Nintendo Switch Online’s Free SNES/NES Games For December Now Available

December’s free NES and SNES games for the Switch Online service are now available. This marks the first new batch of legacy titles to arrive since September, after Nintendo announced that additional titles would be released less frequently, and it brings six more classics to play–four for SNES and two for NES.

Joining the SNES library this week are Super Punch-Out, Kirby Super Star, Breath of Fire II, and Star Fox 2. The last one in particular is notable because of its history; despite being completed for the SNES, the game would go unreleased for more than 20 years until it was included as part of the SNES Classic mini console.

This month’s NES titles, meanwhile, are the classic action-RPG Crystalis and the run-and-gun game Journey to Silius. You can take a look at each of the new Switch Online games in the trailer below.

The NES and SNES libraries are exclusive perks for Switch Online members. Subscriptions are available for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Nintendo also offers an annual Family Membership, which costs US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts, even on different Switch systems.

Other benefits for subscribing include the ability to play online, access to cloud saves, and exclusive offers like the Switch NES controllers, which are currently on sale for 50% off from Nintendo’s online store. Switch Online members can also download and play Tetris 99 for free. That game recently received a new update that adds a Team Battle mode and more.

December 2019 Nintendo Switch Online Game Update

SNES

  • Breath of Fire II
  • Kirby Super Star
  • Star Fox 2
  • Super Punch-Out

NES

  • Crystalis
  • Journey to Silius

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Teases New Game Awards Trailer

The Final Fantasy VII Remake is due out next spring, and Square Enix will show off another fresh look at tonight’s Game Awards. In a tease issued on Twitter, the official account promised a new trailer that will focus on the main story character, Cloud Strife.

As the tweet acknowledges, Cloud is well-known among fans of the classic RPG, since he’s the character that most of the story revolves around. But it’s been more than 20 years since the original release of FF7 on the very first PlayStation, so Square Enix appears to be looking to capture a new generation with this remake as well.

We recently learned that the FF7 remake is a timed exclusive on PS4, though other platforms haven’t been officially announced. It will pay homage to the classic with an option that makes it more closely resemble the turn-based original, though the active combat that we’ve seen in previous trailers has its own ways of adapting those mechanics for modern times.

The Game Awards will begin at 5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM ET. This year the award show is also introducing a “Game Festival” promotion through Steam that will let you try limited-time demos of some featured games.

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Games and Accessories for Your New Oculus Quest

David Benioff And D.B. Weiss Reveal Their First Post-Game Of Thrones Project

The first post-Game of Thrones project from D.B. Weiss and David Benioff has come to light. The pair are working on an untitled thriller based in part on Lovecraft, according to a report from Deadline.

According to the report, “The movie asks a horrifying question: what if H.P. Lovecraft wasn’t making it up? What if the monsters he created are real? Also, the movie will be set in 1920 within the Cthulhu mythos.”

Benioff and Weiss will direct the movie for Warner Bros., with Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi writing the script. They previously wrote the scripts for Aeon Flux and Ride Along.

Benioff and Weiss signed a lucrative deal with Netflix in August to create exclusive TV shows and movies for the streaming network. Their busy schedule at Netflix was part of the reason why the pair dropped out of the new Star Wars trilogy at Disney. Their deal with Warner Bros. was reportedly in the works before they signed with Netflix.

Game of Thrones wrapped up its eight-season run earlier this year with a particularly divisive final season. The show was immensely popular until the end, with the series finale setting a viewership record for the fantasy program.

It sounds like it’s still very early days for the Lovecraft movie from Weiss and Benioff. There is no word yet on a cast or a production start-date. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.

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No Half-Life: Alyx News At The Game Awards Tonight

There won’t be any news about Half-Life: Alyx during The Game Awards. Valve announced on Twitter that the development team is staying heads down for now, but the company will share more details on the virtual reality title in 2020.

“We’re sorry to say Half-Life: Alyx won’t be shown at The Game Awards tonight,” Valve said. “The team is hard at work on the game, and we’re excited to show you more in the new year as we approach the March release!”

Half-Life: Alyx, the first new Half-Life title in years, is exclusive to virtual reality. It takes place before the events of Half-Life 2, and has players controlling Alyx Vance. The game is set to launch in March 2020, and it supports all PC-compatible VR headsets.

While there won’t be any news about Half-Life: Alyx, The Game Awards are expected to bring at least 10 game announcements or reveals. In terms of what we know will be announced, League of Legends developer Riot’s publishing division, Riot Forge, will reveal a new game. Additionally, former Arkane bosses Raphael Colantonio and Julien Roby are announcing their first game at their new studio, Wolfeye.

Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Google, Warner Bros., Ubisoft, Valve, Rockstar, and Activision are all partners for the event, though this doesn’t necessarily guarantee new projects from these companies will be announced at the show.

The Game Awards begin at 5:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM CST / 8:30 PM ET on December 12 (and 1:30 AM BST / 12:30 PM AEST and on December 13) and can be streamed here on GameSpot and on Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, and elsewhere.

In addition to the reveals, the show will hand out awards across numerous categories leading up to the overall Game of the Year at the end of the night. For more, check out this roundup of all the categories and nominees for the 2019 Game Awards.

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Castle Rock: Season 2 Review

Warning: The following review contains full spoilers for Castle Rock: Season 2.

While Castle Rock’s first season was ambitious in its own right, bringing us into a mixtape world of Stephen King — filled with a few notable book characters, locations, and an avalanche of Easter eggs — Season 2 is downright admirable insanity.

And where Season 1 gave us an original tale involving a mysterious young man (Bill Skarsgård) who had to be caged/protected lest calamity continue to fall on the community, Season 2 notably blended two famous King books (one of which became an award-winning movie): Salem’s Lot and Misery.

Continue reading…

Watch Deals: Save Up To $400 on Citizen Watches

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Right now Amazon is having a powerful sale on classy Citizen watches, so you can keep track of the time, look good, and save some serious cash while you’re doing it, and you can find lots more styles on sale here.

Best Deal: Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive Navihawk Atomic Timekeeping Watch for $209

Lord Of The Rings TV Show Loses Will Poulter

Amazon’s big-budget and highly anticipated Lord of the Rings TV show has lost one of its top-billed actors. Variety reports that Will Poulter is leaving the project due to scheduling conflicts. Amazon never confirmed reports that Poulter–who starred in The Maze Runner series, Bandersnatch, and Midsommar–had joined the show in the first place.

However, it was widely reported that Poulter was among the first cast members to sign on for the project. Variety reports that Amazon is now looking for his replacement. It is unknown what role he was playing on the Amazon TV show.

Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Maxim Baldry, and Ema Horvath are also reportedly signed on for roles on the show, though, again, Amazon has said nothing official as of yet.

The new Lord of the Rings show is being written by JD Payne and Patrick McKay, with former Game of Thrones series producer Bryan Cogman also contributing to the program. Jurassic World: Forbidden Kingdom director JA Bayona is set to direct the first two episodes of Season 1, which is filming in New Zealand. In November, Amazon announced that the untitled show was renewed for a second season.

Plot details for the show are being kept under wraps, but Amazon has confirmed it is set in the Second Age, which is the multiple thousand year period that covered major events like the forging of the Rings of Power, including the One Ring. It also covers the War of Sauron, the beginning of the Ringwraiths, and when the island Numenor sank into the ocean. The Second Age was also when the Elven city of Rivendell was developed, and when the first battle where men, elves, and dwarves fought together for the first time against Sauron.

In other news, a new Lord of the Rings video game focused on Gollum is in development at Daedalic Entertainment, while a new Lord of the Rings MMO Is coming from Amazon.

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