Author: Trafficblast

Following hot on the heels of its Switch Lite announcement, Nintendo has announced another new piece of Switch hardware. This one isn’t noticeably different, though, as it’s instead intended as a replacement for the existing models. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some advantages of its own, though, so read on for more on this Switch revision.

What is this new Nintendo Switch?

In short, this is a hardware revision to the standard model of Nintendo Switch. It is intended to replace the current stock of Nintendo Switch consoles, which means it doesn’t sport significant feature changes or a different form factor. Unless you know exactly what to look for, you probably wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference. The one major change is an invisible one: it sports a significantly longer battery life.

When will the new Nintendo Switch release?

The new Nintendo Switch will release in mid-August in the United States. A more specific release date has not been disclosed.

Is this the rumored “Switch Pro”?

For months, rumors have circulated that Nintendo was working on two models of hardware revisions to the Nintendo Switch: a stripped-down and budget-priced version, and an upgraded model for power users. The portable-only Switch Lite is the first, which raises the question of whether this is the second.

Simply put, we don’t know for sure. The rumors were based on leaks about hardware revisions, but Nintendo did file for FCC permission to make changes to the Nintendo Switch. That cited changes to internal components which could impact battery life, and this appears to be the culmination of that. Nintendo did say that the Switch Lite is the only new Switch coming this year, so it’s possible that a Switch Pro could still be on the way next year.

How long is the battery life?

The launch model of the Nintendo Switch promises 2.5-6.5 hours of battery life, while the new revised version is significantly longer at 4.5-9 hours. As with the previous model, more hardware-intensive games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild drain the battery faster, and therefore come in closer to the shorter battery estimates.

Has anything else changed?

We won’t be able to say for certain until it’s out in the wild and can be tested firsthand, but based on Nintendo’s system specs it appears the only difference is the battery life.

How much will it cost?

This is a hardware revision meant to replace the old model of Nintendo Switch, so the suggested retail price will remain the same. That means it will cost $299.99 (US).

How can I tell the models apart?

If you’re planning to pick up the revised Nintendo Switch to take advantage of the better battery life, you may need to know how to tell the difference between the models to make sure you get the right one. The easiest way to tell is the packaging. The launch model packaging features a picture of the Nintendo Switch console against a white background with the TV on the left side. The revised model packaging instead features a red background with the TV on the right side. You can compare the two models’ boxes below.

Alternately, you could refer to the system serial number to tell the difference. The launch model serial numbers start with “XAW” while the revised model starts with “XKW.” The serial number can be found on the bottom of the Nintendo Switch, near the input for the AC adapter.

It’s strange to think that there was a time when the key roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hadn’t yet been cast. Actors such as Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Hemsworth seem so perfect for their roles that it’s hard to think of other actors who could play them as well. But of course, these iconic roles were not just handed to these now world-famous actors. A new video has been released that shows footage of Downey Jr’s screentest for Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man.

The video can be found as part of the bonus content on the upcoming digital release of Avengers: Endgame. In the clip, Iron Man director Jon Favreau states that Downey Jr. was already an acclaimed actor, but alludes to the fact that the movies he was best known for at that stage were not huge blockbusters. So Downey Jr had to audition for the role–and the rest is history. Check out the video below, via Fandango:

Avengers: Endgame releases digitally in July 30 and on Blu-ray on August 13. Other bonus content includes an audio commentary from directors Anthony and Joe Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, six deleted scenes, and a gag reel. The digital edition also includes a featurette that explores Steve Rogers’ controversial decision at the end of the movie. Check out full details of the Avengers: Endgame home release here.

Earlier this week it was reported that Endgame is very close to becoming the most successful movie of all time. James Cameron’s Avatar has held that record for nearly a decade, with a $2.78 billion gross. But Endgame has made $2.788 billion at the worldwide box office since its release in April, and is now just $7.16 million away from claiming the record.

Marvel returns to San Diego Comic-Con this week. The studio was absent from the convention in 2018, but will feature prominently this year. The big Marvel event takes place in Hall H on Saturday night. It is described as an “an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe,” will feature Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, plus “surprise panelists.” While details are currently underwraps, it is thought likely that news of the studio’s future release slate, which potentially includes movies such as Black Widow and The Eternals, will finally be revealed. SDCC also marks the first stop on the Russo Brothers’ We Love You 3000 promotional tour.

For more on Marvel at Comic-Con, check out GameSpot’s guide to all the Marvel panels and events at SDCC so far.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite may be out now, but that hasn’t slowed Niantic’s support for Pokemon Go. The studio has rolled out another new update for the game that completely overalls its appraisal system, making it much easier to see how your Pokemon’s stats measure up. That’s not all, however; after numerous teases, it appears Team Rocket will also begin invading Pokemon Go soon.

According to the latest patch notes, the new update adds Team Rocket to Pokemon Go. While the villainous team hasn’t begun appearing in the game yet, it seems players will be able to challenge Team Rocket grunts in battle. On top of that, players will have a chance to catch Shadow Pokemon that are abandoned by the Rocket grunts.

Shadow Pokemon aren’t an entirely new concept in the series. GameCube’s Pokemon Colosseum and its follow-up, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, both featured Shadow Pokemon, which were denoted by a dark aura swirling around them. In those games, players needed to rescue the Shadow Pokemon from villains and then gradually “purify” them by using them in battle. It’s unclear if Pokemon Go’s Shadow Pokemon will work the same way, but the concept certainly sounds similar.

In addition to Team Rocket, the new Pokemon Go update overhauls the game’s appraisal tool. Now when you appraise a Pokemon, you’ll see a clear overview of the monster’s Attack, Defense, and HP stats, with a one- to three-star rating signifying its overall potential. You can see the full patch notes for the update below or on the App Store.

Pokemon Go’s next Community Day event takes place this Sunday, July 21. This month, the featured Pokemon will be Mudkip, one of the three starters from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. A One Piece crossover event is also happening in the game beginning next week, which will give players a chance to catch a Pikachu wearing Luffy’s iconic straw hat. Finally, there’s still time to catch Armored Mewtwo in the game; the Legendary Pokemon will appear in five-star Raids until July 31.

Pokemon Go Version 1.117.0 (iOS) Patch Notes

Here’s what can you expect in this release.

• New Challenges: Take on Team GO Rocket Grunts in battle!
• Shadow Pokemon: Catch the mysterious Shadow Pokemon Team GO Rocket Grunts leave behind! Is there a way to help these Pokemon?
• New Appraisal Tool: You can now learn even more about your Pokémon when appraising them.
• Battle Minigames: Charged Attack gameplay includes new minigames.”

A plane full of lucky passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight got more than a bag of pretzels on their trip to San Diego. They received a free Nintendo Switch system and a copy of the recently released Super Mario Maker 2, perfect for staying occupied while hurtling above the earth in a metal tube.

The first indication of the giveaway came from Nicholas Friedman, a social media manager at Funimation, who posted about it on Twitter. GameSpot confirmed the giveaway with Southwest Airlines, which said it partnered with Nintendo for the promotion. An image shared by Friedman shows a voucher, which he said could be redeemed for the system and game when the passengers land.

This isn’t Nintendo’s first cross-promotion with Southwest. The airline also gave away Wii U consoles, and the original Super Mario Maker added a special airline-inspired course, complete with a special costume to unlock.

The Southwest promotion was well-timed. It came just as Nintendo made a flurry of other announcements regarding upcoming hardware and software. A revised Nintendo Switch with better battery life is coming in mid-August in the U.S., new Joy-Con colors were announced, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 got a holiday release date. Plus this is all coming shortly after the announcement of the portable-only Switch Lite.

July’s free NES games are now available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. This month sees two more titles join the system’s slowly expanding NES library, along with a special version of a previously added game and a handy new feature.

The new additions this time are Donkey Kong 3 and Wrecking Crew. Nintendo has also added a special save state of Mighty Bomb Jack, which joined the service back in November 2018. This version starts you off in the final zone, with the conditions to see the best of the game’s four possible endings already met.

On top of the new titles, Nintendo has added a “rewind” feature to the NES library. As the tweet above demonstrates, this can be activated by holding the ZL and ZR buttons, and it allows you to go back a few seconds and try again if you mess up. The rewind feature can be used with every NES game in the library, and it should prove to be useful for some of the service’s more difficult titles like Ghost ‘n Goblins or Ninja Gaiden.

The NES library is only available to those who subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online service. It features more than 40 classic games, including Super Mario Bros. 3 and Punch-Out, with additional titles being added on a monthly basis. Other perks for subscribing include the ability to play online with others, cloud save backups, and some exclusive offers, such as the Nintendo Switch voucher program and Tetris 99, which is free to download and play for subscribers.

Individual Nintendo Switch Onlien subscriptions run 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 runs for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts across multiple systems.

The final piece of major story-driven DLC for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is out today. Judgement of Atlantis is the third and final episode in Odyssey’s The Fate Of Atlantis DLC, the second story expansion for the Assassin’s Creed game.

Judgement of Atlantis takes place in the underwater city and sees Kassandra/Alexios aid Poseidon. Of every Assassin’s Creed game, comic, and animation to date, Judgement of Atlantis is seemingly the most lore-driven when it comes to the characters that drive the overarching plot of the franchise: the Isu. Also referred to as “those who came before,” the Isu have largely remained a mystery in Assassin’s Creed, despite being one of the most important groups in the franchise since 2009’s Assassin’s Creed II. The previous episodes of The Fate Of Atlantis dealt with Persephone and Hades, but primarily handled the Isu as the god-like beings they’ve always been portrayed as. Judgement of Atlantis dives deeper into the lore behind these figures, revealing their almost human-like history, beliefs, and customs.

Instead of returning to an annual release schedule, Assassin’s Creed took a break after the release of Odyssey in 2018 and scheduled a series of episodic story-driven DLC to primarily release in 2019. Odyssey’s main campaign is broken into three separate storylines, and the two DLC expansions add additional context to two of them. Legacy Of The First Blade takes place within Odyssey’s “Hunt The Cult Of Kosmos” storyline and reveals how those events connect to 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins. The Fate Of Atlantis occurs after the “Between Two Worlds” storyline and further explains the Isu’s involvement in the Assassin and Templar conflict.

With Odyssey’s story now officially concluded with the release of Judgement of Atlantis, we can begin to look forward to Ubisoft’s next game in the franchise. Clues in The Division 2 seem to imply 2020’s Assassin’s Creed game will take place in a Viking setting. If true, the game would discount the 2016 leak/rumor that Ubisoft had planned a trilogy of games to take place in Egypt, Greece, and Rome (though getting two out of three isn’t all that bad). Vikings do make sense for topping off this latest trilogy though. Origins and Odyssey are not traditional Assassin’s Creed games in terms of combat and world-building, but both have acted as origin stories for the Assassin and Templar conflict. The Age of Vikings takes place just before the events of the original Assassin’s Creed, so a game in that setting could act as the final piece of the mystery as to how the two groups ultimately formed.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The game will be included in Ubisoft’s upcoming game-focused subscription service, Uplay+, along with the other 17 mainline Assassin’s Creed games. Exclusive to PC, Uplay+ is scheduled to launch on September 3 with over 100 games.

Nintendo announced a revised Nintendo Switch model sporting better battery life, but that wasn’t the only new piece of hardware it had to reveal. The company also announced two new sets of colors for its Joy-Con controllers: Blue with Neon Yellow, and Purple with Neon Orange.

As usual with Joy-Con sets, the colors pairings represent the left and right Joy-Cons, respectively. Each package will cost $80 at launch, and they’ll be available starting October 4 in the United States. Other Joy-Con colors include Gray, Neon Pink, and Neon Green, and the removable nature of the controllers means they can be mixed and matched. Nintendo has not announced if they’ll be for sale individually, as it offers for some colors.

Nintendo also announced a new model of Nintendo Switch, which boasts up to 9 hours of battery life as compared to 6.5 with the launch model. Other than that improvement, though, it appears identical to the old version, so you may want to read up on how to tell the difference. The revised models will launch in mid-August in the U.S.

A much bigger change to the Switch hardware is represented by the Switch Lite, a smaller and budget-priced version of the hardware that removes the docking functionality to be a portable-only system. That version has its controllers permanently affixed to the body of the console, unlike the standard Switch. However, you could still use separate Joy-Cons for local multiplayer games.

See Blue/Neon Yellow Joy-Cons at Best Buy

See Purple/Neon Orange Joy-Cons at Best Buy

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