Nintendo Switch: This Week’s New Eshop Game Releases

Minecraft Dungeons joins re-releases of some cult classics and heavy-hitter Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition on this week’s new Nintendo Switch eshop finds. While we’ve been waiting eagerly for this remaster of one of Monolith Soft’s greats, there’s also plenty of other indie titles to keep you occupied.

New Nintendo Switch Releases This Week

26 May

  • Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath
  • Minecraft Dungeons

27 May

  • Ailment
  • Missile Command: Recharged

28 May

  • Shantae and the Seven Sirens
  • Hill Calibing Mania
  • Resolution
  • Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
  • F-117A Stealth Fighter
  • Let’s Sing 2020
  • Atomicrops
  • SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC
  • Game Tengoku CruisinMix Special
  • Fly Punch Boom!
  • Turmoil
  • SYNAPTIC DRIVE

29 May

  • Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
  • XCOM 2 Collection
  • BioShock: The Collection
  • Borderlands Legendary Collection
  • WildTrax Racing
  • Little Misfortune
  • Adam’s Venture: Origins
  • Indiecalypse
  • Flux
  • Climbros
  • Genetic Disaster

30 May

  • Undead & Beyond
  • #womenUp, Super Puzzles Dream
  • Despotism 3k

We definitely enjoyed our time with Half-Genie Hero when it came out, and out of the releases set to drop on May 28, platforming fans likely already have Shantae and the Seven Sirens on their hit list.

The BioShock Collection undoubtedly needs no introduction either. For those who aren’t sure what this bundle includes, purchasing it on the eShop will give you access to BioShock Remastered, BioShock 2 Remastered and BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition.

May 29 is quite the bumper day of releases, with the XCOM 2 Collection also finally bringing the acclaimed turn-based tactics game to the Switch. What’s not to love about the ability to create alien-fighting hit squads based on your mates? Firaxis is doing us one better now by making the entire process portable, too.

If you’re wondering about some of the top new games out on other platforms like the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One X, you can check out this list here.

Now Playing: 12 Minutes Of Minecraft Dungeons Gameplay

The Last Dance Hits Big On Netflix Internationally

You don’t have to be a sports fan to be gripped by the story of Michael Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls, as played out in ESPN’s documentary series The Last Dance. Licensed by Netflix for the international market, it seems the rest of the world is just as taken by the quintessentially American story.

In a tweet, Netflix revealed its viewership numbers for The Last Dance, with 23.8 million households checking out the basketball documentary.

While the way Netflix counts viewers is a little less rigorous than it used to be, we can compare this number with some other figures recently released by the streaming network. Quirky doco hit Tiger King counted 64 million household views in its first month, while at the time of the report Ozark Season 3 was projected to reach 29 million households, closer to the number who’ve checked out The Last Dance.

The docu-series aired exclusively on ESPN in the United States, being pushed up from a scheduled June air date to help combat flagging ratings while live sports are postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19. The premiere episode reached 5.73 million viewers in the US.

The Last Dance is now back for a second run in the US, with a series of re-runs on ABC beginning on May 23, and airing two episodes every Saturday until the finale on June 20.

Now Playing: Best Shows And Movies To Stream For May 2020 – Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video

PS5, Xbox Series X Shooter Outriders Getting Monthly Video Series

Outriders, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X game from the developers of Gears of War: Judgment and Bulletstorm, is getting a monthly video series. Titled “Outriders Broadcast,” the monthly program will deliver news and information about the game, which is due for release later this year.

Episode 1, titled “Built for the Core,” will release on Thursday, May 28 at 9 AM PT. It will focus on Outriders’ gameplay features, environments, character classes, and special abilities, featuring insights and commentary from the developers at People Can Fly. You can watch a teaser for the episode below.

In a statement, People Can Fly creative director Bartek Kmita said the studio came up with the idea for a video series to respond to the current climate.

“Obviously, things are a little bit strange in the world right now, and we’re all adapting the best we can,” Kmita said. “We’ve prioritized our people’s safety and all 250+ of us on the team are working from home and staying healthy.”

Kmita stressed that the Outriders development team remains “working hard” on the game and still expects it to launch on schedule this holiday. “With the cancellation of some of gaming’s biggest events of the year, we’ve looked for new ways to share news about Outriders with players,” Kmita said.

In addition to PS5 and Xbox Series X, Outriders will launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Outriders will be published by Square Enix, and the publisher has plans for other announcements outside of this game. The company also confirmed that Marvel’s Avengers will also have its own announcement event, but no details have been confirmed.

Starting June 1, GameSpot will be hosting Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts with the help of our friends from around the gaming world.

Now Playing: Outriders – Official Gameplay Presentation

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Rainn Wilson Tells Billie Eilish To Get Over The Office

Self-isolation may have all of us acting weird, but at least it doesn’t come close to Rainn-Wilson-interviewing-Billie-Eilish weird. The two got together for a talk on his Instagram show, Hey There, Human, where he soon renamed the popstar “William Eyelash” and told her to move on from The Office, as reported by EW.

“I just finished watching The Office for a 15th time two days ago,” Billie Eilish admitted on the show. She’s been open about her Office fandom in the past, with her song My Strange Addiction featuring a handful of voice clips sampled from the iconic show. “Every time I hit that episode that says finale, I’m always like, goddamn it.” Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute through the show’s nine seasons, told her, “It’s time to move on to another show, really. Please!”

It’s a reaction he’s given to other Office fans before–and not just the famous ones. In a 2017 episode of Conan, the actor begged fans to stop tweeting him about The Office in-jokes years after the show ended (though he still occasionally posts them himself).

Billie Eilish managed to change his mind, however. After failing at a round of The Office trivia, Wilson challenged the singer to go and rewatch the show for the 16th time, so that she could do better in the next round.

The full interview can be watched on SoulPancake’s IGTV channel on Instagram.

Now Playing: Best Shows And Movies To Stream For May 2020 – Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video

Power Rangers Battle For The Grid–Season Pass 3 Is A Go-Go, And New Fighters Have Been Revealed

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, the 2019 fighting game featuring the sentai warriors from the hit series, is expanding with three new characters. A third season of DLC has been announced with a trailer, and while only two fighters have been properly announced, it’s pretty clear who the third one will be.

The trailer below shows off Robert “RJ” James and Lauren Shiba, but the comments below the video have uniformly identified the third character, shown in silhouette, as Scorpina, a long-time villain in the Power Rangers mythos.

The first content from this pass should drop towards the end of June, and in addition to the three extra fighters, anyone who buys it will also receive a new Phantom Beast King character skin for Dai Shi and a Samurai Megazord ultra.

This follows several other updates and DLC packs for the game. In February, the game received online lobbies, and previous DLC fighters have included Lord Zedd and Eric Myers.

As of March, Battle for the Grid was available through Xbox Game Pass. It’s also on Switch, PS4, and PC.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare/Warzone Adds New DLC Based On Real-Life Medal Of Honor Recipient

Activision is honoring National Military Appreciation Month with a new piece of DLC for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the battle royale game Warzone, as well as a real t-shirt you can buy.

The new DLC is called the Call of Duty Endowment Fearless Pack, and all proceeds of the $10 add-on will go to Activision’s charity that helps military veterans find careers after leaving the service.

The Fearless pack contains 10 items, and the offering was created in partnership with Captain Florent “Flo” Groberg, who earned the Medal of Honor for his combat career. The DLC comes with a new operator skin inspired by what Groberg wore in combat, as well as the blueprint for an assault rifle called “For the Cause.” The weapon features an engraving of the date–August 8, 2012–that Groberg attempted to stop a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. Groberg was successful in tackling the bomber, but the bomb exploded, killing four of his squad members. President Barack Obama awarded Groberg with the Medal of Honor in 2015 for his actions.

“People died for me–people made the ultimate sacrifice–and for me, it’s an opportunity–a duty–to make sure I earn it, pay it forward, and that I stop thinking about myself,” Groberg said in an interview with Activision. “I learned all that on August 8, 2012, because in eight seconds, my life completely changed, and earning the Medal of Honor gave me the platform and opportunity to help our community.”

The DLC also includes a new watch, weapon camo, and a boonie weapon charm. The Fearless pack also comes with two calling cards and two emblems, as well as a special spray for the Call of Duty Endowment logo. You can see more of the new content and hear directly from Groberg in the video below.

Activision is also selling a new t-shirt that was created specifically for this new Call of Duty Endowment campaign. All proceeds from the $32 USD shirt will go to the charity.

According to Activision’s latest numbers, the Call of Duty Endowment has so far helped more than 69,000 military veterans find new careers in the civilian world. The charity aims to help fund the placement of 100,000 veterans by 2024.

Now Playing: Call Of Duty: Warzone Video Review

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Madden 21 News Teased For June 1

Following the game’s initial, limited announcement during the Xbox Series X event earlier this month, Electronic Arts is seemingly preparing to reveal Madden NFL 21 in full very soon.

The official Madden Twitter account has posted a teaser referencing June 1, which may be when more details are announced. The tweet also contains the line, “So much more than a name…”

Whatever this “first look” is, it will be followed by yet another EA event on June 11. That’s when EA Play 2020 takes place, and with Madden 21 being one of EA’s biggest games of 2020, you can expect it to be featured during the show. You can watch EA Play 2021 live on GameSpot.

Madden 21 features Baltimore Ravens standout QB Lamar Jackson on its cover. The game is expected to release around August, ahead of the start of the NFL season (which is scheduled to go forward despite ongoing COVID-19 concerns). Madden 21 has so far been confirmed for release on Xbox One and Xbox Series X, while it’s also expected to come to PS4 and PS5, as well as PC.

Everyone who buys Madden 21 on Xbox One by December 31 can upgrade to the Xbox Series X version for free until March 31, 2021. Since the game hasn’t been properly announced for PS4 and PS5 yet, it remains to be seen if there will be a similar free upgrade promotion for Sony’s system.

Starting June 1, GameSpot will be hosting Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts with the help of our friends from around the gaming world.

Now Playing: Patrick Mahomes Talks Madden 21 | Inside Xbox

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Top New Games Out On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week — May 24-30, 2020

This is a great week to revisit some games you may have already played. Mortal Kombat 11 is getting an action-packed epilogue with the Aftermath expansion, and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has new story content on Nintendo Switch as well. That’s not the only game making a comeback on Switch, either. 2K is launching a trio of big game bundles: BioShock: The Collection, the Borderlands Legendary Collection, and the XCOM 2 Collection. The adventure continues in Minecraft Dungeons and Shantae and the Seven Sirens too.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath — May 26

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

Aftermath picks up right where the story left off, with Liu Kang setting out to create a new timeline. A new timeline is a great place to introduce new characters, and MK 11 is adding Fujin, Sheeva, and even Robocop, voiced by original actor Peter Weller. If you don’t want to spend money on the new story and characters, good news: May 26 is also when a free update drops for all players. This adds new stages and brings back Friendships.

More Coverage:

Minecraft Dungeons — May 26

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

Minecraft Dungeons
Minecraft Dungeons

It might have the look of Minecraft, but this spin-off is not about resource gathering and crafting. Instead, it gives you randomly generated dungeons to explore as you solve puzzles and fight box-shaped bad guys. There are no classes here since you can choose any gear you want, and you can explore with friends in four-player co-op. Even better, Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One and PC can jump in on day one.

More Coverage:

Shantae and the Seven Sirens — May 28

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

Shantae and the Seven Sirens
Shantae and the Seven Sirens

The fifth game in the Shantae series originally launched on Apple Arcade, and now the whole adventure is coming to consoles and PC. Expect the usual platforming and combat, plus new monster transformations and abilities. If you have a PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, or capable PC, you can experience Seven Sirens in 4K.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition — May 29

Available on: Switch

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

Xenoblade Chronicles is a cult-classic RPG on Wii and 3DS, and now Switch owners are getting a chance to experience the story. If you’ve already played the original, there’s still something fresh for you too thanks to a new epilogue. Of course, the graphics and music have been greatly improved too.

More Coverage:

BioShock: The Collection / Borderlands Legendary Collection / XCOM 2 Collection — May 29

Available on: Switch

BioShock: The Collection, Borderlands Legendary Collection, & XCOM 2 Collection

You’re looking at three images in the graphic above, but there’s a total of seven games available here. BioShock: The Collection includes BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite. The Borderlands Legendary Collection includes Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and The Pre-Sequel. Finally, the XCOM 2 Collection includes XCOM 2, its War of the Chosen expansion, and four additional DLC packs.

More Coverage:

June is fast approaching, and New Releases will return next week to take a look at what the new month has to offer. There are some big games on the horizon, from the full launch of Valorant to the highly anticipated Last of Us Part 2.

Now Playing: Top New Game Releases On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week — May 24-30, 2020

Insignia Fan Project Looks To Bring Back First-Gen Xbox Live In Late 2020

If you consider yourself an old Xbox head then you’re probably going to be pleased at the fact that a fan project is aiming to resurrect the original Xbox Live experience. We’re talking circa the good old pre-2010 days, when we were all trying to link up on Halo 2.

This original Xbox Live fan project is called Insignia, and it’s being developed by Luke Usher, who has been providing updates for it on his personal Patreon. Usher is based out of the United Kingdom, and is also currently working on an Xbox and Sega Chihiro emulator for Windows.

According to Usher, Insignia is going to be free and it “will not require any modifications or patches to software” for owners of Xbox consoles. The goal for this original Xbox Live project is to have it up and running in Autumn 2020, which would be quite the get if you’re nostalgic for the old days of Microsoft’s multiplayer service.

Insignia aims to bring back to old Xbox Live services. In practice, this will involve users creating accounts on Insignia’s servers which ape connectivity to an ecosystem much like the original Xbox Live. In the video above from the YouTube channel for the fan project, you’ll go through the process of creating an Xbox Live ID, activating an Xbox Live subscription, and enabling connectivity to other users also using Insignia.

Theoretically, if you and some friends are using Insignia, then you should be able to mimic the original Xbox Live’s functionality and enjoy multiplayer shenanigans in legacy games like Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon.

A “private beta” has been planned for the future, and many of Usher’s Patreon supporters have expressed excitement for it in the comments.

The full technical specifications or requirements necessary to run Insignia have not been confirmed yet, but if you’re absolutely keen on running Halo 2 with some friends then the Master Chief Collection for PC currently gives you the option.

On top of that, there’s also a lot of upcoming Xbox news to look forward to. With the Xbox Series X officially unveiled earlier this year and plenty of talk about Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla being pushed as one of the titles to watch, we’ve got our eyes peeled for future announcements.

In the meantime, Usher’s May 22 announcement about Insignia should keep fans of the original Xbox Live service experience ticking along for now. If there are any exciting updates, we’ll do our best to keep you in the loop.

Now Playing: Xbox Series X First Look At Gameplay – Inside Xbox