Super Mario 3D World is, finally, coming to Switch in the form of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, arriving on February 12, 2021.
The game will include the full original Wii U game, as well as what seems to be an expansion, Bowser’s Fury. Besides an ominous tease in the trailer, it’s not clear what Bowser’s Fury will be, but a press release promises we’ll learn more details “later”.
The previously Wii U-exclusive game will launch with 4-player online and local multiplayer, and new Cat Mario and Cat Peach amiibo will be released as a double pack on launch day.
It’s yet another welcome addition from the Wii U library to Switch. We awarded the original 3D World a 9.6/10 review, saying “it fulfills the promise of a multiplayer Mario much better than anything that the Japanese game maker has done before.”
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Nintendo has announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Sunshine, and it will be released on September 18, 2020.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars features optimized versions of 3D Super Mario games Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Additionally, this collection includes an in-game music-player mode to play the music and songs from all three games. Like the version in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this can also be played with the screen turned off.
All three games include updated Joy-Con controls with rumble, and players will still be able to use motion controls in Super Mario Galaxy is they wish, as they Joy-Con controllers will mimic the original Wii remote’s function.
A press release explains that the game will receive a limited physical release, and will seemingly only be on sale digitally until March 31, 2021. We’ve contacted Nintendo for clarification on whether the game will be available again in any form after that time.
Super Mario Galaxy was released on the Nintendo Wii in 2007 and, in our 9.7/10 review, we said, “Super Mario Galaxy is one of the greatest platformers I have ever played, Wii’s best game, and an absolute must-own experience. And to me, this odd trek through space really does feel like the true sequel to Mario 64. It harkens back to the N64 classic with nostalgic faces and places from the Mushroom Kingdom, but it also re-invents the franchise with new space-themed mechanics and fresh Wii-enhanced controls.”
Super Mario Sunshine was originally released on the GameCube in 2002 and, in our review, we said “It’s completely captivating from the start, and I can’t rave enough about the tight controls. It just feels right. However, I am quite disappointed by the vacation theme and Nintendo’s stubbornness to pay attention to presentation. The story and character design especially is poorly executed. I think Nintendo finds making Peach into a total ditz and Mario into a fat goon amusing, but it feels pretty lame for those of us with some intelligence.”
How do you remake a game that’s spent two decades perched at the pinnacle of what this industry has to offer? I mean, the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 isn’t just considered as one of the greatest sports games ever made; it’s literally wedged amongst the top three highest-rated video games of all time on Metacritic. You’d probably be better off cutting your losses and photocopying the Mona Lisa at this point, right?
Well, no, because despite the high bar set by the originals, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is an absolutely rip-roaring remake. Vicarious Visions has successfully brought Neversoft’s esteemed classics back to life, allowing old and new fans alike to experience these masterpieces through a modern lens while remaining entirely respectful to the moves, the maps, and the music that’s been seared into the brains of millions since the turn of the millennium.
THPS1+2 pushes off on the right foot immediately, with a fantastic intro fusing footage of the iconic stars of the original games with clips of the new skateboarding superstars joining the roster. It shouldn’t be understated how effectively this otherwise fairly simple sizzle reel instantly injects these new skaters into the fabric of Pro Skater, meaning they don’t just feel tacked on.
[poilib element=”quoteBox” parameters=”excerpt=The%20levels%2C%20the%20moves%2C%20the%20pros%2C%20the%20songs%20%E2%80%93%20every%20element%20of%20the%20original%20games%20that%20earnt%20them%20their%20legions%20of%20fans%20is%20back%20with%20a%202020%20makeover”]Things just get better from there. The levels, the moves, the pros, the songs – every element of the original games that earnt them their legions of fans is back with a 2020 makeover. Maybe you played Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD back in 2012. Maybe you think you’ve already had this experience.
You have not. Not like this.
Everybody’s Heard About the Bird
It’s actually quite remarkable dropping into each of the nearly 20 levels and marvelling at just how authentically they mirror the geometry of the 1999 and 2000 versions of these same maps. They’re obviously infinitely richer with granular detail, filled with impressive lighting, and – unlike the PS1 oldies – feature a draw distance that stretches to the horizon instead of disappearing into fog when it hits double figures, but they’re also wonderfully familiar. The graphics don’t necessarily eclipse those of other triple-A sports sims but they’re quite handsome, and importantly they’re vastly superior to the peculiarly stylised and generally unattractive look of THPS5.
There aren’t really any duds amongst the maps but I was particularly impressed by the Mall’s mild reinvention as an abandoned and decaying ghost town that looks like a flood has swept through it, and Venice’s vibrant colour explosion, with almost every surface sporting generations of layered graffiti. Hangar is also a highlight; it’s never been the most interesting level but here it’s been turned into a virtual shrine to original Tony Hawk developer Neversoft, which is a nice touch.
Both individual games are represented as a separate string of levels in THPS1+2 – and you can progress through them independently – but beyond that everything is unified and accessible from a central hub. Skills points for your skaters that you earn in THPS1 maps, for instance, make your skater perform better for the THPS2 maps – and vice versa. This is a good, elegant solution that beats having each game as an otherwise unrelated mode, like in Vicarious Visions’ last remake effort, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
Those of you with robust memories may remember where a lot of the collectibles and goals on the maps are because, as this is a faithful remake, they obviously haven’t moved. If you recall where Ollie the Magic Bum disappears to each time you jump over him I guess you may find yourself going through the motions a bit, but it’s difficult to fault Vicarious Visions for sticking to the originals.
One place where the remake goes beyond the original road map is that new challenges have been added to the THPS1 levels to make them consistent with the longer lists in the THPS2 ones. This freshens things up a little while they last, but the biggest boost comes from the absolutely exhaustive list of overarching challenges that can be completed across any of the maps at any time, from certain strings of tricks to specific enormous points totals. Completing these ties into a new, overall leveling system that earns you unique decks, plus cash to drop on other gear for your skaters in the store. Many I achieved by accident, though others I completed after spotting them while shuffling through the menus. Especially on the first run through, THPS1+2 feels like one of those games where you’re always achieving something, whether you know it or not. Returning veterans will probably have every map unlocked within a day or so, but with 21 challenges for each of the 21 pros plus several hundred extra challenges on top of those, I can’t really begin to estimate how many hours of play there are here. Chuck in multiplayer and the much-enhanced create-a-park tools and it may be endless, especially as parks can be shared online.
I predict that some players of a certain vintage may end up a bit anesthetized to all the pop-up notifications and flashy bonus-collection-button-mashing – I know I became a bit numb to it – but I wouldn’t say it compromises any of what’s great here. If you just want to hop in and play through some incredible-looking maps from THPS1 and THPS2 – whether you’re looking to chill, chase scores, or chuck a controller around between some friends, THPS1+2 will satisfy. But if you want to devote yourself to chasing over 700 challenges across every skater and earn boards and other booty, THPS1+2 can most certainly supply that. There are no microtransactions and everything in the game can be unlocked via gameplay.
Despite sticking with tradition in terms of the maps, the default controls are actually more akin to those in THPS3 and THPS4 rather than the first two games. But before you freak out, know that the more limited, original movesets are available to toggle on for purists who crave an experience precisely like the original games – removing things like reverts, wallplants, and even manuals if you want – but I’m enjoying the default controls as they are. I have a lot of love for EA’s Skate and I’m fascinated by Skater XL’s technicality, but there’s also a lot to be said for THPS1+2’s big combos and pure arcade thrills and spills.
For the young or inexperienced who may find all of this a bit too frantic and unforgiving there are cheats that can be activated to make things easier, though those scores are tracked separately so your kids or your grandma won’t be able to completely overwrite your greatest no-assist accomplishments. If you’re concerned about the presence of such a crutch, remember: this is a game from the ’90s, and the only thing more ’90s than video game cheats are acid-wash jeans and the soundtrack to Batman Forever.
Speaking of soundtracks, the famous THPS music selection is virtually all present and accounted for, and that’s perfect because it’s such an indisputably integral part of the original games. Vicarious Visions has also augmented it with a well-curated list of old and newer tracks, so it’s now doubly longer than it was originally. You can toggle them off if you want but, while not all the newer songs are to my taste, several are pretty good. For instance, I’d never heard of Rough Francis before THPS1+2, but these guys are awesome. Exposing me to new songs that will go on regular rotation in my car for the next few decades is exactly what Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games did back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and THPS1+2 is doing it all over again. Impressively, THPS1+2 hasn’t just captured the spirit of the originals in terms of the meticulously rebuilt maps and faithful feel – it’s done it in subtler ways like this, too.
Hello Games has been very busy since the release of No Man’s Sky, updating the game so extensively that GameSpot has reviewed it three times, increasing the score from a 7/10 to a 9/10 along the way. The studio has recently released The Last Campfire, a smaller adventure with no planetary exploration. Now the studio is looking to the future, and work on a new, bigger game has begun.
Talking to Polygon, Hello Games studio founder Sean Murray has talked about what the company is doing now, saying that they’re working on “a huge, ambitious game,” similar to No Man’s Sky. Murray, who used to work at EA and developed “lots of sequels,” is keen to make another exciting project, saying that Hello Games formed to make the games they “always wanted to make”.
Murray says that No Man’s Sky came about as the result of “a little bit of a midlife crisis,” and that The Last Campfire was made by just three people (the studio is made up of 26 employees). Half of the remainder of the team has been working on the team’s next project, which is meant to be a big one.
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocture first released for PS2 in 2004, and now a HD remaster is coming to PS4 and Switch. We’ve gotten glimpses of the new version before, and now a new Japanese trailer shows off the game’s updated visuals.
The game is coming to Japan on October 29, and will release in the rest of the world in spring 2021. This is the game’s second trailer, following the game’s reveal during a Nintendo Direct Mini.
The trailer also shows off Dante from Devil May Cry, who returns for this version. He appeared in the original PS2 release, too.
After sharing more details about the Call of Duty: Black Ops character Frank Woods, developers Treyarch and Raven Software have now, as promised, shed some new light on another major character in the game, Jason Hudson.
Hudson plays a major role in Black Ops Cold War. On January 17, 1981, Hudson partners with his old friend Russell Adler to create an “elite team of operatives” who seek out to hunt down a nefarious Soviet enemy, known as Perseus.
Here is the official description for Hudson’s involvement in Black Ops Cold War:
Microsoft has already stated the Xbox Series X will support all third-party Xbox One accessories, but as far as the PS5 goes, it’s been a little unclear which ones will be compatible. Thankfully, one company has cleared up the confusion for its gaming headset line. Astro Gaming announced that all of its headsets will be compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X as well as PS4 and Xbox One, though some may require a firmware update to work with the next-gen consoles.
Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will work with Astro’s A10, A20 Wireless, A40, A40 TR, and A50 Wireless gaming headsets. As for pre-amps, the MixAmp Pro TR will work with both PS5 and Xbox Series X, while the Xbox Series X will also support the MixAmp M60 and MixAmp M80–the latter two MixAmps are designed specifically for the Xbox One controller.
While Astro’s C40 TR is one of the best PS4 controllers you can buy, it won’t be compatible with PS5 games. It will, however, work with any PS4 games on the new console, thanks to backward compatibility. The best Xbox One controllers, on the other hand, will be fully compatible with the Xbox Series X.
Disney’s new Mulan film comes to Disney Plus this Friday, September 4, but it’s not included with the standard subscription price. Instead, it costs $30 USD on its own to stream through a “Premier Access” program.
If you’re willing to wait a few months, you can stream the movie at no extra cost on Disney Plus when it arrives on the platform for everyone in December. This was revealed through an updated page on the Disney Plus website, as first spotted by The Verge.
The “Premier Access” offer for Mulan will be available until November 2. Starting on December 4, Disney will let all subscribers watch the movie for no extra cost.
