional well, where a large number of players vying for supremacy creates an ever-present intensity that’s difficult to shake. Add that layer to a game that’s plenty capable of instilling tension on its own, and you’ve got a riveting experience that even at its worst is still a game very much worth playing.”
Super Mario Maker 2 Brings Back An Obscure Power-Up
Super Mario Maker 2 is now available on Nintendo Switch. Not only does the game feature nearly all of the tools available in its Wii U predecessor, it adds a ton of new features and items to tinker around with as well, such as some classic Mario enemies like the Angry Sun. But while the game makes most of its tools available from the outset this time around, there are still a couple of things to unlock, including an obscure power-up from the series’ past.
Spoilers follow for Super Mario Maker 2’s story mode.
Clearing Super Mario Maker 2’s new story mode will unlock a handful of goodies, including Game Boy graphic items for your Mii. The best rewards, however, are two new power-ups, one of which is the Superball Flower from the original Super Mario Land. This item can only be used in the Super Mario Bros. style and looks and functions similarly to the standard Fire Flower, except it allows you to lob “Superballs,” which will bounce around the level and ricochet off walls.
The other new power-up you receive for clearing story mode is the Super Hammer. This one can only be placed in the Super Mario 3D World game style, and it’ll transform Mario into his Builder form. It works somewhat like the hammer from the original Donkey Kong arcade game, allowing you to smash enemies and even break through hard blocks. Builder Mario is also able to conjure up boxes that you can then stand on.
Story mode is one of the many new features in Super Mario Maker 2. In this mode, Mario is tasked with helping rebuild Princess Peach’s castle. To do so, he’ll need to earn coins by taking on jobs, which come in the form of 100 Nintendo-made levels to complete. Mario Maker 2 also introduces local and online multiplayer. At launch, you’ll only be able to play online with strangers, but Nintendo will release an update that adds the option to play online with friends as well.
Super Mario Maker 2 has been received very positively by critics. GameSpot awarded it an 8/10 in our Super Mario Maker 2 review-in-progress. Critic Peter Brown wrote, “With the story mode and dozens of custom-built stages under my belt, I’m anxiously waiting for the floodgates to open upon Mario Maker’s 2 release. What I’ve played so far has proven, once again, that the Mario series is worth all the admiration it gets, and Mario Maker 2 is an excellent tool for picking it apart by pushing its enemies, mechanisms, and Mario, to their limit.”
Best Steam Summer Sale 2019 PC Game Deals: Editors’ Picks
Trump Throws Twitter Tantrum Over 2020 Debate Consensus On Immigrant Healthcare
“That’s the end of that race!” the president raged on his favorite social media platform.
Sony Makes PS4 Exclusive Free, This Weekend Only
Sony has announced it’s setting a big PSVR exclusive free this weekend. Firewall Zero Hour will be free for PS Plus members from June 28 through July 1. In addition, all players will receive double XP for the duration of the free-play weekend.
The PS4 game launched in August 2018 to a positive reception. The tactical shooter is multiplayer-based, pitting squads of four against each other. It ordinarily costs US $40 / £25 / AU $40–though it is currently discounted to £16 / AU $25 if you want to own it permanently.
Firewall has also received a number of updates in the past few months, from new missions and rewards to a completely revamped user interface. Two new maps have also been released for free just recently. We said the game “showed that tactical multiplayer FPS games can work on PSVR” in our 2018 VR gaming review.
The free PS Plus games for July 2019 have also been announced. The PS4 games available at no extra cost for PlayStation Plus members next month will be PES 2019 and Horizon Chase Turbo.
EA Access PS4 Release Date Confirmed
EA Access was recently announced for PS4, ending its Xbox One exclusivity. Now, EA has finally confirmed the date its subscription service will come to Sony’s flagship console: July 24.
EA Access costs $30 / £20 / AU $40 for a year or $5 / £4 / AU $40 per month. A subscription grants you access to a vault of free EA titles, such as Titanfall 2, Star Wars: Battlefront II, and FIFA 18. Subscribers also get a 10% discount on all digital EA games, as well as their respective expansions and in-game purchases. Members can also take advantage of EA Access’ Play First Trials, which typically give you 10 hours of early access to new EA titles prior to their official release. Battlefield V also made its way to the EA Access Vault recently.
Sony allowing EA Access on to PS4 represents quite a change in stance. The company blocked EA from launching the service on PlayStation in 2014, saying it had “evaluated the EA Access subscription offering and decided that it does not bring the kind of value PlayStation customers have come to expect.” The company has not explained its recent change of heart.
Elsewhere, the free PS Plus games for July 2019 were announced just recently. The PS4 games available at no extra cost for PlayStation Plus members next month will be PES 2019 and Horizon Chase Turbo.
What 5 Games Are Required Gaming?
Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN’s weekly video game podcast. This week we’re discussing Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. We’ll also try to pick the five games everyone should be required to play and pick the best 2DS games for a casual gamer. Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service.
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