In a conversation with IGN during its Nintendo Voice Chat podcast, Fils-Aime recounted a story about an argument he had with Shigeru Miyamoto surrounding whether or not Nintendo should offer Wii Sports as a pack-in title for the console. According to the story, Miyamoto was quite against including the title as a free pack-in with the console.

“It’s an understatement to say that Mr. Miyamoto pushed back,” said Fils-Aime. “During the development of the Wii and the Wii Sports software, you know again the goal was, we wanted the system to be attractive not only to the most active players, but to new players, and to bring them into the video gaming experience. And we saw Wii Sports as the way to be able to do that because each of these sports made great use of the [Wiimote]. Each sport was known by a global population… and my recommendation was that we pack Wii Sports in with the hardware.”

“And literally, when I first made this suggestion, Mr. Miyamoto said ‘Reggie, Nintendo does not give away software for free. You don’t understand how hard our developers work to create compelling content like this,'” continued Fils-Aime. “Now, fortunately, because my SNES came packed in with software, I knew that in fact the company has given away software in the past. But it was against a very strategic objective. And that was my commentary back to Mr. Miyamoto. That, by including Wii Sports, we would immediately have value in the hardware as the consumers opening it up and setting it up. But more importantly, we would have a touchstone piece of software that so many consumers would experience”

“It’s what led to Wii Sports being played in bars, being played on cruise ships, being played in retirement homes. It became this universal experience. But he was not happy when I first made the suggestion, to the point where, on a subsequent visit to Kyoto and the headquarters, the team showed me software that would become Wii Play. Those themselves were fun as well, but they didn’t have the connective tissue that Wii Sports had with all of the experiences. So then I proceeded to piss Mr. Miyamoto off again by suggesting that we bundle Wii Play with the Wii Remote.”

“In the end, in the Americas and in Europe, Wii Sports was packed in with the Wii. It was not in Japan, which created a bit of a test market, and it was obvious that, in the markets where Wii Sports was packed in that the Wii became much more of a phenomenon. Wii Sports itself became much more of a phenomenon. And we did pack the Wiimote with Wii Play, and I think it became the fifth best selling piece of software in the history of Wii.”

Incidentally, Nintendo hadn’t released any pack-in games with the Switch when it launched back in 2017. Rather, the company has been focused on selling even titles like 1-2-Switch separately, sticking to the philosophy that Miyamoto had told Fils-Aime about in the story.

It’s poised to perform even better with its global launch, but what distinguishes it from Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 3? Is it just the same game with a few new bells and whistles? What are some of the most stand-out features and things that Sparking! ZERO does better? Join us as we dive into some of the biggest differences.

Faster Combat

The most obvious change from Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is how much faster Sparking! ZERO is in comparison (and the former felt pretty fluid already). It seems obvious, given how much more processing power the current generation of consoles and PCs have, not to mention how it fits several of the mechanics and quick decisions players must make. However, this is the most authentic representation of Dragon Ball combat yet, capturing the feel of controlling overwhelmingly powerful warriors, and trading punches that the naked eye can barely keep track of. And it’s awesome.

Presentation

Developed on Unreal Engine 5, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO also offers one of the most visually impressive games in the series to date. However, that goes beyond better-looking environments, high-fidelity models, or gorgeous renditions of planet-wiping beam attacks. It’s also down to the animation work and how closely it sticks to the anime, right down to special grabs when Vegeta takes on Goku Black or Toppo rag-dolls Frieza. Of course, that isn’t to discount the incredible music, whether it’s Dragon Ball Super’s second opening theme, Limit Break x Survivor, for the opening movie, or the track from entering Sparking! Mode for the first time.

Environmental Destruction

One of the most praised aspects of Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is the ability to destroy a stage throughout a fight. Any damage caused is permanent, which lends more to the high-stakes battles. Sparking! ZERO retains this but goes even further beyond. A building will suffer different kinds of damage depending on the attack, with Ki Blasts leaving sizable dents while beam attacks cause it to crumble. You can even scorch the ground with the latter. It’s super impressive, even if the gratuity of the destruction led to less stage choice in local split-screen.

Beam Clashes

You can’t have a Dragon Ball game without Beam Clashes – occurrences where two powerful beam attacks collide, one attempting to overpower the other. Budokai Tenkaichi 3’s take on this was pretty straightforward and a little bland, but that’s not the case in Sparking! ZERO. There’s the wind-up and zoom into each character’s facial expressions leading to the clash, while a mini-game triggers. Victory means a stronger attack with more hits and an even better presentation.

More Characters, Deeper Roster

When Tenkaichi 3 launched, it boasted the largest playable roster in Dragon Ball game history with 162 characters. It makes sense that Sparking! ZERO would up the ante, offering 182 characters at launch. Several additions from Dragon Ball Super, aside from new base forms and Transformations for Goku and Vegeta, made it in, like Jiren, Cabba, Dyspo, Beerus, Hit, Kale, Caulifla, Kakunsa, and Toppo. Even Broly from the Super film is here in all his angry glory. The result is more variety and way more choice when team-building.

Strategies

One-upping your opponent, especially given their destructive nature, can be challenging in either game. However, Sparking! ZERO adds a new layer of strategy with Skill Count. Regenerating over time, it effectively gate-keeps access to techniques like Sparking! Mode (though there are other requirements), Transformations, Fusions, and much more. It plays further into the Destruction Points balancing since you can opt for lower-cost characters and transform or fuse mid-battle, but only if you survive long enough to accumulate enough Skill Count. Choosing between transformations is another balancing act, but Skill Count also influences whether you utilize certain moves, such as…

Introducing Super Perception and Revenge Counter

Both are new to Sparking! ZERO, Super Perception allows for deflecting Beam Attacks away. It can provide a massive opening against a Ki-deprived opponent, even if it costs two Skill Count points and could affect your overall Transformation economy. Revenge Counter also consumes the Skill Count and while it’s easy for countering melee attacks, you might fall into a trap and abuse it on every occasion, thus hampering your Skill Count. This further adds to the strategy and makes matches that much more intense.

Increased Skill Ceiling With Super Counters

But that’s not all. Sparking! ZERO also increases the skill ceiling to cater to those seeking mastery via the Super Counter. Like the Revenge Counter, it allows for breaking out of melee attacks and mounting a comeback. The twist is that it doesn’t consume any Skill Count, so you can break it out whenever you want and save those points for Transformations, Super Perception, Sparking! Mode and whatnot. The downside is that it requires strict timing, so it can either be a risk vs. reward mechanic for those who haven’t fully mastered it, or a means to distinguish high-level players from the rest.

More In-Depth Tutorial and Training Options

Whether you’re playing Budokai Tenkaichi 3 or Sparking! ZERO, both games can be complex for newcomers to pick up and play. So it’s a good thing that the latter offers an in-depth Battle Training mode that details all the essentials while presenting challenges to test your skills. Straightforward training options are also available, allowing you to learn characters at your own pace and under various conditions.

What if Saga vs. Episode Battle Branching

Episode Battle is a new mode in Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, running through most of the well-known battles for each of its characters. However, it also features branching storylines based on your decisions, which can result in classic timeworn scenarios playing out differently (like Goku surviving the battle against Raditz and training Gohan before Vegeta and Nappa arrive on Earth).

While some outcomes return to the original canon, it’s still exciting to explore new branches. By comparison, Budokai Tenkaichi 3 had the What-if Saga, which functioned as standalone stories deviating from the canon. These were also interesting in their own right, though more limited in scope and scale while not intersecting with the established canon in any way.

Standard and Classic Control Options

Sparking! ZERO sports two control schemes – the first, Standard, offers more contemporary ways to execute moves, from a dedicated Perception button and easy Revenge Counters (press the Right Stick on a controller) to the lack of stick spinning. However, dedicated fans shouldn’t worry since the second control scheme, Classic, retains everything about Budokai Tenkaichi 3 if you want that authentic feel.

Edit Mode

As good as Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is, it never offered a way to create custom battles with the level of Sparking! ZERO’s customization, whether it’s scripting, camera angles, different endings, special conditions, and so on. Furthermore, you can share those with other players and test out their creations, witnessing the fury of base Cabba destroying some of the strongest warriors first-hand. The only downside is limited slots for creation, which will hopefully be addressed soon.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Killzone 2

You have to feel bad for Guerrilla Games. Its first game, Killzone, was touted as a “Halo killer” in 2004 and barely passed muster. While work was going on with Killzone 2, Sony debuted a trailer at E3 2005 that was claimed to be “real gameplay.” It wasn’t, of course, and caused a fair amount of controversy (with Guerrilla mortified that it was claimed to be real). As such, when Killzone 2 was re-revealed in 2007, there was even more pressure on whether the visuals were the real deal or not.

The initial $20 million budget shot up to $40 to 45 million and by February 2009, the sequel was released. Fortunately, its visuals were not only from the actual game but actually superior to the E3 2005 target render demo. Critics praised it as well and by April 2009, it sold one million copies. While not quite recouping its initial budget immediately, it established Guerrilla as a force to reckon with and one that could surpass excessive hype.

Resident Evil 4 is back but not quite in the way you’d imagine. During its second Resident Evil Showcase, Capcom was announced to be working with Oculus Studios and Armature to bring Resident Evil 4 to VR. The title will be playable on Oculus Quest 2, taking place from the first person perspective. Check out the trailer below courtesy of GameSpot.

More details and gameplay footage will be provided on April 21st at the Oculus Gaming Showcase. Resident Evil 4 originally launched for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005 before heading to PS2 in the same year. It would subsequently arrive on nearly every major platform throughout the years with the Nintendo Switch version being the latest.

Rumors have stated that a remake for Resident Evil 4 is currently in the works but it may be a while before it launches. It’s reportedly been overhauled and is now expected to release in 2023 with Capcom’s Division 1 spear-heading development. In the meantime, Resident Evil Village is out on May 7th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Stadia with a new demo coming May 1st. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Even if you’re only interested in one of the three included games, I’d argue it’s worth it to have a version of said game on a modern console; however, things get a bit tricky once you stop taking this package as a whole, and start to break it down into its individual constituents.

First off, let’s talk about the quality of the games themselves, before anything else. It’s astonishing how well they hold up. Super Mario 64 is obviously the most aged here, and has a lot of jank you will need to come to terms with at first. However, once you’re past the initial hump, it’s honestly astonishing how incredibly well it holds up today. Super Mario 64 is the direct forebear of just about every single 3D game on the market today – so the jank and roughness was expected, given that literally every game since has had a chance to build on it. What wasn’t expected was just how delightfully well the core design of the game holds up. Nintendo has arguably the best game designers on the planet – and it should come as no surprise that they were as inventive or creative while literally pioneering an entire dimension as they were in Super Mario 64.

"Even if you’re only interested in one of the three included games, I’d argue it’s worth it to have a version of said game on a modern console; however, things get a bit tricky once you stop taking this package as a whole, and start to break it down into its individual constituents."

That roughness can make it tough for a newcomer to jump in, however. Super Mario 64’s camera, in particular, is pretty bad, and the camera controls for the original game were mapped to the Nintendo 64’s four C buttons – meaning it was controlled digitally. In this Switch version, those C button controls have been mapped to the right analog stick as is, meaning you’re using an analog stick for digital camera control, which can cause a lot of frustration when things don’t work the way you are naturally inclined to expect them to.

These camera issues only get in the way of what, as I have already explained, is a game that holds up marvelously well in just about every regard. From its level design to the actual movement controls for Mario, Super Mario 64 has aged far better than most games of its era – and honestly, far better than a lot of games of subsequent eras too.

Super Mario Sunshine is a controversial game; it has been that since its initial launch, and is now widely regarded as the lowest point of the 3D Mario series. There are very valid reasons to have issues with Mario Sunshine, from its frustratingly obtuse objectives (which stand in stark contrast to how effortlessly and intuitively the other games in the series communicate what they expect from the player) to some extremely fiddly platforming – platforming that, to be honest, is made a bit worse because of Nintendo having to map Sunshine’s analog trigger controls to a console which lacks them entirely. So here we have those controls mapped to the right analog stick (again), with some complicated and contrived control schemes to achieve the varying levels of pressure you could achieve with Mario’s water backpack FLUDD.

Gameplay aside, there are other problems with Sunshine that very clearly mark it as a product of a time when Nintendo was in an existential transition, and not yet sure what direction the company would take in the future. For instance, Super Mario Sunshine remains to date the only Mario game with full voice acting (and yes, it is every bit as unsettling as you would expect), which is no better today than it was in 2002.

"From its level design to the actual movement controls for Mario, Super Mario 64 has aged far better than most games of its era – and honestly, far better than a lot of games of subsequent eras too."

But for all its considerable shortcomings, Super Mario Sunshine has a lot of merits that shine brighter now with the benefit of hindsight – it has some of the sharpest platforming in the series (once you get used to the controls, at any rate), with FLUDD being an extremely versatile addition to Mario’s repertoire of movies; it is the only Mario game to date to take place entirely in one location, and having a cohesive theme like that really adds to the game’s sense of atmosphere and charm. Delfino Island’s various locations make for some delightful sandboxes, and if and once you have made your peace with the controls, allow for some of the most expressive platforming in the series.

Sunshine, one way or the other, is definitely the weakest link of this package, however, at least in terms of the core game’s quality. There are obviously fans, and I am sure they will be delighted by the ability to finally play it on a modern system (Sunshine had been stranded on the GameCube until this release), and I am glad this update exists for them, however, if nothing else.

Which brings us to Super Mario Galaxy.

Super Mario Galaxy is arguably the greatest game ever made. It was widely acclaimed as that when it first launched, it was reinforced as that when its sequel (mysteriously missing from this collection) launched, and it stands tall even today, 13 years after its initial release. Super Mario Galaxy can almost justify the $60 for this collection by itself. It’s a remarkably special game, with impeccable controls and some of the best level design in the medium’s history. Super Mario Galaxy has some of the most stirring vistas in any game ever, brought to life by an ageless art style that holds up incredibly well, and one of the all time great soundtracks . It’s even the most story focused Mario game ever – and while obviously it’s no The Last of Us, it has some genuinely moving story developments centered around the new character Rosalina, as well as some surprisingly dark developments later in the story.

In every way possible, Super Mario Galaxy holds up. It could be released as is today, and it would still be better than most games currently on the market, including most of Nintendo’s own. It is a work of creative genius, put out by a development team at the peak of its powers, and it is absolutely unbelievable how incredibly well this game has held up, especially given how poorly most other games of that era aged. With Super Mario Galaxy, there are very few to no shortcomings I can nitpick at – it is an absolutely marvelous game.

"In every way possible, Super Mario Galaxy holds up. It could be released as is today, and it would still be better than most games currently on the market, including most of Nintendo’s own."

Thankfully, it’s the game that has gotten the most care in this package as well. Nintendo has updated the game’s resolution, and it is now running at widescreen (while maintaining its original 60fps framerate). The game’s pointer controls have been mapped to the Switch’s gyro (in console mode) and touch screen (in handheld mode). Neither are, to be honest, optimal, but the pointer controls were deemphasized enough in the original game to never feel too obtrusive to begin with – so their implementation in this new package doesn’t really detract from Galaxy’s underlying brilliance in any way.

Super Mario Sunshine has also seen some work. It, too, has been updated to run in widescreen, with some upgraded textures, and as mentioned previously, the controls have been rethought (to mixed results). Unfortunately, the rest of the upgrades are minimal – Nintendo has not, for example, taken this chance to update the game’s framerate to 60fps (the original infamously ran at 30fps, in spite of being marketed at 60fps all the way through to its release); however, even Sunshine’s barebones updates feel far beyond what Super Mario 64 got, which feels like an almost a direct dump. It’s not even running in widescreen, the updates to the textures and graphics are minimal to none, and like I mentioned earlier, even the camera controls haven’t been reworked from their original digital implementation. Super Mario 64 is also the original, N64 version of the game, missing all the improvements and additions that Super Mario 64 DS brought to the table.

This shocking lack of effort is actually endemic to this whole collection – I’ve so far stuck to discussing the games themselves, and the games are amazing, but if we are to view this as a collection of remasters, released to celebrate a milestone anniversary for the single biggest and most important gaming franchise there is, it comes up horrifically short. You don’t even need to view it as a celebratory collection, in fact – even compared to the recent Crash or Spyro releases, which remade the original games, gave them loving facelifts, and sold at $40, Super Mario 3D All Stars feels almost insultingly lacking in so many ways.

"I’ve so far stuck to discussing the games themselves, and the games are amazing, but if we are to view this as a collection of remasters, released to celebrate a milestone anniversary for the single biggest and most important gaming franchise there is, it comes up horrifically short."

Unlike many other legacy collections, there are very few to no extras here – you don’t get any bonus features such as save states, you don’t get any cool concept art, you don’t get any special features or insights into development, there’s really nothing other than the games themselves – and their respective soundtracks, which can be accessed directly from the main menu (and can even be played with your Switch in sleep mode, turning it into a makeshift portable music player. Nifty). And the soundtracks are amazing – you won’t find me complaining about the ability to listen to Gusty Garden Galaxy on an infinite loop. But it’s still disappointing that this is all we get – again, this is a full priced celebratory collection to commemorate a landmark milestone for the most important franchise in gaming. And this is what we get? Three games, two of which are barely touched up or updated, and no other content?

So this review is really a tale of two entirely opposing assessments – inasmuch as you just care about the core quality of the games, this is unbeatable value, because even without much in the way of updates, the games hold up, and are great to play through. If you look at it as a collection of re-releases, even without the whole anniversary celebration context, it comes up short, and looks positively offensive next to how great (and cheap) other similar releases have been.

Obviously, it’s still worth buying – as I said, Galaxy alone justifies the price of admission, and throwing in 64 and Sunshine on top of that is just overkill. But if it is worth buying, it is no thanks to any merits of this collection in and of itself – Nintendo is, ultimately, coasting off of the back of some amazing work it did more than a decade ago to sell what is ultimately a disappointingly barebones, facile celebration of gaming’s most important icon who truly deserves better.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

The NPD Group’s March 2020 sales data for video game software and hardware in the United States is in. As per VentureBeat, Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the big winner, being the best-selling game of the month even without digital sales being tracked. Despite launching only last month, it’s already the second best-selling title of the year.

Much more impressive is that in terms of launch month physical dollar and unit sales for Nintendo published games, the title was the third highest in sales. It’s just behind Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Smash Bros. Brawl in that regard, which is pretty crazy. Not only is Animal Crossing: New Horizons the best-selling game in the franchise’s history but it’s dollar sales in March surpassed lifetime sales of all previous titles.

Overall, March 2020 was a good month for video game software sales, which came to $739 million with a 34 percent growth compared to the same period last year. This also marks the highest tracked software spending since March 2011 ($787 million). The top best-selling games for March 2020 in terms of dollar sales can be seen below:

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
3. MLB: The Show 20
4. Resident Evil 3
5. NBA 2K20
6. Doom Eternal*
7. Persona 5: Royal
8. Grand Theft Auto V
9. Borderlands 3
10. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe*
11. Nioh 2
12. Red Dead Redemption II
13. FIFA 20 [EA Sports]
14. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
15. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX*
16. Madden NFL 20 [EA Sports]
17. Just Dance 2020
18. Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order
19. Mortal Kombat 11
20. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered

* Digital sales not included
^ Steam sales not included
# Minecraft digital sales on Xbox and PlayStation included

Shadow Hearts: From the New World

Imagine an alternate reality Prohibition era America with ninjas, talking cats, vampires and of course, demons. That’s Shadow Hearts: From the New World in a nutshell as players assume the role of teenage PI Johnny Garland. The game starts in a fixed path but quickly expands after a job that Johnny takes quickly goes off the rails. With a combat system dependent on timed button presses and combos, strange plot twists and an endearing cast of oddities, From the New World is perhaps the strangest and yet most endearing PS2 RPG of its time.

Spirit of the North

Developed by Infuse Studio and releasing for PS4, Spirit of the North is a mellow tale of exploration. It sees a red fox meeting a fox spirit who acts as the Northern Lights’ guardian. Together, you’ll explore the mysterious landscape, traversing meadows and caves inspired by Iceland, and attempt to solve the world’s mystery. Beautiful, relaxing and wholly intriguing, Spirit of the North is out on November 1^st.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Initially met with skepticism, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has had some fairly positive pre-launch impressions. The story revolves around Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan who survived Order 66 and lives in secrecy. Of course, that doesn’t last for long and the Empire’s Inquistorius, namely the Second Sister, are after his life. With gameplay reminiscent of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Force powers and a variety of planets to explore, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order could be a dark horse. It’s out on November 15^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Pokemon Sword and Shield

Game Freak’s eighth generation Pokemon title travels to the Galar Region with numerous stadiums and giant Pokemon created by Gigantamaxing (who naturally battle). As usual, your job will be to scour the region, take on gym leaders and ultimately challenge in the Champions Cup. There are open space areas that players are free to explore along with co-op raid bosses to topple and new Pokemon to collect. Pokemon Sword and Shield releases on November 15^th for the Nintendo Switch and the hype is very much real.

Shenmue 3

It’s been a long, long wait for Shenmue 3, the next chapter in Yu Suzuki’s long-running saga. And while there have been ups, downs and delays, the sequel is on track to release on November 19^th for PS4 and PC. Protagonist Ryu Hazuki continues his quest to hunt down Lan Di, his father’s killer, venturing to Bailu Village, Choubu and Baisha in China. With various mini-games, numerous NPCs to talk to, underground fights, training and much more to explore, Shenmue 3 promises to be a worthy follow-up to the series.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts

After the open world slump of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts is moving back to more mission-based gameplay. Set in Siberia, players will take on contracts to hunt targets, completing bonus objectives for more money. Sniping is still king and the new Dynamic Reticle System promises a realistic experience, though you also get sniper turrets and drones (because of course sniper turrets are a thing). Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts arrives on November 22^nd for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Need for Speed Heat

Electronic Arts has been rather reserved in its marketing for Need for Speed Heat, which introduces the Miami-inspired Palm City as the player’s latest racing playground. Nevertheless, the emphasis is back on street racing and evading the cop. There’s an interesting mechanic where racing during the day rewards money and upgrades but racing in the night rewards rep. Night races are illegal though so you’ll have to evade the cops and return to a safehouse for those rep gains. With 127 cars and no Speedcards, Need for Speed Heat might be worth checking out when it releases on November 8th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC)

Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to PC, which is a big deal given how the game’s visuals could look even better than they do already. Along with improved graphics, PC players can also look forward to new weapons, bounty missions, gang hideouts and more. Though it won’t be available on Steam until December, you can pick it up on the Humble Store, Epic Games Store and Rockstar Games launcher on November 5^th.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

Mario and Sonic compete, once again, to prove their sporting prowess. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 does look better than previous collaborations. It boasts higher production values and some very cool new features like Classic 2D Events where 2D sprites of the cast compete across 10 events. There also Dream Events like hoverboarding, karate and much more to keep you busy. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is out on November 5^th for Nintendo Switch.

Death Stranding

Regardless of where you stand, there’s no denying that the release of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding is a momentous occasion. Taking place in the future, the story focuses on Sam Bridges, played by Norman Reedus, as he ventures the country to reconnect its cities following a great disaster. Along the way, he’ll deal with eerie entities known as the B.T.s and the enigmatic Cliff played by Mads Mikkelsen. Death Stranding has looked gorgeous so far thanks to the Decima Engine – with its release for PS4 on November 8^th, we’ll soon find out exactly what it has to offer.

Just Dance 2020

Ubisoft’s next title in the Just Dance series is out on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii, PS4 and Xbox One on November 5^th (with a launch on Google Stadia as well). Yes, we almost forgot about it as well but as a game to play with friends and family, the Just Dance series works pretty well. Just Dance 2020 will continue this trend with songs like Bangarang from Skrillex, Kill This Love by Blackpink and of course, the universally loved and not at all loathed Baby Shark by Pinkfong.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – Augment Your Pre-Order

Based on anonymous reports, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided faced a number of issues in development including a possible sequel that may never see the light of day. However, Square Enix decided to start early with ruining consumer interest by introducing the “Augment Your Pre-Order” campaign. Basically, depending on the number of players who pre-ordered the game, a subsequent tier of bonuses would unlock. So one unlocked tier gave new costumes, another provided an extra in-game mission, four days early access, you get the idea. This didn’t go down well for a number of reasons. Even if you did pre-order of your own volition, you were at the mercy of other players pre-ordering to get all the benefits. Square Enix was probably banking on players to “encourage” others to pre-order through word of mouth, making this a low-key pyramid scheme. The publisher later explained that it was an alternative to different rewards for different regions but why didn’t it just give all the rewards to anyone who pre-ordered? Fortunately, it scrapped the campaign and did just that.

Metal Gear Solid

A climactic battle atop Metal Gear REX, a daring escape while firing at pursuers and Liquid Snake finally dying of FOXDIE – the ending to Metal Gear Solid is over-the-top in all the best ways. Meryl and Snake ride off into the sunset and the credits roll…but afterwards, we’re treated to Revolver Ocelot speaking to who else but the President of the United States. Not only was Ocelot a double agent but the President is none other than Solidus Snake, the third clone of Big Boss. It only gets weirder in Metal Gear Solid 2.