Monthly Archives: September 2020

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Is a Real-Life Mario Kart Toy Set

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a new toy set that combines real-life Mario Kart models and Nintendo Switch, and will be released on October 16. The game involves using a physical Mario Kart toy - equipped with a motor and camera - that connects to your Nintendo Switch, which is used as a controller. On the Switch screen, the real world around your kart is turned into an AR Mario Kart course. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/mario-kart-live-home-circuit-official-trailer"] Physical gates can be placed around a room to act as a course, and players can race each other's karts, and against digital Koopalings, which are shown on the Switch as AR models against the real-world backdrop from the kart's camera feed. Racing against the Koopalings will unlock in-game skins and course designs. So far, Mario and Luigi karts have been revealed, both of which respond to boosts, being hit with items, and other in-game effects. Up to four karts can race together at one time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/super-mario-bros-35th-anniversary-nintendo-direct"] The game has been co-created with debut developer Velan Studios, which comes with some pedigree in this area - the company was created by Vicarious Visions co-founders Guha and Karthik Bala, who previously worked on the likes of Skylanders and Guitar Hero. This was far from the only new Mario game announced today - check out everything announced in the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Nintendo Direct. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Nintendo Announces Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch

Nintendo has announced a brand new version of its original handheld console, the Game & Watch, featuring a full-colour version of Super Mario Bros. It will be released as a limited edition on November 13. Aside from the original Super Mario Bros., the new Game & Watch will also include Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost Levels, and a new version of Game & Watch: Ball featuring Mario. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/super-mario-bros-game-watch-official-trailer"] It will also function as a clock, with Mario and various Yoshis appearing to smash sets of blocks into the shape of the current time. There are also apparently "35 little touches to discover", although it's not clear what they'll be. This was far from the only new Mario game announced today - check out everything announced in the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Nintendo Direct. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/super-mario-bros-35th-anniversary-nintendo-direct"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Everything Announced in the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct

Nintendo released a Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct, and it announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which includes optimized versions of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury for Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit for Switch, a Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. device, and more. There was a ton of incredible news for Mario fans, and we've gathered all of them below, including the full Direct you can watch for yourself! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/super-mario-bros-35th-anniversary-nintendo-direct"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Super Mario 3D All-Stars to Be Released on Switch on September 18, Includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/super-mario-3d-all-stars-official-trailer"] Super Mario 3D All-Stars will gather together optimized versions of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy in one collection for the Nintendo Switch on September 18, 2020.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Arriving on Nintendo Switch on February 21, 2021

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/super-mario-3d-world-bowsers-fury-official-trailer"] Super Mario 3D World, which was released on the Wii U in 2013, will be released on Nintendo Switch on February 12, 2021. It also includes something called Bowser's Fury, but Nintendo hasn't quite revealed what that will end up being. Cat Mario and Cat Peach amiibo will also be released alongside Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Lets You Race Through Your Home

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/mario-kart-live-home-circuit-official-trailer"] Created in partnership by Nintendo and Velan Studios, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit bring Mario Kart to the real world by letting players race through their own home in this AR experience. The physical kart responds to boosts in-game and stops when hit with an item. Players can create a custom course in their home and so much more.

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. Brings Classic Games to a Modern Take on a Classic Device

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/super-mario-bros-game-watch-official-trailer"] Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is a new collectable device is inspired by the original Game & Watch systems that were first released in the 1980s. This device will be able to play Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and a special version of Ball with a Mario makeover. Additionally, the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. will also function as a clock, with "35 little touches to discover. It will be released on November 13, 2020.

Super Mario Bros. 35 - A Mario Battle-Royale

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/super-mario-bros-35-official-trailer"] Super Mario Bros. 35 features... well, 35 players and is a competitive online battle game that will challenge players with being the last Mario standing. Enemies that are defeated will be sent to other player's courses, and vice-a-versa, and there will be special items around the maps that will hinder your opponents. Super Mario Bros. 35 will be released as a digital-only game exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online members on October 1, 2020. Nintendo has also stated it will only be playable until March 31, 2021.

Super Mario All-Stars to Be Released Today on Nintendo Switch

Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct 8-21 screenshot Super Mario All-Stars, which was originally released on the SNES in 1993, includes upgraded versions of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3 with enhanced 16-bit graphics. It will now be made available on the Nintendo Switch... later today!!

Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary In-Game Celebrations

  • From September 9-23, Mario Kart Tour will have a special Super Mario Kart Tour event, and it will feature special appearances by Mario (SNES) and Donkey Kong Jr. (SNES) from the original Super Mario Kart.
  • A 35th anniversary-themed Ninji Speedrun course will arrive in Super Mario Maker 2 in November
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will have an in-game online tournament using Super Mario series fighters, stages, and items in November and December.
  • A Super Mario-themed Splatfest is coming to Splatoon 2 in January 2021 that asks the question, "Which Super Mario power-up do you prefer: supersize with a Super Mushroom or become invincible with a Super Star?" There will also be special keychains and t-shirts available as a My Nintendo reward closer to the Splatfest.
  • In March 2021, Super Mario-themed furniture will be available in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
[poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

35-Player Version of Original Super Mario Bros. Revealed

Super Mario Bros. 35 has been announced for Nintendo Switch, which takes the form of a battle royale-like competitive version of the original Super Mario Bros., featuring 35 players. It's out on October 1. Announced in today's Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct, this "online battle game" has you playing simultaneously with 34 other players, with enemies defeated in your course being sent to other players' games. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/03/super-mario-bros-35-official-trailer"] The game will also add an item roulette function and a set of pickable strategies to prioritise who becomes your enemy-sent victim. It's reminiscent of Switch's Tetris 99, and will come exclusively to subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service. It will only be available to download until March 31, 2021. This was far from the only new Mario game announced today - check out everything announced in the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Nintendo Direct. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/super-mario-bros-35th-anniversary-nintendo-direct"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Super Mario 3D World Coming to Switch With New Bowser’s Fury Expansion

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". [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/super-mario-3d-world-bowsers-fury-official-trailer"] 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." This was far from the only new Mario game announced today - check out everything announced in the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Nintendo Direct. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/super-mario-bros-35th-anniversary-nintendo-direct"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars Announced with Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy

Nintendo has announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Switch, a collection that 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, all 175 tracks can be played with the screen turned off. All three games have updated Joy-Con controls with rumble, and players will still be able to use motion controls in Super Mario Galaxy if they wish. Furthermore, while each game will have a higher resolution, Super Mario Sunshine will also be presented with an updated 16:9 aspect ratio. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/super-mario-3d-all-stars-official-trailer"] 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 64 was a launch title for the Nintendo 64, and we've ranked it as our 10th best game of all time in our list of Top 100 Video Games of All Time. We said "Mario games are synonymous with fun and innovation, and perhaps Mario 64 is the best example of the latter. It gathered the core elements of Mario’s best 2D, side-scrolling adventures and worked out how to translate them into a groundbreaking 3D world. It was still recognisably Mario – he collected mushrooms and ran and jumped his way to success, but he was forever changed." 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." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=super-mario-3d-all-stars-for-nintendo-switch-screenshots&captions=true"] 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." This was far from the only new Mario game announced today - check out everything announced in the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Nintendo Direct. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/super-mario-bros-35th-anniversary-nintendo-direct"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

Paradise Killer Review

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Lady Love Dies, the "investigation freak" of Paradise, has been brought out of her 3-million-day exile for the end of the island's 24th cycle, her tryst with a demon forgiven in exchange for her solving the murder of the Council that, until last night, oversaw everything. Their eternal quest to summon the gods has been undone by what might or might not be a vast conspiracy, and a clear suspect has emerged: a demon-possessed slave citizen with a history of crime and a stomach full of Council blood. It's up to you to uncover the truth of what happened--or, at least, a version of events that you're satisfied with, one that's close enough to the truth--and pass judgment at trial, so that Paradise can end and the next cycle can begin.

Paradise Killer is a detective game like no other, an excellent, bizarre, and utterly singular take on the adventure game. It lets you loose on its island setting, leaving it up to you the order in which you question potential witnesses, where you'll explore, and just how much you'll uncover. Structurally, it's reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild--it's got that same freewheeling sense of adventure, where every mountain peak has allure, and every fresh new discovery feels earned. You can start the final trial at any time and lay out your evidence, solving the island's numerous mysteries and sentencing the accused to death. It's possible to return to the judge with very little evidence and only a thin understanding of what happened, or you can really do a thorough examination of the island and its remaining inhabitants.

No Caption Provided

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Review – I’m A Superman

It's wild to think that long before there was a new Call of Duty game every year, Activision's big annual franchise was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. It's a series in which you only have to worry about tying off each ludicrously long combo before you bail and lose hundreds of thousands of points. With the sounds of bands like Goldfinger and Rage Against the Machine burned into your head, you scour each dense park in search of S-K-A-T-E and that elusive secret tape. And as soon as you finally find them, it's time to restart the two-minute timer and jump back in for one last go--which you already told yourself was three sessions prior. The stimulating trick system keeps you clawing for larger numbers, while the cleverly crafted levels lead you to new gaps, lines, and secrets to add to your combo's path. It's a special series that is infinitely playable, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 captures that nearly perfectly.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 revamps the levels and skaters of the first two games, though it borrows many aspects from later titles as well. While the trick system's foundation stuck through the entire series' history, various trick types were added with each new release. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 features many of the best ones, including reverts and spine transfers, and thankfully, it doesn't stray further than Underground's wallplants and grind/manual transitions. This makes 1 + 2's trick system feel complete, neglecting the less crucial mechanics--like Freak Out from Underground 2--and focusing on the best aspects of the series' tricks. One very nice touch, however, lets you switch between the revamped trick system and the first and second game's trick systems, offering a more authentic experience akin to the originals.

No matter which trick system you go with, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 plays fantastically. While you still control it the exact same way you would the originals, it feels a lot less stiff. Tricks are as exciting to pull off as they've ever been, but the speed of the game moves faster and the skaters' animations are a lot more fluid. Transitioning from grab tricks and spins into a string of manuals and then finishing with a set of grind transitions feels incredible--it evokes the series' early days of nailing unrealistic and goofy combos, while also remaining engaging and exciting when you're checking off goals in 2020.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Paradise Killer Review

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Lady Love Dies, the "investigation freak" of Paradise, has been brought out of her 3-million-day exile for the end of the island's 24th cycle, her tryst with a demon forgiven in exchange for her solving the murder of the Council that, until last night, oversaw everything. Their eternal quest to summon the gods has been undone by what might or might not be a vast conspiracy, and a clear suspect has emerged: a demon-possessed slave citizen with a history of crime and a stomach full of Council blood. It's up to you to uncover the truth of what happened--or, at least, a version of events that you're satisfied with, one that's close enough to the truth--and pass judgment at trial, so that Paradise can end and the next cycle can begin.

Paradise Killer is a detective game like no other, an excellent, bizarre, and utterly singular take on the adventure game. It lets you loose on its island setting, leaving it up to you the order in which you question potential witnesses, where you'll explore, and just how much you'll uncover. Structurally, it's reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild--it's got that same freewheeling sense of adventure, where every mountain peak has allure, and every fresh new discovery feels earned. You can start the final trial at any time and lay out your evidence, solving the island's numerous mysteries and sentencing the accused to death. It's possible to return to the judge with very little evidence and only a thin understanding of what happened, or you can really do a thorough examination of the island and its remaining inhabitants.

No Caption Provided

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Review – Lights Out!

It's wild to think that long before there was a new Call of Duty game every year, Activision's big annual franchise was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. It's a series in which you only have to worry about tying off each ludicrously long combo before you bail and lose hundreds of thousands of points. With the sounds of bands like Goldfinger and Rage Against the Machine burned into your head, you scour each dense park in search of S-K-A-T-E and that elusive secret tape. And as soon as you finally find them, it's time to restart the two-minute timer and jump back in for one last go--which you already told yourself was three sessions prior. The stimulating trick system keeps you clawing for larger numbers, while the cleverly crafted levels lead you to new gaps, lines, and secrets to add to your combo's path. It's a special series that is infinitely playable, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 captures that nearly perfectly.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 revamps the levels and skaters of the first two games, though it borrows many aspects from later titles as well. While the trick system's foundation stuck through the entire series' history, various trick types were added with each new release. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 features many of the best ones, including reverts and spine transfers, and thankfully, it doesn't stray further than Underground's wallplants and grind/manual transitions. This makes 1 + 2's trick system feel complete, neglecting the less crucial mechanics--like Freak Out from Underground 2--and focusing on the best aspects of the series' tricks. One very nice touch, however, lets you switch between the revamped trick system and the first and second game's trick systems, offering a more authentic experience akin to the originals.

No matter which trick system you go with, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 plays fantastically. While you still control it the exact same way you would the originals, it feels a lot less stiff. Tricks are as exciting to pull off as they've ever been, but the speed of the game moves faster and the skaters' animations are a lot more fluid. Transitioning from grab tricks and spins into a string of manuals and then finishing with a set of grind transitions feels incredible--it evokes the series' early days of nailing unrealistic and goofy combos, while also remaining engaging and exciting when you're checking off goals in 2020.

Continue Reading at GameSpot