Ground of Aces is a PC video game developed and published by Blindflug Studios AG. It is currently available on Steam in Early Access for $29.99. The game had a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2023. It released in early access in June of 2025 and since that time has had several upgrades and improvements. When you start the game, you are given a plot of land along with a barracks, a few personnel, supplies, and orders to build an airfield. You will start off clearing an area for your first runway and gathering resources to build the runway as well as a spot for your first airplane. As you select trees to cut down, rocks to break, water to collect, and structures to build, your personnel will automatically move to complete the task. As the day comes to an end, your personnel will need some down time. You need to make sure they have chairs to sit in and other recreations. Then each person needs a cot where they can sleep. While you start off with some rations, you will need to find food sources in the area around you and harvest them. Build a kitchen to prepare better meals for your workers. 

As you progress through the game, you will need to construct buildings to store your supplies and workshops to turn logs into lumber and create other resources from raw materials. Once you have your first airplane, a biplane fighter, you will receive missions on which to sent it. As you expand your base and build longer runways, you will unlock access to more powerful fighters and eventually bombers. As you have more planes, you can receive more difficult missions which provide not only higher risks, but greater rewards. As your airfield becomes a larger threat, the enemy will take notice and attack. Therefore you will need to build anti-aircraft defenses and then put your people to work repairing the base after these attacks. 

Since I am a military history major who specialized in WWII and a current high school history teacher, I was very interested in playing this game, especially since I have studied the Battle of Britain quite a bit. Since there was so much to do in the game, I worried it might be tough to learn to play. However, the campaign is written to teach you the game as you go. The objectives really guide you through the process. For example, your first objectives are to build an airstrip and parking spot, order an airplane, and build some beds for your personnel. Then after you complete those, you will need to harvest 5 trees, build a saw station, craft 5 sets of planks, and build a radio station. By only giving a few objectives at a time, it helps new players really learn all there is in the game. 

Blindflug has a roadmap of almost 60 features they want to add to the game. Currently they have implemented about half of them. I have really enjoyed playing Ground of Aces. While the main focus is on building an airbase, it also allows you to build up your squadron of planes, train your pilots and crews, and then send them off on missions. Though you do not actively control the planes, your decisions help influence the results of the missions. So far the game has a lot to offer and I am excited for all the other features they continue to work on. Even though it is still in early access, the main part of the game is in place and you can play through it, learning the game in the campaign. Then you can take on new airfields and build them up. If you enjoy base building simulations and interested in WWII, then I recommend you give Ground of Aces a try. 

Here is the launch trailer:

In the 12 years and roughly two console generations since the North American 3DS debut of Tomodachi Life, much has changed across the gaming landscape. For example, the advent of the “cozy game” genre—popularized in no small part by the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons during the height of the COVID pandemic—has opened up even more of the marketplace to the notion of relaxing and largely non-violent gameplay.

This, coupled with the recent arrivals of both a much-needed content update for New Horizons and the spectacularly charming, narratively driven Pokémon Pokopia, has really set the stage for the return of surrealist city-building sequel Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. Arriving this week on the Nintendo Switch family of systems (MSRP $59.99), Living the Dream takes everything weird and wonderful about the handheld original and super-sizes it, offering untold hours of enjoyment with only a couple of minor shortcomings.

In addition to a nicely revamped Mii creation system (which I lovingly detailed in last month’s preview coverage), Living the Dream‘s other obvious immediate upgrade is your Miis’ homes. Despite a real-world economic downturn, the inhabitants of your new Tomodachi Life island have moved on from apartment living to begin their virtual lives in brightly colored private bungalows that coordinate with their starting outfits and are determined by their overall personalities (like Ambitious : Achiever or Reserved : Perfectionist).

You’ll arrange these houses around the central Wishing Fountain on an initially meager atoll. Powered by the Warm Fuzzies acquired from your Miis, this Wishing Fountain is a singularly important feature, but it’s not your island’s only landmark.

Various unlockable amenities such as the MNN news station, Tomoria restaurant, Fresh Kingdom food mart, and Where & Wear clothing will (eventually) span from shore to shore. These locales provide backgrounds for your inhabitants’ silly interactions, as well as ways to acquire the clothing, food, and accessories they desire.

And their desires, as always, are paramount.

In time, you’ll be able to customize everything, from Miis’ individual homes to the island’s shoreline, paths, trees, and flowers—with additional options for things like clothing and food of your own creation.

Fueled by those Warm Fuzzies and the steady trickle of cash you acquire from your citizens, growth and advancement are rewarded with… well, more growth and advancement. Better items, new facilities, and simply more content overall are the carrots that keep the story of your island community moving ever forward. As the island grows in size—I believe mine reached its maximum square footage at around half capacity, or 35 Miis— it increases its quality of life and its very culture.

Miis regularly ask you, their creator, probing questions about your own likes, hopes, and dreams, and your answers become a part of island lingo, little conversation starters that your Miis use to communicate. My favorite movie? Suspiria. A treasured pastime? Drinkin’. My preferred villain? Magneto. Each of these little nuggets, for good or ill, has become a part of my Living the Dream experience.

Unfortunately, though, it seems like these words are just that: words.

For example, when pressed about a famous person I’d like to meet, I typed Bea Arthur. Shortly thereafter, ol’ Dorothy Zbornak was the talk of the town. However, when I moved Bea herself to the island—it was as easy as choosing “Add a Mii” from the in-game menu and giving her all the humor and sass of the original—no one ever really made the connection between this hot topic and our newest citizen.

The menu, I might add, is a perfect little piece of UI. Press X to bring it up, and it slides in from the right side of your screen. Here you have easy access to your settings and save function, Mii creation, your resident list, and even more exhaustive resources like your item catalog and island info. The latter provides all your residents’ personalities and lingo, as well as the seemingly nebulous “additional details.”

This was where I spent an exorbitant amount of time monitoring my care record (basically, the happiness and accomplishments of my Miis), my land/object use, and some cool demographic data. My island’s average age, it seems, is 44.4 years old. Also, my island vibe is “survivalist island,” which is… never really explained.

Land use and lingo aside, Living the Dream really is all about the Miis. Sometimes they are content to make their own decisions and live their own tiny, digital lives, but other times they crave divine intervention. Mapped to the Y button is a Mii quick menu. Press it to open a scrollable list of your occupants, complete with various indicators to let you know of any currently in-progress drama.

Some might be dreaming (indicated by the Mii dressed in PJs and a nightcap). You can select them to view the dream, which usually unlocks food or other items. They may also be satisfied, angry, or out of sorts—situations you can choose to address or just let them be—but often they’ll actively need your attention.

Indicated by flashing icons or colored thought bubbles, these occurrences are the bread and butter of the Tomodachi Life experience, where all that mad magic really happens. Maybe they’re having intrusive thoughts they need you to dispel, or perhaps they just feel a bit peckish. It could be that they want new clothes or to live in a new environment. Sometimes they’ll want to play a game of object identification with you, which provides a shot at unlocking additional treasure items.

Along the way, Miis can discover their favorite foods (complete with over-the-top cutscenes), play with the pets and treasures you, their benevolent god, provide them, and can even be rewarded with specialty goods and personality quirks as they level up, all serving to make them more properly fleshed-out characters.

Still, food, clothing, shelter, and your undivided attention won’t always satisfy your quirky islanders. They seek interpersonal connections with their fellow Miis.

Just like in real life, some folks hit it off, and some don’t. Sometimes a strong friendship can develop into romantic feelings, and even marriage, and other times there can be a rare and volatile instant infatuation.

None of this guarantees that the other party is interested, though, and whether it’s moving in as platonic roommates, pursuing a more romantic endeavor, or tying the knot, love is a two-way street. As your island’s de facto creator, you do have a little pull. You can place two Miis close together to prime interaction via a meet-up and actively encourage their interest in each other. But not even this is a surefire way to play ultimate matchmaker.

That isn’t a bug but a feature.

In fact, it’s Tomodachi Life‘s secret weapon. You can try your best to mold a character into what you want them to be, only to discover that they have different plans.

Living the Dream provides a wonderful system for creating in-game analogues of your friends, family, and favorite celebrities, complete with personality preferences, flexible forms of gender expression, and a some-all-none approach to romantic attraction. You can tailor these things to your liking, fine-tune them with personality quirks such as the way they move, stand, or speak, and put them close to those you want them to mingle with, but you can’t make them love (or, for that matter, like) each other. Hell, you can’t make them like fried chicken! Such is life, and such is Tomodachi Life.

Whether you discovered the series yourself at launch, later in the 3DS lifespan, or simply came across it well after the fact when your favorite streamer played it, you’ll find all the very best that it has to offer here in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream—and much, much more!

There are so many things going on here in Living the Dream, so much canvas on which to paint, that it’s hard to find anything to complain about. (Not that this will stop me.)

The current online scuttlebutt seems to be focused on the game’s maximum number of Miis. It’s 70, down from the 3DS iteration’s 100. I understand the concern, but for me, that’s proven to be more than enough characters to keep me occupied.

My only real gripe concerns the lack of two quality-of-life features present in the original. The first is touchscreen support, which was very much integrated into the bulk of the 3DS gameplay, but here on the Switch is rather hit or miss.

Yeah, I can use it during Mii creation and some of the minigames, but it’s surprisingly absent from big swaths of the rest of the title, like navigating the map or the important Island Builder mode. Also, while the previous release had a QR-code system for easily sharing and importing Miis, Living the Dream does not. I understand that this specific feature relies heavily on an in-game camera, which the Switch lacks, but I’d love to see some kind of code-based system or online sharing platform integrated at a later date.

That all being said, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is another enchanting life-sim experience that has already become my new go-to title. (Apologies to all those Pokopia creatures still patiently waiting on their new homes.)

Young or old, returning fan or newly interested party, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is among the very easiest of recommendations. My only advice is to approach the experience at your own pace, regularly choose the option that looks like the most fun, and always, always embrace the weirdness.

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. On my island, Ella Purnell is best friends with Chappell Roan, and I feel like that’s a world we’d all like to live in.

I think Marcus the Worm is trying to steal my girlfriend. I mean, I knew my partner was a big fan of his bizarre VRChat adventures when I invited him to move to the island, I just didn’t consider him to be a threat… y’know… romantically.

Wait, let me back up.

Last week, I was given an early crack at Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, the upcoming Switch release that also happens to be the sequel to one of my family’s favorite wacky life-sim titles. I was also given the go-ahead to provide a little preview coverage, so I dove right in.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is all about the Miis, so my first order of business was crafting an inhabitant for my island. Unlike the rudimentary character creator of the previous game (which was still very much rooted in the original Nintendo Wii style), this time around, the Mii generation is much more nuanced—rather in the Miitopia vein.

The branching interface starts with the user’s decision to “Get help” or start “From scratch.” “Get help” offers a streamlined approach that asks about age and face shape, skin tone, hair, and other related features, each presented with a simple, single-screen’s worth of options from which to choose.

“From scratch,” on the other hand, gives you a starting choice between one of two vaguely masculine vs vaguely feminine looks, and then drops you into the Mii Maker-proper. There are categories on a navbar to the left and options—lots of options—on the right. This includes the all-important “Add face paint” category, which can be used to paint in finer details to further customize a Mii’s features. While pencilling in some visible stitching on a friendly plushy was the example shown in the recent Nintendo Direct, I found this option to have all kinds of uses, from fleshing out a famed anime protagonist to adding irregular textures to a doughy otherworldly horror.   

That said, even if you go the simplified “Get help” route, you’re still given a chance via a “Needs work” button at the end of the process to move your character into the full Mii creation studio.

With a Mii designed, you’re asked to configure the height and body type using sliders before providing a name and some demographic information. Gender options include male, female, and nonbinary, and you can also choose some, all, or none of these as your Mii’s dating preference.

Enter a birthday and pick a voice, and you’re taken to the important final step: setting the personality.

Using a series of color-coded Likert scales, you can position a Mii between two (more or less) diametrically opposed ideals—Slow vs. Quick Movement, Honest vs. Polite Speech, and the like. These choices determine both a Mii’s personality and the starting color of their garb and island home. My Mii, for example, was dubbed a Considerate : Daydreamer, a profile associated with the color orange.

You, the player, are also an important part and, as your island’s benevolent caretaker, you’ll pick from a selection of photorealistic hands (with which you’ll occasionally poke and prod your tiny charges to cure their hiccups or ease their intrusive thoughts), and choose how to be addressed. I went with the simple but elegant “Homie.”

With names and roles firmly established, my Mii went down the familiar If You Give a Mouse a Cookie rabbit hole. First, he was hungry (so I purchased some grub from the newly opened Food Mart), then he was lonely (so I created a Mii to represent my girlfriend), and so on. Thus, I attended to his basic needs, levelling up little Zii in the process.

Assisting your characters in such a way, keeping them fed and occupied and otherwise fulfilled, nets you cash—which can be used to purchase food, clothing options, and other amenities—as well as Warm Fuzzies, which I dutifully collected in a glass bottle. This secondary currency can be used at the central Wishing Fountain to level up your island as a whole, making way for, as they say, bigger and better things.

In short order, my two children joined the growing population of Miis, as did JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure‘s Jolyne Cujoh (I used the face paint option to make her iconic space-bun hairstyle) and the aforementioned Marcus the Worm. Yes, I also crafted a bald, mealy-mouthed creature with large, top-set eyes. His personality turned out to be the purple-coded Ambitious : Maverick, which does at least seem lore-accurate.

The problem began to arise as my inhabitants became more comfortable, familiar, and independent. Your Miis may need you not only to supply food but also to help them break the ice with other islanders. You’ll provide them with some topics to discuss, a little helpful encouragement, and occasionally even pick them up and drop them next to someone to get the ball rolling. In time, they develop more fully formed personalities, aided by the relationships they foster and the advancements they earn through leveling up.

Obviously, you can try to shape things to your liking, but, alas, you are not an all-powerful deity. And if you’re not careful, you might even find your paramour spending more and more time with a certain deadpan sardine(?) while your Mii stares forlornly out into the ocean.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream arrives on the Nintendo Switch family of systems on April 16. This gives you several weeks to deliberately plan out which Miis you will and will not add to your island. I suggest you spend that time wisely. (By which I mean download the brand-new demo!)

Preview materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. I’m going to go remove South Carolina.

Back in 2023, I proudly proclaimed Super Mario Bros. Wonder to be “a new high-water mark for the 2D Super Mario Bros. line.” That’s a sentiment I still stand behind, but I’ll admit I hadn’t spent much time in the Flower Kingdom since I migrated from my OLED Switch model to my Nintendo Switch 2.

That changed a couple of weeks back when I was sent an early download code for Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. Not only does this new iteration look fantastic on the Switch 2, but it combines all that’s great about the original (badges and standees and world-bending Wonder Effects) with some sweet new exclusive content.

As the title implies, much of this centers squarely around the newly discovered Bellabel Park. Inhabited by various members of the Toad Brigade (including some Poplin recruits) and the occasional chatty flower, Bellabel is a new hub that hosts various multiplayer offerings as well as ties in the new story elements.

At Camp Central, you’ll gather intel from the Brigade to help you on your mission to reclaim the Seven Bellabel Flowers stolen by those rascally Koopalings. Locate Brigade Tents scattered across the expansive Flower Kingdom map to find and defeat the Koopa Kids in their weirdly warped boss levels. (Or, y’know, you can just ask the helpful Poplin guide back at camp, and he’ll point you directly toward your next objective.)

These Koopaling showdown courses aren’t overly long, but they can be challenging, showcasing even more surreal enemy transformations. Thankfully, you, too, have a few new weapons in your arsenal. Super Mario Galaxy‘s Rosalina is now available as a playable character, complete with Co-Star Luma as her multiplayer Assist Character. There’s also the Super Flower Pot power-up, which can transform Mario and his allies into Flower characters that toss rising flower projectiles and can flutter jump for a more controlled descent.

While not chasing down Koopalings, you can spend your time in Bellabel Park conversing with the Curious Poplin as he decrypts ancient stone slabs, read dispatches from the front on the Brigade Board, and take on specialty challenge courses at Toad Brigade Training Camp.

These challenges—like collecting all the coins before time expires or clearing an entire course while staying invincible—reward the player with droplets of Bellabel Water that can be used to unlock decorative flowers to customize the Park and patches to add to your Toad Brigade backpack. With 74 training courses, there are plenty of fun, challenging ways to raise your rank in the illustrious Toad Brigade.

Cosmetic goodies and bragging rights aside, the coolest new component has got to be the Dual Badges. These combine two badge effects (like Parachute Cap + Boosting Spin Jump or Coin Reward + Coin Magnet) into one, providing double the buffs in a single equippable badge. Not only do these help when facing those pesky Koopalings, but they also provide new ways to approach the game’s myriad of worlds and courses, further supplementing the already astounding amount of gameplay offered in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

While it’s easy enough to share the fun of Camp Central with your friends and family—the Toad Brigade Training Camp courses support up to four players on a single system, which helps to temper some of the frustration found in the more difficult courses—Bellabel’s Attraction Central is a dedicated multiplayer zone.

To the left, the Local Multiplayer Plaza hosts ten versus and seven co-op attractions, available for up to four players on a single system. To the right, the Game Room Plaza houses six different attractions for up to eight players using local wireless or a dozen online. From feeding baby Yoshis to Propeller Flower racing, there are lots of ways to channel that Mario Party-style madness in the world of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. And thanks to the magic of the Switch 2’s GameShare feature, your loved ones can get in on the action even if they don’t own the game.

While not an official part of the Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park release, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also touch on the arrival of Wonder‘s Talking Flower to the real-world Nintendo lineup.

This cheerful little guy runs on two AA batteries and boasts an impressive number of language options. Using the hidden Menu Panel inside the flower pot, just choose your preferred language and set your wake-up and bedtime; he’ll talk throughout the day, announcing the hour, commenting on the weather, and making the occasional silly quip.

The easy-to-find Talk Button can be pressed whenever you like to make the flower speak. You can also long-press it (for about two seconds) to enter mute mode and, while muted, long-press again to enter BGM mode, where your Talking Flower plays a selection of background tracks.

For the most part, the Talking Flower has been a pleasant enough little fellow to have around the house. Except for on those rare occasions where I forget about him and then hear a cheerful but totally unexpected voice chime in from across my home. (Is it an intruder? A vengeful spirit, perhaps? No, it’s merely a harmless plastic flower welcoming the afternoon!) 

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is available on Thursday, March 26, with an MSRP of $79.99, while those who already own Super Mario Bros. Wonder can pick up the Switch 2 Upgrade Pack for $19.99. The Talking Flower is out now and priced at $34.99 (batteries not included).

Like Wonder before it, Bellabel Park is an easy recommendation to gamers of all stripes and skill levels. The Talking Flower, on the other hand, is mostly recommended for those with robust long-term memories and folks who don’t startle easily.

It’s also worth noting that both arrive just in time to help fans celebrate the April 1 opening of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Because you can’t get to Hot Girl Summer without first spending a little time in Mario Spring!

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. The Talking Flower looks like an amiibo, but it ain’t.

MAR10 Day has come again, and along with Nintendo’s celebratory sales (like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury and Super Mario Odyssey for $39.99, and Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV reduced to $59.99), sweepstakes, and other fun promotions, this year’s event includes three new additions to the Nintendo Classics library available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. The first, GBA standout Mario vs. Donkey Kong, you’re likely already familiar with, but the other two selections represent a dubious corner of Nintendo history that the company has only recently sought to explore: Mario Clash and Mario’s Tennis for the oft-maligned Virtual Boy.

The Story So Far

The Virtual Boy, an innovative 32-bit tabletop headset that employed the parallax effect for stereoscopic 3D gameplay, launched in 1995. The project was largely helmed by visionary designer Gunpei Yokoi, the inventor of the original Game & Watch and the iconic Nintendo Game Boy. Still, it was released to an overwhelmingly disappointing reception and remains Nintendo’s lowest-selling standalone system to date.

Common knowledge holds that Yokoi, dogged by this failure, shamefully retired from Nintendo shortly before his untimely passing in 1997, but, as is so often the case, this is a misconception. Specifically, it fails to take into consideration his lengthy 31-year tenure at Nintendo, his work on 1996’s highly successful Game Boy Pocket iteration, and his collaboration on the Bandai WonderSwan, which was posthumously released in 1999.

Still, the Virtual Boy remains a true Nintendo anomaly, that weird cousin who’s seldom included in the family photo. In retrospect, though, the Virtual Boy was merely too ambitious a product for its own good and an idea decades ahead of its time.

Now, with the help of a specialty accessory, old fans and curious newcomers alike can experience its odd but endearing gameplay on the Nintendo Switch family of systems. 

A Brand New Boy

The Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch is an altogether different beast from its predecessor. To begin your journey to the angry red planet, simply download the Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics from the Nintendo eShop. Opening the app, you’ll notice a warning… well, two warnings.

This is because Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics displays two parallel images on your console to recreate the stereoscopic 3D effect. Given the double display and the limited resolution of each image, it’s not exactly playable in this state. Instead, you need either the $99.99 Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch accessory or its $24.99 Labo-style cardboard little brother—both available from the Nintendo Store.

While the Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch arrives disassembled, it’s a quick and easy build. Just attach the main headset unit to the stand via the integrated clasp, and you’re good to go. (If you’re planning to play on an original or OLED Nintendo Switch, make sure you replace the Switch 2 bracket with the one marked “Nintendo Switch” before attaching the accessory to the stand.)

As the owner of an OG Virtual Boy, I believe this device does a great job of evoking the original in its overall look and feel. Gone, of course, is the old corded controller—we’ll be using Joy-Cons now—and even though the old focus knob and slider located on top don’t move, they still add a nice little nostalgic touch. The foam blinders/headrest piece seems nicely solid, and the two-legged stand is a dead-ringer for that of the actual Virtual Boy.

To insert your Switch 2 system, remove the Joy-Con 2 controllers and gently open the headset at the seam, which is cleverly hidden. The rubberized Nintendo logos on either temple are your guide, so place your thumb on one and lift. Slide in your Switch 2, close the lid, and grab your Joy-Con 2s as we proceed into the high-tech virtual gameplay of yesteryear.

An Admirable Offering

Aside from that initial doublevision and an additional “exiting VR mode” prompt, the Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics interface looks and behaves like the numerous other classic libraries. Make your pick from the initial offering of seven titles, and you’re immediately transported into a red-and-black gameworld of your choosing.

The Virtual Boy catalog is notoriously scant, so the included titles represent some of the best the system has to offer. First and foremost, Virtual Boy Wario Land is a solid sidescroller with some added depth (pun intended) and arguably the tip-top of the heap.

Golf and Galactic Pinball are personal favorites, primarily because of my affinity for these kinds of titles… despite my lack of any real connection to their real-world inspirations. Both are simple, straightforward affairs that greatly benefit from the inclusion of the Suspend Point system (accessed, as ever, by pressing ZL+ZR)

3D Tetris changes the perspective on the world’s favorite puzzle game, asking you to look at things from the top down as you complete those lines. Lots of different block types help to flesh things out, though, if you, like me, struggle with spatial relations, this one can be taxing.

Red Alarm and Teleroboxer both rate near the bottom for me. The former is a wireframe rail shooter that, while crude, employs the 3D depth to great effect, while the latter is a classic Punch-Out riff with genuinely competent visuals, but it’s also the one game that seemed to fatigue my eyes the fastest. Neither is bad, mind you, just not my cup of tea.

The seventh included title is Insmouse no Yakata (The Mansion of Innsmouth), a Japanese-only release inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Despite not being localized, navigating its monster-filled mazes while a tight time clock counts down does a fine enough job of surpassing any language or cultural barriers. This is actually the game I’ve gone back to the most due to my love of all things horror, and owing to it being the only inclusion I’ve never been able to play before.

Gameplay on the Virtual Boy was famously uncomfortable during long sessions, with the intense red imagery alone also proving grating for some users. Personally, while I never had any issues with my original system, this Switch 2 upgrade does seem more comfy overall, with upcoming features, like the ability to change the display color, further helping to make the experience more enjoyable for a wider array of gamers.

More Fun to Come

While newcomers Mario Clash and Mario’s Tennis are, sadly, not exactly Wario Land-caliber releases, both represent a kind of arcade-y fun currently missing from the Virtual Boy lineup. I also really appreciate Nintendo using MAR10 Day as an excuse to share these forgotten titles with a whole new generation who have likely never even heard of them.

These also don’t represent the only additions Nintendo has planned for the Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics, though, truth be told, even nine Virtual Boy games being made available on a modern system is far more than I’d ever have guessed!

From shell-slinging in Mario Clash to monster-fighting in Insmouse no Yakata, I am, admittedly, a sucker for all this red-tinged retro madness. Whether or not you and yours will enjoy the fun enough to warrant the $100 (or even $25) investment depends a lot on your individual interests, but like a lot of old-school fans and long-time collectors, I’m just glad to see the Virtual Boy return from beyond the veil.

In fact, I think I might go get in a couple more 3D tennis matches before work.

So, happy MAR10 Day to all those who celebrate, and may the red beam of the Virtual Boy light your way to a better tomorrow.

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. And a joyous MAR10 Day to you and yours!

Ever since the halcyon days of the Nintendo 3DS, a purely theoretical Pokémon version of beloved life sim Animal Crossing has been one of my family’s go-to topics on long car rides and during vacation downtime. What if your next-door neighbor was an Eevee? What if you had to run errands for a down-on-his-luck Bulbasaur? What kind of house would you design for a Clefairy?

Fast-forward a decade plus, and our far-fetched mental exercise has become reality. Sort of. This week, Pokémon Pokopia releases exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2, and not only is it a weirder and more wonderful franchise spin-off than my kids and I could ever conceive, but it’s also an early contender for my game of the year.

Pokopia begins with a memory; a lone Ditto fondly recalls his trainer and, like Ditto do, morphs into their likeness.

Ok, so maybe it’s not an exact copy. Your Ditto/trainer player character still wears the Pokémon’s vacant expression, and his flailing arms and shuffling gait are practically comical. However, it’s close enough to temporarily fool the next Pokémon you meet, a studious character called Professor Tangrowth.

The good professor goes on to tell you that it has been an age since he’s laid eyes on another Pokémon or a human being, thus setting up the game’s enduring mystery. It falls to your brave Ditto to restore this broken land, to tend its parched earth and mend its many shattered byways. In doing so, you’ll attract your fellow Pokémon and, hopefully, their human counterparts will eventually return as well.

Luckily for you, Ditto’s impersonation is close enough to the real thing to fool the few lingering facets of human technology, including the computer at the razed Pokémon Center and your trusty Pokédex.

This particular device also includes a specialty feature called the Habitat Dex, meaning that, in addition to a Pokémon’s name and description, you have information regarding the kind of habitat needed to attract them back to this barren waste. Combining grass, trees, flowers, specialty items, and even furniture in specific ways can summon a variety of Pocket Monsters to aid you in your grand task.

Using these tools (and with a little friendly advice from Professor Tangrowth), you begin by restoring some simple Pokémon habitats. Each Pokémon acquired has specific likes and dislikes that you can leverage to make them happier in their new home, but each also has one or more Specialties that can help you further develop your fledgling community.

Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, for example, have the Specialty moves Grow (to hasten plant growth), Burn (to start campfires), and Water (to hydrate dry earth), respectively. Bringing these allies along as Followers allows you to hasten expansion, and some Pokémon can teach Ditto moves of his own, like the plant-summoning Leafage and the hydrating Water Gun. In true Pokémon fashion, such moves require PP, which Ditto can easily replenish by eating food.

This further opens up the title’s expansive crafting system, as Ditto cuts, smashes, and tills his way through various terrain, collecting more materials along the way. These can be combined using learned Recipes to create all manner of items, allowing you to assemble a wider variety of Pokémon habitats and even begin repairing the various neglected homes and crumbling infrastructure.

Progression is handled largely through the tried-and-true mission system, which Pokopia refers to as Requests. These can be as straightforward as crafting or collecting a certain item for a needy Pokémon, but the more complex Important Requests tend to require large, multistep processes, like rebuilding that flattened Pokémon Center with the help of a specific cadre of Pocket Monster construction specialists.

Even in its ruined state, the Pokémon Center’s PC can be employed to complete challenges and purchase goods with the points awarded. It also helps you keep an eye on your Environmental Level, a sort of catch-all equation that takes into consideration the Comfort Levels of all Pokémon in the area. Feeding them berries when they’re hungry, giving them desired items to spruce up their habitats/moving them into new homes, or just letting them chill out and relax can keep your monster pals comfortable and bolster that important Environment Level.

All this progression, you’ll discover, helps make you a more effective “trainer,” which can be used to unlock additional environments. Though you start off in the Withered Wasteland, you’ll eventually access different biomes like the cavernous Rocky Ridges and the muck-covered Bleak Beach. Each offers new varieties of Pokémon, materials (and related Recipes), and Requests that can help you improve the Environmental Level both at home and abroad.

If a Recipe in an area demands some exotic item you’ve yet to encounter, it’s quite possibly only available (or initially available) elsewhere. But worry not, fellow traveler. By establishing a home—planting a Ditto flag atop a restored or newly constructed domicile—in each various environment, you can use the Pokédex’s Return Home feature to quick travel from one disparate locale to another.

This enhances one of the game’s most fun and challenging elements: space and resource management. Since Ditto can only carry a finite number of items in his trusty backpack (which is, in actuality, just an outward representation of his big ol’ mouth), you’ll often need to unburden yourself in the storage boxes you construct next to each of your crafting tables. The trick is remembering what item, resource, or collectible you stored at what location.

If, by this point, you’re shaking your head and intoning, “That doesn’t sound very much like Animal Crossing,” you’re absolutely correct. Pokémon Pokopia was actually developed by Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force team, who previously worked on another outstanding life-sim/adventure mash-up, Dragon Quest Builders 2. This explains how Pokopia so effortlessly blends an exciting and engaging story with the play-at-your-own-pace charm of a community-builder.

Case in point: I was both surprised and delighted by the discovery of Palette Town, a sort of blank slate environment where you can build solo or with up to three friends using multiplayer, creating a space that’s uniquely your own (one unburdened by the need for continual story development) right there in the core gaming experience. Making this built-in feature rather than some half-baked secondary mode really highlights the kind of care and attention you’ll find on display throughout Pokémon Pokopia.

Do I have some minor quibbles? Sure, I mean complex construction in a 3D game space is never without its shortcomings. In fact, I may have used some of my very bestest swears while trying to align and affix specialty roof tiles to my Withered Wasteland chateau. Furthermore, the recurring sequence of move to a new place –> build some stuff and make friends –> complete Important Request –> big reveal surely won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Still, I was able to overcome my short-term construction issues (it turns out camera placement is everything… also, there’s mouse mode support), and I just so happen to be the target market for quirky games that mix constant discovery, social-sim glad-handing, and one of the modern world’s most popular IPs. Whether I was actively building or idly exploring, uncovering sparkly Pokémon Traces that revealed new habitats or stumbling across scattered records and relics from the long-absent human inhabitants, I was not merely engaged but absorbed. Ergo: game of the year.

I could certainly go on for another few thousand words about why I love Pokopia. I could wax poetic about its delicate musical score, I could praise the simple logic of its purpose-built farming and cooking mechanics, hell, I could even regale you with my numerous surreal experiences with the game’s cast of custom Pokémon characters (Chef Dente is an absolute delight, while DJ Rotom is a borderline neighborhood menace).

The issue here is that this would take even more time, which I could otherwise devote to actually playing Pokopia.

Pokémon Pokopia is a perfect example of one of those desert island video games, the kind of experience with near-limitless playability (not to mention replayability, for the same brand of maniac who resets their Animal Crossing: New Horizons island). With dozens of hours of gameplay in the bag, it feels as though I’m only just beginning to realize the sheer scope of all that is available… and that I’ve barely scratched the surface of what is truly possible.

So instead, I will humbly suggest that you proceed to the nearest gate, scan your Pokédex, and join me in the fantastical world of Pokémon Pokopia. I’ll be the Ditto wearing Buddy Holly glasses and obsessively collecting twine.

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. No Pokémon were harmed in the writing of this review. I mean, except for my Ditto almost drowning, like, 14 times.

Over the years, there have been a few games that I keep coming back to over the years as they have continued with new releases. One of those is XCOM which was first released in 1994. I spent hours and hours playing it as well as its sequels. Jagged Alliance was another series I enjoyed playing as well though I did not begin playing it until 1999 with Jagged Alliance 2. What I liked about these games was that they combined turn-based tactics with a strategic layer. There have been many other games of this genre since that time. However, I am excited about an upcoming new game that combines the best features of these two series and takes them to the next level: Warhounds.

What is Warhounds?

Warhounds is a turn-based tactics & strategy game about a mercenary squad with an old-school action-movie vibe. Command an elite team of bold, stylish operators, wage a campaign in an alternative-future Africa, and decide the war’s outcome mission by mission. In this game you get to be the commander. Calculate lines of fire, flank and break cover, and seize the high ground. Every turn is decided by your planning and honest physics – not by a random number generator. As you play, you will hire fighters with personality. Combine classes -Assault, Specialist, Sniper, Machine Gunner, and Grenadier. Pick the right gear for the job, treat and extract, protect key operatives. Take calculated risks – high combat lethality makes every decision count. Between missions, you run the base. Recruit, upgrade, purchase equipment, handle logistics, finances, medical, and downtime. Choose allied factions, build relationships, gather intel, and execute covert ops. Your choices have consequences – access to missions, gear, and allies changes because of what you do. This game is set in the battlefield of today and tomorrow. Deploy drones, combat scanners, smoke, and optical camo. Upgrade and improve your kit to win under any conditions. Finally, you get to set the pace of the game. Knock out a mission in 25 – 40 minutes or settle in for longer sessions. You can also set the level of challenge from light and relaxing to brutal tactical nightmare.

Game Play

I had the opportunity to run through a play test version of Warhounds along with the recently released demo. The start of the game puts you right into a firefight and also acts as a tutorial that teaches you not only the commands of how to play the game, but also how the combat works with three unique characters. After this, you ease your way into the strategic layer by arriving at a base on a ship that you had to commandeer as a second mission. For the demo and playtest, the seaborne base only lets you explore the Helipad screen where you put together a team of mercenaries for the next mission and then send them into battle for a third mission that ends the experience for these early releases. 

Though there is not much of the strategic level available in what I have played, the tactical portion of the game has a lot of great things going for it.  Warhounds uses a 3-D isometric view which you can rotate 360 degrees. There are also multiple floors for many of the structures. Characters behind cover receive defensive bonuses and some cover is destructible. When taking control of a character the spaces to which they can move are bordered by blue lines to show how far they can move using one action and then yellow for their second action. This allows a character to move and then perform another action such as firing. When firing a weapon, the game provides a percentage chance of getting a hit. This is based on the cover the target is behind as well as other objects between the shooter and the target. By moving to flank a target so they don’t have cover, you can increase your chance to hit up to 100%!

In addition to shooting, you can also set up overwatch where your character spends their remaining action to setup a cone of spaces so that the first enemy who performs an action within those spaces is fired upon. Sometimes if an enemy is in cover, use overwatch to fire at them as they move away from cover. Characters will need to spend an action to reload their weapon when their clip is empty. They can also use actions to heal wounded allies or throw a grenade. Later in the game as characters have skills, they can add additional actions such as attacking with a knife. After the player uses all of their characters’ actions, the enemy moves. They use the same rules in that each enemy gets two actions where they can move, shoot, and even setup their own overwatch. 

Play the Demo

Warhounds is developed by Everplay DMCC and published by Brightika, Inc. A demo was just released on Steam. The game will be available for PC on Steam and released during the Spring of 2026. I enjoyed playing through the missions in the demo and playtest and really look forward to the release of the complete game. If you like turn-based tactical games or are looking to play something different than what you are used to, then I recommend giving Warhounds a try. I warn you that after playing the demo, you will be hooked. 

Check out the Warhounds page on Steam for more information and to download the demo. 

Take a look at the gameplay trailer for Warhounds.

My favorite arcade sports games inevitably meet one of two criteria: they contain the words “Mutant League” somewhere in the title, or they were developed by Camelot Software Planning.

While the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 release, Mario Tennis Fever, doesn’t feature the Slaycity Slayers, it is, in fact, a Camelot joint, thus keeping this decades-long streak alive.

My love affair with Camelot’s Mario sports releases began back in the Game Boy Color era with its standout golf and tennis games. These hybrid sports RPGs are still a high-water mark for me, but in recent years, with titles like Mario Sports Superstars and Mario Tennis Aces, the team at Camelot has been ever-moving toward that former glory, with Mario Tennis Fever bringing us closer than ever.

Boasting a roster of 38 characters, including a new baby version of Camelot’s most enduring contribution, Waluigi, Fever further supplements this impressive offering with 30 of its titular Fever Rackets. Themed around the various power-ups, enemies, and environmental hazards found throughout Mario canon, each possesses a special Fever ability.

Fire Flower and Ice Flower Rackets allow the users to toss fire and ice balls at an opponent to burn or freeze them, while the Fire Bar and Pokey Rackets spawn their respective hazards where the ball bounces. The Shadow Racket creates a temporary double, the Inky Racket obscures an enemy’s view with ink splotches, and the Ty-foo Racket produces a miniature tornado that can send your foes flying.

To unleash the Fever Abilities, a player must sufficiently fill up a Fever Gauge by successfully returning shots. This Fever Gauge exists alongside a new character HP mechanic. You can wear down your opponent’s HP via body shots and by forcing them to collide with obstacles, and once completely expended, they’ll be temporarily slowed or even stunned, giving you a distinct advantage. Alongside the returning Star Shot mechanic, the Fever/HP system really plays up the Mario element of Mario Tennis, making for lively play that’s fun and challenging but rarely cheap.

While there’s a distinctly satisfying pick-up-and-play element to Mario Tennis Fever—which is, after all, the hallmark of any arcade sports game worth its salt—the best way to learn the ropes is through its Adventure mode. This RPG-lite approach begins with Baby Mario working his way through the game’s tennis academy.

Complete with simple drills, some Mr. Miyagi-style training machines, and Mario RPG staple quizzes, Adventure mode starts a little slow, but it picks up quickly. In no time, you’ll master the basic single-button shots (topspin, slide, flat, and lob) before moving on to more advanced techniques like shot charging and two-button combinations.

Aside from standard solo and doubles play, players get to experience a number of Special Matches, including things like Ring Shot, where points are collected by returning the ball through rings that spawn atop the net. It may not sound like much, but a little variety goes a long way when it comes to what is essentially a tutorial mode.

Once Baby Mario (and his doubles partner, Baby Luigi) have proven their mettle, the duo board an airship and set off for actual adventure, which is when this mode really soars. There are new foes to be faced, new environments to be encountered, and new, more ridiculous gameplay transmutations to be enjoyed.

In fact, if Mario Tennis Fever was just this RPG mode and some simple multiplayer functionality, I, for one, would’ve been well satisfied. But Nintendo and Camelot went the extra mile.

Tournament mode boasts multiple cup races in both singles and doubles play, while the Trial Towers mode reimagines the classic fighting game setup as a surprisingly competent framing mechanism for madcap tennis action. Free Play also supports singles and doubles, as well as differing match lengths, custom rules, and up to two different Fever Rackets (with players able to swap between the two before serving).

Mix It Up mode offers all the Special matches you’ll encounter across Adventure mode—from the reality-warping Wonder Court Match to the Waluigi-inspired Pinball Match—each with easy-to-understand court information, variable ball speed, and adjustable cameras. Mix It Up mode even splits out a number of high-score challenges into their own Score Challenges sub-mode, with a pair perfectly tailored for co-op play.

There’s also Swing Mode, a special way to play using Joy-Con 2 (or even original Joy-Con) motion controls. Ever since the advent of the Nintendo Wii, motion gaming has been a blessing to some and a bane to others, so the fact that Mario Tennis Fever includes a special place for up to four players to get their collective waggle on is a nice way to expand the offering without shoehorning motion play into every other element of the game.

Speaking of multiplayer mayhem, online Ranked Match play and private Online Room creation and ID lookup are easily available through the main menu. Local Play and Game Share options similarly allow players to share the Mario Tennis Fever love with their nearby friends and family.

And if all the above praise isn’t glowing enough, I’ll say that my very favorite thing about Mario Tennis Fever isn’t simply its stellar array of offerings; it’s the way that its bountiful unlockable content is metered out in a manner that encourages and rewards regular gameplay.

Playable characters (including color variations), Fever Rackets, Courts, and CPU Difficulties are your reward for just growing as a player. And if you can’t figure out how to unlock your favorite Mushroom Kingdom personality, just hit the achievements list to find out. 

Whether you’re going it alone (using the game’s nicely competent computer-controlled doubles partner), playing locally against your family and friends, or competing in online Ranked Match play, Mario Tennis Fever is a spectacular arcade sports offering on the Nintendo Switch 2. Even I, with my sizable grocery list of Mario sports-related demands, really couldn’t ask for much more.

Look for it on retail shelves and via the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop when it drops this Thursday, February 12. You’ll be glad you did!

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Sorry, Waluigi, but Rosalina is my new go-to character!

It was a strange holiday season here in the deep south, with the unexpectedly springlike weather in my own neighborhood giving rise to more than one impromptu Christmas cookout. Unfortunately, that same oddly vacillating temperature also did a number on my property’s buried water line, causing a breakage that briefly displaced our family during this most wonderful time of the year.

Luckily, our Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 systems were a solid match for this bit of unexpected holiday travel, keeping us occupied on busy interstates and quiet spare bedrooms alike.

Yet even this wasn’t without a certain peculiarity. You see, as much as my family enjoyed revisiting old favorites and diving into our new Christmas games, it was downloadable content that really kept my children, my partner, and me engaged throughout the season.

Exploring Other Dimensions

I’ve made no secret that the members of my clan are all great fans of the Pokémon franchise, and my son, who received his own Nintendo Switch 2 system shortly before Christmas, made quick work of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Unsurprisingly, his primary focus quickly turned to the recently released Mega Dimensions DLC.

Introducing the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa into the game world, this new story content nicely extends Z-A‘s content. It primarily concerns collecting berries to bake the doughnuts Hoopa requires to help Team MZ traverse the dimensional rifts popping up across the city, and then exploring these dangerous anomalies.

In the otherworldly Hyperspace Lumiose, players encounter Pokémon not found in the core title. More importantly, these new creatures sport hyperspace levels beyond the normal level cap of 100, making them formidable foes.

The big selling point, though, is the newly discovered Mega Evolutions, like Mega Chimecho and Mega Baxcalibur.

Since my boy had continued to explore the post-game content in Lumiose while I moved on to other titles, he easily blew past me in Mega Dimensions. Mostly because he had continued to train and level up his preferred Pokémon party while mine sat dormant.

Still, us comparing notes, swapping strategies, and trading Pokémon made for another enjoyable Christmas memory.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension is available now for both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2 for $29.99. The base game is also required.

Much-Needed Prep for the New Year

While the ladies in the family are still playing on their original Switch systems, they, too, were firmly focused on DLC during the holidays. Though, in their case, it was for as-yet unreleased content.

In anticipation of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons free version 3.0 update scheduled to release in mid-January, both my daughter and my girlfriend set to work on their long-neglected islands. Eventually, I even jumped back into my own island paradise to reacquaint myself with the lay of the land, reintroduce myself to the other residents, and otherwise tidy up the place.

New Horizons was such a huge deal for my family, especially during the COVID lockdown, and we’ve each put 100+ hours into our respective builds. Getting back into the swing of things, especially after so long, felt great, and it was a nice reminder of how far we’ve all come since the dark days of 2020.

The free 3.0 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons arrives on January 15, 2026. A Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Pack will also be available, priced at $4.99.

Free Switch 2 Updates

When I wasn’t exploring game worlds with the fam (or, you know, driving), I bided my time in some of my favorite single-player Switch titles. As luck would have it, I discovered that three such releases had free Nintendo Switch 2 updates available.

Skyrim is likely my most-played game of all time, as I have been consistently enjoying it since its original 2011 release across no fewer than five separate platforms. To tell the truth, I was more than happy simply playing my Nintendo Switch version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition on my Switch 2 due to the faster load times alone.

Then, in early December and with little warning, a Switch 2 Upgrade Pack was released. Now I’m experiencing all the Anniversary Edition content (like Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn) along with some great new Creation Club items with improved visuals and optimized performance.

Red Dead Redemption had long been on my wishlist, and I was happy to find a copy tucked into my stocking on Christmas morning. While I was already excited to revisit New Austin on the Nintendo Switch, I was even more enthused when I realized there was a free Switch 2 Upgrade Pack available via the Nintendo eShop.

Now I can play all the bonus content from Red Dead Redemption‘s Game of the Year Edition and Undead Nightmare on the go as a native Switch 2 release.

As 2025 drew to a close, I decided to use some of that sweet, sweet Christmas gift card money to treat myself to another beloved throwback release. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles includes both the Classic and Enhanced versions on a single Nintendo Switch cartridge, and it too can be upgraded to the Nintendo Switch 2 version at no additional cost.

Sure, I could be playing more modern releases, but I was thankful to have my comfort games close at hand when my winter holiday didn’t go exactly as planned.

The free Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Packs for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition, Red Dead Redemption, and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles are all available now. The base games are required.

This post contains affiliate links. A copy of the Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension DLC was provided by Nintendo of America. I can guarantee you that I’ll buy Skyrim again for a sixth system at some point in the future.

Friends, the only thing I love more than unboxing a brand-new gaming console is customizing it to my liking. And while the Nintendo Switch 2 is sorely lacking in theming options—gaming gods, please take us back to the halcyon days of the New Nintendo 3DS—there are more than enough cool system accessories to make up for it.

My current favorites come from the Chinese manufacturer JSAUX Gaming. Since its inception in 2016, JSAUX has been developing impressive accessories for handhelds like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Naturally, much of their recent focus has been on the Nintendo Switch 2, and I was fortunate enough to receive a care package in time for the holidays featuring some of their latest and greatest—all of which, it just so happens, are currently on sale for the New Year.

Multi-Mode Joystick & Grip Guard Set for Switch 2

JSAUX’s thumb stick caps turned out to be exactly what I was looking for, somehow finding the midpoint between those gummy no-name options and the grainy, overly firm profile of most other name-brand products I’ve tried. Offering three distinct shapes, the Multi-Mode Joystick & Grip Guard Set is pliable enough to make installation a breeze, with just enough give to add some comfortable padding to the Joy-Con 2’s joysticks.

Available in five colorful options, each set currently retailing for $9.99, they’re also a nice way to add a pop of color to your Switch 2. The Blue-Orange colorway perfectly matches the corresponding Joy-Con 2—better, even, than some first-party products I’ve seen—with other alternatives like Purple, Green, and Beige-Red for those who might like to switch up the profile while enjoying some ergonomic comfort.

There is, of course, a basic Black option for you minimalists, but your best buy is the Black & Blue-Orange 12-pack, which includes more than enough caps to outfit every Switch 2 in your family, currently priced at $14.99.

Split Protective Case for Switch 2

The first product that actually drew me to the JSAUX brand was their Split Protective Case. (See? Sometimes targeted social media advertising does work!) A four-part system with a clip-on shell, a removable face cover, and two Joy-Con 2 covers, it offers a nicely modular approach to system safety with a few added bonuses.

The pliable back shell is fairly unremarkable, though it does offer easy kickstand access, which is a plus. The Joy-Con 2 covers, however, are positively heavenly. The overall texture and added cushioning help take some of the sting out of the otherwise inflexible new Joy-Cons.

The face cover, too, hits the mark. Composed with top and bottom “lips” that attach to the system case without the need for extraneous latches, magnets, or other similar doodads, it completely covers the touchscreen and the face buttons/thumb sticks on both Joy-Cons—and it even hangs over just enough to shield the R/L/ZR/ZL triggers. JSAUX smartly provided a little extra room to accommodate the height added by the Multi-Mode Grip Guards, and its protective foam insert boasts storage for 10 game cartridges.

Advertised as a dockable case solution, the Split Protective Case did fit into my original Switch 2 dock, though with the added width of a glass screen protector, it was admittedly a little tight. Still, at $29.99, this product offers a solid blend of protection, comfort, and flexibility.

ModCase for Switch 2

A step up from the Split Protective Case in overall construction and stability, the ModCase might well be considered JSAUX’s flagship product. It offers the same honeycomb foam, anti-slip Joy-Con support, though this time as part of a single, solid backpiece that also covers the Switch 2 itself. Similarly, it comes with its own anti-scratch face cover, though sized slightly differently to accommodate the additional bulk (and this time only sporting eight cartridge holders).

This essentially means that you’re trading dockability and removable Joy-Con support for a beefier and more solid handheld experience. Plus, the ModCase has a few special tricks that are all its own.

The $29.99 Basic Kit comes with the single-piece ergonomic case, the front travel cover, and a pair of accessories that only make sense when you look at the rear of the case itself. Since this single-piece construction covers the Switch 2 entirely (kickstand and all), JSAUX had room to add a little octagonal port on the back that’s actually a cleverly designed modular clip.

The two accessories in question are a sturdy metal mini-kickstand and what I initially mistook for some weird watch band, but is actually an adjustable strap that can be used to tether a backup battery pack directly to the case itself.

At the $45.99 price point is the Dock Adapter Stand Kit. This includes all the contents of the Basic Kit plus—you guessed it—a dock adapter. JSAUX’s dock adapter is another nice piece of kit. It consists of a flat slug plate that presses flush against the inside of the Nintendo Switch 2 dock, engaging the nested connector, with a right-angle USB-C cable extending out of the left side.

This USB cable sits snugly in the bottom of a rubberized, small form stand that you can simply place next to the OEM dock on your entertainment center. Plug it into your Switch 2, and it acts as a pass-through, sending the signal through your dock and into your television’s HDMI port.

Now, this means you can’t take advantage of the Switch 2 dock’s integrated fan, but if you, like me, mostly use it as a centralized charging cradle, this is more than adequate.

For iPhone owners, there’s also a $59.99 Ultimate Kit that includes everything from the Dock Adapter set and a MagSafe Phone Mount Mod. My review unit didn’t include this, but given how well all the other modular accessories function, I’m sure it’s a nice pick-up for Apple people.

FlexForm Series All-in-One Modular Case for Switch 2

Last but not least, JSAUX Gaming sent along their FlexForm Series All-in-One Modular Case for the Switch 2. This is the kind of large-form case that I tend to think of as a “tacklebox”; it’s on the larger side, but it’s got a place for everything.

This includes dedicated, custom-formed spaces for your Switch 2 dock and charger, a Switch 2 Pro controller, a grip and additional Joy-Cons, and more space along the top for ample game storage, plenty of Joy-Con 2 straps, cables, and anything else you might want to travel with. It even comes with a separate system case—a really nice, slim affair also from the FlexForm series—to house your Switch 2, which has its own dedicated little nook inside the larger case.

If you find yourself needing to move the full Switch 2 ecosystem, be it on vacation or between the houses of shared caregivers, the $39.99 FlexForm Modular is the case for you. For that matter, if you simply prefer to keep your Switch 2 system unadorned and rely on a more traditional system case than the options outlined above, you’ll likely find the FlexForm carrying case equally enticing.

Review materials provided by JSAUX Gaming. This post contains affiliate links. I really need the Switch 2 to add more than just two measly theme options. 

Coming January 15, 2026, a free content update and a Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Pack promise to reinvigorate many a neglected island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Last week, Nintendo of America was nice enough to invite me to a media sneak preview showcasing all the forthcoming cozy goodness, and suffice it to say, I really like what I saw.

First off, Switch 2 early adopters will surely appreciate the updated visuals, which not only eliminate some last-gen jaggies but also boast a noticeably improved resolution overall (up to full 4K in TV mode). While that alone is likely worth the $4.99 price point to many longtime players, it’s far from all this Switch 2 Edition has to offer.

Joy-Con 2 mouse support provides a brand new way to create custom designs, share hand-drawn messages on the community bulletin board, and quickly redecorate your home by selecting multiple furniture items at once. Switch 2 CameraPlay is also supported using a compatible USB camera, with 12-person multiplayer available on Nintendo’s latest console.

Another cool new Switch 2 feature harkens back to the series’ previous release, Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the Nintendo 3DS. The megaphone tool has returned, now employing the integrated Switch 2 microphone. Call the name of your favorite island resident, and they’ll come running! I mean, unless they have something more interesting going on.

Now, that’s not to say that existing Switch players are left out of the fun. A free update is available on both Switch and Switch 2 versions of New Horizons, and it too has a lot to offer.

An additional home upgrade allows storage for up to 9,000 items, including trees, shrubs, and flowers. You’ll surely need that extra space when you see all the new collaborations; there’s a colorful LEGO furniture collection as well as new Legend of Zelda and Splatoon items and characters that can be unlocked using compatible amiibo, all arriving in the update.

This free update even brings in some gameplay elements that may seem familiar to those who know their Animal Crossing history. For example, classic Nintendo items are back, most notably those long-sought-after consoles, and just like in the original Animal Crossing on the GameCube, each will allow you to play a retro title from that system’s library right there in-game!

There are also interesting new takes on another pair of New Leaf elements. These arrive in the form of Kapp’n’s Resort Hotel and the world-expanding Slumber Island.

While the Resort Hotel includes the same staff we met in that shack on Tortimer Island, this hotel is a significantly more ambitious operation. Here, you’ll decorate guest rooms and craft specially requested furniture for Kapp’n and his kin to earn tickets that can be redeemed for exclusive items. Similarly, while the new Slumber Island feature looks a lot like Luna’s Dream Suite, it offers significantly more functionality, allowing Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to create and customize three additional islands in collaboration with their friends and loved ones.

Whether you’re updating to the Switch 2 Edition, continuing to enjoy all that free update content on your original Nintendo Switch system, or exploring the world of New Horizon for the first time with the new retail release (MSRP $64.99), 2026 will surely be another banner year for the Animal Crossing franchise. Personally, I don’t think January 15th can get here soon enough!

Originally announced at E3 2017, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is kind of the Chinese Democracy of video games: a highly anticipated project that longtime fans yearned for, but after a while began to wonder if they’d ever live to see its release. The difference here is, while I came away from the Guns N’ Roses album disappointed and more than a little confused, I readily admit that I have been positively blown away by my time on Planet Viewros.

Following an encounter with rival bounty hunter Sylux (and a mishap with an alien artifact à la Mass Effect), Samus is teleported to the aforementioned Viewros. Once the home of the Lamorn, a race of powerful psychics, the planet is now exactly the sort of barren, hostile environment in which our heroine thrives.

From the jump, things unfold in the most Metroid-y way possible. Samus finds herself stripped of her various abilities and can only recover them by plumbing the depths of the planet’s six unique biomes. The catch here—and the “beyond” part of the game’s title—is that our gun-armed girl doesn’t just recover her Missiles and Freeze Shot; she finds herself outfitted with a suite of augmented Psychic Abilities compliments of the Lamorn statues scattered across the planet.

In addition to granting her a smart new purple visor, these psychic skills enable Samus to telekinetically solve door puzzles, capture and direct energy using her matching Psychic Glove, and manipulate the time-slowing Control Beam’s projectile to blast indirect targets or plow through multiple enemies at once. Eventually, she’s even able to summon and control VI-O-LA, a psychically linked motorcycle that takes the chore out of traversing the sizable Sol Valley, the desert overworld connecting Viewros’s six themed zones.

Traveling on VI-O-LA is really enjoyable, even as other modes of transport become available. (Think long-distance artillery cannons, but for Samus delivery.) Something about the easy shift to third person and the satisfying blend of speed and freedom immediately put me in mind of Mario Kart World‘s fun Free Roam mode.

A third-person view is also used extensively in the game’s various Morph Ball sequences, with Samus slipping through tubes, around psychically enhanced Spider Ball tracks, and up bomb-powered lifts. This, along with the steady stream of discovered power upgrades, really helps Metroid Prime 4: Beyond to feel more like a proper MetroidVania than previous entries in the franchise, which leaned heavily into the FPS genre.

That’s not to say there still isn’t lots of first-person shooting.

Thanks to a nicely responsive targeting system, multiple beam and missile options, and (generally) some nice room to move around in, dispatching waves of enemies and even those super-sized Metroid mini-bosses is manageable, provided you stay mindful of attack patterns, your overall combat environment, and your current load-out of martial and psychic weaponry.

When in doubt, simply revert to using your Scan Visor. This overlay mode allows you to scan and access information on tons of in-game assets—from enemies and artifacts to blocked doorways and random detritus. It can also be toggled on to engage in the various psychic shenanigans that become available as gameplay progresses, easily helping the Switch 2 Pro Controller or dual Joy-Con 2 interface pull double duty without the need for complex button combos or finicky alternate inputs.

It’s worth noting that the Switch 2 version of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond includes support for Joy-Con 2 mouse functionality. This provides a more precise, PC FPS-style of gameplay that managed to impress even a dedicated console gamer like me. Switch 2 players also have access to enhanced display modes: Quality Mode (Docked: 4K 60 fps HDR, Handheld/Tabletop: 1080p 60 fps HDR) and Performance Modes (Docked: 1080p 120 fps HDR, Handheld/Tabletop: 720p 120 fps HDR). For the record, I’ve used Handheld Quality Mode almost exclusively, and the game has looked, sounded, and played spectacularly, with minimum load times and no noticeable lag.

Original Switch gamers shouldn’t feel left out, though, as the real star of the show in Beyond is a wonderfully competent lock-on system that functions well on both systems, providing consistent targeting with just enough play to fine-tune it using a thumbstick or motion controls. Obviously, I’ve been spoiled by the Switch 2 iteration, but if you’ve been waiting nearly a decade for Samus’s next big Metroid Prime adventure, don’t feel like you need to purchase a whole new system just to enjoy it.

Speaking of the star of the show, you’ll quickly discover that the generally solitary Samus isn’t entirely alone on Viewros. A number of displaced Galactic Federation Troopers are also marooned on this desolate planet, and you’ll lean on each other as you uncover long-buried secrets and attempt to find a way back home.

One of the first such compatriots you encounter is engineer Myles Mackenzie, a bookish chatterbox that some corners of the gaming internet are already lambasting as “that annoying NPC.” For my money, I like Myles, and not just because he helps me integrate foreign tech into my Power Suit.

While the Samus of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a woman of few words, stoic in the same way as Link in the recent Legend of Zelda entries, the rest of the world, from the Fed Troopers to the messages encoded in Lamorn statues, is all decidedly animated and talkative. This provides a nice counterpoint to the silent protagonist, with each character adding a little something different to the unfolding narrative.

Like any MetroidVania worth its salt, Beyond feels open-world, but the game expects you to complete its major milestones in a very particular order. Myles Mackenzie’s role is to point you in the right direction should you find yourself cruising Sol Valley fruitlessly in search of the next waypoint. (Which I did early in the game, and he was quick to suggest I backtrack and look for a helpful item I’d missed.)

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a different kind of Metroid title. It sticks close to the tight run-and-gun nature of the previous Prime titles, but it’s not afraid to give more gametime to the deep exploration of the 2D Metroid series. It celebrates Samus as the kick-ass one-woman army she is, but it’s also more than willing to glorify strength in numbers. Whether this is the Prime title that’s been at the top of your wish list since the late twenty-teens or you’re a first-timer just hoping to see if it’s hype-worthy, I have no doubt you’ll find something to love about this deep space adventure.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is available on Nintendo Switch 2 ($69.99) and Nintendo Switch ($59.99) this Thursday, December 4. There’s also a Switch 2 Upgrade Pack ($9.99).

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Samus Aran has a posse.

Another year, another game to discover. If you couldn’t make it to Pax Unplugged this weekend, try creating your own event at home with these suggestions from our current favorite games to share with your friends and family this holiday season.

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means that the GeekDad/GeekMom contributor may make a small amount of commission if you click through and purchase the item at no extra cost to you. We may have also received the item for review from the manufacturer.

Murdle Jigsaw Puzzles

Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Chronicle Books
Price: $19.95
Purchase: Murdle Jigsaw Puzzles
Description: Mixing logic with jigsaw puzzles, these Murdle jigsaws bring a lot of fun to the table. Put together a 500-piece puzzle to solve the murder mystery! But you won’t get much help from the box—there is no full reference image! You’re (mostly) on your own here. Then, once you assemble the puzzle, follow the included clues and study the puzzle image to solve the mystery. Full of cute and funny details, these puzzles are fun to do by yourself, or with a whole group. See who can solve the mystery first! There are two puzzles so far, but I hope they make more. (And be sure to check out the full line of Murdle puzzle books!) Read my full review on GeekMom. JB

Donkey Kong Bananza

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Nintendo
Price: $69.00
Purchase: Donkey Kong Bananza
Description: The first true must-own of the Switch 2 era, Donkey Kong Bananza manages to channel the very best elements of every Donkey Kong title that’s come before into a remarkable adventure that surprises and delights, rewarding innovation and encouraging experimentation while never failing to let fun be its true focus. Bananza sees DK partnered with a sentient rock creature that is quickly revealed to be none other than a younger version of the songstress Pauline. Abducted by VoidCo, a capitalist cabal of sinister simians, for her powerful voice, Pauline joins Donkey Kong as he delves ever deeper into the underground world in an attempt to recover the stolen Banandium Gems and undo VoidCo’s cruel, exploitative plans via deliberate exploration and wanton destruction—two of my very favorite things! –Z. [Review materials provided by Nintendo of America.]

Floats McGoats

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Hootenanny Games
Price: $24.99
Purchase: Floats McGoats
Description: If you just need to laugh with your family for 45 minutes, and also like targeting siblings in attack strategies, then this is the game for you. We have been playing this since last Christmas and it floats everyone’s boats with the hilarity of floating goats. A ship carrying far too many goats has broken apart and you must each save as many goats as you can by building rafts and saving more goats than the other players. Watch out for sharks! SP

Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: Wizards of the Coast
Price: $49
Purchase: Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands
Description: If you, a friend, or loved one has been interested in getting into Dungeons & Dragons as a player or a Dungeon Master, but has been intimidated by it or just don’t know where to start, then the Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands is exactly what you need! I recently did a deep dive on just why this is an excellent starting point for all ages and you can read it here. This amazing starter set makes D&D as accessible as most tabletop games. -W.J.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Nintendo
Price: $69.99 ($59.88 for Nintendo Switch edition)
Purchase: Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Description: Transporting fans back to Lumiose City, the grand Parisian metropolis of Pokémon X and Y fame, Pokémon Legends: Z-A wonderfully combines the spirit of the core Pokémon franchise with the frenetic combat of the Legends spin-off. The shift to a real-time battle system may feel strange at first, but players will quickly get the hang of this new action-heavy approach to Pokémon warfare. Combine that with a healthy dose of urban exploration, tons of character customization options, and even more Mega Evolutions, and you’ve got an irresistible gameplay experience. Available now on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is sure to find itself atop many a gift list this holiday season. –Z. [Review materials provided by Nintendo of America.]

Giant Foam Dice Set

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: KESS
Price: $24.99 – $119.99
Purchase: Giant Foam Dice Sets
Description: If you play tabletop roleplaying games, you probably already own more than one set of dice. But do you have some truly giant dice that you can chuck across the table? This set of seven 5.5″ dice are brightly colored and made of sturdy foam, and will really make a splash at your RPG sessions. And if you don’t want a whole set, they also sell individual 20-sided dice. -PB

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Nintendo
Price: $69.00
Purchase: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Description: Filling in blanks left from its brief mention in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment tells the story of Princess Zelda’s adventures in Hyrule’s ancient past. Alongside King Rauru, Queen Sonia, and a truly staggering cast of allies, you’ll mow down wave after wave of enemies in an attempt to stave off the Demon King Ganondorf’s looming invasion. Intricate LoZ lore meets fearsome Musou combat in this stand-out Switch 2 exclusive, released just in time for the holidays. –Z. [Review materials provided by Nintendo of America.]

Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: Ravensburger
Price: $$34.99
Purchase: Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons
Description: The Horrified series of games is immensely popular, with one of them, American Monsters, being a 2021 finalist for GeekDad Game of the Year. With Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons, you’ll face iconic D&D monsters, working together with your fellow adventurers to defeat a Beholder, Displacer Beast, Mimic, and the deadly Red Dragon. Great gameplay, iconic D&D artwork and locations, and wonderful miniatures, all add up to an enjoyable night at the game table for anyone. – PB

Hunt A Killer x Sam and Colby: The Haunting at Wicker Ridge

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: Hunt A Killer
Price: $29.99
Purchase: Hunt A Killer x Sam and Colby: The Haunting at Wicker Ridge
Description: Are you a fan of mysteries, or of the supernatural? Then this game will provide a perfect night’s entertainment for you and your friends and family. In The Haunting of Wicker Ridge, famed real-life paranormal investigators Sam and Colby have been trying to identify and banish a demon haunting the Wicker Ridge house, but when strange forces drive them out, they turn to you for help. With a low difficulty level, this immersive adventure is also a good introduction to the “mystery in a box”-style game. -PB

Miniature Paints

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: Bear Cavalry
Price: $5.99 and up
Purchase: Miniature Paints
Description: Bear Cavalry is a relative new comer to the miniature painting arena, but they are making a huge splash! All of their paints are made in the US and are made as sustainably as possible – recyclable bottles, recycled paper and mushroom fiber packaging, and paint that is as non-toxic as possible – their weathering mud even uses coffee grounds and local sand for its texture! And if all of that weren’t enough reason to try them out, their paint is smooth, vibrant, and has great coverage (better than any other mini paints I’ve tried in all my years of mini painting) and comes in about 50 colors along with several colors of weathering mud and several technical paints (varnishes, canola oil based effects, etc). Colors can be purchased one off at $5.99 a bottle or in a variety of sets. Support a small, sustainable business while leveling up your mini painting game with Bear Cavalry paints. And look for a deeper dive review of their paints coming soon! WJ

Magical Athlete

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: CMYK Games
Price: $29.99
Purchase: Magical Athlete
Description: This chaotic race game is fun for the whole family! While it uses a simple roll-and-move mechanic, each of the 36 wacky racers has a unique special ability, leading to unpredictable results when they’re combined. Read the full review here. (JHL)

Tamagotchi Collections

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: KESS
Price: $34.75
Purchase: Tamagotchi Collections
Description: Tamagotchi Collections is a fun new table top game from KESS designed to tug at the nostalgia for those of us who remember standing in line at Toys R Us to get their first Tamagotchi back in the ’90s! It’s a great little game for 2 to 4 players ages 8 and up and hits all the notes you’d want from a Tamagotchi game – collecting Tamagotchi, feeding them, playing with them, and, of course, dealing with poop! Look for our full review of the game coming soon! WJ

Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Edition Spielwiese/Hachette Boardgames USA
Price: $29.99
Purchase: Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park
Description: Find the clues on the poster-sized map to track down lost dogs, stolen jewelry, and more! This entry in the Micro Macro series has more kid-friendly mysteries, but is still quite the challenge! For mystery lovers ages 6 and up. Read the full review here. (JHL)

Kirby Air Riders isn’t exactly the easiest game to sum up; it’s a quirky racer with the heart of a fighting game, and that may well prove a hard sell for the general gaming public. However, those who do find themselves beguiled by its unique charms are sure to fall in love with this oddball Switch 2 release.

Controls in Kirby Air Riders are deceptively simple. Machines (the game’s oblique name for vehicles) travel forward on their own, meaning all your chosen Rider needs to do is navigate left and right, with the occasional use of up and down on your control stick during gliding segments after encountering a jump ramp.

Button use is similarly spartan. B is the Boost Charge button, which can be tapped to brake or held to drift around tight corners, and then released to boost forward rapidly. The Y button is used, in some modes, to swap your Machine for another vacant vehicle. And that’s… pretty much it for the racing controls.

The other major element of the gameplay is vehicular combat.

Wiggling the control stick while near an enemy performs a spinning strike, KAR‘s equivalent of a standard attack. The B and Y buttons also pull double duty, with the former used to acquire copy abilities and the latter to unleash a blisteringly fast and punishing special attack once you’ve filled up your Rider’s Special Gauge.

The true breadth of Kirby Air Riders, then, relies heavily on how different Riders and Machines interact. The titular Kirby is the consummate all-arounder, the heavy, hammer-wielding King Dedede is a solid choice for traditional raceways but not much of a flyer, while the spritely Star Man shines in the air.

By the same token, the classic Warp Star is a Machine that works well on all fronts, with the lighter Winged Star and fragile Paper Star being better suited for gliding. Alternatively, there are also sturdy chariot-, bike-, and tank-style Machines, which excel on road races but are a bit too weighty to glide very far. Still, even related vehicles can control completely differently, and finding that personal sweet spot between Rider and Machine is half the fun.

Much like the Rider/Machine mechanic, Kirby Air Riders offers additional depth via a number of interesting game modes. The six-character Air Ride is the most straightforward experience, combining racing and combat on themed tracks a la Mario Kart, with jumps, rails, boost arrows, and other environmental obstacles combining to make each feel wonderfully distinctive.

Up to eight players can participate in Top Ride, a fixed-angle isometric throwback—think NES classic R.C. Pro-Am—where the entire track is visible from above. You and your rivals jockey for position in short, multi-lap contests that feel cut from a wholly different cloth than the more frenetic Air Ride. Though I initially wrote this off as a simple bonus mode, I quickly realized that Top Ride has an allure all its own despite using most of the same components and concepts as Air Ride.

The innovative City Trial starts all racers on equal footing before providing five madcap minutes to collect power-ups and find the perfect Machine for your playstyle, all scattered across the city of Skyah. Random Field Events occur, including intense over-sized boss battles, and cutthroat opponents can attack and even destroy your machine as you frantically try and sniff out your preferred stat increases from streets and rooftops positively littered with colorful icons.

After the five minutes elapse, you’ll get a visual representation of your current machine’s stats: top speed, weight, cornering, charge, etc. Then, you’ll be asked to choose one of four Stadium events to determine your group’s winner. These can be anything from gliding or drag race contests to more Kirby-centric fare like the Gourmet Race, where you compete to gobble up the most food within the time limit.

Each Stadium focuses on speed, battling, or flight, and with so many options available, it can be a little difficult for green players to know which is which. Thankfully, the game is nice enough to let you know which choice is recommended to give your Machine’s build the competitive advantage.

All three modes support KAR‘s robust multiplayer, though City Trail’s combination of flexibility (up to 16 players online or 8 locally) and cool Stadium contests makes it the real MVP on this front. In addition to Ranked and Quick Matches, the multiplayer Paddock provides a specialized lobby system where players can set up races, communicate using phrases mapped to their controllers’ thumbsticks, or just casually observe the unfolding madness.

On the opposite end, Road Trip, the game’s single-player story mode, reveals the game’s unconventional narrative and features elements you’ll encounter in all the other modes. Choose a Rider and navigate left and right to face various challenges across a series of branching paths, unlocking new Machines while honing all the skills you’ll need to succeed in the wacky world of Kirby Air Riders.

And boy, is this world wacky!

Air Riders almost feels like Masahiro Sakurai conceptualized half of its content before realizing this wasn’t another Super Smash Bros. title. That over-enthusiastic announcer? Smash Bros. The picture-based achievement system? Smash Bros. A seemingly twitchy combat system that belies a startling amount of depth and flexibility? Totally Smash Bros.

From epic cutscenes to a dedicated mini-game where you shovel Machine-themed gummies, Kirby Air Riders alternates between overwrought bombast and utter tomfoolery. You’ll no doubt find yourself slapping a chintzy, 1970s geometric pattern on a menacing war chariot and putting a silly hat on your most dangerous Rider. It’s Death Race 2000 by way of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, cartoon violence married with cheerful surrealism. 

As such, Kirby Air Riders is an odd duck that defies classification. It’s built to appeal to racing fans, but it’s certainly no straight-ahead racer. It’s combat-heavy but far from a traditional fighting game, and it’s fiercely competitive but also wonderfully accessible. (It’s even a collect-a-thon that seldom makes you struggle for that next sweet unlockable.)

Yet underneath all these contradictions, Air Riders is everything you hope a new console title will be. It’s engaging, rewarding, and, above all else, fun. In short, it’s exactly the kind of peculiar gameplay experience that begs to be brought out after the Thanksgiving dishes have been cleared away.

Kirby Air Riders is available on Thursday, November 20, physically from your preferred retailer or digitally from the Switch 2 eShop, priced $69.99. Nintendo is careful to call it a “vehicular action game,” but I prefer to think of it as perfectly controlled chaos!

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Team Wheelie Scooter for life!

While it likely won’t arrive with all the same pomp and circumstance afforded to Donkey Kong Bananza or Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a gameplay experience impeccably tailored to the Switch 2 hardware. From its plot-heavy, expertly voice-acted cutscenes to its larger-than-life Musou combat, AoI is exactly what I was looking for in a next-gen Hyrule Warriors title.

Filling in the many blanks left from its brief appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment tells the story of Princess Zelda’s adventures in Hyrule’s ancient past. Alongside King Rauru, Queen Sonia, and a truly staggering cast of allies, you’ll mow down wave after wave of enemies in an attempt to stave off the Demon King Ganondorf’s looming invasion.

With music and visuals evocative of the beloved Switch LoZ releases, it’s sure to bring fans right back to this unique version of Hyrule. Best of all, it affords players a deeper look into the roles of the mythical heroes and villains that shaped this bygone era.

While playing an assortment of Gorons, Ritos, and Gerudo is already pretty satisfying, it’s a pair of unlikely newcomers who’ll surely prove to be fan favorites. Calamo, a diminutive Korok warrior just looking for a place to take root, and an enigmatic character known simply as the Mysterious Construct inject some nice variety into the narrative’s B-story, complete with their own high-flying shooter levels!

Speaking of story, there is a lot of plot to digest here, with regular fully voice-acted interludes adding depth to all the hacking and slashing one expects from a Warriors game. While I found all this enhanced worldbuilding truly fascinating, fans just here for the frenzied action are also in for a treat.

Martial combat starts with the typical Musou formula; alternating combinations of the X and Y buttons unleash a variety of attacks depending on your chosen character. Level up these characters to unlock Unique Skills, special moves that make each warrior feel fun and powerful in their own way.

Some Unique Skills even have properties that make them the perfect counter to powerful enemy attacks like charge and jump moves. Execute them during an adversary’s buildup—indicated by roiling red energy—and they’ll deal satisfying damage in addition to temporarily stunning your foe.

If your preferred character is missing a few Unique Skills, you can also use convenient Zonai Devices to fill out their combat options. Flame and Frost emitters, Time Bombs, and Rockets help make even a fledgling hero a force to be reckoned with. You can also find spare batteries in destructible crates to keep your Devices powered up during particularly pitched battles.

In addition to the Unique Moves and Zonai Devices mapped to the Joy-Con 2’s face buttons and R trigger, heroes can join forces for devastating Sync Strikes. When an active character and a nearby ally have both filled their Sync Gauges, press L to execute the Sync Strike. Depending on the duo, these can have wildly different outcomes—from charging an attacker with elemental might to blasting enemies with waves of mystical energy—but regardless of the outcome, they always look cool and can be used to turn the tide of battle when things get heated.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment isn’t afraid to play the hits, too. Guarding, dodging, flurry rushes, and depleting an enemy’s armor gauge to positively pummel the underlying creature are all still very much the bread and butter of combat. But it’s the way AoI layers these existing mechanics with fresh new content that makes all the difference.

While you can leisurely make your way through many of the early combat missions, later battles have timed elements, and as you liberate more and more of the kingdom, keeping a keen eye out becomes paramount. You’ll uncover training facilities, supply depots, and a weapons research base to help hone your fighting force.

There are also character-specific quests that, once finished, instantly enhance the warrior in question, expanding their health, adding additional Sync Gauges, and further supplementing their combat prowess. These are generally completed using resources received from clearing a battle the first time, purchased from a supply depot, or unlocked by satisfying character-specific tasks called Aside Quests. These same materials can be used to supply your camp, providing speed, attack, or experience bonuses in the upcoming battle.

In a word, Age of Imprisonment is flawless, piling on new mechanics and plot twists without ever overwhelming the player with too much too soon. This wonderfully polished gameplay is ably served by the Switch 2 hardware, which gives the frenetic action of its endless battlefields the horsepower it needs to keep up with the breakneck pace of the Imprisoning War.

Even in handheld mode, I experienced minimal pop-in, and the load times (at least on the downloadable eShop version) were trivial at worst. The only hiccups I encountered were the occasional camera blip while fighting the odd miniboss, wherein the camera would briefly lose sight of my active warrior, but even this was easy to remedy.

For longtime Warriors fans like me, it’s impossible not to notice the technological leaps that have been made in recent iterations with regard to character AI. Where once my partner warriors were hapless sheep that required my constant intervention to prevent their untimely demise, AoI’s cast can easily hold their own. I could focus on playing a single character at a time, only switching between them when prompted for a Sync Strike or follow-up attack… or when someone just happened to be way closer to the next mission waypoint.

In summation, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is another must-have Switch 2 exclusive. The game looks, sounds, and plays fantastically with a story that’s positively steeped in ancient Hyrulian lore. Pick it up this Thursday, November 6, when it arrives on store shelves and the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop—both priced $69.99 and well worth it.

Review and promotional materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Those Gerudo women are battlefield beasts!

As the first new Pokémon title available on Nintendo’s Switch 2 hardware platform, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the very definition of a big Q4 release. That makes it all the more fitting that your adventure takes place in Lumiose City, the grand Parisian metropolis of Pokémon X and Y fame.

After a short intro video, your character finds themself in the big city where recent urban development seeks to forge a utopia wherein humans and Pokémon live side by side. In short order, you’re introduced to Taunie (or Urbaine), who convinces you to join her (his) team for the citywide Z-A Royale, a system where trainers earn points and move up the ranks via promotion matches to… uh, be the very best. Like no one ever was.

This arrangement comes with a sweet new starter Pokémon, a built-in friend group, and a place to call home, Hotel Z, whose wizened owner, the giant AZ, might look familiar to longtime fans. Further filling out the cast are Mable, director of the local Pokémon Research Lab, crackerjack detective Emma, and imposing “secretary” Vinnie.

Each has a role to play as you find your footing in Lumiose, capturing creatures, aiding citizens, and soaking up the local culture. That is, when you’re not frantically trying to determine the cause of troublesome Pokémon who can Mega Evolve without trainers, uncover the mysteries surrounding the iconic Prism Tower, and discover why your own movements are being monitored from afar by the enigmatic Zygarde.

Visually, Legends: Z-A has the sort of cohesive, cartoony look one would expect from a next-gen Pokémon entry. The Pokémon models are bright and bold, the citizens of Lumiose City are nicely varied, and thanks to a wealth of purchasable gear and salon-ready hairstyles, player characters are wonderfully customizable.

A lot of care was obviously put into the angular urban environments, which carry over into the incongruous Wild Zones, numbered Pokémon preserves plopped down throughout Lumiose by Quasartico Inc., the municipality’s resident corporate overlords. These areas are where your character will catch the bulk of their Pokémon while also dodging the occasional raging Alpha (a carryover from Legends: Arceus).

The most striking visual aspect, though, is surely all the new Mega Evolutions, and while they’re not all winners in my book, each at least offers a novel new take on the fully evolved forms of familiar Pokémon. The day/night cycle in Legends: Z-A also showcases some minor but interesting variations in the city itself, with the ever-shifting nighttime Battle Zone, wherein trainers participate in the Z-A Royale, functionally replacing the gym system of the core Pokémon titles.

Obviously, the overarching visual aesthetic isn’t going to be for everyone, and those anticipating more realistic graphics likely won’t be overly enthused. Despite really digging the look myself, even I can admit that it’s not all wine and roses. While the concrete jungle is nicely consistent, sometimes the tree and grass textures seem a little flat up close. Still, even with that minor quibble, I appreciate that the Switch 2’s most robust specs did away with the frequent pop-in I’d come to expect from similar free-roaming titles on the original Switch.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s visuals are nicely paired with an evocative soundtrack that features all the classic Pokémon melodies, albeit with occasional tweaks to tempo and instrumentation. Most impressive is the music and sound effects when faced with one of the game’s various Rogue Megas.

Here’s where the sound design really shines, providing additional tension to what are already lengthy, challenging battles. These mini-boss-style sequences also highlight the biggest change in Legends: Z-A, and what will likely determine your overall enjoyment of the title.

Whether battling Pokémon in Wild Zones, facing another trainer in the Battle Zone, or (especially) in combat with a Rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon, the game’s active battle system is on full display. This means not only is your trainer free to move around during combat, but your active Pokémon’s attacks play out in real time.

Pokémon moves and, also of note, your boxes of surplus Pocket Monsters are easily accessible practically anytime you’re not in combat, meaning you can tweak your lineup and your parties’ move set on the fly. When a Pokémon is sent out (selected using the d-pad), its moves are displayed onscreen, mapped to the face buttons. To execute a move, the player must hold ZL to choose a target, then also press the corresponding A/B/X/Y button.

Now, here’s where things can get hairy. Most of those face buttons pull double duty for your character: Y to roll, B to dash, and X remains the menu button. This all works fine under normal circumstances, but when the pressure is on—like during a Rogue Mega battle—you’re faced with a unique quandary.

Z-A‘s active battle system relies on a cooldown timer to prevent you from just spamming your ‘Mon’s most devastating move. Because of this, when tangling with a powerful foe like a Rogue, you have to alternate between targeting said enemy for attacks (ZL + attack button) and moving yourself out of the path of its inevitable retribution (by quickly releasing ZL and dashing/rolling away). Because Rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon will target your character. A lot.

Take, for example, my old nemesis from last month’s hands-on demo, Mega Victreebell. Even with foreknowledge of its patterns, I was still struck by distance attacks and mired in its poisoned terrain. This led to me failing this mission four times in a row, not because I had exhausted my Pokémon party, but because my own character had blacked out!

Legends: Z-A allows you to pick up where you left off in these lengthy encounters, restoring health to you and your party while keeping existing damage dealt to your enemy, which is a nice touch. Still, considering you’ll need to constantly move your character both to keep them safe and to collect the Mega Energy needed to Mega Evolve your own Pokémon, it can make real-time battles feel rather overwhelming.

The whole hold-ZL-attack, release-ZL-dodge thing sounds simple enough, but when added to all your other battlefield logistics (monitoring health, collecting Mega Energy, lining up attacks, watching enemy movement), especially early on, I really felt outmatched. 

But here’s the thing: this additional challenge didn’t tarnish the overall gameplay. While occasionally trying, Legends: Z-A remains a fun and satisfying Pokémon experience.

It shakes up the core series’ constants—not just capturing and battling, but even stuff like the classic quiz mini-game—like no title before. Somehow, though, it still feels perfectly Pokémon.

In no time, catching new creatures in Wild Zones while chasing down leads during the day, then earning Ticket Points in the neon Battle Zone by night, came to feel just as natural to me as trudging through spooky forests and besting gym leaders.

Ok, so maybe the new battle system still trips me up once in a while, but I just keep doing my best. Because that’s all the Pokémon games really ask. The rest is worked out through trial and error, preparation… and maybe a little luck.

Available Thursday, October 16, on both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo Switch (with a $9.99 Upgrade Pack available for the latter), Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a fun new evolution of the Legends spin-off series that still manages to capture the spirit of the core franchise.

Review and promotional materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Team Totodile for life!

As part of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Super Mario Bros. franchise, Nintendo is rereleasing a pair of Wii-era classics later this week on the Switch and Switch 2. Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, both arrive with enhanced resolution (1080p on Nintendo Switch, 4K on Switch 2), an improved UI with streamlined menus, and amiibo support—exactly the kinds of modern bells and whistles one would hope to see for these decade-and-a-half-old titles.

Perhaps more notable are the extra storybook chapters and the new Assist Mode. The former adds even more dimension to an already engaging narrative device, while the latter smooths out some of the game’s difficulty with additional health and recovery from falls.

The original Super Mario Galaxy hit North America in late 2007, taking Mario’s 3D platforming adventures into outer space. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Mario was able to run, wall jump, and somersault, but could also unleash a new spin attack on unsuspecting enemies. More impressively, Mario’s antics could be played out across a number of planetoids, fully modelled spheres with their own discrete gravitational forces, and players could use motion controls to activate special stars that gloriously launched our beloved protagonist across space.

Story-wise, the game fell into the classic “defeat Bowser” trope, though with the addition of a number of cool new characters and settings, including the cosmic guardian Rosalina, the starlike Lumas, and their Comet Observatory hub world.

This enhanced edition does a solid job of updating the visual presentation—though a few textures, particularly water, still look a bit dated—and of translating the limited movement of the old Wii gameplay to that of the much more accurate Joy-Con 2 controllers. You can still shake and swing your way to victory, and the cooperative Co-Star Mode, wherein a second player can fire collected Star Bits at enemies, also survives intact.

Better yet, Handheld mode completely eschews this next-gen Wii-mote waggling in favor of tight dual Joy-Con 2 controls and robust touchscreen support. That said, the Ray surfing minigame does still force you to use gyro controls and, just like in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars release, I plan to die mad about it.

Still, whether you’re returning to this interstellar adventure or taking on the title for the first time, there’s no better way to enjoy Super Mario Galaxy. The game looks, sounds, and feels great overall, and the mission to save the Princess by collecting stolen Power Stars is still both challenging and rewarding.

Though it followed up the original release in the spring of 2010 to similar acclaim, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is, sadly, a game I haven’t played (or even thought much about) in the years since. Maybe that’s why the magic of this peppy little sequel has so fully drawn me in as a Switch 2 release.

While the core gameplay and features are the same as its predecessor, I much prefer the branching map system and even the goofy, Mario-head-shaped Starship Mario hub of Galaxy 2. Moreover, while Mario Galaxy added in some fun power-ups like Bee and Boo Mario, the sequel really blows it out of the water with rolling Rock and skating Ice Mario, platform-building Cloud Mario, and a suite of brand-new abilities for our dino-pal Yoshi (including Dash, Blimp, and Bulb Yoshi).

Also, while both games sport a similarly enhanced resolution, Mario Galaxy 2 straight-up looks better with its evocatively themed planets and awe-inspiring cosmic vistas! I mean, while this isn’t exactly a competition, I am still fully giving the nod to Mario Galaxy 2 as the superior experience. (Yes, even though it also makes me use gyro controls in Handheld mode while playing the Fluzzard gliding mini-game.)

Ok, so if both games are so good, is this distinction even particularly important? Well, that depends. You see, while purchasing the games together in the Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 bundle is the cheapest overall option (priced at $69.99), it’s not your only choice. Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are available separately on the eShop, each priced at $39.99.

If you, for example, recently played through Galaxy in Super Mario 3D All-Stars and are only really interested in the sequel, this variety of purchase alternatives means you could save a few bucks by just picking up Super Mario Galaxy 2 on its own. (Which, if you’re only getting one, you definitely should.)

Your planet-spanning adventure begins this Thursday, October 2nd, and no matter what title or on which system you play, I’m sure you’ll find the experience to be totally out of this world.

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Long live the Prankster Comet!

I was a little late to the party with Supergiant Games’ critically acclaimed 2020 release Hades. As someone without a real penchant for rougelikes, I simply assumed the title just wasn’t for me. However, after picking it up on a whim for the Nintendo Switch, I came to realize that maybe I didn’t have to be particularly good at the game to enjoy its frenetic action, engaging worldbuilding, and if-at-first-you-don’t-succeed approach to difficulty.

In short, it was Hades itself—not its glowing review scores or even the constant chatter about it within my friend group—that made a believer out of me. As such, I made a beeline to the Hades II demo station earlier this year at the Nintendo Switch 2 experience. Where, predictably, I was horrible at it.

After spending the weekend painstakingly making my way back to Tartarus, though, I’m beginning to find my infernal groove.

Putting players in control of Melinoë, sister of Hades‘ Zagreus, Hades II picks up some time after the conclusion of the previous game. Under the tutelage of Hecate, Melinoë has been chosen to undertake a mission of revenge against Chronos, the Titan of Time, who has taken away her family.

Aiding her in this quest is an expansive cast of gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters, each pulled from the grand tapestry of myth and brought to astonishing life by a remarkable voice cast. Familiar faces return, changed by the tumultuous events of the past, alongside plenty of brand-new characters, and Melinoë’s deepening relationships with these supernatural NPCs add just as much to the unfolding plot as their temporary Boons and enduring Keepsakes do to the challenging (but never cheap) gameplay.

New protagonist and beefed-up visuals aside, you’d be forgiven for thinking Hades II is just the previous game with a fresh new coat of paint. You’d also be sadly mistaken. Underneath that similar run-and-gun dungeon crawl exists a suite of new features, quality of life improvements, and, dare I say, deeper pathos than even the exemplary Hades had to offer.

Like her brother, our Princess of the Underworld primarily employs a four-button interface on her treacherous runs. Attack (Y) uses her weapon for a fast hit, Special (X) uses that weapon’s slower secondary attack (typically with increased range, damage, or area of effect), Cast (A) employs Melinoë’s ensnaring circle, and Dash (B) is used to both jump the occasional gap and evade otherwise damaging attacks.

New to Hades II is a dedicated Magick system, with this resource used primarily for Omega Moves, this game’s version of a charge attack. Obtained from the moon goddess Selene, Hexes (ZR) are powerful special abilities that also require a Magick cost. Like the Health bar, Melinoë’s Magick bar can be increased throughout a run, so it’s not uncommon to be able to unlock a Hex before you even have the requisite amount of Magick to use it.

Like Zagreus, Melinoë can gain access to a number of weapons that drastically alter gameplay. Her Nocturnal Arms run the gamut from the default Witch’s Staff to the speedy Sister Blades to the slow but powerful Moonstone Axe (with my personal favorite being the multi-shot Argent Skull). Each is unlocked by gathering reagents, a variety of material resources mined, harvested, won, or otherwise collected from specific in-game environments.

With the five principal weapons unlocked, Melinoë can also begin to craft various Weapon Aspects. Like the weapons themselves, these are permanent unlocks, so you won’t risk losing them on a bad run. Aspects represent unique weapon abilities that will further help in battle, and they can each be upgraded for greater effect.

Hades II also expands on its predecessor by offering twice as many paths to mythological glory. While the primary narrative concerns Melinoë’s return to Tartarus, a secondary plot quickly unfolds, revealing that our princess’s help is also needed on Mount Olympus. This request is further complicated because, as Hades and his ilk were cursed never to leave the Underworld, the very atmosphere of the Surface is toxic to Melinoë.

There is a solution, of course, and it relies on the use of Hecate’s Cauldron. Employed in crafting Incantations, the Cauldron is sort of an all-purpose answer to Melinoë’s problems, though the various Incantations require specialized ingredients all their own. In exchange, you’ll reveal otherwise hidden information, unlock additional story elements, and expand the hub world of the Crossroads, in addition to securing a safe(r) route to the Surface.

Whether trying out a fresh Aspect on my favorite weapon, exploring new versions of eerily familiar locations, getting to know my ghostly roommate, or simply exchanging pleasantries with that old chatterbox Charon (“Rraaauuggggghhhh…”), Hades II is a positively amazing adventure. It’s also perfectly at home on the Switch 2 hardware, where it runs at 120fps in TV mode and doesn’t miss a beat at 60fps in handheld mode.

For me, at least, it’s up there with Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition as one of the defining third-party gameplay experiences from the Switch 2 library. Even if the charming but punishing Hollow Knight: Silksong isn’t your bag, give Hades II a try. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s one hell of a satisfying sequel.

Hades II is available on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 this Thursday, September 25. Both are priced $29.99 via the eShop, and a free Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Pack is available for the original Switch version. The physical Switch 2 release is currently slated for release on November 20 with an MSRP of $49.99.

Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Why are you giving me the cold shoulder, Nemesis? 

Earlier this month, I was provided the unique opportunity to get some hands-on time with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 release Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Nintendo of America brought me into the heart of Manhattan, and from their penthouse event space, I was further transported into that other booming metropolis, Lumiose City. Across a four-part demo spanning approximately one hour of gameplay, I explored the city’s daytime Wild Zones, its nighttime Battle Zones, and encountered more than a few surprises.

Before being handed a Switch 2 Pro Controller, the other attendees and I were greeted by the local Nintendo team and shown a brief introductory speech from Jett, CEO of Quasartico Inc. Also, since Lumiose City is largely modeled after Paris, I ate a respectable number of flaky breakfast pastries. (Surely my Francophone ancestors were smiling down on me from that big bistro in the sky.)

As my gameplay experience began, I was afforded ample time to customize my in-game avatar. Being the dress-up gamer that I am, I relished the chance to adjust not just the physical characteristics and clothing options of the female trainer model, but the various colors and patterns of her gear as well. With so many customization options, I could have easily spent the whole hour outfitting my protagonist, but I tried to exercise at least a modicum of restraint. Once I had settled on an overall aesthetic and color palette, it was off to the proverbial races.

With Pokémon X and Y and Pokémon Legends: Arceus being two of my family’s favorite franchise entries, I went into my first encounter predictably cocky. Lumiose’s Wild Zones, Pokémon preserves set up within the city proper, are where trainers battle and capture wild Pokémon in real-time encounters—à la the hills, valleys, and wetlands of Hisui in Legends: Arceus. However, the Wild Zones of Lumiose City feel decidedly more… urban.

Rather than wide open spaces with convenient greenery to hide in, the Wild Zones instead reflect the geometry of the city. Pokémon wander outside of shops and into alleys, alternately frolicking and resting in their new home. In truth, it all felt rather claustrophobic at first, as I summoned Pokémon, attacked our quarry, and just tried to stay out of the way. It put me off my game so badly that, even with the wild ‘Mon appropriately stunned, I whiffed my first few capture tosses.

Eventually, though, I was able to get my bearings. Sneaking still has its place in Lumiose City, and I came to rely on approaching stealthily, deploying a Pokémon from my party, and then trying to manage the action without A) soaking up too much damage myself or B) alerting other nearby creatures.

The traditional Pokémon Type system is still very much at play in Legends: Z-A, with Water dealing additional damage to Fire types, Fire to Grass types, and the like. However, I found that buffs and status effect moves—which I often tend to shy away from in core Pokémon games in favor of straight-up attacks—have increased utility in Lumiose City. Managing your character, your partner Pokémon, and maintaining some semblance of situational awareness in such tight quarters can be a bit of a challenge, so any advantage is welcomed.

Another returning element from Legends: Arceus is Alpha Pokémon, larger and more ferocious creatures with increased combat abilities. I realized this when I chased a wild Houndour right into a sleeping Alpha Houndoom. Not only did said Alpha manage to defeat me and my entire party, but it later decided to chase us into a low-lying concrete structure (a bit like a drained swimming pool), wherein I was attacked by yet another aggressive Alpha.

As day turned to night, the city itself began to change, to take on new aspects, and I moved on from the Wild Zones into the equally fascinating Battle Zones. These contain rival trainers, and defeating them earns the points needed to advance up the titular Z-A ranking system. Like the wild Pokémon, they too seemed to post up in specific areas, and catching them unawares required patience.

While I found plenty of helpful items lying on the ground in the Wild Zone, the Battle Zone was positively littered with them, as well as special bonus cards. These contain additional mini-challenges that the player can take on—like launching a preemptive strike on a Pokémon or using a Normal Type move in battle—to earn additional points. The nighttime trainer battles gave me an even deeper appreciation for the unique landscape of Lumiose City, as I used ladders and elevators to take on rooftop dwellers as the city sparkled below.

While I fell shy of earning enough points to graduate to the next letter level during my late-night Z-A Royale, I was still offered a chance to experience a rank promotion match. This third phase of the demo pitted me against a local waiter, who, I’m proud to say, I properly trounced, earning a rank up from W to V.

It was during this battle that I realized how helpful area effect moves are in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. While they tend to have longer cooldown times than your standard moves, I found it pretty easy to lure enemy Pokémon into these swirling attack areas, racking up some additional damage as I planned my next action.

Finally, as the end of my time in Lumiose drew close, I was at last pitted against a Mega Evolved Pokémon. One of the mysteries of this game seems to be the appearance of Rogue Megas, and I was faced with the recently revealed Mega Victreebel.

It was a pitched battle—despite the fact that I had some support from an NPC—with Mega Victreebel continually seeding the terrain with damaging poison, making navigation treacherous for me and my Pokémon alike. I was well stocked with potions and other items, but, like Pokémon moves, use of these was limited by a cooldown timer, preventing me from spam-healing.

Obviously, the coolest part of this encounter was the Mega Evolution effect itself, which, in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, is slightly modified.

In addition to damaging Mega Victreebell, attacks made the Pokémon shed blobs of Mega Energy, which I could (carefully) collect to fill up my own Mega Energy meter. Not only could I use this energy to Mega Evolve my own Pokémon, but I could also spend it to power up some moves for even non-Mega Evolved Pocket Monsters.

Known as Plus Moves and indicated by a plus sign next to the move name in the Pokémon’s attack menu, these moves are executed by pressing the + button before the corresponding move button, spending a segment of the Mega Energy meter to enhance the attack. Though this does add one more element to Z-A‘s already hefty list of combat logistics, it’s a nice new mechanic that puts another fun spin on the Pokémon Legends experience.

After finally besting this super-sized foe, my demo experience ended, but not without leaving a few pivotal questions unanswered. Why, for example, was the otherwise squeaky-clean and ultra-modern Lumiose City plagued with unsightly pink crystals blooming on its building walls and byways? Is Quasartico’s seemingly benevolent vision of Pokémon-centric urban renewal as altruistic as it seems? And why was Zygarde, the protector of the Pokémon world’s ecosystem, silently observing my exploits?

Surely these will be answered when Pokémon Legends: Z-A arrives on store shelves next month. In the meantime, we have much fierce speculation and, hopefully, a few more of those charming Mega Evolution reveal videos to look forward to.

Regardless, one thing remains certain. Pokémon Legends: Z-A blends the world of Pokémon X/Y and the gameplay of Pokémon Legends: Arceus in a way that’s sure to please the Pokémon faithful and prime a whole new generation of trainers for the many adventures ahead.

Access to this special event was provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. No Pokémon were harmed in the making of this post… Ok, so maybe a few were harmed.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed several references and allusions to the same quote: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”

The quote is from 1984 by George Orwell, and even if you’ve never read the book you’re probably already aware of some of the themes. It’s where we get the term “Big Brother” because of the surveillance state in the book, and it’s also a fictionalized account of a totalitarian government that a lot of folks have found reflections of in our own government. This year is the 75th anniversary of its publication, and I think that has brought it into the spotlight even more. (To be sure, I think parallels between 1984 and our government have been made long before now, but it does seem like they may be piling up at an increasing rate these days. I’ll leave that as an exercise to the reader.)

At any rate, I’ve always been interested in this sort of coincidence, the “something’s in the water” situations where a particular idea feels like it’s on a lot of people’s minds. Of course, some of that is due to that frequency illusion, like where you see a whole lot of Honda Civics because you noticed one and then start to see them everywhere. That can happen with specific words, too—but it’s less often that I come across an entire quote multiple times in different contexts, so I wanted to explore that a little.

The first was just a straightforward reference to Orwell himself. Asha Dornfest (one of the original contributors at GeekDad!) has an email newsletter called “Parent of Adults,” talking about the experience of still being a parent to people who are now technically adults but are still your children. One of her latest newsletters mentioned a book, Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit, which is about a rose garden that Orwell planted at his home, but also about “the nature of language, beauty, power, propaganda, injustice, and joy.” It sounds like a fascinating book and I’ve added it to my list, but the quote in question came up in reference to Trump’s executive order about the Smithsonian.

That leads me to the next reference, which was directly related: Meghna Chakrabarti, host of the On Point radio show, interviewed David Blight, Sterling Professor of History and Black Studies at Yale University. Trump’s executive order from March 27 this year, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” is about giving the White House the ability to vet anything that the Smithsonian wants to display and will withhold funding for anything they deem inappropriate. While they didn’t state the exact quote, Blight and Chakrabarti referenced 1984 and talked about the idea that this executive order is trying to exert control over history, “that the only truth available in that society [in 1984]… is the truth created by power.”

This battle over history and how it is presented or taught isn’t new. For instance, the controversy over statues of Confederates (as well as the flag itself) is often framed by some as “preserving history,” that statues should be kept not because they honor the Confederacy but simply because they are part of the historical record. But now the parts of American history that aren’t so perfect—anything that suggests that our nation has had any blemishes at all—are considered something to be erased in one of the most significant history museums in the nation.

As George Santayana famously wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Who does it benefit when we erase records of the past?

In Dissolution by Nicholas Binge, memory plays a key part of the plot. Robin Books wrote a more in-depth review of it back in March, but I finally got around to reading it just in time to add another instance of the “controlling the past” reference. Maggie has been recruited by a mysterious man Hassan to dig through the memories of her husband Stanley, who suffers from dementia. Using a strange tool called the memory spade, she is able to jump into Stanley’s past, watching as he and his boarding school professor develop techniques to extend their memories in the hopes of attaining “perfect memory” … but then everything falls apart. Hassan is convinced that Stanley’s memories still hold the key to unlocking perfect memory, but that there are people working against him who have erased his mind. Who benefits when Stanley’s memories are gone?

There are parts of the book that reminded me of the film Inception, because the whole book is Maggie narrating a memory of diving into Stanley’s memories. It can get difficult keeping track of which timeline you’re in, but that feels intentional. As things unfold and we gradually piece together the relationships between Maggie and Stanley and Hassan, we start to see that this really is about controlling the past in order to control the future, and Maggie needs to figure out who she trusts with the answers she has uncovered.

Lately I’ve been playing Relic Hunters Legend, a videogame released last month on PC and Xbox. It’s a little shooter-RPG game, where you play as various cartoony characters fighting the evil Ducan empire (who are apparently a bunch of cloned ducks). The game allows for online cooperative play, though I’ve just been playing it solo, and despite the fact that it’s mostly a run-around-and-shoot-things game, I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent storyline with some depth.

One of the central figures is Seven, the white-haired figure seen in the image above, who wakes up in the desert with no memory and is quickly recruited by the Relic Hunter team. As you play through the various missions, you learn more about each of the characters and their relationships with each other, and you get tantalizing hints about Seven’s past—sometimes literally, because certain things trigger a trip into the past. It’s also a good excuse to give us backstories about some of the villains of the story, too—we see how some of the characters became who they are, and some of them even get a chance at redemption. There’s another faction that comes into play later on called the Timekeepers, and they have the ability to jump around in time—but their agenda is unclear.

One of the things that struck me about the game was the way that there is some uncertainty about the ongoing conflict between the Relic Hunters and the Ducans—on the one hand, the Ducans are pretty terrible, attacking villages and stealing relics (for a purpose that is revealed later). On the other, the Relic Hunters aren’t universally welcomed as heroes even when they show up to fight the Ducans or try to recover relics for the villagers. There’s a lot of collateral damage. The Relic Hunters have things they have to unlearn and relearn as they interact with these other communities.

And, yes, the “control the past” quote shows up here, too, in a videogame. Granted, it is taken a bit more literally here, as there is actual time travel involved and the relics are a key part of that. Controlling the past, here, isn’t just about what information is shared or allowed, but also about physically obtaining the relics themselves. But it definitely felt like it was also a metaphor, that the videogame’s story was also alluding to some of our real-world struggles.

As far as the actual gameplay goes, there’s a big map with lots of different locations to explore and types of missions—scavenge and look for treasure chests and elements, escort a payload while waves of enemies try to attack, control king-of-the-hill style points, and so on. There’s an overwhelming number of items to collect and you can outfit your characters, choosing accessories and shields and weapons, upgrading them and modifying them to suit your play style and each character’s special abilities. I have finished the main storyline but there’s still a lot of things that can be unlocked.

Here’s a TV show that, although I haven’t heard them use Orwell’s quote explicitly, definitely leans heavily on the theme of controlling the past—in this case, tightly restricting information about the past. Silo is an Apple TV+ show based on the book series by Hugh Howey (starting with Wool). Wool was originally published back in 2011 and I’d heard a lot about it but just never got around to reading it; the TV series began in 2023, with two seasons currently available. I’ve just finished the first season and have watched the beginning of the second.

The show takes place in an underground silo, some unspecified time in the future. There was presumably some sort of apocalyptic event that informed the creation of the silo, which houses 10,000 people, but there are also references to “The Rebellion” that took place within the Silo a long time ago. Artifacts that predate the rebellion are illegal, and any that are discovered are carefully tracked by Judicial, the governmental department. Even discussing or asking questions about life before the Rebellion is likely to get you in trouble.

There are lots of hints of 1984 in Silo: some of the more paranoid residents whisper about being watched, about the way that they are being controlled. Giant screens purport to show the wastelands outside, and being sent outside is basically a death sentence—nobody lasts more than a few minutes before collapsing. But there are people asking questions and digging for answers, and many of them start turning up dead. What is the purpose of the silo? What is actually outside? Why are these artifacts from the past so closely guarded? Again: who benefits when the past is erased? As the first season progressed, we started to get some more explicit answers, though there are still plenty of mysteries to unravel, and the first season ended on a huge cliffhanger that raised even more questions.

Even while I was thinking about those references to the George Orwell quote, I started another book in which similar themes cropped up: The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso. The story starts in Nuremberg, 1938, during the beginning of Kristallnacht. A Jewish watchmaker, who has long entertained his young daughter with stories about a magical pocketwatch that “let him talk to Time itself,” reveals to her that all his stories were true. As his shop comes under attack, he opens a magical door and sends Lisavet through, telling her to stay put until he’s able to go out and fetch her brother.

But he never returns, and Lisavet finds herself in a mysterious space: dark, full of towering shelves filled with books, and apparently populated by ghosts, though most of the time they leave her alone. She is finally told by one ghost that she is in the “time space,” a place that is apparently outside of time; the books are the memories of people who have died, and her father was a timekeeper, one of a number of people who were able to step into this time space using specially made watches. Since Lisavet doesn’t have the watch, she is unable to leave the space and return to the normal world, but she encounters other timekeepers from various countries, and soon learns that they are engaged in a type of warfare that involves tracking down specific memory books and burning them, erasing all knowledge of them from history. It’s another very literal method of controlling the past, and Lisavet starts to work against them to rescue the books.

Jumping ahead to 1965, we meet Amelia—her uncle Ernest has just passed away recently, and she soon learns that he wasn’t just an employee from the State Department, but was in fact a timekeeper working for the CIA, and the watch that she inherited from him gives her the ability to enter the time space as well. The story goes back and forth between Ernest’s early days as a timekeeper and the “present” day, where Amelia contends with a CIA handler Moira Donnelly who insists that Amelia track down her uncle’s lost book, somewhere in the time space. We eventually piece together the connections between Lisavet and Ernest, Amelia and Moira. The CIA has a specific agenda it is pursuing, but there is some sort of rebellion occurring among the timekeepers from various nations, and Amelia is caught in the middle. It’s a really fascinating book and I enjoyed it, and it raised some really interesting questions about memory and the past, and the characters are forced to make some very tough choices along the way.

The last book on the list is a bit sillier and lighter, though I think it still fits the theme. It’s actually an interactive graphic novel: Star Trek: Lower Decks—Warp Your Own Way, written by Ryan North and illustrated by Chris Fenoglio. Based on the animated TV show, the book is a choose-your-own-path story featuring Lieutenant Mariner, who is awakened against her will hours before her shift. After choosing whether she should have some coffee or Klingon raktajino, she sets off to bug some of the other crew of the Cerritos … and then inevitably disaster strikes. Lieutenant Boimler has an infestation of tribbles; the Borg have taken over the ship; even Khan makes an appearance. Mariner ends up dead over and over again—sometimes the entire ship explodes.

Unlike most choose-a-path stories, though, this one isn’t just a random romp through different choices. Although Mariner is only experiencing one storyline at a time, you have memories of all the timelines she’s encountered, and your knowledge of the branching timelines actually becomes part of the story itself. It’s a pretty brilliant use of the genre, and gives a different feel to the usual “search for the good ending” that happens in many of these books. You don’t have to be very familiar with Star Trek: Lower Decks to enjoy the book, either—I’ve only watched the first episode of the show myself—but it does help to have at least some passing knowledge of Star Trek even if it’s just some of the tropes.

Today’s column, as you can tell, is a little bit different from the usual. I’d been drafting this even before the events of last week, which really brought a lot of my thoughts about controlling the past and controlling the narrative to the forefront. I don’t want to delve too deeply into it here, but I quickly saw very different narratives being presented about who somebody is, who’s an enemy, what somebody said or did. There’s a significance to what news was focused on and what was left out. The story of Nepal’s government being overthrown, of the first election of a prime minister via Discord poll, seems hugely significant, but was completely overshadowed. (Of particular relevance was the fact that Nepal’s government also tried to control the narrative by shutting down social media that was being used to highlight corruption and inequality.)

As I said before, these themes are nothing new. They were around even before Orwell penned 1984 seventy-five years ago, and I imagine a century from now there will still be struggles over how history is taught and what stories are told. I think it’s important to dig for what’s true, and not just for what makes us look good. The lesson I see over and over again in these stories is that past is worth remembering, even if parts of it are painful or ugly.

I’ve just started reading Annalee Newitz’s Stories are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind. It is about the way that we are manipulated through stories and media, and explores how propaganda and misinformation are used—and, importantly, how to protect ourselves from this manipulation. I haven’t gotten to that part yet, but it feels like a timely study.

Take care of each other this week. Hug your kids.

Disclosure: I received review copies of Dissolution, The Book of Lost Hours, and Warp Your Own Way, as well as a Steam review code for Relic Hunters. Affiliate links to Bookshop.org help support my writing and independent bookstores.