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Super Rare Games has revealed the Super Rare Mixtape Vol. 1, a physical indie game collection including 30 games and 6 demos – and only 1,000 copies will ever be sold.

The Mixtape itself is a USB stick disguised as a cassette, and comes in a collector’s box along with a pretty manual explaining a little about every game contained in the collection. The tape comes with a custom launcher for every game and demo included (and you can see a full list at the end of this story). The Mixtape goes on sale on the Super Rare website from August 19, and will cost £28 (approximately $38 USD) plus taxes and shipping.

The Mixtape was created by Super Rare’s Ryan Brown, who has explained that the goal is to help preserve games from the indie, hobbyist development space, as well to as offer something of the thrill of ’90s and ’00s demo discs. Brown added: “It’s an incredible honour to have worked with so many talented developers to support them, preserve their games, and hopefully shine a spotlight on them to entirely new audiences.” With enough demand, Super Rare will go on to make further volumes.

As for the games included, it’s a very varied collection – including a mixture of genres, creators, and profiles of game. The likes of Emily Is Away are already well-known, but there are far smaller projects that you may have missed over the years, waiting to be discovered. Having received an early copy, it’s been extremely fun diving in and picking games at random to see what strangeness awaits inside (I’m looking at you, Tonsil Terror) – and I very much hope to see more down the line. You can check out the full list below:

Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

A new study has confirmed the discovery of two new species of dinosaurs in northwest China, which scientists say are some of the first vertebrates uncovered in the region.

The research, published in Nature’s Scientific Reports on Thursday, per CNN, is based on the analysis of fossils collected in Xinjiang and the Turpan-Hami Basin. Two of the fossil specimens were found to be from previously unknown species, named Silutitan sinensis (“silu” means “Silk Road” in Mandarin) and Hamititan xinjiangensis (a nod to the related region).

The “titan” part of their monikers refers to the massive size of the newly-discovered dinosaurs. Researchers estimate that the Silutitan species would have measured over 20 meters long, while the Hamititan specimen may have been as big as 17 meters long, making them both close in size to blue whales, which can grow to colossal lengths of 23-30 meters.

Both new species date back to the early Cretaceous period about 120-130 million years ago. They belong to the sauropod family, whose members are known for being large-bodied with characteristically long necks and tails. As per the study, apart from one pterosaur species and a theropod tooth, these dinosaurs are the first vertebrates reported in the region.

Researchers have discovered a number of new dinosaur fossils across the country in recent years, offering new insight into the diversity of the reptiles that once roamed East Asia, though the studies have also triggered some debates, including a discourse over the relationships between the species and their classifications, which is said to be ongoing.

For more dinosaur discoveries and developments, read about the complete skull of the smallest known dinosaur that was found preserved in amber, find out about the tyrannosaur species that scientists dubbed “Reaper of Death”, and take a look at another recent study that suggests mercury contamination occurred prior to dinosaur extinction.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Respect hits theaters on Aug. 13.

When Jennifer Hudson auditioned for Season 3 of American Idol, singing Aretha Franklin’s “Share Your Love With Me,” she had no idea that song choice would lead to her meeting the Queen of Soul herself. After Hudson was eliminated from the competition, Franklin personally tapped the young singer as her opening act, requested her vocal prowess at multiple tributes, and chose Hudson to portray the legend herself in a biopic. Now that Respect has finally hit the big screen, it’s not hard to see why Franklin saw Hudson as the perfect person to portray her story. The Oscar winner stuns with an almost identical vigor, attitude, and regality befitting a queen — so don’t be surprised if she nabs her second Academy Award for this.

Directed and written by Liesl Tommy (co-written with Tracey Scott Wilson, with the story by Callie Khouri), Respect has the subtle nuance, grace, and vulnerability that benefits greatly from a female vantage point. These women take us inside of Franklin’s most formative moments: from when she discovered her gift for singing as a child, to the unimaginable loss of her beloved mother, to the emotionally abusive spaces taken up by the most prominent male figures of her life, particularly her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker), and her longtime husband/collaborator, Ted White (Marlon Wayans). All of this plays out on the screen while Franklin battles her inner demons whenever her spirit was unable to handle all of the emotional turmoil.

This stellar cast doesn’t have one weak link, which shouldn’t be a surprise as it’s composed mostly of Tony winners and nominees, ranging from the spectacular Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin to Tituss Burgess as Reverend James Cleveland. The all-too-brief appearance by Mary J. Blige is laced with concern and off-color humor as she brings Dinah Washington to life with a wonderfully fierce energy. When Washington lays into an adoring Aretha for being shady while attempting to sing one of her tunes, quipping “church folks are some of the nastiest folks you will ever meet,” it rang true on multiple levels, and Blige’s delivery made me laugh out loud. Meanwhile, Marc Maron brings so many layers to his role as Jerry Wexler that you could swear you were watching the real thing. Tommy even makes a heartfelt and lovely appearance as an excited fan who praises Franklin for making music that resonated with her.

But the highlight, of course, is Hudson. As a former music industry publicist, I can tell you that Franklin did not suffer fools gladly. With a smile on her face and a soft-spoken charm, Franklin could cut you like a knife, and you wouldn’t even know you were bleeding. Hudson completely nails this balance, even down to her Mae West-esque sashay. It’s no doubt a lot of pressure to play the Queen of Soul and perform some of her greatest hits, but you wouldn’t know it by watching Hudson’s expert portrayal.

Gorgeous performances of songs like “Ain’t No Way” alongside Saycon Sengbloh and Hailey Kilgore, her rendition of “Precious Lord,” and of course that historic over 10-minute version of “Amazing Grace” are all enhanced by arrangements from Oscar-nominated composer Kris Bowers. In particular, “Precious Lord” took my breath away, placing me right back into the numerous homegoing services I attended as a child. Hudson’s vulnerability is endearing, as are those moments when she battles demons from time to time, making us realize that the crown she wore might have been a little too heavy.

All of this is brought to life by production designer Ina Mayhew, costume designer Clint Ramos, makeup department head Stevie Martin, and hair department head Lawrence Davis, who all exhibit a tasteful, exquisite attention to detail.

Having said all of that, Respect plays more like a musical than a biopic, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying every performance. Some sequences could’ve been a little shorter and at times, Hudson sounds more like herself than Franklin — but at the end of the day, there really is only one Queen of Soul. This film does exactly what the title suggests: it dutifully pays respect to one of the greatest artists of our time.

IGN can exclusively reveal a new clip for Cryptozoo, the fantastical animated film starring Lake Bell, Michael Cera, and Zoe Kazan that tells the story of cryptozookeepers journeying through a richly-drawn hallucinatory world to capture a legendary dream-eating hybrid creature known as a baku.

The clip, which you can see via the player above or the embed below, offers a look at the striking art style and animation featured in Cryptozoo and gives a glimpse of this elusive baku. The baku comes from Japanese folklore and art and is said to have been made from the spare pieces that were left over after God made all other animals. It also shows some of the dangers our heroes will face along their quest, including a Camoodi – a South American mega worm.

While the cast does contain humans, there are also other mythical characters such as a satyr and a blindfolded woman who has a striking resemblance to Medusa. The struggle in the movie, according to the official description, has to do with the team deciding if they should display these rare beasts in the confines of a zoo or if they should leave them to remain hidden and unknown.

Joining the previously mentioned cast are Louisa Krause, Peter Stormare, Thomas Jay Ryan, Grace Zabriskie, and Angeliki Papoulia. Cryptozoo is written and directed by Dash Shaw, and Jane Samborski is directing the stunning animation.

Cryptozoo will be released in theaters and on demand on August 20, 2021, and is produced by Kyle Martin, Jane Samborski, Bill Way, and Tyler Davidson. You can see the film’s official poster below:

Director Dash Shaw won the NEXT Innovator Prize presented by Adobe at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival for his work on Cryptozoo.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Ahead of the highly anticipated third season of What We Do in the Shadows, the show has been renewed for a fourth season on FX.

The announcement was made by FX executive, Nick Grad. “Fans can’t seem to get enough of What We Do in the Shadows and FX is ready to feed that appetite by setting up the series for a fourth season,” said Grad. “Our thanks to the extraordinary job by the creative team, cast, and crew who keep making a great show better each season.” The fourth season of What We Do in the Shadows is slated to premiere sometime in 2022.

If you’re yet to catch the mockumentary comedy-horror series, the show documents the nightly escapades of four Staton Island-based vampire roommates: Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), and Laszlo (Matt Berry) as they traverse through the modern world alongside their human familiar, Guillermo.

The series, which is based upon Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s 2014 film of the same name, has seen its fair share of award nominations since it began airing in 2019. With Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series and Critics Choice a Critics Choice nomination for Best Comedy Series, it’s not too surprising that FX is keen to keep What We Do in the Shadows running into its fourth season.

What We Do in the Shadows will pick up where it left off in Season 2 when its third outing premieres on September 2. In preparation for its return, the What We Do in the Shadows official Twitter account has shared a number of short teasers for its return. Medieval torture rack, anyone?

the Medieval torture rack: the missing piece to your home gym #ShadowsFX returns Sept 2 on FX. Streaming next day #FXonHulu. pic.twitter.com/hvb38vqtOg

— What We Do In The Shadows (@theshadowsfx) August 9, 2021

If you’re currently binging through the show’s first two seasons, make sure to check out our season premiere review where we gave the show a 9/10 for its “quirky, creative, and consistently entertaining twist on the vampire genre”. Alternatively, you can also read this article about Wellington Paranormal, the What We Do in the Shadows spinoff coming to the US.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

After numerous delays, Blue Box Games Studios has released its “Realtime Experience Patch” for its upcoming horror game, Abandoned. But the wait was certainly not worth it.

After downloading or updating a 5GB file to your PS5, the app launches a four-second teaser with no additional information or context.

If the video looks familiar, it’s probably because this is the same video that Blue Box Game Studios previously shared on its Twitter account on Tuesday, the day the Realtime Experience Patch was supposed to go live on PS5.

Blue Box Game Studios said technical issues pushed back the patch in a series of now-deleted tweets. This includes one now-deleted Tweet posted yesterday, noting that the development team encountered “multiple engine issues” following a graphical glitch.

After the brief video, a message that reads “Gameplay Prologue Coming Soon” appears. Even before watching the teaser, the app has a menu featuring six slots — five of which are empty, with each slot containing a label such as “cinematic trailer” and “gameplay demonstration #1.”

With Control having passed 10 million players, Remedy Entertainment has entered full production on its upcoming game project with Epic Games.

This was revealed in a new investor letter released today, alongside the news that Control’s revenues were slightly higher in Q2 2021 than in Q2 2020. Remedy cites the studio’s commitment to actively marketing Control, Control Ultimate Edition’s launch on Google Stadia, and Control’s inclusion in the Epic Game Store Mega Sale 2021 as reasons for the game’s continued success.

“Overall, new platforms, services, and special offerings give us valuable lessons for the future, bring additional revenue, help us to reach new audiences, and increase Control brand awareness,” the letter reads. “Control has already reached a formidable audience, having been played by over 10 million players. The growing audience and brand awareness are valuable as we continue to support Control.”

The letter also reveals that its big-budget game project being developed in partnership with Epic Games has moved into full-production, and that the studio’s four-player cooperative PvE game set in the world of Control known as Condor has been solidified thanks to a new co-publishing and development agreement with 505 Games. In case that’s not enough, Remedy mentioned in the letter that it has also agreed on “collaboration terms for a future, bigger-budget Control game” with 505 Games as well.

Elsewhere, Remedy is continuing to develop the story mode for Crossfire HD and Crossfire X, too, while also continuing its full production focus on a “second, smaller-scale game” with Epic Games. Don’t forget about Vanguard, either, which is the studio’s free-to-play co-op game project. Remedy says it’s “progressing at a good pace, with selected internal and external closed gameplay tests.”

Just last month, we learned that Remedy was working on a yet another game, bringing the total to six.

The letter says to meet the production of these six games, the studio’s headcount has grown to 293 employees.

“I am happy with the progress we have made so far in 2021,” the letter reads. “Our financial position is stronger than before. Control continues to reach new players, expands into new games, and is a strong proof of our ability to create category defining games and brands. Our multi-project model is continuously developing and we are approaching a phase where we can launch new games more often and more regularly.”

While waiting to see what these six titles turn out to be, check out our thoughts on Remedy’s latest game in IGN’s Control review, and then read about why IGN named it Game of the Year in 2019.

Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. He wishes he worked as hard as Remedy because geez, like, six games, y’all? You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

For reportedly the first time since 1988, the top 30 best-selling games in Japan are all from one console. Unsurprisingly, that console is the Nintendo Switch, according to Famitsu and Game Data Library, a source tracking Japanese game sales data, as spotted by Axios.

The last time a single console was responsible for all 30 top-selling titles for a week was the Famicom..

“It wasn’t that unusual during the early 1990’s for the Top 30 to be a combination of Famicom, Super Famicom and Game Boy games, but never just one,” Game Data Library tweeted. “This is unprecedented, it’s the first time all 30 games are from the same system after the Top 30 tracked all platforms.”

The sales data comes from Famitsu, one of Japan’s biggest video game publications.

Some of the top 30 games include many familiar favorites, include Minecraft’s Switch version, the recently-released Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword remaster, and a new adventure game based on Crayon Shin-chan. No, seriously, Shin-chan beat Mario Kart 8.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nintendo posted its most profitable year ending in March 2021. Nintendo reported in August that it had sold 89 million Switch consoles, becoming the seventh highest-selling video game console of all-time, handily beating the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Nintendo told investors it expects to sell 20.5 million more consoles by March 2022, which would put it over the Nintendo Wii.

Nintendo’s sales success has carried over to the west. Early today, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD was revealed to be the best-selling game for July.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/Shin-chan for IGN.

After being canceled last year due to the pandemic, Free Comic Book Day makes a triumphant return this Saturday, August 14. The day famed Marvel scribe Dan Slott once described as “Geek Christmas” is back with an array of comics for readers of all tastes and ages. There will be over 50 free comics handed out at participating comic book stores around the world.

FCBD first debuted on May 4, 2002, so this year’s event is being marked as the 20th anniversary. The event is typically held the first Saturday in May but because everything remains in a state of flux due to Covid-19, this year’s day was moved to August in the hopes that more people would feel comfortable going to comic stores.

For FCBD, various comic publishers send comic shops a curated selection of comics to give away for free. Often, customers are given a limit on how many free floppies they’re allowed to take, so here’s a list of the FBCD titles we recommend you pick up. Use the Comic Shop Locator to find a store near you, and get yourself some free comics!

Avengers/Hulk #1 (Marvel)

Marvel Comics has a couple of titles on offer for FCBD, including this behemoth of a book that debuts a new era for its biggest team and greenest hero. If you’re excited to see where the all-star creative team of Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley take the Emerald Giant when their run begins this November, you’ll want to grab a copy of this freebie on Saturday. You will also see what Jason Aaron and Iban Coello have cookin’ for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!

Enter the House of Slaughter (BOOM! Studios)

There is perhaps no hotter name in the comics business at the moment than James Tynion IV. A big reason for that is the blockbuster success of his and artist Werther Dell’Edera’s creator-owned series Something Is Killing the Children. Enter the House of Slaughter, due out in October, is set to expand the mythology of the book’s protagonist and Wisconsin’s number one monster hunter, Erica Slaughter, so pick up this teaser issue for a taste of what Tynion and Dell’Edera have cooking.

Batman FCBD Special Edition (DC Comics)

This free Batman issue features a pair of stories. The first is an early look at the upcoming Bat-titles crossover Fear State which is built around the Scarecrow’s rise to power in Gotham. The second story, by Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley and artist Travel Foreman, showcases Jace Fox, son of Lucius, as he puts on the cape and cowl in the new series I Am Batman.

Archie Comics: Past, Present & Future Fun (Archie Comics)

If you’re bringing a youngster to FCBD, then consider picking up some all-ages fare like Archie Comics: Past, Present & Future Fun. Archie is out to save the multiverse and along the way, he runs into all the different versions of himself we’ve met over the past 80 years – even those we’ve seen on TV! We are firm believers that there is no better gateway into comics than an Archie comic, and this one lets you see just how far the character has evolved over the decades.

Allergic (Graphix)

The kids graphic novel market has been booming, thanks in part to the sheer volume of great stories being released. Allergic by writer Megan Wagner Lloyd and artist Michelle Mee Nutter is one example. The coming-of-age GN about a girl dealing with her allergies is a deeply personal story of learning how to figure out where she belongs and navigate life’s constant changes. If your child is a fan of The Baby-Sitter’s Club series or Raina Telgemeier’s books, make sure to grab a copy of this preview comic.

InvestiGators: Ants in our P.A.N.T.S. (First Second Books)

Here’s another kid-friendly preview. The InvestiGators series by John Patrick Green is incredibly popular with young readers. The silly title tells you what it’s all about: two alligator super-spies who travel by toilet to solve crimes. This freebie gives you a taste of the fourth book in the series, and there’s a bad guy named the Maestronaut and a dinosaur escape artist named Houdino. We defy you to find a kid who doesn’t want to read that kind of comic!

Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins/The Witcher (Dark Horse)

Two massively popular IPs in one comic! The Critical Role chapter dives into the backstory of the adventuring party known as the Mighty Nein. The Witcher story features a brand-new tale involving the iconic witcher of the School of the Wolf, Geralt!

Red Room (Fantagraphics)

Maybe the wildest and most inventive offering of FCBD, Red Room is a cyberpunk extravaganza with dark web conspiracies, crypto, live-streamed murders. In some ways it is to comics what Natural Born Killers was to movies. Ed Piskor, from YouTube’s Cartoonist Kayfabe and the guy behind the stellar X-Men: Grand Design books, masterminded this wild read. It’s a 12-part series featuring all self-contained chapters. This free version isn’t just a preview or a rehash; it features 33 pages of ‘new’ material. You will not regret it.