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Mario Games Are Better When They Change

Do you know Mario? Do you really know Mario? The long and storied history of the plumber (ahem, not janitor) has been a crazy ride through all sorts of changes, new settings and new features. And it’s those changes that make up the core of the games he stars in. It’s also the reason why…

You Might Need Your 3DS If There’s Ever A Legend of Zelda Movie

We all remember the disastrous Super Mario Bros. movie. It’s pretty much the entire reason that Nintendo generally doesn’t put its properties in other media. But, Eiji Aonuma—the guy in charge of all things Zelda—says that if there ever were a film based on the Hero of Hyrule, it couldn’t be just another passive, sit-down-and-watch-it…

Mega Evolution Is Changing The Pokémon Trading Card Game

Mega Evolutions aren’t just for new Pokémon video games anymore. Booster packs coming to the Pokémon Trading Card Game in February will allow already-powerful EX cards to Mega Evolve — for a price. The Pokémon TCG: XY—Kalos Starter Set launches on November 8, giving players of the card game their first taste of Fairy-type Pokémon,…

Here’s what’s going on Talk Among Yourselves, our reader-written blog: Soleyu reflects on how FPS games have gotten more narrow and maybe more narrow-minded, too. PoisonTaco looks at the costs of running a gaming community in terms of both money and logistics. GiantBoyDetective finds a Dragon Ball Z reference in Pokemon X & Y. Good…

The Oculus Rift on The Today Show Was a Thing of Weird Beauty

This morning on The Today Show, host Matt Lauer briefly tried out the Oculus Rift as part of a larger segment on wearable technology. It is great to see mainstream media cover the Oculus Rift in a legitimate way, even if it still looks kinda goofy. Watch the video above for more. For those of…

The Next Angry Birds Game Looks Amazing. Yeah, I Wrote That.

Now that the toy tie-ins are on store shelves and we’ve got an official December 11 release date, we’re finally getting a look Angry Birds Go! gameplay. Wow. Not at all what I was expecting. I knew it was a kart racer, but I was expecting something a little more two-dimensional. Maybe even more of…

We’re Finally Excited About a WWII Game Again. It’s… Minecraft?

World War II is not something we see every day in the ocean of blocky castles and rollercoasters that usually make up Minecraft‘s visually compelling constructions. That makes this WWII-themed Minecraft map that much more unique and amazing. It was made by two friends, Rythma and Sycoinc, who compiled this dramatic video to show off…

Our First Good Look at Kingdom Hearts III Gameplay

Here’s our first real look at Kingdom Hearts III in action since the brief snippet of gameplay shown inthe announcement trailer back in June. Check out massive enemies, new weapons, and a mature Sora who doesn’t seem to have aged a bit. Kingdom Hearts III is slated for the PS4 and Xbox One. The release…

The digital edition of classic fantasy board game Talisman is now on Steam early access. Hope you practiced. While Nomad Games’ digitization is still waiting on online multiplayer and several other features to be implemented, it’s got 14 fantasy characters fighting for the Crown of Command, which is just what I was looking for.

Here’s what you missed during the overnight shift: We Are Still Shooting The Hinges, And It Still Sucks Former Valve Hardware Project Becomes Kickstarter Campaign The Old Spice Guy, As A Super Annoying Comic Book Nerd Stare Longingly At This Xbox One Educational Video

This is what a timelapse day-night cycle of Los Santos looks like in GTA V. That is, if you climb Vinewood Hills, stand there for hours, and take pictures with the in-game phone—just as Plonkey on the GTA V subreddit did. Incredible! Dayshot is an image-based feature that runs every morning, showcasing some of the…

Glorious New Zelda 3DS XL Puts Light And Dark In Your Hands

In Europe, Nintendo is releasing a new Legend of Zelda themed 3DS XL. It sure is pretty. The 3DS XL takes its visual motif from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and it looks to be a clear reference to Hyrule/Lorule dual world. The limited edition Zelda 3DS XL will be available when…

Ubisoft’s new Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag story trailer shows a colorful Caribbean setting, the game’s young captain’s fight for glory and how he got drawn into the war between the Assassins and Templars. An action packed trailer, so what better song than “Two Steps From Hell?” Edward Kenway story trailer | Assassin’s Creed IV…

The Old Spice Guy, As A Super Annoying Comic Book Nerd

Isaiah Mustafa, aka The Old Spice Guy, is in real life a huge comic book nerd. So enjoy, as in this short he plays the role of a…huge comic book nerd. And plays it well OK, so the clip’s not perfect, and not all the jokes make it. But Mustafa is worth it. WHAT’S IN…

Even Microsoft Thinks Cross-Platform Multiplayer “Makes Sense”

One of the biggest failures of Microsoft’s involvement in the PC space has been its treatment of gaming relative to the Xbox brand. Halo came late then stopped coming. Gears of War and Forza have never gone PC. [Correction: Gears of War 1 did.] So you’d be forgiven for assuming that Microsoft has given up…

Bungie Don’t Sound Too Bummed Neill Blomkamp Never Made Halo

Before Neil Blomkamp was given the chance to develop District 9, he was attached the Halo movie, a movie that eventually fizzled and died over budgetary concerns. As gamers, watching District 9 was a strange experience. We were given the chance to watch this new, dazzlingly original thing, but in the back of our minds…

Stare Longingly At This Xbox One Educational Video

This video is great. Not for the content, the parts where heads are talking. But the parts where heads are not talking. What should be a video where we all learn about the fantastic new things Microsoft is doing with Xbox Live for the Xbox One instead becomes a video that should have been called…

Does A Nintendo 2DS Burst Into Flames Inside A Microwave?

You bet your Pokemans it does. Long-time internet microwaver (I’m sure that’s what he puts on his tax return) dOvetastic is the man here putting a brand new 2DS in the box then killing it. If you find yourself asking “WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS?”, first ask yourself “did I just watch that video until…

Former Valve Hardware Project Becomes Kickstarter Campaign

Engineer Jeri Ellsworth and former Raven dev Rick Johnson used to work at Valve, on the company’s ambitious hardware plans. That was until February, when the pair were laid off. Never mind. One of the projects that had been in development at Valve were a pair of augmented reality glasses, which according to a report…

We Are Still Shooting The Hinges, And It Still Sucks

It’s been three years since, up to our eyeballs in snow, bullet casings and blood, we were reminded to “shoot the hinges”. A seemingly insignificant part of Call of Duty: Black Ops had become, through a video capturing one act of patience, a poster child for all that was wrong – and is still wrong…