Author: Trafficblast

If you picked up a high-capacity micro SD card over the holidays, or if you have a new Nintendo Switch and you’re itching to fill it with games, you can take advantage of a bunch of amazing Switch game deals happening right now. Since they’re digital, you can start playing them as soon as you finish downloading them, which could be mere minutes if you have a fast internet connection.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Digital Nintendo Switch Deal

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is owned by over 50% of Nintendo Switch owners, because it’s awesome and fun and even people mostly unfamiliar with video games know about it. Add it to your Switch right now if you haven’t already, and do it for less.

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Digital for $41.99 – See it at Walmart

Splatoon 2 Digital Nintendo Switch Deal

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One of Switch’s funnest competitive games, Splatoon 2, is on sale today at Amazon. It improves on its excellent predecessor and takes the competitive shooter to much inkier places.

• Splatoon 2 Digital for $41.99 – See it at Amazon

Yoshi’s Crafted World Digital Nintendo Switch Deal

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Yoshi’s spin-off games (get it?) are unbelievably adorable, and Crafted World is no exception. Start downloading it right now and make your day a little cuter. You’ve earned it.

• Yoshi’s Crafted World Digital for $41.99 – See it at Amazon

Kirby Star Allies Digital Nintendo Switch Deal

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Another adorable Nintendo character returning for Nintendo Switch. Kirby is perhaps the most iconic puffball in all of media. Name a more iconic puffball; I’ll wait.

• Kirby Star Allies Digital for $41.99 – See it at Amazon

More Digital Nintendo Switch Game Deals

• ARMS Digital for $41.99 – See it at Amazon
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Digital for $39.99 – See it at Amazon
• Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition Digital for $39.99 – See it at Amazon
• Katana ZERO Digital for $9.75 – See it at Amazon

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Director Noah Hawley has opened up about his Star Trek project at Paramount Pictures, revealing that he has new ideas for the series and sidestepping questions regarding the return of the Kelvin Timeline cast for the next instalment in the studio’s sci-fi franchise.

Speaking to Deadline, Hawley revealed his plans to move at warp speed after wrapping Fargo Season 4, saying that he is keen to jump into Star Trek 4 “as soon as possible” as he has a fresh “take” for the rebooted series.

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When asked if Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk and crew would return for the next feature, Hawley said “I have my own take on Star Trek,” which could be taken to mean that he has a new cast in mind. “And going back to what I loved about the series Next Generation, when a lot of franchises focus on ‘might makes right’, Star Trek is about exploration and humanity at its best, and diversity and creative problem solving.

“There’s nothing better than that moment when William Shatner puts on his reading glasses and lowers Khan’s shields. It doesn’t cost anything. But it’s that triumphant feeling about smarting your enemy. For me it’s about to getting to those elements of the show. I don’t necessarily find action in and of itself interesting unless it’s story. So, it’s early days, I’m still talking with Paramount and I have a take and I gotta write a script.”

According to a report in August 2018, prior to Hawley boarding the project, Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth had been in negotiations to reprise their roles as James and George Kirk, but were unable to reach an agreement on compensation. At the time, the two stars reportedly asked the studios to honor their existing deals, while Paramount wanted the actors to accept pay cuts in light of Star Trek Beyond’s poor performance.

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Outside of Star Trek, Hawley briefly touched upon his script for Marvel’s Doctor Doom, which he penned ahead of the Disney-Fox merger, admitting that he hadn’t heard anything back on that project since the acquisition.

“The phone hasn’t rung,” he revealed. “I love the script and what I did with it. Marvel seems to have a plan for everything, it would be great if I fell into that plan. And I haven’t been chasing it, and with Star Trek, it complicates it but if the phone rings, I’m in.”

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As it stands, Doctor Doom is looking increasingly uncertain as part of MCU’s future slates. Phase 4 is expected to move forward with the release of Black Widow on May 1, 2020, followed by The Eternals on November 6, 2020.

For more on these movies, check out our breakdown of the first official Black Widow trailer and take a look at the poster for the film, then read through our detailed Marvel’s Eternals Explained and The Deviants Explained features before checking out our breakdown of The Eternals’ first trailer footage.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The first trailer for Netflix’s Locke and Key has viewers abuzz with talk of the upcoming dark fantasy series before its debut on February 7. While our full review will be going up once the embargo lifts closer to the show’s launch, we did want to take the opportunity to break down why we think this is a show that will interest you, our audience. And don’t worry, this piece will be spoiler free!

Be sure to check out the trailer below if you haven’t already to get a good sense of the show and what we’ll be discussing below:

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It’s Harry Potter Meets Your Favorite Netflix Genre Shows

If you’re into the fantasy of Harry Potter, the family dynamics of Lost in Space, and the creepy vibe of The Haunting of Hill House, then this show will be right up your alley.

Locke and Key follows the Locke family after a disturbing family tragedy that causes them relocate to their ancestral home in upstate Massachusetts, an old and dusty estate built in the 1700s called Keyhouse. Imagine an old home packed with tattered books, paintings of dead ancestors, and other relics of the past, all with the mischievous and mystical atmosphere of Hogwarts (but without the school part). It’s not long before the three Locke children — teens Kinsey and Tyler along with youngster Bode — stumble upon the innocuous magical keys hidden throughout the house and discover their wondrous and often dangerous abilities. As they struggle to learn the various rules and mysteries of the keys, while also dealing with the angst and awkwardness of attending a new school (okay, so there is a school after all), an evil creature intimately familiar with the keys enacts a plan with a nefarious goal.

The less said about this villain the better because the best part is how the story slowly unveils what they’re all about, but suffice to say that they’re decidedly unlike all-powerful fantasy bad guy Voldemort or the horrific monster boss of Stranger Things. They’re just as dangerous, but more because of their power to manipulate, divide, and hide in plain sight.

While the show starts out focused on a personal family tragedy, it grows to encompass a magical mythology with incredible stakes.

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Why Comic Fans Are Excited for Locke & Key

Netflix’s Locke and Key show is based on the Locke and Key comic book series by writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. The comic began in 2012 and has since wrapped up, earning praise from fans for its enthralling mythology and winning numerous awards for how it shows the characters processing trauma in different ways. The finale issue earned a rare perfect 10 score from IGN Comics.

Why is any of this important? Hopefully the praise heaped on the source material offers you a general sense of security: not only is there plenty of excellent material to keep the show going for a long time, but you also can rest assured that Locke & Key won’t run into a situation like Game of Thrones where it ended in unsatisfying fashion because the showrunners ran out of source material; the Locke and Key showrunners already know the answers to all the big questions and how it ends. That’s not to say that the show is without its twists and turns, which brings us to our next point…

The Show Is Filled With Surprises

One of the best parts of Locke and Key is learning about the history of Keyhouse, the dynamics of the Locke family, and of course the abilities of the magical keys. The show has a devilishly good time exploring these various mysteries to build out the mythology. It tip-toes the line between having a whimsical charm and a creepy sense of dread as the characters attempt to learn more about these strange artifacts and how they relate to the history of their family, all while trying to thwart the evil creature intimately familiar with all of the keys. There’s always something unexpected waiting around every corner, and that holds true even for those who have read the comics.

While the show includes all of the hallmark elements of the Locke and Key comics, it delivers them with a new spin, so even those already familiar with the comics will find themselves surprised at how it all unfolds. The show features several new keys created just for the show, events play out in a somewhat different manner, and certain characters now have meatier roles — which goes a long way in making the show feel like a fresh and exciting experience regardless of your familiarity with the franchise.

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Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

UPDATE: The Dark Samus and Richter Belmont amiibo preorders are now back in stock at Amazon.

The next wave of amiibo is coming out January 17, and you can preorder yours right now and guarantee yourself a pair of these truly excellent upcoming amiibo.

Preorder Dark Samus Amiibo

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• See it at Amazon – $15.99
• See it at Walmart – $15.99
• See it at Best Buy – $15.99

As much as I like Richter Belmont, the Dark Samus amiibo is the clear winner here in my mind. It’s probably greater than world peace, to be honest. Just look at that thing.

Preorder Richter Amiibo

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• See it at Amazon – $15.99
• See it at Walmart – $15.99
• See it at Best Buy – $15.99

Dark Samus may be the coolest, but Richter Belmont is no slouch. The hero of Rondo of Blood, Richter wields the most badass form of the Vampire Killer whip.

Though amiibo releases have slowed over time, a few are still in pipeline. Amiibos for Simon Belmont, Incineroar, and Chrom are set to release on November 15. Stock seems to be dwindling, though, as most of them are sold out at Amazon and certain other retailers. The links included here will direct you to stores where they’re still available.

Another recent amiibo set is the Shovel Knight Treasure Trove amiibo 3-pack, which is now available and remains in stock (for the time being).

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Nicholas Hoult has been recruited to join Tom Cruise in the upcoming Mission: Impossible sequels.

Filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie, the writer and director of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Fallout, who has signed on to write and direct the next two sequels back-to-back, confirmed the casting news in an Instagram post on Thursday.

“Say, Nicholas Hoult, care to raise a little hell?” McQuarrie wrote in the caption of his post, to which Hoult responded, “Love to. Though why stop at a little?”

Hoult’s Instagram response included the hashtag #MI78, referencing the seventh and eighth films that are confirmed to be in development.

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At this stage, Hoult’s role is unknown, though THR sources suggest he will be playing a villain in the forthcoming films.

Hoult is perhaps best known for his role as Beast (aka Hank McCoy) in the X-Men movies, having appeared in four instalments in the franchise, including last year’s Dark Phoenix. He also notably starred in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road and 2019’s Tolkien biopic.

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Hoult joins a cast that includes Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Shea Whigham, Pom Klementieff and Hayley Atwell, who has portrayed Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.

Mission: Impossible 7 is slated for release on July 23, 2021, while Mission: Impossible 8 is set for release on August 5, 2022.

While waiting for the next mission, we assign you to read our review of Mission Impossible: Fallout, which we called “a fun but very familiar entry in the long-running franchise.”

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Recently, Capcom teased that the Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 would contain “a little something extra” compared to previous versions of the game. Updates were promised on January 16, January 30, and February 13, but one of the major changes being introduced in the Switch version has already been revealed on the game’s official website.

Devil May Cry 3 on Switch will introduce a Style Change option, which will let you switch between Swordmaster, Gunslinger, and other styles on the fly. This will be the first time this option has been available in Devil May Cry 3, and updated screenshots show that your current style will be listed in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

“The new Style Change system allows you to experience the action through a number of unique Styles allowing for unprecedented variety,” the website reads. “Level up the Styles and weapons as you see fit and create a playstyle all your own.”

For fans, this will be a major change that will alter how the iconic action game is played. Devil May Cry 3 comes to the Switch on February 20 as a digital release.

The Nintendo Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 will have a new Style Change system.

Capcom detailed this new gameplay feature over on the official Devil May Cry 3 website. You’ll be able to switch Dante between Swordmaster and Gunslinger styles at the press of a button – similar to the style switching mechanic in Devil May Cry 5.

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Swordmaster means Dante will specialise in advanced melee attacks, while Gunslinger is more defensive as it lets you attack from a distance with your guns. You’ll be able to level up the different styles and tailor them to your preferred fighting style.

This Style Change system wasn’t in the original version of Devil May Cry 3 when it came out back in 2005. That means the feature is exclusive to the Switch re-release.

Devil May Cry 3 is due out for Nintendo Switch as a digital download only on February 20, 2020. It’ll feature the Special Edition features that let you play as Dante’s brother, Vergil.

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If you haven’t checked out the latest game in the series, our Devil May Cry 5 review will put you on track, as we said its “combat is the strongest the series has seen to date.”

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Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Atlus has released a new trailer for Persona 5 Scramble, giving us a new look at this action spin-off and how it’ll mix a musou gameplay style with the aesthetics of Persona. Going by this footage, it looks like a good blend.

The trailer shows off some interesting samples of what to expect, including what appears to be some light stealth, similar to what was present in Persona 5. There are also platforming elements, as Joker and other characters are shown jumping and exploring environments.

There’s also motorbike combat shown off in the trailer, as well as a snowboarding section, and even some social scenarios and non-combat areas. It looks like Persona 5 Scramble will contain a lot of very Persona-y elements.

It looks like there will be plenty of cutscenes in the game, and that Persona’s distinct art style is intact.

The game is due to release in Japan for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on February 2, 2020. A western release has not been confirmed yet, but it seems likely considering the success of Persona 5.

Persona 5 Scramble is not the only Persona 5 game releasing in 2020. Persona 5 Royal is coming to PS4 on March 31, and will greatly expand on the original game.