Author: Game Infliction

Pokémon’s Super Bowl Ad Asks Lady Gaga, Trevor Noah, and More ‘What’s Your Favorite’ Pokémon?

Pokémon’s promised ad spot at the Super Bowl just aired, and in it we got a glimpse into the Pokémon preferences of celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Trevor Noah, Charles Leclerc, and more.

The minute-long ad shows Lady Gaga, Trevor Noah, Formula One racer Charles Leclerc, singer Jisoo, actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Spanish football (soccer, for the Americans) player Lamine Yamal and rapper Young Miko all describing their favorite Pokémon before eventually revealing them.

Lady Gaga (of course) picked Jigglypuff, and Jigglypuff even did a brief little duet with her singing its signature song. Trevor Noah prefers Psyduck, Leclerc chooses Arcanine, Jisoo picks Eevee, Ramakrishnan chooses Luxray, Yamal picks Zygarde, and Young Miko’s partner is Gengar. Shockingly, The Pokémon Company managed not to put Pikachu in this ad anywhere (except in the logo, of course)!

The ad ends with all the celebrities asking the audience, “What’s your favorite?” This question is the start of a year-long campaign put on by The Pokémon Company in celebration of its 30th anniversary. In addition to the ad, The Pokémon Company is kicking things off by introducing a new camera feature to Pokémon GO (which is somehow ten years old this year!) that allows users to participate in the campaign.

Additionally, The Pokémon Company has promised various events including “Day Out” and “Night Out” experiences designed for fans to celebrate Pokémon, with daytime events more family-focused and nighttime events more for adults who grew up with the series. The Pokémon Company has also already announced other celebratory events, such as a themed TCG collection and Pokemon LEGO sets.

Pokémon’s 30th is a big moment for the franchise, and we’re expecting them to celebrate in style. Historically Pokémon has thrown a big digital showcase entitled Pokémon Presents on or around Pokémon Day (February 27), where the company lays out its plans for the year across video games, the TCG, and merchandise. Fans are eagerly hoping for the announcement of a new Pokémon game, perhaps a remake of beloved DS games Black and White, or the kick-off for the next generation of Pokémon, Gen 10. Heck, at this point, I’d just be happy to have the classic games on Nintendo Switch Online!

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

The Best Deals Today: The First Berserker: Khazan, Silent Hill f, AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, and More

We’ve rounded up the best deals for Sunday, February 8, below. Don’t miss your chance to save on these deals!

The First Berserker: Khazan for $39.99

This weekend, The First Berserker: Khazan is back down to $39.99, which is the game’s all-time low price. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “The First Beserker: Khazan is a brutal but impressive soulslike that makes pushing through its devastating bosses worth the effort.”

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X for $377.19

Amazon has the fantastic AMD Ryzen 9900X on sale today for $377.19, which saves you over $120 off MSRP. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is an incredible processor, easily able to power through creative applications like Adobe Premiere and Photoshop. However, its gaming performance is a bit less impressive for the price, making it hard to recommend to dedicated PC gamers.”

Silent Hill f for $39.99

You can also score Silent Hill f for $39.99 this weekend. This game is one of the most unique in the series, mainly due to its story, which was written by Ryukushi07. Composer Akira Yamaoka contributed to the project as well, and this edition on Amazon packs in a two-sided poster, plus the Day One items pack.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 Limited Edition Blu-ray for $49.99

The conclusion of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is almost here, with the final cour, The Calamity, set to premiere this July. Today, you can score the limited edition Blu-ray of Part 3, The Conflict, for just $49.99. This set only released last month and features all 14 episodes of Part 3, plus a 72-page production booklet, the NYCC 2024 panel, creditless opening/endings, and more.

Octopath Traveler 0 for $39.99

Octopath Traveler 0 was easily one of the most overlooked RPGs of 2025. This massive game packs in a huge amount of content, with over 100 hours required to 100% the game. In our 9/10 review, we wrote, “Octopath Traveler 0 asks you to stick with a 100-hour journey, and it rewards you with the kinds of moments only lengthy RPGs can pull off with its overarching story, an intricate turn-based combat system, and a soundtrack that’ll leave you absolutely floored.”

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater for $29.99

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is one of the best games of all time. Konami’s remake, dubbed Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, was released last year, and it successfully did its job in faithfully bringing the beloved game to new audiences. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Between its old-school stealth-action gameplay and engaging spy-thriller story, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater largely succeeds as a faithful, visually impressive remake of the 2004 classic.”

Save 38% Off the Chainsaw Man Season 1 Limited Edition Blu-ray

Chainsaw Man’s first season only officially released on Blu-ray as of late last year, so while this release is pretty recent, you can save $30 off today at Amazon. The Limited Edition packs in all twelve episodes of Season 1, featuring both Japanese and English audio. Plus, you’ll also get a lenticular slipcase, a 72-page booklet of production material, and on-disc art galleries.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake for $49.99

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is an overhaul of the first two Dragon Quest games, recreating them in the gorgeous HD-2D art style while adding modern features and still remaining true to the originals. Today, you can score this game for $49.99 on PS5 at Amazon. If you’re someone just jumping into Dragon Quest for the first time or a long-time fan, this is the ultimate way to experience two games that greatly inspired the whole genre.

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 for $58.99

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 released for Nintendo Switch last Fall, and today, you can score this double pack for $58.99 at Woot! These two adventures are some of Mario’s greatest, making this a must-own game for any Switch owner. Plus, there’s a free update for Nintendo Switch 2 that enables 4K support.

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles for $34.99

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is just $34.99 at Woot today. As one of the best Final Fantasy games ever, this remaster is the perfect way to experience the beloved classic with enhanced modern features like fast-forward, autosave, and more.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Out Now

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is finally out now! This remake aims to streamline the experience of the original game, while offering a brand-new art style and modern gameplay features for players. If you’ve recently cleared through the HD-2D Erdrick Trilogy, this is a logical next game to jump to.

New Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 Out This Week

Nintendo revealed the first new set of Joy-Con 2 earlier this year, which feature purple and green colors. These are set to launch this week, on February 12, alongside Mario Tennis Fever, so now’s the time to secure a new pair if you’re planning on heading to the courts together with friends.

The Dark West, an Occult Action-RPG, Announced for PC

Introducing The Dark West, a hardcore action-RPG for PC set in a cursed frontier that got too greedy and paid the price. Occult skills and a poker-esque deck let you customize your build and blast through the black-magic-fueled foes of The Order and The Damned as you aim to be the last one standing.

Developer Black Hand aims to bring the community along with them at every step of development. “We made The Dark West because we love ARPGs and wanted to create the kind of game we have always wanted to play,” the team said. “From the start, we’ve included the community in every step of development. Their feedback is shaping the combat, the story, and the world. This is a game made with players, not just for them.” Check out the announcement trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.

Black Hand says that The Dark West will challenge “both your skill and sanity.” It takes aim squarely at fans of Diablo and Path of Exile. There’s no release date as of yet, but you can wishlist The Dark West on Steam if you’re intererested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel – Super Bomberman 2 (SNES)

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Ahoy! Welcome, one and all, to another edition of Box Art Brawl!

Last time, we checked out Red Alarm for the Virtual Boy, which of course will be joining the launch lineup for Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics on NSO later this month. It was a surprisingly close contest, with North America just about claiming victory with 54% of the vote.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

What’s on your bookshelf: Nyamakop and Relooted’s Marcia Shange

Hello reader who is also a reader! It’s finally time for another edition of our thrillingly erratic column on game developers and their bestest books. This week, we’re having our ears bent by Marcia Shange, chief operating officer of South Africa, Johannesburg-based developers Nyamakop, creators of puzzle platformer Semblance and the forthcoming postcolonial heist ’em up Relooted. Cheers, Marcia! Mind if we have a nose at your bookshelf?

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Don’t like how often map conditions rotate in Arc Raiders? Sorry, but the devs say “that most likely won’t change”

For all of their faults (the list may be endless), the interesting thing about live service games, when done well anyway, is the way they can change from day to day. There’s an actual living quality to them that, even if I’ll always prefer them, a singleplayer game can’t capture as well. One such game that can change quite drastically is Arc Raiders, with its varying map conditions and events, swapping in and out at the whims of its developers. This rotation isn’t something universally loved, but CEO Patrick Söderlund has said that they’re here to stay.

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Prince of Persia creator shares his sympathies with The Sands of Time remake devs: “Artists put their hearts into their work”

Last month, Ubisoft pretty unceremoniously cancelled a bunch of games, the most notable of the bunch being that long gestating Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake. This came as part of a major restructuring at the company, putting up to 200 jobs at their Paris HQ at risk, ultimately leading to a call for an international strike, and the firing of one Assassin’s Creed designer. It’s all a concerning mess, and now the creator of Prince of Persia and lead designer on the original Sands of Time Jordan Mechner has shared his sympathy to devs affected by the remake’s cancellation.

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