I’ve had Le Mans Ultimate on my radar of things that let you drive around in realistic circles for the past couple of years, but I’d never dived into its early access. Part of that was being utterly spoilt for choice in terms of existing options when it came to getting my GT racing on, with the likes of Automobilista 2, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and even slightly older sims like Raceroom competing for pole position in the racing bit of my Steam library. Add in the behind-the-scenes turmoil that’s frequently surrounded publisher Motorsport Games over the past half-decade, and you get ample reason to take a wait-and-see approach with their latest offering.
Amazon selling anything for near MSRP Pokémon TCG related is a miracle in itself, but this Black Bolt ETB is available right now for just under $79. I loved opening Black Bolt and White Flare, and it’s certainly one of the best Scarlet and Violet sets to collect Illustration Rares from. This is a good deal in the current climate, snap this up.
Pokémon TCG Stock Update
Amazon is finally killing it for Pokémon TCG elite trainer box stock and pricing, and some are the closest to MSRP the big box retailer has been for weeks. Not only is the Black Bolt ETB vastly undercutting the secondary market, Paradox Rift ETB is even cheaper (And an overlooked set in my opinion, stock up now).
There’s other great deals on ex boxes too, which are also near MSRP and around the same or just under listings on TCG Player. The sealed market is becoming more competitive, so it’s more important than ever to give eBay a quick check before hitting buy.
Nintendo Switch 2 Stock Updates
As predicted, Nintendo Switch 2’s launch window is seeing stock shortages. If you didn’t preorder at launch, you’ve probably been waiting for stock drops since launch. Amazon currently has it’s invitation system in place for both the standard console SKU and the Mario Kart world bundle, so it’s always worth getting on the waiting list whilst you wait. If successful, your purchase link will be live for 72 hours.
The Legend of Zelda Hardcover Book Sale
Nearly every The Legend of Zelda hardcover book you need for your collection is available in this sale with some cracking discounts. It includes my favorite one, Hyrule Historia, that fills in more than a few gaps in the LoZ lore, although the timeline has already been slightly retconned. It also includes full and expanded official guides for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
KRK Kreate Powered Studio Monitors
I can personally guarantee a set of powered studio monitors will sound better than almost any sound system with or without a subwoofer. The new line of KRK Kreate studio monitors aren’t just for recording music (Although they’d do an amazing job), they’re a versatile sound option for content creation, editing, gaming, watching TV and movies and more. Buyers can even teather to them via Bluetooth for no fuss connections.
I’ve been using the 8-inch speaker models for a couple of weeks now, and they destory my soundbar and subwoofer combo that cost’s nearly double the price of these. There’s precision adjustments knobs on the back, which I keep mostly in neutral with volume up by half for a crisp flat sound with the right amount of bass. Although that can be cranked up when needed.
Personally I use an audio splitter so my Krate 8s can handle my Nano QuadCortex guitar amp moddler, my TV audio and gaming PC audio for the best experience. For me, going from a 3-inch to 8-inch speaker option is night and day. The clarity difference and range is top-tier, not to mention the jack, XLR and aux outputs available on each monitor that fits in perfectly in everyone’s setup. You’re getting top-of-the-range brand quality without the “gaming” brand tax, it’s a win-win.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
AirPods Pro 2 are one of those earbuds I keep noticing for their mix of sound quality and thoughtful features. At $199, they offer a strong balance of value and performance. The active noise cancellation blocks out a lot of background noise while adaptive audio automatically adjusts based on your surroundings. You get four sizes of silicone tips for a customizable fit, and once those are set they stay comfortable even through longer listening sessions. The personalized spatial audio and hearing aid features add extra depth, giving them more flexibility than just a standard pair of wireless earbuds.
INIU Portable Charger 10000mAh 45W
This is ideal for carrying around when you’ve forgot to stick your phone on charge overnight, 45W is more than enough power to charge anything whilst using it, from phones to Nintendo Switch 2. So who can argue for $12?
Donkey Kong Bananza
If you own a Switch 2 and not Donkey Kong Bananza, there’s something a-miss. We’ve given it a rare 10/10, and is officially Nintendo’s latest handheld’s first killer app and system seller. It’s from the same team behind Super Mario Odyssey and takes full advantage of the power packed into Nintendo Switch 2. Just get it, play it, then thank me later.
A few of the UK’s fanciest former indie developers are going indie again… with help from venture capital. Still Wakes The Deep and Dear Esther creators The Chinese Room have slipped the surly bonds of former parent company Sumo Digital in the course of a management buyout, with “facilitation” from Hiro Capital. Now “fully independent”, they’re focussing on the creation of original games, with two unannounced projects in the offing once they’ve finished developing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
Donkey Kong Bananza is finally here and, as players start to dig deep (well, punch deep at any rate), into this fresh slice of Nintendo magic – a slice we slapped a 9/10 on in our review – they’ll no doubt encounter some of the clever little easter eggs there are to be found scattered throughout our favourite ape’s latest adventure.
Now, fair warning, there will be mild spoilers ahead, so make sure not to ruin any of the fun for yourself if you’d prefer to find all this stuff yourself. With that said, let’s take a look at the best nods to the series’ history, and other tidbits, that we’ve dug up thus far. And please, make sure to let us know any easter eggs or little bits of trivia that you’ve found!
Turtle Rock’s Evolve was, for me, an almost-brilliant asymmetrical shooter straining to extract itself from the jaws of a live service kaiju maddened by a sludgy diet of unlocks and micro-transactions. It was a huge round of hide-and-seek featuring one, very large and fast, upgradeable alien monster and four hunters equipped with jet packs, trackers, forcefield nets and assorted demolition gear. I had a grand old time at launch as the Wraith, a godawful sneaklizard with warping capabilities, like a xenomorph moonlighting as Corvo Attano. But such thrills were sabotaged by the grindiness of the early game and by an infuriating deluge of paid DLC. Publishers 2K Games delisted it in 2018, after attempting to reboot Evolve as a free-to-play game. The beast clings onto a little life care of a community Discord for existing owners.
Even given the reaction to Evolve’s nickel-and-diming, it seems unlikely a sequel would have stripped out the live service progression elements and reverted to something like the menu-light horror movie sandbox approach of the developer’s previous Left 4 Dead. After all, Turtle Rock went onto make Back 4 Blood, a zombie blaster marinated in grindogubbins. Still, I’d have liked to see them try it. And look, they almost did.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has chalked up Star Wars Outlaws‘ lackluster performance to the “choppy waters” of the sci-fi saga’s fandom.
Addressing shareholders at a recent Q&A, Guillemot didn’t reflect on the game’s own performance issues, bugs, or complaints about repetitive gameplay, instead saying: “Outlaws was released at a time when the brand that it belonged to was in a bit of choppy waters.”
I’s true that the Star Wars brand has taken a bit of a battering of late, with a middling reception to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and lower-than-hoped viewership of various Disney+ spin-offs like Book of Boba Fett and The Acolyte. But attributing Outlaws’ mixed reception to broader issues with the fandom has raised a few eyebrows among fans for feeling slightly reductive.
Guillemot did not make note of the game’s own technical problems on arrival, for example. IGN’s own Star Wars Outlaws review — in which we awarded the sci-fi game a “Good” 7/10 — highlighted repetitive combat and “a few too many bugs at launch.”
Star Wars Outlaws got its first story expansion in May with the release of the A Pirate’s Fortune DLC on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. A Pirate’s Fortune gives players the chance to join forces with Hondo Ohnaka, head of the Ohnaka Gang. Hondo will be a name familiar to Star Wars: The Clone Wars fans and readers of the 2017 comic book series Star Wars: Darth Maul, and has even done time as one of the animatronic characters at the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction. This time around he’ll be Kay’s ally as she takes on Stinger Tash and her gang, the Rokana Raiders, checks out a mysterious tomb and does some smuggling for the Miyuki Trade League.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Nintendo rolled out a new firmware update (Version 20.2.0) for the Switch 2 last week, and it appears it’s not just Portal 2 that this patch may have fixed.
The Chinese Room, the acclaimed British indie studio behind last year’s oil rig horror game Still Wakes the Deep, has now officially cut ties with its former parent company Sumo Digital.
The studio, which also developed indie darlings Dear Esther and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, has now completed a management buyout, a spokesperson for The Chinese Room has confirmed to IGN.
Today’s news follows an uncertain few months for the Brighton-based studio, after Sumo’s previous announcement it would be refocusing its efforts “exclusively on development services for partners”, rather than continuing its work on original franchises.
In a message to press today, The Chinese Room said it had looked “increasingly likely” the company would be sold off by Sumo Digital, likely to a private equity firm or another overseas buyer — Sumo itself having been acquired by Chinese giant Tencent in 2018.
Instead, The Chinese Room will now be run as an indepedent entity headed up by studio director Ed Daly, following a deal facilitated by venture capital firm Hiro Capital.
“This management buyout allows us to scratch the creative itch of continuing to work on new, original intellectual property, but also to partner with other studios on other projects when they fit in with our vision,” Daly said. “This is what we are doing and we want to carry on doing it, so we’re happy to carry on in this vein.”
Following the launch of Still Wakes the Deep and last month’s DLC pack Siren’s Rest, The Chinese Room now has two new IPs in the works, it was revealed today.
Next to launch, however, will be the long-gestating Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, set to be published by Paradox Interactive this coming October.
“The Chinese Room is a huge British success story that has rightly been recognised as a unique creative force capable of competing on the world stage,” said Spike Laurie, a partner at Hiro Capital. “From hiring British people to making games set in the UK, they’ve been one of our foremost creative studios and now they are once again in charge of their own destiny while remaining British.
“We are at risk of overlooking these creative gems and letting them be sold to overseas corporations,” Laurie continued. “That is a travesty for the $5.5 billion British gaming industry which has a world-renowned reputation. We need to nurture this talent and support it through difficult times, because it is one of our leading creative exports.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
We’ve rounded up the best deals for Sunday, July 20, below, so don’t miss out on these limited-time offers.
Donkey Kong Bananza Out Now
Donkey Kong Bananza is officially out now, and this game has consumed my weekend just as much as Death Stranding 2. It’s been decades since Donkey Kong’s last 3D outing, and this might just be DK’s best game yet. There are hundreds of different bananas to find across each layer of the planet, and the new Bananza mechanics are a joy to experiment with. In my opinion, Bananza is worthy of picking up a Nintendo Switch 2 — it’s that good.
Persona 3 Reload for $20
Persona 3 Reload is available at Walmart for just $20. This was one of the most anticipated RPGs of 2024, and for the most part, it delivered. The mystery of the Dark Hour is compelling, and Persona 3’s cast of characters shine bright in a story that has quite a few twists and turns. The Episode Aigis DLC features epilogue content that was originally depicted in The Answer, so you can experience everything Persona 3 has to offer with Reload.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for $47.99
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition launched earlier this year, and it’s still one of the biggest RPGs you can jump into on any platform. The remaster introduced numerous quality-of-life updates that were much needed, in addition to a brand-new epilogue chapter. We gave the game a 9/10 in our review, stating, “Xenoblade Chronicles X was already one of the Wii U’s best games, and this Definitive Edition does more than enough to justify another trip to planet Mira.”
Donkey Kong Switch Games Are on Sale at Woot
With Donkey Kong Bananza out now, there has never been a better time to jump in and experience the Nintendo Switch library of Donkey Kong games. Woot has each of these games on sale this weekend, with the absolutely stellar Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD included.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for $34.99
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was one of the most enjoyable RPGs of 2024, featuring a gorgeous remade HD-2D world and voice acting. If you haven’t had the chance to check this one out yet, Amazon has Nintendo Switch copies available for only $34.99. In my opinion, the Switch has to be the definitive way to experience this classic, and now is the perfect time to catch up before Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake this Fall.
Apple AirPods 4 for $89.99
Apple AirPods 4 are 30% off at Amazon right now, making this weekend a great time to pick up a pair if you’ve been meaning to. AirPods 4 brought a redesign closer to the AirPods Pro, with up to 30 hours of total listening time using the charging case. The H2 chip packs in better sound and call quality than the AirPods 3, so you can expect a great listening experience at all times.
Request A Nintendo Switch 2 Invitation on Amazon
Amazon has at last listed the Nintendo Switch 2, and you can request an invite to purchase the console now. Once you are selected, you will receive an email that will allow you to add the system to your cart and purchase it. There is no telling when these invites will run out, so I recommend requesting one, even if you might purchase the Switch 2 elsewhere.
Bose Ultra Open-Ear Wireless Earbuds for $199
Best Buy has the Bose Ultra Open Ear Wireless Earbuds for $199 this weekend. Despite their open design, these earbuds allow for private listening that still keeps important outside noises included. These earbuds feature up to seven hours of play time, with an extra 19.5 hours of power packed into the charging case. Plus, you can control and personalize your earbuds through the Bose app.
Save on Super Mario Party Jamboree Just in Time for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
With the rcent reveal of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, it’s no question that you are going to want to save anywhere you can. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Party Jamboree is set to cost $79.99, but you can upgrade from a Nintendo Switch copy for $20. This weekend, save your cash and pick up a copy of Super Mario Party Jamboree from Woot for only $44.99. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is set to launch next week, so now is the time to secure your copy while you can.
Elden Ring Nightreign Deluxe Edition for $46.19
Elden Ring Nightreign is a great time with friends, and you can save on the Deluxe Edition of the game this weekend at Amazon. This edition of the game includes additional DLC content, feautring additional playable characters and bosses, in addition to a digital artbook and mini soundtrack. Bandai Namco has continued to release new content for Nightreign, so this is a great time to jump in.
ROG Ally Z1 Extreme for $499.99
Best Buy has the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme available for $499.99 this weekend. This handheld PC packs in the powerful Z1 Extreme processor, a 1080p 120Hz display, and 512GB of storage. It’s a much more powerful device than the Steam Deck, so you can play your games on the go in higher quality.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
Mario Kart has been a core part of the Nintendo family for over 30 years, first appearing on the SNES with Super Mario Kart, and the popularity of the kart racing series has seen it expand to 11 games across consoles (and mobile), with Mario Kart World launching alongside the Switch 2.
The games have vastly expanded since those nostalgic ’90s days, going from only eight characters and 20 tracks, to the vast roster and open world of the latest entry.
