Pikmin 3 Deluxe is coming to Nintendo Switch on October 30, and it includes all DLC from the original plus new prologue and epilogue content. The game released on the Wii U back in 2013, and at some point in the 7 years following its release the price dropped to $20 digitally as part of the Nintendo Selects discount line. Now, with a new version on the way, that has changed.
Nintendo Everything noticed that the game has been pulled from sale digitally, so you can no longer buy it for the Wii U from the Eshop. The Switch version is now available to preorder, and retails for $60.
While the Switch version comes with extra content, and can be played in handheld mode, whether that’s worth $40 more is up for debate.
As Nintendo Everything points out, Nintendo did something similar when Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was announced for Switch. If you’re looking to buy a digital copy of any of the few Wii U games that have not made their way to Nintendo’s new console, it might be good to do so soon rather than later.
Look at a screenshot of Windbound and its art direction (a vibrant, watercolour style), will likely remind you of a very well-loved Legend of Zelda game–Breath Of The Wild. Watch a video of Windbound in action, and seeing its focus on sailing through vast oceans might instead remind you of another Legend of Zelda game–Wind Waker. Actually start playing Windbound, however, and it’s quickly very clear that despite those stylistic influences, it plays nothing like a Zelda game. Which is, honestly, a relief.
Windbound is the second release from 5 Lives Studios, a team of Australian developers who previously released Satellite Reigns, a spiritual successor to the much-loved Syndicate games. Neither of those games are like Windbound either. Alright, alright–Windbound is a third-person survival game, the kind where resource gathering and crafting tools and supplies to stay alive are the main concerns that dominate the second-to-second gameplay loop. These things are very popular, I hear.
Windbound structures its survival as a single-player rogue-lite, much like Don’t Starve. You start the game as a woman named Kara, who is shipwrecked and separated from her clan. She wakes up on a tiny island, which barely has enough resources for you to build a basic canoe to row your way outta there. From there, your goal is to head towards the next procedurally generated landmass that makes up Windbound’s archipelagic world and hopefully find a way to get back to your people.
The next island, in all likelihood, will contain more resources that will allow you to keep Kara fed, as well as start building out her boat into something a little more efficient. Maybe something a little more robust, too, in order to survive the increasingly treacherous water hazards that will likely come up later. The boat-building system allows for some creativity in how you want to put together your craft–I was able to eventually add multiple decks, sails, and defensive spikes to create a pretty big, if slapdash, vessel. Once I had a respectable boat on my hands, catching the wind in my sails and cruising across the ocean felt pretty good–relaxing, even. You can even install a cooking station and a number of storage containers on it, and get things done while your boat heads toward the next location.
Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
Windbound is also being pitched as a survival game with a supposed “provocative narrative.”. I wasn’t able to get a sense of that at all during the limited time of my demo session, but noted that the game was divided into a total of five chapters, with an overarching goal for each. If you happened to die, you start all the way back in Chapter 1, with most of your gear wiped. The segmentation of the game is an interesting variation, and it makes sense if the game has a hefty story to tell and characters to develop. The does also feature a “Storyteller” difficulty setting that supposedly makes the rogue-lite elements of Windbound less severe, and creates checkpoints at the beginning of each chapter. All of that certainly has the potential to make the daunting prospect of actually finishing a survival rogue-lite game feel a little more feasible.
Of course, survival games need good threats to keep you juggling your priorities at all times, and Windbound certainly has that. Vicious oceans aside, islands can be populated with aggressive wildlife of all shapes and sizes–a lot of the much bigger than Kara. You have the ability to sneak past them if necessary, but taking them head-on naturally yields rare materials you’ll need for advanced recipes, as well as meat to eat (provided you cook it before it spoils).
Kara is thankfully equipped with an unbreakable knife she can use as a default weapon, but naturally, you can craft stronger melee options with the materials you find, as well as ranged weapons like a sling and bow. The ability to dodge attacks and the need to watch Kara’s stamina meter add to the concerns you need to keep in mind, but combat otherwise felt quite straightforward in my short time with it, and I couldn’t see any immediate avenues for complexity other than creating more powerful gear. Shooting Kara’s bow may evoke those great Breath Of The Wild combat moments, but Windbound’s core focus is definitely more on survival.
Don’t Starve was one of the specific influences cited in Windbound’s development, and having played a lot of that game, Windbound definitely seems to capture Klei’s particular brand of survival loop quite closely, albeit with its own twists. Between that and the pleasing artstyle (which also echoes another game quite closely), it’s enough to make me interested enough to at least play a little more. Whether the survival loop continues to vigorously keep your mind racing past the two-hour mark is an unknown factor, as is how much Windbound’s purported focus on telling a narrative and supposed “personal journey” actually comes into play. If it can build and balance the telling of a strong, directed narrative within a genre that has almost always been associated purely with emergent player-driven storytelling, that would certainly make it special. Windbound isn’t the Zelda copycat it may initially appear to be, but I’m hoping that it has its own unique identity to reveal, too.
Windbound is slated for release on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia on August 28, 2020
FIFA 21 is looking to combat online player toxicity by removing certain celebrations and and shortening or removing cutscenes, so that your opponent cannot showboat too hard when they get a goal or stall for time. According to a report from Eurogamer, various measures are being taken to improve the overall online experience.
Two celebrations, the “shush” and “a-ok”, will be removed. The “shush” is simply irritating–as it’s a running celebration, often used to extend the cutscene and annoy opponents–but the “a-ok” has more sinister implications, as the “okay” symbol has turned into a racist symbol (and was recently removed from Call of Duty.)
Some cutscenes are being reduced or removed, too–FIFA 21 will no longer have the “walk back” cinematic after scoring a goal online, which will reduce the time spent watching cutscenes. Animations for players grabbing the ball for a throw-in or the keeper getting ready for a goal-kick are also gone from online matches. Goal celebrations are being shortened across the board, too.
The ability to “time waste” is also being addressed. Whereas in FIFA 20, players had a full 30 seconds to complete actions during set-pieces, those times are now greatly reduced. Kick-off now gives you 10 seconds, 12 seconds for throw-ins, 15 seconds for goal kicks, and 20 for free kicks.
Lead gameplay producer Sam Rivera told Eurogamer that all of these changes came from player feedback, and should lead to games that flow better. “All together the intention there is just to keep you playing instead of doing other things that may not be necessary in the game,” he said.
FIFA 21 is coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 6, alongside the Switch Legacy Edition. The game is also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, and you’ll be able to get a free upgrade if you buy the previous-gen release on the right console (PS4 for PS5, Xbox One for Xbox Series X).
Toxic behavior is a problem in NHL 20, and EA Sports is further addressing it with a new reporting feature that players can use to let the developer know about offending players.
Users can now report player names and Club names for the World of Chel mode through the Pro Clubs website. You can do this by simply pressing the “report club” button on the site, and then sharing more details about the offenses.
We’ve added the ability to directly report offensive WOC Player and Club names in #NHL20 through our Pro Clubs site: https://t.co/q4oBeVgCdE With your help we’ve actioned on over 9000 accounts this year, and will continue to take the proper steps to enforce against any offenders pic.twitter.com/Igmr4I6tG2
Even before these tools were implemented, EA already took action against more than 9,000 accounts so far in 2020, the studio said. The developer promised to “continue to take the proper steps to enforce against any offenders.”
Captain Marvel 2 is in the works, and a new report suggests that a director has been found. Deadline is reporting that Nia DaCosta, the director behind the Jordan Peele-produced Candyman movie coming out later this year, is attached to direct the Marvel movie.
Disney and Marvel provided the outlet with no comment, so take this with a grain of salt for now, but it seems likely. DaCosta has only directed one feature before Candyman, an indie picture called Little Woods, which reviewed well. Along with directing, she also wrote the screenplay for Candyman, which is looking terrifying.
DaCosta, who is currently 30 years old, will likely tie with Ryan Coogler (who released Black Panther at 32) as the youngest Marvel movie director when the film premieres.
The first Marvel movie to be directed entirely by a woman will be Black Widow, directed by Cate Shortland. 2021’s The Eternals will be directed by Chloe Zhao. Captain Marvel was the first Marvel film to focus primarily on a female superhero.
It was previously reported that WandaVision writer Megan McDonnell was working on a script. The first Captain Marvel film was written and directed by team Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
Captain Marvel 2 is currently planned for a 2022 release, but with the COVID-19 pandemic shifting schedules around, that could change.
Madden NFL 21‘s new mode is The Yard, an homage to backyard football featuring fast-paced games with six-man teams. The mode will feature gameplay similar to the NFL Street series and other, more casual sports titles.
The Yard will offer trick plays and house rules that can be customized from match-to-match. Players will also create an avatar for the mode, which will feature progression through an XP system and a constant rotation of fresh looks, courtesy of the Style Zone. The character is also the star of a narrative experience called The Yard: Underground, which will feature 5-on-5 gameplay, available through the Madden NFL 21 Mobile app.
The main game and the mobile version will share progression, inventory, and in-game currency, so players can move between both versions of The Yard seamlessly.
“We wanted to create a new way for players to express themselves and take on small-sided football in an arcade-style experience that’s completely new to Madden,” Seann Graddy, executive producer for Madden NFL, said. “Players will delve into all-new gameplay on mobile and on consoles that will bring to life the backyard football that NFL players and fans grew up loving, where the rules are relaxed, and you can win with attitude.”
Madden NFL 21 releases on August 28 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with the Xbox Series X, PS5, and Stadia versions launching at a later date. You can learn about the game and its pre-order bonuses in our Madden NFL 21 pre-order guide.
Despite persistent rumors suggesting the contrary, Microsoft has stated that it has no plans to discontinue Xbox Live Gold soon.
The statement comes in response to a change in the Microsoft Services Agreement, with references to Xbox Live Gold now reading as “Xbox online service.” The change seemed to confirm reports that Xbox Live Gold was about to be discontinued in favor of a free online service, but Microsoft has refuted that categorically.
“The update to ‘Xbox online service’ in the Microsoft Services Agreement refers to the underlying Xbox service that includes features like cross-saves and friend requests,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GameSpot. “This language update is intended to distinguish that underlying service, and the paid Xbox Live Gold subscription. There are no changes being made to the experience of the service or Xbox Live Gold.”
Although the statement makes it clear that Xbox Live Gold isn’t going anywhere, it doesn’t rule out potential changes to the service. One change could be a shift to exclude free multiplayer titles from requiring Xbox Live Gold to play, which would work perfect with the recently announced Halo Infinitemultiplayer that will be free-to-play. Without this change, Microsoft would in effect be charging players on Xbox for a service that is free to their PC player base.
In contrast, Sony already omits many free-to-play shooters, such as Fortnite and Apex Legends, from its PlayStation Plus program. Microsoft is reportedly set to host another stream this month focusing on more Xbox Series X titles and the rumored Lockhart Xbox console, so we might hear more about these plans then.
Fans of the comedy group known as The Tenderloins, a collective made up of Joe Gatto, James Murray, Brian Quinn, and Sal Vulcano, will be happy to know there is a lot more of the Impractical Jokers headed to both truTV and HBO Max in the near future as production has resumed on Season 9 of the series.
However, that’s not all. 10 more episodes of the quarantine-friendly Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party–which will air this fall–have been ordered for truTV as well. Additionally, the Impractical Jokers movie will make its way to HBO Max on September 1. The film follows the group as they head to a Paula Abdul concert, and along the way, they challenge each other to embarrassing tasks, of course.
Additionally, truTV’s incredibly fun and purposely cringe-worthy game show The Misery Index, hosted by Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) and featuring the Impractical Jokers, has been renewed for Season 3. The second half of Season 2 will arrive this October.
“We’re excited to continue growing the Impractical Jokers franchise with WarnerMedia,” the Tenderloins said in a statement. “We’re excited to use the word franchise. Each new project or season, we are pushing ourselves to make it bigger, better and funnier than the last. Thanks to our insanely loyal fans over the past year, we’ve really been able to stretch ourselves and have had a blast bringing projects to life, including our first feature film and a TV show filmed from our separate homes. Whether its Impractical Jokers, Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party, The Misery Index or something new, we’re thrilled to keep working with each other and making people laugh.”
The mustaches will live on. TruTV has announced a Season 3 renewal for firefighter comedy Tacoma FD. The series, created by Broken Lizard comedy troupe members Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme, follows a group of firefighters in Tacoma, Washington, a place without many fires to fight. But who needs fires when you can watch members of the team join a choir or compete in boxing matches with local cops?
After debuting Season 2 in March, TruTV general manager Bryan Weitz said in a statement that the show’s popularity is still increasing. “With Tacoma FD’s fanbase continuing to grow, the show is a huge success story for us, and we can’t wait to see what kind of Station 24 shenanigans Kevin, Steve, and the incredible cast come up with next,” he explained.
According to a press release, viewers will get to watch Lemme and Heffernan get the renewal news themselves, during the August 6 episode of Talkoma FD–the aftershow hosted by the duo. Naturally, their reaction falls right in line with the type of comedy fans have come to expect from the guys behind movies like Super Troopers.
“I’m incredibly excited,” Lemme said. “Mostly because I get to watch Kevin begin his arduous, six-month mustache-growing process. He only has 12 hair holes in his upper lip, so it takes some time.”
Of course, even during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Heffernan is keeping his mustache game strong. Appearing in a recent short written film from the writer of Minions and The Secret Life of Pets Brian Lynch, Heffernan appeared as the victim of a truly ridiculous prank call. You can check that out below.
New episodes of Tacoma FD air Thursdays at 10 PM ET/PT. The aftershow Talkoma FD follows at 10:30 PM ET/PT. In other TruTV news, it was also announced that even more episodes of Impractical Jokers are on the way, with production restarting soon.
After seeing the success of other live-action remakes of Disney movies like The Jungle Book and others, the House of Mouse has plenty more re-imaginings in store, including Pinocchio. Now, the Robert Zemeckis directed film is reportedly eyeing Tom Hanks for a role.
While the film is still very early on in the pre-production phase–with COVID-19 holding up most TV shows and movies–Deadline is reporting that Hanks is in talks for the role of Geppetto, the caretaker and father of the puppet who comes to life. Disney wanted Hanks in the role years earlier when Paul King was attached to the project.
However, Zemeckis and Hanks have a history together, as the duo each won Oscars for their work on Forrest Gump. The upcoming adaptation will be written by Chris Weitz, whose previous work includes Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Earlier this year, the latest live-action remake Mulan was supposed to release on March 27. However, the global pandemic delayed the release until August. Considering that movie theaters aren’t ready to open yet, there was a surprise announcement that Mulan will hit Disney+ for $30. It wasn’t clear as to whether or not this pricetag is a rental fee or you can watch it multiple times.
