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ReviewsToysThe Newest Care Bear Just Wants Everyone To Get Along
Most Care Bears, as good as they are with the caring, have a singular focus. Bedtime Bear is for bedtime. Birthday Bear is for giving aunts and uncles easy present choices. Grumpy Bear is about cosplaying my spouse. But the newly-introduced Togetherness Bear? She’s here to ensure everybody loves everybody. So do that. Please. Unlike…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureMario Golf: Super Rush‘s Speed Golf Mode Looks Like A Trip
Golf is normally a game about being patient and waiting your turn while wearing awesome pants. In Speed Golf, a new mode coming in next month’s Mario Golf: Super Rush, four players tee off at once and then race across the course to complete the hole first. I’d pay to watch real golfers do that.…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureTwitchTwitch Begins Adjusting Sub Prices Based On Where Viewers Live
While the USD 4.99 per month cost of a Tier 1 Twitch subscription works fine here in the States, five bucks can be a much larger hit on one’s wallet in other countries. Starting this week with Mexico and Turkey, Twitch will begin adjusting subscription costs to better align with the local cost of living.…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureFinal Fantasy XIV‘s Getting Electric Guitars Two Ways
In a move that makes complete sense given the amount of electric guitar that shows up in the online RPG’s soundtrack, Square Enix has partnered with Fender to create an official Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster, both as a physical instrument you can purchase, and a virtual one playable in game. In other news, I am…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureFFXIV Endwalker‘s Second New Job Is The Scythe-Wielding Reaper [Update]
Revealed this evening during the Final Fantasy XIV Digital Fan Festival keynote, the melee damage-dealing Reaper will join the previously announced healing Sage as the second new job introduced in this fall’s Endwalker expansion. Update: The release date is November 23 and playable bunny boys are included. It’s not a Necromancer, it’s not a Temple…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionImpressionsThese Famicom Detective Club Games Have Aged Surprisingly Well
There’s nothing about the art, animation, voice work, or music of Nintendo’s new Famicom Detective Club games that betray their origin as a pair of Japan-exclusive Family Computer Disk System adventures from the late 1980s. The dated gameplay, however, is a dead giveaway. Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and its prequel, Famicom Detective Club:…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureWhat Are You Playing This Weekend?
This weekend is for playing Mass Effect Legendary Edition. That’s it. Nothing else may be done or played this weekend. There will be no celebratory vaccine brunches or prolonged afternoon naps. Just an endless parade of dead-eyed Shepards approving messages. I know there are many people out there who don’t care about Mass Effect, along…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureKaty Perry And Pikachu Traveling Through Time Singing Songs, As They Do
Remember way back in January, when I wrote “Katy Perry Teams With Pokémon For Some Sort Of 25th Anniversary Music Thing?” We now have that thing. Check out the video for Perry’s new single “Electric,” in which the singer and her Pikachu travel back in time to interfere with their unevolved forms. In the video…
By Mike Fahey -
The Nintendo Download: Calculator And 28 Other Fun Games
What do you mean we’ve already done the calculator joke? Had I known I would have chosen a screenshot from one of the Famicom Detective Club games or random anime gem-matching game Kasiori. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. This week’s selection of Nintendo eShop additions includes the aforementioned Detective Club games,…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureThe Black PS5 DualSense Controller Everyone Wants Comes Out Next Month
Ever since Sony revealed its striking white DualSense controller folks have been clamoring for an all-black version. Well, here you go Midnight Black and its foppish companion, Cosmic Red, are hitting store shelves next month. While I still prefer my custom pink number, it’s nice to see Sony playing around with new DualSense colors, even…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureNew Xbox Series X/S Background Is A Pulsating Blob From The Past
Rolling out with the May Xbox Series X/S update that includes important updates to that handy Quick Resume feature, “The Original” dynamic theme marks the return of the glowing green glob of Flubber from the original Xbox’s startup and dashboard. Those of you old enough to remember the original Xbox know that weird amorphous blob…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureMy Singing Monsters Comes To Consoles With A Bunch Of Non-Singing Minigames
Mobile hit My Singing Monsters is a game about collecting and breeding musical monsters whose unique noises join together to create beautiful music. Coming to consoles this November, My Singing Monsters Playground is a party game featuring more than 20 different minigames. Hopefully one of those minigames is singing, but I can’t tell yet. My…
By Mike Fahey -
ReviewsToysI’m Not Sure I’m Ready For The Biomutant Plushie
Dear THQ Nordic store, I am not supposed to have the urge to cuddle a video game hero until after I have played it, and Biomutant does not come out until May 25. You cannot have my heart yet, no matter how soft and fluffy it looks with its little plush eye injury and super-cute…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureLucasArts Classic Zombies Ate My Neighbors Returns To Consoles And PC Next Month
Because the dead never rest, Lucasfilm Games and developer Dotemu have teamed up to bring enhanced versions of 1993 16-bit classic Zombies Ate My Neighbors and its less-beloved sequel to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on June 29. These new versions of Zombies Ate My Neighbors and 1995 follow-up Ghoul Patrol take the…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureThe Mandalorian Scores Its Own Stern Pinball Machines
When you’re really good you get your own pinball machine. Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian is really, really good, so it gets three. This morning, after some light social media teasing, Stern Pinball announced a trio of pinball machines based on the adventures of Mando and Grogu, the artist previously known as Baby Yoda.…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureAlto Developer Snowman Spawns New Studio Dedicated To Creative Kids Play
From Snowman, the creative minds behind super-chill games like Alto’s Adventure and Skate City, comes Pok Pok, a new studio dedicated to super-chill creative play-based learning for kids—open-ended play that inspires children to imagine and think. Sounds like a nifty goal. Pok Pok began with a pair of Snowman artists, Mathijs and Esther, building a…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionImpressionsClimb Roblox‘s Giant Man, If You Dare
From Terry Cavanagh, the man behind Super Hexagon, Dicey Dungeons, and VVVVVV, comes a Roblox level about climbing a giant guy that you can play for free right now Anyone can make their own game in Roblox, even celebrated indie developers. Fascinated by the free-to-play game development platform that’s enchanted children of all ages around…
By Mike Fahey -
ReviewsToysThe Room: Old Sins Dollhouse Is An Excellent Lego Idea
In The Room: Old Sins, players navigate a mysterious, puzzle-filled dollhouse, hoping to solve the mystery of a prominent engineer gone mad. Players find pieces of the dollhouse as they play, adding them to the build to unlock new areas. Sounds like the perfect project for the Lego Ideas program. Submitted to the Lego Ideas…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureWhat Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for watching everyone else talk about Resident Evil Village while I have a damn good time playing a hack-and-slash action RPG from two decades ago. Y’all can have your giant lady survival horror, this weekend’s all about Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance for me, baby. It’s been ages since I last played the…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureSign-Ups Open For The Final Fantasy VII Battle Royale Closed Beta
Mobile battle royale Final Fantasy VII The Last Soldier is looking for Android device users in the U.S. and Canada to play in the weeklong closed beta test for the game kicking off June 1. Who’s up for killing some generic Final Fantasy characters? Final Fantasy VII The Last Soldier is a free-to-play mobile battle…
By Mike Fahey