Less than two years after launching, MapleStory 2 will have its global servers shut down. The servers will officially go dark on May 27.
The decision was announced on the game’s official website, which details which regions will be affected and when players can expect support to cease. MapleStory’s global servers encompassed most regions, with only South Korea and China expected to stay running after May. MapleStory 2 support will also be shut down on June 27.
“We are forever grateful for your patience and dedication to MapleStory 2 as we tried to rework the game starting with Project New Leaf, but ultimately we’ve decided that we will not be able to provide the type of service that would live up to your expectations,” the announcement reads. “We took a hard look at the current state of the game and its future roadmap, and sadly reached the conclusion that it would be difficult to maintain long-term continuation of the game while remaining true to what made MapleStory 2 your MapleStory 2.”
Players who purchased in-game currency after December 11 can apply for a refund, which will be fulfilled using NX–an in-game currency that is used across all of publisher Nexon’s games. MapleStory 2 will also have its in-game purchases disabled until servers are shut down. The game’s final end-game events have already begun, giving players some time to complete them.
Having launched in October 2018, MapleStory 2 is an MMO that allowed players to customize their characters and homes, engage in long raid activities, and battle other players. Its endgame shifted away from the pay-to-win mechanics of the first title, but replaced it with very random drops and time gates that diluted the fun of the grind.
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You may remember The Messenger, the 2018 ninja ’em up that sliced between 8- and 16-bit art styles. Developer Sabotage has announced a prequel game that pivots to an entirely different genre: the classic turn-based RPG. Watch the debut trailer above.
Sea of Stars is set hundreds of thousands of years before The Messenger and follows two playable main characters as they train to defeat the villainous Fleshmancer. Sabotage says it is “inspired by the classics,” and at a glance it definitely gives off Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana vibes. The turn-based combat features timed hits and active defense options, reminiscent of the systems in Super Mario RPG and the Mario & Luigi games.
The combat system is reminiscent of Super Mario RPG.
Sabotage’s mission is to make games with retro aesthetics but modern design, and to that end you’ll notice some features right away that would not have been possible in the ’90s games from which it draws inspiration. A dynamic lighting system renders a day-to-night cycle that creates realistic shadows you don’t normally see in 2D pixel-art games. Players have much more freedom to explore the environment, and are able to swim across bodies of water, climb cliffs, or vault off ledges.
Sea of Stars is still early in development and isn’t planned for release until 2022 on PC and (presumably next-gen) consoles. A Kickstarter was just launched today where you can learn more.
2018’s The Messenger was a stellar throwback to the action-genre from the era dominated by the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. Developed by Sabotage Studios, it took great inspiration from games like Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden, while at the same time possessing an incredibly self-aware and humorous story with the protagonist traveling between the 8- and 16-bit realms. Following the success of The Messenger, the developers have their eyes set on bringing their talent for stylized sprite work and action gameplay to the realm of the JRPG.
With their follow-up, Sea of Stars, the developers have launched a Kickstarter–with a goal set at $90,760 USD–to gain more funding for their next game inspired by 16-bit era JRPGs like Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger. In this new RPG coming to PC and consoles, you play as Valerie and Zale, two heroes fated to become Solstice Warriors–individuals who can use powers that channel energy from the sun and moon. By working together, they’ll be able to combine their strengths and utilize a new type of power known as Eclipse Magic, allowing them to face dangerous foes and powerful threats. Just like their previous game, this homage also plays with tropes and other elements familiar from retro games. But in a surprising twist, Sea of Stars is actually set in the same universe as The Messenger, serving as a prequel to Sabotage’s previous game. The two protagonists in the RPG even made an appearance in The Messenger during the Sunken Shrine dungeon, which the developers described as a nod to what lied ahead for Sabotage Studios.
Just before its debut on Kickstarter, we had the chance to see a quick demo and speak with Sabotage Studios co-founder and creative director Thierry Boulanger about the making of Sea of Stars. In development since the launch of The Messenger in 2018, Sea of Stars was the game the developers have been wanting to make for some time.
“Sea of Stars was actually the game everyone at the studio was excited about, but it wasn’t something we could do as a first project with only a handful of people,” said Boulanger. “It was obviously much more ambitious in scope, and it would have been harder to bootstrap along with the company with just like three people as we were slowly ramping up. So now, it’s all really coming together. The Messenger was the first step for us, and it was a big success as it gave us our freedom and the means to work on the thing we wanted to make. […] It’s kind of the mission of Sabotage Studios to examine games from the past and do our own versions of them, to modernize them and to rethink them in ways would hold more today.”
On the surface, Sea of Stars channels many familiar elements from classic Square games like Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, and Secret of Mana. Combat, traversal, and the flow of narrative in Sabotage’s sendup to the JRPG takes influence from the classics. However, Sea of Stars puts a more active element in the hands of players. Along with using both of the protagonists’ unique powers to manipulate and solve puzzles, the turn-based combat also has a more dynamic pace to it, encouraging players to time button inputs in tune with attacks and blocks to keep up with their enemies. According to the developers, this is to ensure that players can still overcome fierce battles, without feeling like they have to grind experience points to boost up their characters.
Thinking back to my own experiences getting stuck in Super Mario RPG against bosses like Booster–which prompted me to grind out some levels–this more active element seems appreciated, and I’m interested in seeing how far Sabotage takes it. With the Kickstarter campaign, the developers are offering an early look at their next game, with plans for it to evolve throughout its development–which they state could be over the next two years. Depending on the success of the campaign, Sea of Stars could expand further, allowing Sabotage to take their homage to the classic JRPGs even further.
I have a particular fondness for Square games from the 16-bit era, and I’m really digging what I’ve seen from Sea of Stars thus far. What’s interesting is that Sabotage Studios is establishing a broader lore with its games, and Sea of Stars looks to expand on the road set by The Messenger. Hopefully, we’ll get to see Sea of Stars prosper. But for now, it might be worth diving back into The Messenger to uncover more clues for what could be in store for Sabotage’s next game.
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A new Max Raid event has begun in Pokemon Sword and Shield. For a limited time, Pokemon that are typically version-exclusive will appear more frequently in Max Raid dens, giving you a chance to catch monsters you couldn’t otherwise find in your game.
Until March 25, Pokemon Sword players will be able to encounter Galarian Corsola, Ponyta, Oranguru, and female Indeedee, while Shield players will be able to find Galarian Farfetch’d, Darumaka, Passimian, and male Indeedee. Other rare Pokemon like Karrablast, Shelmet, and Pincurchin will appear in both games.
In addition to those Pokemon, Gigantamax Snorlax, Machamp, and Gengar are also still available. All three of those monsters will appear more frequently in Max Raids until March 25. Gigantamax Pokemon are normally incredibly rare, making this your best chance to catch them. You can see all the Max Raid events happening right now in our roundup.
There’s also still a little time left to claim some in-game freebies. Until the end of the month, you can receive 20 free Battle Points as well as a free Bottle Cap via Mystery Gift. You can take a look at all the free gifts available right now for Pokemon Sword and Shield here.
In other Pokemon news, Nintendo recently rolled out an update for Sword and Shield. The patch “fixed several issues” according to Nintendo’s patch notes, including one that would cause the game to crash if you received a hacked Pokemon through Surprise Trade.
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Once you update Animal Crossing: New Horizons to version 1.1, you’ll receive a Nintendo Switch console in the game as a piece of furniture. It will be placed in your mail, so make sure to check there if you don’t have it yet.
For the majority of players, it will be the standard console with its blue and red Joy-Con controllers. However, if you have the Animal Crossing: New Horizons special edition Joy-Con controller attached when you play, you’ll receive that console as well.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons special edition in-game Switch
Based on Nintendo’s screenshots, the console can be docked or placed on another piece of furniture in its tabletop mode. With the nearly-unlimited ways you can customize your island, you can place the Switch practically anywhere. We’d suggest keeping inside your home unless you want every other villager to get their hands on it and mess up your save data.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons in-game standard Switch
Kallie Plagge has been enjoying the game so far. In GameSpot’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons review in progress, she praised the customization options and charm, though she did also find the pace slower than past games. It’s certainly the polar opposite of Doom Eternal, which also releases March 20 and is a dead sprint from beginning to end.
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With the coronavirus outbreak confining many of us to our homes, streaming services have become an even more important part of our daily lives than they were already. Thankfully Netflix has lined up a wide variety of movies and TV shows to keep us entertained while we self-isolate in April 2020.
April sees the streaming giant focusing on many of its original shows and movies, both new releases and older favorites back for new seasons. There are a few must-see family titles for parents at home with their kids away from school. The Big Show Show is a WWE series that features the wrestling star of the title playing a fictional version of himself who has to cope with modern family life. That’s not the only WWE title arriving next month either–the movie The Main Event features Kofi Kingston, The Miz, and Sheamus in a movie about an aspiring 11-year-old wrestler who discovers a magical mask.
Other family titles include The Willoughbys, which is an animated comedy with a cast that features Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids), and The Office creator Ricky Gervais. Anyone who saw Netflix’s last animated movie, the Oscar-nominated Klaus, knows that the bar has been set high for the company’s animated output, so hopefully this will be just as good. Another must-see release is Middleditch & Schwartz, which sees two of TV’s most talented comedy actors team up. Silicon Valley’s Thomas Middleditch and Parks and Recreation’s Ben Schwartz appear in this entirely improvised three-part special, based on their popular live show.
There are also some great movies hitting Netflix too. The fourth Matrix film is set for release next year, so get ready for that, you can check out the previous three movies in the hugely successful sci-fi series. Admittedly, the original Matrix is way better than the next two, Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions. But for those viewers who haven’t seen them since 2003, this is a perfect opportunity to revisit them.
Another ’90s sci-fi movie getting a new version next year is Mortal Kombat. While the history of video game adaptations isn’t exactly filled with good movies, the 1992 version of the classic game is actually one of the better examples, as it sensibly avoids a lot of plot and sticks to the fighting.
Below, you’ll find everything coming to Netflix for the month of April, as well as what’s leaving the service. If you’re interested in more streaming service news, check out what’s coming to Hulu and Disney+ for the month of April as well.
What’s coming to Netflix in April?
April 1
David Batra: Elefanten I Rummet
How to Fix a Drug Scandal
Nailed It!: Season 4
Sunderland ‘Til I Die: Season 2
The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show
40 Days and 40 Nights
Bloodsport
Cadillac Records
Can’t Hardly Wait
Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke
Community: Season 1-6
Deep Impact
God’s Not Dead
Just Friends
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Kim’s Convenience: Season 4
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 4
Minority Report
Molly’s Game
Mortal Kombat
Mud
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: S3: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends
Promised Land
Road to Perdition
Salt
School Daze
Sherlock Holmes
Soul Plane
Sunrise in Heaven
Taxi Driver
The Death of Stalin
The Girl with All the Gifts
The Hangover
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Roommate
The Runaways
The Social Network
Wildling
April 2
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll
April 3
Coffee & Kareem
La casa de papel: Part 4
Money Heist: The Phenomenon
Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy
StarBeam
April 4
Angel Has Fallen
April 5
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
April 6
The Big Show Show
April 7
Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020: Part 3
April 9
Hi Score Girl: Season 2
April 10
Brews Brothers
LA Originals
La vie scolaire
Love Wedding Repeat
The Main Event
Tigertail
April 14
Chris D’Elia: No Pain
The Innocence Files
Outer Banks
April 16
Despicable Me
Fary: Hexagone: Season 2
Fauda: Season 3
Hail, Caesar!
Mauricio Meirelles: Levando o Caos
Jem and the Holograms
April 17
Betonrausch
#blackAF
Earth and Blood (La terre et le sang)
The Last Kids on Earth: Book 2
Legado en los huesos
Sergio
Too Hot to Handle
April 18
The Green Hornet
April 20
Cooked with Cannabis
The Midnight Gospel
The Vatican Tapes
April 21
Bleach: The Assault
Bleach: The Bount
Middleditch & Schwartz
April 22
Absurd Planet
Circus of Books
El silencio del pantano
The Willoughbys
April 23
The House of Flowers : Season 3
April 24
After Life: Season 2
Extraction
Hello Ninja: Season 2
Yours Sincerely, Kanan Gill
April 25
The Artist
Django Unchained
April 26
The Last Kingdom: Season 4
April 27
Battle: Los Angeles
Never Have I Ever
April 29
A Secret Love
Extracurricular
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story
Nadiya’s Time to Eat
Summertime
April 30
Dangerous Lies
Drifting Dragons
The Forest of Love: Deep Cut
Rich in Love (Ricos de Amor)
The Victims’ Game
Leaving Netflix in April
April 4
American Odyssey: Season 1
April 8
April 15
April 16
Lost Girl: Season 1-5
April 17
Big Fat Liar
April 19
The Longest Yard
April 24
The Ugly Truth
April 29
National Treasure
April 30
A Cinderella Story
A Little Princess
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
The Craft
Crash
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The Dirty Dozen
Dirty Harry
Driving Miss Daisy
Friday the 13th
Good Burger
GoodFellas
The Hangover
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Police Academy
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
Police Academy 3: Back in TrainingPolice Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
The Last of Us: Part 2 co-director Kurt Margenau is hard at work finishing the PS4 exclusive, but he already has his sights on the PlayStation 5. According to the developer, its SSD will make for a massive jump in game design possibilities.
Writing on Twitter, Margenau said the leap between PS4 and PS5 is the biggest of his career, and first-party developers who can work solely on the PS5 will experience the most benefits. He also stressed that he was not teasing any particular PS5 project from Naughty Dog, as The Last of Us: Part 2 is the only upcoming game the studio has announced.
Still tripping about this #PS5 SSD spec. Like, people don’t even know how big of a leap in terms of game design can be made, especially for 1st party that doesn’t have to design to lowest common denominator. By far the biggest leap in my career. Can’t wait.
The PS5 uses a custom 825 GB SSD, and it can be expanded with the NVMe SSD slot on the console. The internal storage is significantly faster than the PS4’s HDD, offering loading times a fraction as long as the older system. With a larger push toward seamless worlds and immersion, that could be very important for Naughty Dog’s games.
The Last of Us launched for PS3 back in 2013 and released for PS4 the following year as The Last of Us: Remastered. Nothing like this has been announced for its sequel, but we wouldn’t be surprised if an enhanced port came to PS5 once the system launches. The PS5 was fully detailed on March 18 in a video presentation that focused on its technical specifications.
The PS5 will launch this holiday season, and its launch lineup isn’t clear yet. We’ll likely learn more as we get closer to its release date, as Sony tends to have at least one or two first-party games release alongside its new consoles.
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The waiting game for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is just about over. The long-anticipated, much-needed island getaway arrives on Nintendo Switch tomorrow, March 20. For the past couple of months, we’ve been rounding up all of the Animal Crossing merch you can buy, from Switch carrying cases and controllers to plushies and Amiibo. One of the best New Horizons-themed accessories are Controller Gear’s console skins, which give your Switch or Switch Lite an adorable Animal Crossing look. Controller Gear recently added more officially licensed Animal Crossing products to its lineup, including an ultra-cute water bottle and journal. Check out Controller Gear’s fresh New Horizons merch below.
This water bottle keeps your drinks cold/warm and looks adorable
This teal water bottle featuring the faces of Animal Crossing villagers popped up on Amazon the other day for $20. Then something strange happened. It climbed in price by hundreds and then thousands of dollars, eventually eclipsing $13,000 overnight. It was obviously a mistake. The water bottle is no longer available on Amazon, but you can still pre-order it directly from Controller Gear for the real $20 price. A shipping date isn’t shown on the site, but Amazon orders were supposed to ship in mid-April. The stainless steel bottle holds 17 ounces of liquid.
Animal Crossing journal | $13
Comes with a 2020 calendar and blank journal pages to record your island getaway scribblings
Target’s online pre-order bonus for New Horizons, an adorable Animal Crossing journal, has sold out. But Controller Gear has an officially licensed journal of its own for $13 that uses the same print featured on the water bottle. It includes a 2020 calendar and lined pages with a silhouette of Animal Crossing’s leaf emblem in the background.
Isabelle “Dad hat” | $15
This may be a “dad hat,” but it’s perfect for everyone
Some call this style of hat a “Dad hat,” a simplistic cap with little flair and a relaxed fit. But this hat features Isabelle’s smiling face, so we’d say it’s anything but plain. The 100% cotton fiber one-size-fits-all hat has a metal sliding buckle to adjust the fit. It’s available to pre-order for $15 at Controller Gear. It was briefly available at the same price at Amazon, but Amazon’s price has risen to $22. It releases April 15.
Tom Nook beanie | $13
Tom Nook looking extremely happy
This Tom Nook beanie captures my favorite Tom Nook look: unamused. Plus, unlike some of his housing upgrades, it doesn’t cost very many Bells. You can pre-order the one-size-fits-all–unless your head is really big or really small–beanie for $13 at Controller Gear.
Switch case ($25), Switch Lite case ($13)
Each case comes with quilted graphic
Controller Gear has an Animal Crossing case for both the Switch and Switch Lite available to pre-order. The Switch case is hard shell and comes with two Animal Crossing patch skins. It’s a pretty hefty case, as it can store up to four Joy-Con controllers, a power adapter, 12 game carts, and a pair of microSD cards. The Switch case costs $25. The Switch Lite case is $13 and has a quilted, soft design. It’s designed to just carry the console.
Animal Crossing socks (3-pack) | $13
Three pairs of cute and snuggly long socks to keep your feet warm
This 3-pack of Animal Crossing Crossing long socks fit shoe sizes 6-10 (men’s) and are made of 98% polyester and 2% spandex.
Animal Crossing keychain and lapel pin set
Now you can put four Animal Crossing lapel pins on your backpack
You can grab an adorable lapel pin set from Controller Gear for $13. It comes with four pins: Tom Nook, K.K. Slider, the leaf emblem, and the New Horizons logo. The Tom Nook pin design is also available as a keychain for $7.
Tech decals | $10
Make all of your tech Animal Crossing-themed
Controller Gear’s premium tech decals are great for laptops, phones, tablets, and other tech. The decals are scratch resistant and do not leave residue. There are two Animal Crossing decal collections to pick up. Though each features the same set of characters, one has a full-color look while the other is more subdued. You can grab the sheets for $10 each at Amazon.
Nintendo Switch console skins | $20
There are three Switch console skin designs to choose from
We mentioned them earlier, but these Animal Crossing console skins are so cute that we have to include them here. For the Switch, you can choose between three designs, each of which features Tom Nook and the Nooklings. The skins cover the Joy-Con, back console panel, dock, and Joy-Con grip. You also get a screen protector. Switch console skins are available now for $20 at Amazon.
Nintendo Switch Lite console skins | $10
There are three Switch Lite console skin designs to choose from
Switch Lite owners aren’t left out of the console skin party, and the designs are more varied. You can opt for a Timmy and Tommy Nook design, an outdoor pattern print with a bunch of characters, or a clean Woodtone style. Each skin costs $10 and is available at Amazon.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is only a few days away, but Amazon has decided to give us all a bit of a shock by discounting the first-party Nintendo Switch game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is currently $49.94 on Amazon right now, so if you want to get the game this Friday at a discount, you’ll want to pre-order it now.
Thankfully, those who’ve already pre-ordered Animal Crossing: New Horizons won’t have to worry about doing anything. Amazon pre-orders carry the company’s price guarantee, which means you’ll get the item’s lowest price between the time you order and the time it ships.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases for Nintendo Switch on March 20. In GameSpot’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons review-in-progress, reviews editor Kallie Plagge called it a beautiful game with cute villagers, though she worries the pace is a little too slow.
“New Horizons certainly has a slower pace than other Animal Crossing games, partially because you have to work to get things up and running on the island at the start,” she wrote. “And while I’m impatient to discover what upgrades might be coming my way (and I need to mess around with Island Designer more), I still feel as though I’ve done a lot on my island. I’ve crafted tons of furniture, upgraded my house seven times, picked thousands of weeds, and done far too many drastic outfit changes. I’m as excited to see what random events await me each morning as I am to decorate my island and make it my own, and that’s sure to keep me coming back for the foreseeable future.”
Of course, GameSpot will keep you updated as we continue to play the game and complete our review. In the meantime, check out our Animal Crossing: New Horizons pre-order guide and see what goodies are still available.
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