When you start up a top-down Zelda game, you usually know how things will start. You’ll get some scrolling exposition text setting up the events of the game, and you’ll either be plonked in the middle of a room or a field, ready to save the princess, or wake up after a dream or a shipwreck or something. I’m generalising, but there’s something intimately familiar about how an old-school Zelda game often stands out. It’s cosy, it gets you asking questions, and it’s very fantasy.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo doesn’t do all of that. After your obligatory context dump, protagonist Pippit is sitting in the back of a taxi, yapping away at the driver. He’s talking about his family – whom he’s going to visit – and his yoyo skills. And he really loves his yoyo. He’s confident, chatty, but far away from your typical hero with an attitude and a lack of direction.
He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice, he’s checking it thrice, he’s checking it four times, he’s checking it five times, he’s checking it Six times, he’s checking it Six times, he’s checking it Six times… Hello reader who is also a reader. We don’t have a game developer contact for the final Bookshelf of 2025. Instead, I’ve called upon my occult connections to secure a last-minute interview with the very Father of Christmas himself.
How jolly his manner! How red his attire! How curiously squelchy the bag thrown over one shoulder! How unidentifiable the appendage he slowly extends from the fissured green immensities of your Christmas tree! Cheers, Santa! Mind if we have a nose at your bookshelf?
Clair Obscur gripped me within the first minutes of its dramatic prologue. A turn-based RPG with a Belle Époque, steampunky aesthetic and a bleak world of monsters and magic? I know they say not to put a hat on a hat, but when that hat’s a beret… magnifique. The story opens with the people of Lumière celebrating its annual get-together where the Paintress, a sobbing giant beyond the city’s shores, etches a number into a cliff, and hundreds of onlookers immediately evaporate into petals and smoke.
Ho, ho, ho, everyone! Welcome to a particularly festive edition of Box Art Brawl!
Last week saw two covers for Mega Man 6 going head-to-head, and it was a little closer than we expected. The yellow Japanese variant (this writer’s favourite) just clinched it, however, taking 54% of the vote and leaving the North American design with the remaining 46%.
If you are considering giving the game a look (or a second chance) now that this update has been rolled out, there’s currently a sale taking place in the UK, Europe and some other locations around the globe such as Australia and New Zealand.
Every game has its limitations, there is only so many actions you can take, narrative threads to unspool, buttons to press. What about a game that you can only play one round of every day? A game where you “take up the sword against an NPC or another girl-esque thing irl and fight until one of you is holding the lifeless, bloodstained hand of the other.” This is the description of a tiny, visceral Yuri Game Jam game called Everyday Sororicide.
The thing about Big Business these days is that when you get Big Numbers, that normally leads to Bigger Business, right up to the point the well has not only dried up, but turned to dust. So, when you have a game like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, now winner of many Geoff Keighleys and seller of many copies, you might assume that developer Sandfall Interactive would increase the size of their operations. Apparently, you would be wrong!
The holidays are almost here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals for Saturday, December 20, below. Don’t miss your chance to save on these last-minute gifts!
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle for $449
The best deal of the weekend is the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle, which is on sale for $449. That’s the price of a standard Nintendo Switch 2, which means you’re essentially scoring Mario Kart World for free. If you’re planning on picking up a Switch 2 for yourself or as a gift this holiday season, today is the best time to buy one.
PS5 Pro for $649
PS5 Pro is on sale this weekend for $649, saving you just over $100 off Sony’s most powerful console. Even if you already own a PS5, the PS5 Pro can still be a solid upgrade, providing enhanced performance and frame rates for numerous games. Newcomers to the PlayStation ecosystem can expect the best PS5 has to offer with this one.
Samsung P9 Express microSD Express Card for $32.99
If you’re a Nintendo Switch 2 owner or expecting to become one this holiday season, a microSD Express Card is an absolutely essential purchase. The internal 256GB of storage is nowhere near enough for most players, especially with huge games like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade set to take up over a third of that space next year. You can save $20 off this 256GB microSD Express Card at Amazon and instantly double your Switch 2 storage.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for $35
Black Ops 7 is the latest Call of Duty, with the game releasing just a few weeks ago. Despite this, it’s already on sale at Amazon for $40, which makes this a perfect last-minute Christmas gift.
Save on The Art of DOOM: The Dark Ages
Art books are a great way to gain greater insight into the development of your favorite games. This DOOM: The Dark Ages art book was released a few weeks ago, and it’s already on sale for just under $31. Featuring over 200 pages, you can dive into behind-the-scenes art of the Doom Slayer, his weapons, and even enemies or locations.
Star Wars Outlaws for $30
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Star Wars Outlaws is on sale this weekend for $29.99, which is a steal for one of the hybrid system’s best third-party games. This version of Star Wars Outlaws is the Gold Edition, packing in all the DLC and updates that released.
Battlefield 6 for $39.99
Best Buy has Battlefield 6 for $39.99 today, with both PS5 and Xbox Series X copies discounted. Out of all multiplayer games released this year, Battlefield 6 might just be the most popular. This is a great gift to give alongside a new console.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally for $489.99
Amazon has the Asus ROG Xbox Ally on sale for $489.99, which is even lower than Black Friday! You can save $110 on this portable PC equipped with everything you need to play or stream your Xbox games. This deal is almost gone, so don’t miss your chance to score!
Save $10 Off Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
Finally, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is down to $49.99 this weekend. This is actually a bit higher than it was last weekend, but I still think it’s a fantastic price for two games that any RPG fan will appreciate. If you’re on the hunt for a last-minute gift to give, this is an excellent choice.
The end of a very short era is here! I guess, if you care about the life cycles of tech products made by multi-billion dollar companies. It appears that the days of the original LCD model of the Steam Deck is coming to an end, as a quiet notice from Valve suggests their focus will be with the slightly newer, shinier OLED line of handheld gaming devices.
I’ve always found PowerWash Simulator‘s Big Brand Collabs slightly odd, if a touch humorous. They don’t always make much sense to me, like the SpongeBob one, though I will admit that the Shrek one does feel like a good fit, even if I am loath to look at intellectual property. And now here we are with its sequel, PowerWash Simulator 2, with its first bit of DLC freshly announced, sending prospective powerwashers off to a distant land called Ooo from the seminal Adventure Time.
