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Rather than setting the world alight like the fireworks above the Mushroom Kingdom, Nintendo’s underperforming Wii U console ultimately went up in the smoke of a Mushroom cloud. However, it at least attempted to get off on the right foot by launching in 2012 with a high quality 2D Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. U. Here’s what we thought at the time:
“Though
doesn’t necessarily redefine Nintendo’s iconic hero, it still manages to capture the sense of carefree adventure that many of us felt as kids. More importantly, the game contains a significant amount of challenge, both within its story mode and outside of it. This game has clearly been designed by a team that regards Super Mario World with as much affection as those of us who grew up with it. Were it not for the game’s weak graphics and audio, plus the return of the irritating chaotic, bouncy multiplayer mode, this game might rival some of Nintendo’s better 2D accomplishments.”
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Of all the New Super Mario Bros. games, beginning with the 2006 DS title, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is probably the one least deserving of the “New” moniker. It is, after all, a Switch remaster of the Wii U launch title, and although some new features and the New Super Luigi U expansion are included in this capable repackaging of an already great game, it’s getting tougher to justify calling this series New with each passing entry.
There’s no doubt the formula works; the 2D Marios continue to boast the best platforming of any game series, with accessible controls and inventive obstacles complementing the best-feeling jump in video games. And as with the Wii U version, NSMBU is inventive from start to finish, with the mid-game Soda Jungle world being one of the best Mario environments ever. However, we’ve done all this before, haven’t we? You start off with a grassy world, then a desert one, then a snowy one, then a water one, repeat ad infinitum.
Once upon a time I found this repetition comforting. But U Deluxe is a victim of its 3D cousins’ success: It now exists on the same console as Super Mario Odyssey, which is possibly the finest 3D platformer ever made. By comparison, NSMBU Deluxe feels a little… ordinary. By the numbers. Safe. Where Odyssey confidently transported us to fresh worlds filled with moons and stars and dinosaurs an uncanny valley New York, NSMBU suffers from a lack of originality.
That’s not to say it’s boring–no, not by any stretch. Within the restraints of a New Super Mario Bros. game, Nintendo does a wonderful job of thinking up new enemies and hurdles for you to overcome, with each level offering a new electrifying critter, weight-limited transport or water-filled safety net. Latter worlds plateau at a satisfying level of difficulty that never becomes frustrating but still gives you a rush when you succeed, while star coins remain available to collect for those who want an extra challenge. Ghost houses can still absolutely get lost, though.
The Switch remaster also adds a new item, the super crown, which transforms Toadette into a version of Peach with special powers. She can double jump, for instance, as well as use her trademark dress to float downwards. Other characters, however, cannot use the super crown, which, as well as denying the internet the Bowsette it so dearly desires, is a strange exclusion. Toadette is denoted as “easy” in the main menu, where Mario, Luigi, and Toad are normal difficulty and Nabbit is “very easy.” You can change characters outside of any level throughout the game, but it strikes me as an odd choice–why keep Peach’s powers isolated to one difficulty level?
Once you inevitably defeat Bowser–spoilers!–a post-game opens up, offering super-hard levels only unlocked for those who collect every star coin throughout each of the game’s eight worlds. From the start you can also access special challenges, such as dodging fireballs for a certain amount of time or triple-jumping to coin glory, as well as the aforementioned New Super Luigi U. The Luigi-led expansion remixes each level from the main game to be shorter but harder, and Luigi himself changes to have a higher jump but slower–and thus trickier–reaction times. NSLU is the most substantial mode outside of the main game, and it’s thankfully unlocked from the start for those seeking a challenge.
Despite its aging formula, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is still a great entry in the series, with its typically tight platforming and both accessibility and depth to spare. While it can feel a bit stale for those who have been round the Mushroom Kingdom one too many times before, Deluxe is well worth playing, especially if you didn’t get a chance to play NSMBU on Wii U.
It’s finally happening. Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks officially announced they were launching their own wrestling company–All Elite Wrestling–on January 1. Now, after an AEW rally held in Jacksonville, Florida, those involved with the new company have shared many more details, including several names that will make up the roster of the show.
The biggest announcement was the signing of four-time WWE World Champion Chris Jericho, who proclaimed he’s “all in on All Elite Wrestling.” Jericho, who most recently appeared at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 on January 4, was last seen on WWE programming in April 2018 during the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
Joining Jericho on the AEW is another former WWE superstar, Pac, who wrestled for the company as Neville. The two-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion interrupted “Hangman” Adam Page during the rally, leading to the two arguing over who will be the first All Elite Wrestling World Champion. Pac was with WWE between 2012 and 2017.
The rest of the roster is made up of some of the biggest names in independent wrestling. Beyond Cody, Page, and the Young Bucks, All Elite has signed “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela, Penelope Ford, Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, Christopher Daniels, Dr. Britt Baker DMD, and Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Interestingly, it was announced that not only would AEW have a women’s division when it launched, but that female talent would be paid on a scale equal to what male talent is paid.
At this point, there’s no word on whether Kenny Omega will join his friends in The Elite as part of AEW. He and “The Villain” Marty Scurll are the only two members of The Elite that, as of now, are not officially tied to the new company.
As for the AEW’s first show, it was announced by Cody and The Bucks that the sequel to their All In event–Double or Nothing–will take place on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. That particular venue has a history of hosting professional wrestling as the home of WCW’s Halloween Havoc pay-per-view between 1996 and 2000, as well as many episodes of WCW Monday Nitro.
The arrival of AW comes at a very interesting time for professional wrestling. While WWE remains the undeniable leader in sports entertainment, independent wrestling is perhaps more popular than it’s ever been, with many indie wrestlers stating that it’s now possible to make a good living without signing to WWE–something that was unthinkable at one point. Now with Ring of Honor and NJPW running a show together at Madison Square Garden, the longtime “home arena” of WWE, and AEW heading to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the wrestling landscape is definitely changing.
There will be no new mainline Assassin’s Creed game coming out in 2019, and as such, Ubisoft is supporting Assassin’s Creed Odyssey with heaps of extra content to keep players busy and coming back. Now, Ubisoft has revealed what’s coming to the game in January–and it’s a lot.
Starting off, the second episode of the Legacy of the First Blade DLC, Shadow Heritage, will launch on January 15. In this new expansion, players will “investigate a blockade initiated by the Order of the Ancients around the port city in Achaia.”
The description goes on: “You’ll discover a group of stranded citizens whose lives are being threatened by a fierce naval commander, the Tempest, who is in charge of the blockade. Steal the Tempest’s top secret weapon, help the citizens escape, and destroy the blockade once and for all…with your ship! An epic maritime battle awaits you at the Aegean Sea.”
To play Shadow Heritage, you need to finish the first episode, Hunted, complete the Naxos questline from chapter 7 of the main story, and hit level 28 or higher.
The Legacy of the First Blade DLC is paid, but Odyssey’s Lost Tales of Greece DLC is free, and it continues in January with the Daughters of Lalaia expansion. In the Daughters of Lalai content, you’ll travel to a village left defenseless after all the men left for battle. Players will train the townspeople to prepare them for “incoming danger.”
The other new Lost Tales of Greece content is called Poet’s Legacy, and it introduces players to Greece’s “most scandalous poet.”
“During this questline you’ll learn that she isn’t quite what she seems as you become increasingly involved in her risqué performances,” Ubisoft said.
Additionally, Odyssey is adding a new mythical creature, a cyclops named Bright One. Players who defeat the beast will get his weapon, the Hammer of Hephaistos. You can find the Bright One on Arges; this is a challenging quest, so Ubisoft recommends that you’re at least level 50 before facing off.
The new Athena gear
Additionally, Ubisoft Club members can bring Aya from Assassin’s Creed Origins to their ship in January, while a bunch of new items are coming to the game as well. The Dionysos Character Pack adds a new gear set, a big cow mount, and a “legendary dagger.” The Athena Pack is also on the way, and it adds some snazzy new gear; you can see it in the image embedded above.
In addition to all the new content, Ubisoft said it continues to work on more title updates for Odyssey that add new features. One of these is new Mercenary tiers–two more are coming to the game, and they should be extra challenging. Defeat them and you’ll earn “new benefits worthy of a demigod,” Ubisoft said. Additionally, a new vendor is coming to Odyssey that will allow players to view and purchase new engravings, upgrade them, and also perform the engravings themselves on gear you already own. The new shop, Hephaistos’s Workshop, is located int he Myson Cave in the Malis region.
Finally, Ubisoft is addressing enemy scaling. With the new title update on January 10, players can select an enemy-scaling system that suits their playstyle. The options (which aren’t available when in Nightmare difficulty mode) include:
In other news about Odyssey, the game is nominated for outstanding achievement in writing at the Writers Guild Awards.
Treyarch has released a Reddit post that details new updates for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. One update has already gone live, adding new featured Multiplayer playlists. The rest are scheduled throughout January and mostly patch Zombies and Blackout.
The January 8 update adds Endurance Chaos Moshpit to the Featured playlist. It also puts Mercenary Capture Moshpit, Mercenary Hardcore Moshpit, Deathmatch Moshpit, and Map Pack Moshpit into the Featured category.
Treyarch will add League Play to Black Ops 4 later this month. The new feature transforms competitive multiplayer into something more along the lines of what’s seen in professional matches with skill-based matchmaking putting participants into 50-player groupings. League Play events will typically last for three days, much like a tournament, with unranked scrimmage matches taking place in between each event for you to sharpen your skills.
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There are also scheduled plans for implementing new Zombies features and content as well. Gauntlets is launching first in Voyage of Despair sometime next week, and three new Elixirs are coming to the PS4 version of the game. Treyarch also teased new details about the major changes coming to Zombies mode this year will be shared next week during a “very Zombies-specific date.”
Also next week, Treyarch will release an update on consoles that makes it easier to loot in Blackout. You’ll be able click through your inventory, instead of having to move a pointer, and more easily select the item you want to pick up off the ground if you’re near multiple weapons and equipment.
All the changes that are currently live in Black Ops 4 are listed in the full patch notes below. Black Ops 4 is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.