Author: Game Infliction

Dragon Quest 1& 2 HD-2D Remake First Impressions: Classic DQ Has Never Looked So Good

Anecdotally, it’s been said that in its native Japan, Dragon Quest is more popular than Final Fantasy, which is more popular abroad. This is most obvious for any fans of fantasy anime who will find Dragon Quest’s undeniable influence over the genre, from monster designs like Slimes to other fantasy tropes pioneered by the early Dragon Quest games.

As someone who grew up primarily in the United States, I’m in the camp of gamers more familiar with the Final Fantasy series, with only a passing familiarity with Dragon Quest. Plus, while newer entries like Dragon Quest 11 have been rapturously received by fans, it’s the older Dragon Quest games that hold that certain air of history and mystique for someone like me who’s more interested in the legacy of the series.

Which also means it’s been a pretty good couple of years for me as Square Enix is finally remaking these older, beloved, Dragon Quest games for modern systems – and with a fresh new look. Rather than a full, polygonal upgrade, Square Enix is utilizing the retro-modern fusion they call HD-2D from its Octopath series to revive games like Dragon Quest 3 for modern audiences. And that continues with its next remake, Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake, coming later this year.

Despite being released before Dragon Quest 3, Dragon Quest 1 and Dragon Quest 2 are actually sequels, so playing Dragon Quest 3, 1, and 2 in that order is chronologically correct within the game’s universe. I got a chance to play those next two recently on PlayStation 5, and I came away even more excited to finally discover these early Dragon Quest titles.

The Best Way to Play the Original Dragon Quest Games

The first three Dragon Quest games comprise the “Erdrick Trilogy” – named after the hero of Dragon Quest 3. It’s no spoiler to say that in Dragon Quest 3, Erdrick is successful in his mission to save the kingdom from evil. You will then play as Erdrick’s descendents in Dragon Quest 1 & 2. Thus, Square Enix is actually releasing these games in chronological order, which is nice of them.

Up until these remakes, these have only been released as ports on mobile and certain game consoles, but there’s no need to bother with those now, unless you want a truly classic experience.

How Square Enix is Modernizing Dragon Quest

Given the legendary status of these games, Square Enix has to walk a bit of a tightrope trying to maintain parts of them that fans already love while modernizing some of the more dated bits. These changes, aside from the art style, are typically related to gameplay and storytelling, I’m told. In Dragon Quest 1 for example, there was no party system in the series yet, so the whole campaign is played using a single character who fights one enemy at a time. This has been changed so that now the player, while still solo, faces multiple enemies at once.

The two games are also “shorter” compared to modern RPGs, with How Long to Beat clocking Dragon Quest 1 at around 10 hours, while Dragon Quest 2 dials it up to 16 hours of playtime. Square Enix says they’ve beefed up some of the content and cutscenes to try and push those numbers up a bit, but don’t expect to be suddenly playing a 100-hour RPG.

Even Better Looking Than Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D

The main draw of the remakes, certainly, is the visual style. Square Enix has championed this HD-2D art style – wherein pixelated 2D player character models exist in a vibrant, 3D world. Despite already playing games like Octopath Traveler 2 and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D in this art style, it somehow looks even better in the upcoming collection.

The textures are even sharper, making the contrast between the 2D pixels and the 3D world starker, but more striking as a result. The 2D pixels have also received an upgrade, though you might not realize it at first. I compared some of the screenshots Square Enix sent over with my copy of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D running on the Switch, and they’re quite different, with the pixelwork in Dragon 1 & 2 HD-2D looking much more detailed and sophisticated than the pixels in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D.

The character models are a little larger, and much more detailed with their armor and weapons looking particularly sophisticated in the new remakes. I found the art style, combined with the gorgeous music, drawing me into the world of Dragon Quest quite completely. Square Enix put out some chips during my preview event and I found myself munching away while fully engrossed in the story of the hero’s party discovering the wreckage of a fallen kingdom.

In a way, Dragon Quest’s, let’s say “classic” storyline and trope-ish setting is easier to appreciate today than maybe a decade ago. Nowadays, with graphics as advanced as they are and storylines trying to compete with the biggest movies and TV shows, Dragon Quest is a reminder that some stories are timeless for a reason. I’m looking forward to playing both of these HD-2D remakes when they’re released on October 30, 2025 for all major systems – including the Nintendo Switch 2.

Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.

Hellblade Looks To Be Getting A Limited Run Physical Switch Release

A new listing surfaces on the ESRB.

The Xbox developer Ninja Theory released Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on the Switch eShop back in 2019, and if you’ve been holding out for a physical release on Nintendo’s platform, you might be in luck.

A new rating has been spotted on the ESRB for the Switch and it will apparently be published by the physical distributor Limited Run Games. LRG will also seemingly be handling a physical version of the second game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Mario Kart World For Switch 2 Tops Famitsu’s “Most Wanted” Games List

The hype is real.

It’s hard to believe but the Switch 2 is out next week and naturally, excitement for Nintendo’s new kart racer Mario Kart World is on the rise.

The famous Japanese video game outlet Famitsu has shared its latest “most wanted” games list based on reader votes and this new entry in the Mario Kart series is now in the top spot – surpassing Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Deals For Today: MTG Marvel’s Spider-Man Preorders Live on TCGPlayer

Today’s Daily Deals are all about getting more bang for your buck, specifically for the most popular trading card games and Peacock TV. Missed out on your Final Fantasy and Marvel’s Spider-Man Magic: The Gathering preorders? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

TL;DR: Deals For Today

I’ve also had my eye on the Pokémon TCG collectors market, and I’ve found prices on sealed product cheaper than big box retailers such as Amazon. It’s been a big issue trying to get a fair price on stock for the past few weeks, but I’ve got the best prices on sealed and single cards. There’s even some absolute gems to pick up for your Pokémon binder with this week’s crashes and climbers. Let’s get into it:

MTG Marvel’s Spider-Man Preorders

Whilst there’s only the Play Booster Box and Scene Bundle for MTG: Marvel’s Spider-Man live on Amazon right now, TCG Player has every sealed product that will hit the market on launch day. I’ve even found some pricing on cases of sealed product for those looking to rip open a tonne of boosters, so get on it before the market value on these products shoot up.

MTG Spider-Man Single Cards

Unfortunatley there’s no listings for Spider-Man single cards right now considering we’re a few months out from release, but I’ve managed to round up the listings for cards currently sitting on TCG Player waiting for presale allocations, so keep your eyes peeled.

MTG Final Fantasy TCG Player Preorders

MTG: Final Fantasy is set to be the biggest Magic: The Gathering set ever, which is a shock to absolutley no-one. Preorders are drying up at retail, but there’s plenty of choice available on TCG Player right now. I’ve found all the preorders listed so far (including prerelease boxes) alongside massive cases on booster displays. Don’t sleep on these preorders, MTG FF is going to fly off the shelves on release.

MTG Final Fantasy Single Cards

The single card market for MTG Final Fantasy is flying right now, so I’ve included over 40 of (in my opinion) the most popular Final Fantasy cards collectors and players will be chasing once packs start getting ripped. Don’t want to spend money on boosters and hope? Secure your chase cards for release day instead.

Expedition 33 Merch

If you’ve been captivated by the hauntingly beautiful world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the IGN Store has an exclusive collection of officially licensed merch. The lineup includes a range of clothing like the Expedition Hoodie and Petals T-Shirt ($64.99 and $27.50, respectively), plus art prints of characters like Gustave, Maelle, and Sciel, starting at $30. For everyday essentials, there are mugs, tote bags, tumblers, and mouse pads, all featuring designs straight from the game.. Whether you’re looking to wear your fandom or add some atmosphere to your space, the full Expedition 33 merch collection has you covered. Browse the entire lineup now at the IGN Store.

Pokémon TCG Stock Update

Long story short; things are looking bleak at retail for Pokémon TCG right now. Almost everything is way above MSRP and seems to becoming the new normal for big box retailers. I could write a whole article and why this is and what should be done to stop this practice, but here we are. If you have your heart set on opening booster packs, have at it, but you might want to check out the sections below to save money.

TCG Player Has The Same Products For Less

TCG Player and the Pokémon TCG secondary collectors market is significantly cheaper than big box retailers at the time of writing. This will likely be the case unless you can secure preorders on new sets such as Destined Rivals, Black Bolt and White Flare. Make no mistake products are still over MSRP, but If small businesses can undercut large retailers on TCG Player, there’s something fundamentally broken in the supplier-distributor-retail chain.

This Weeks Pokémon TCG Crashers and Climbers

The Single Pokémon TCG market on the other hand is going through a grand reset right now, which is down to a few factors. The crypto bro mentally to reselling products is dying down a little and more product is becoming available thanks to reprints. We’re not out of the woods yet by any means, but this weeks Crashers and Climbers show recent cards going down in price and cards from the X and Y era shooting up in value. We’re 100% moving in the right direction.

Javascript, Scripting And Web Development Book Bundle

Humble is serving up a piping hot bundle for web devs and JavaScript enthusiasts, offering 19 coding resources in the JavaScript Tech Book Bundle for as little as $1. For just $18, you can unlock the full collection, including highlights like Clojure Brain Teasers, Test-Driven React, Second Edition, and Serverless Apps on Cloudflare. Diving into Ruby, Rails, Tailwind, or WebAssembly? There’s something here to level up your skills across the board. Every purchase supports Save the Children, so you can sharpen your coding chops and make a difference at the same time.

Peacock TV

Peacock TV is running a stellar promotion for new and returning subscribers: grab a full year of Peacock Premium (Ad-Supported) for just $24.99 when you redeem code SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout. That’s a hefty discount from the usual $79.99/year. Peacock Premium offers a massive library of hit shows, movies, originals, live sports, and NBC/Bravo content, alongside 50+ always-on channels.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

Feature: Donkey Kong Country ‘Mine Cart Madness’ Helped Me Face My Fear Of Roller Coasters

I guess you could say I “yearn for the mines” now.

I’m absolutely terrified of roller coasters. The lack of control you have, the speed, high heights, twists and turns – all this makes for something I’ve never been able to convince myself is worth the thrill.

It was easy to get over my fear of flying in aeroplanes as there’s always something exciting and extraordinarily worthwhile waiting for me on the other side of the flight. Some things in life I would just never be able to do without flying far away in a plane. However, with roller coasters I couldn’t say the same, until now.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The Biggest Pokémon Card Crashers And Climbers This Week – May 26

It’s amazing how quickly the Pokémon TCG collectors market changes. We’re seeing a ridiculous rise in value for three X and Y era promo cards, which is valid because they’ve always looked amazing. The thing is, Venusaur EX, Blastoise EX, and Charizard EX box promos have never been a highly-priced card. Looking at TCG Player, the market is flooded with lightly played and damaged condition cards, so perhaps the rarer near mint copies of these cards are worth the higher price tag?

In last week’s Crashers and Climbers, we saw signs of Prismatic Evolutions chase cards crashing hard, and for the most part, I was spot on. We’re seeing massive drops on Glaceon ex and Sylveon ex by 28% over the last few days, which is insane. Let’s get into it:

Pokémon Card Crashers

Eevee ex SIR has dropped by 36% since mid-April, which would also mark around the time Prismatic Evolutions reprints started rolling onto store shelves. This alongside the community refusing to pay astronomical prices on Scarlet and Violet chase cards seems to be driving down prices across the board.

Glaceon ex SIR has always been one of the cheaper eeveelutions in Prismatic Evolutions, but seeing a cool 28% drop from $338.69 to $240.98 feels like a half decent plateau, although I would personally put my money on this becoming a sub-$200 card before the year is out.

Sylveon ex SIR is in a more popular-yet similar boat, going down from 28% to just shy of $400 from $562.60. Sylveon isn’t one of my favorites, but the artwork on this card is incredibly detailed. Pair that with Sylveons dedcated fan base and you’re looking at a stable $400 card in my opinion.

Espeon ex SIR is suprisingly cheaper than Sylveon. In my mind, the top two eeveelutions is Espeon and Umbreon. Whilst the latter half of that statement is ridiculously true, it’s a good time to start looking at adding this card to your collection. It’s only dropped by 5%, but 5% off a card that’s pretty much floated around the $350 – $400 mark since launch (after the hype) is pretty good.

If you don’t think Ceruledge is a cool Pokémon, then we can’t be friends. That dark knight energy and purple flames is just epic, and the artwork on Ceruledge ex SIR reflects everything i’ve just said. A Pokémon that can still look this ruthless with a crown of jewels floating on it’s head is worth shelling out $151 for. Expecially once you consider the 27% price drop from $206.71 from the start of May.

Pokémon Card Climbers

Venusaur EX promo was a peak card for me in the X and Y era. My first ever starter was Bulbasaur in Pokémon Blue, and this is the best artwork I’ve seen for its final evolution. Apparantrly i’m not alone, seeing as this card has seen a massive climb of 263% in the space of a week. A near mint conditioned version of this card has climbed from $49.53 to $180 in a matter of days.
Blastoise EX promo is doing the same, although it’s quite a bit cheaper. It’s up 88% in the past week, that’s from $68.94 and currently has listings for $130. That’s currently the cheapest price for it.

In a rare occorance for Charizard collectors, Charizard EX Promo is cheaper than a Venusaur equivalent. It’s a wonderful time to be alive and a fan of grass-types. Zard is still flying high like the other Kanto starters though, a 183% climb in a week. That’s a jump to $129 from $45.58.

Another favorite deck inclusion for me in the X and Y days was Shaymin EX. I bloody love this card. Providing you had double colorless energies to hand, you could use it’s Set Up ability in tandem with it’s Sky Return attack to draw 6 cards from your deck, do 30 damage and heal it by returning Shaymin EX to your hand. Oh, and it’s also raised in value by 44% in a week.

Another card to rise by 41% is Togepi & Cleffa & Igglybuff GX from Pokémon TCG’s Sun and Moon era. The Team Up cards were such a good gimmick and would love to see it come back. It’s also had a crazy climb in the last week, springing from $127.61 to a lofty $180.

Pokémon TCG Stock Update

Long story short; things are looking bleak at retail for Pokémon TCG right now. Almost everything is way above MSRP and seems to becoming the new normal for big box retailers. I could write a whole article and why this is and what should be done to stop this practice, but here we are. If you have your heart set on opening booster packs, have at it, but you might want to check out the sections below to save money.

TCG Player Has The Same Products For Less

TCG Player and the Pokémon TCG secondary collectors market is significantly cheaper than big box retailers at the time of writing. This will likely be the case unless you can secure preorders on new sets such as Destined Rivals, Black Bolt and White Flare. Make no mistake products are still over MSRP, but If small businesses can undercut large retailers on TCG Player, there’s something fundamentally broken in the supplier-distributor-retail chain.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

SEGA Gives A Behind-The-Scenes Look At Its New London Office

Ping pong! Pool table! Boardroom!

Sega has posted a video showcasing its brand-new London office in Chiswick Business Park, and cor blimey, it looks really nice.

The roughly one-minute long video takes us through the reception area (with a lovely-looking main desk, we might add) before swooping through what looks like a recreation/dining area, a few meeting rooms, the main boardroom, and a digital gallery area.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

‘Castle Of Heart: Retold’ Revamps The Soulslike Platformer For Switch 2

Mostly ‘armless?

Polish developer 7Levels has announced that it’s bringing its 2018 platformer, Castle of Heart, back to your Switch screens this summer (plus other platforms – and Switch 2, at some TBA time), with a revamped version of its Slavic mythology-inspired dark fantasy adventure.

We reviewed the original back in March of 2018, calling it “a stern challenge to those who don’t mind repeatedly playing the same level over and over before finally beating it and moving on.” That sounds like this writer, alright.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Random: Check Out This Enormous LEGO Animal Crossing Island With Hidden Treasure

Everything is actually awesome.

You may or may not be aware that Bricks Cascade 2025, a celebration of all things LEGO, took place recently over in Portland’s Oregon Convention Center. Of course, these days, LEGO goes hand in hand with iconic Nintendo characters and game franchises, such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

In fact, the two go so well together that this year’s winner of Brick Cascade’s’ People’s Choice Runner Up’ award was the creator of a huge -. and incredibly detailed — LEGO 42 Acre Isle. Constructed by master builder extraordinaire Becky Clapshaw, this enormous model features tons of hidden details to get lost in for fans of the franchise (which, thanks to a certain pandemic, means everyone).

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Review: SoulCalibur II (GameCube) – One Of The Best Fighters Ever, Playable Oh-So-Soon On Switch 2

If you’re eager to die, then that’s fine by me!

With Nintendo Switch 2 bringing a selection of GameCube classics to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers very soon, we looked into our back catalogue of retro reviews and found we didn’t have one for one of the best fighting games ever created…until now. Enjoy!

Soulcalibur II, of all the games in this mighty series, was the one that really cemented it in our minds as a franchise to have sat alongside the likes of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken and the very best fighters of its era. And any other era, let’s face it.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com