You know what? Life’s too simple. Too free of complications and anxiety. Too relaxing! Everything’s just so smooth and calming and tranquil across the globe in the 21st century, you’re probably looking for some grit in your oyster, right? Right?
Okay, perhaps not. But for whatever reason, you might be interested to know the best stressful games on Nintendo Switch — titles likely to get the vein in your temple bulging and make you snap at friends and family. Perhaps you want a list of Switch games to avoid if you’ve had a hard day at the office! Or maybe you’re just fed up with R&R and are looking to spice things up.
Preparing for Adventure – Talking to the Creative Minds Behind Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Sebastian Yamaguchi, Xbox Wire Japan Editor
Summary
Xbox Wire Japan recently had a chance to speak with Studio Head and Illustrator Junko Kawano, Producer and Art Director Junichi Murakami, and Director Osamu Komuta at Rabbit & Bear Studios.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was funded via Kickstarter with a total of 46,307 backers that were eager for a new game from the creator of the Suikoden series, the late Yoshitaka Murayama.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is available now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and with Game Pass.
Starting today, players can immerse themselves in the world of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, which continues a rich legacy of memorable JRPGs guided by the stewardship of the late Yoshitaka Murayama and his team at Rabbit & Bear Studios.
Funded via Kickstarter back in 2020, with a total of 46,307 backers that were hungry for more Murayama-esque game experiences like Suikoden, Eiyuden Chroncole: Hundred Heroes is now available for players on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, as well as with Game Pass.
Producer and Art Director Junichi Murakami
Studio Head and Illustrator Junko Kawano
Director Osamu Komuta
To commemorate its launch, Xbox Wire Japan recently had a chance to speak with Studio Head and Illustrator Junko Kawano, Producer and Art Director Junichi Murakami, and Director Osamu Komuta at Rabbit & Bear Studios, where the team’s sincere responses conveyed how much Hundred Heroes embodies the vision of Murayama, with a team that was built around the desire to make “the most interesting game of [their] lives”.
The Kickstarter launched back in July 2020, and now Hundred Heroes is nearly here. How are you feeling?
Producer and Art Director Junichi Murakami: Actually, I haven’t settled down emotionally at all yet. There is a sense of relief that we can finally deliver the product to everyone, but there are still some things that we won’t know until it goes on sale. Although I am anxious in some ways, there is a sense of accomplishment in knowing that we have finally come this far after working hard together for a long period of time.
Director Osamu Komuta : We have been working on this game for about three and a half years now, so we are all exhausted (laughs). We have been working hard as a team to patch the game, but now we are closing into the release of the game. On one hand, I am a bit relieved, but on the other hand, as Murakami mentioned, I am also excitedly waiting to hear the reactions of the players as the game goes on sale in two weeks’ time.
Studio Head and Illustrator Junko Kawano: I feel pretty much the same way as those two do, so they’ve done most of the talking. It’s been too long since I’ve worked on a consumer title, and I feel like, “Well, nowadays pretty much everyone is already working on patches”, so I really have to keep going until the very last minute… I wonder if I’ll feel done once it’s released and everyone has played it.
What are the highlights of Hundred Heroes, from your perspective, especially the parts you would like people to pay attention to?
Komuta: As the title suggests, there are a lot of characters. We want players to go on adventures with their favorite party and prepare for battles with them. We also want them to try using characters they meet along the way, and hopefully enjoy switching characters around. In most RPGs, you would train the skills of, or you explore the power of individual characters, but in HH, the fun is rooted in the variety of characters. The depth of the game becomes based on the number of characters that you have trained and brought up.
Murakami: In terms of design, we have put a lot of thought into each of the characters and made sure that each had a distinct personality. Even for a single mini game, the characters have different looks prepared just for that game. Basically, I don’t think we have cut any corners, so if you play through the game thoroughly, I think you will see many good things that you expected when starting to play the game.
What are some of the aspects of Hundred Heroes that you focused on from a JRPG standpoint?
Murakami: I’m sure each of us has our own thoughts on various things and what we were particular about, but I believe JRPGs are unique in the way they portray the nature of the story and the characters. There is always an added element where “anything goes in a JRPG.” RPGs from overseas pursue reality, but in the case of JRPGs, after an intense battle, the players are suddenly spending time in a hot spring (laughs). I think the beauty of JRPGs is that they contain a flexible mindset where fun is hybrid, allowing players to start playing with cards regardless of location. I feel that Hundred Heroes has been able to bring that essence out very well.
Komuta: Murayama always talked about the makunouchi bento when explaining RPGs. He would say that “RPGs had a variety of side dishes, and every one of them is delicious”. Surely, there is a storyline that runs through the richness of variation and variety like a makunouchi bento. But if you take a side trip for a break, you can soak in a hot spring, play a card game, get into the theater…… and have fun. There are many variations in the story.
We were particularly careful about making sure that when the player goes off on a tangent, the game will have a proper reaction to whatever he or she does. Even a single line of dialogue may change depending on the party you have formed, so I believe that players will enjoy the abundance of options and the development the game provides in response to their choices.
The pixel art of the characters in Hundred Heroes is extremely detailed, which seems to be a rare direction to take these days. How did you decide on this?
Murakami: When we first started planning the game, we had already decided to make it an evolution of pixel art, or dots. When we began to consider what kind of resolution we wanted to use, we started with a size that was familiar from old games, but we realized that if we continued in this manner, it would be difficult to distinguish the individuality of the more than 100 characters Kawano had created, and it would also be difficult to express the individuality of the characters themselves.
In addition, the expressions themselves seemed a bit old-fashioned, so we decided to increase the resolution. However, increasing the resolution would inevitably increase the number of dots, so the amount of work increased. Furthermore, if the resolution is increased too far, the pixel art may end up becoming more like an illustration.
After trying various methods, we decided that the current size would require more technique, but would allow us to properly express the detailed design and accessories that adorn the characters Kawano has created. The size and feel of the design matched the sense of expression that we were looking for.
There are several battles available: normal battles (with a party of 6), boss battles, duels (1 vs. 1), and wars. What are the highlights and key points of each? Also, was the decision to use random encounters based on the feel of old JRPGs?
Komuta: The adoption of random encounters was based on the premise that this game was a JRPG. In addition to this, Murayama’s idea of RPGs was to make it possible for anyone to complete the game, even if may the first time in their lives that they have played such game. So long as you know the basic rules, anyone can advance and complete the story in HH.
At first, we considered using symbolic encounters, but we decided to use random encounters for this game, as we thought it would be easier for players to understand (the game). We also wanted to respect the initial concept of clearly separating between the scenes, namely when the games switch between normality and battle.
In the very early stages of planning, we had two ideas, and one of them was to have the battle transition occur on the spot, which is very common these days. The idea also came up during the planning stage, but since we wanted to express the transition properly, we decided to use random encounters with clear transitions, that would set the tone and mood and prepare the player for battle. The battles themselves are rather simple command battles; even if you are new to the JPRG genre, once you get used to it and start leveling up, you will be able to move on within the story.
Of course, there is an element of challenge in the game. The higher you set the difficulty within the game, the more you will have to play around the attributes and the order of actions. There are plenty of challenging battles waiting for you, and we hope players will have a great time strategizing and overcoming.
The system of strongholds, one-on-one battles, wars, etc. were also seen in Gensou Suikoden. Did you intend to include these systems from the beginning of the project? Is there a reason why you decided to use it again in Hyaku Eiyouden? Also, what did you change from the past games to better suit today’s game experience?
Murakami: All of these elements were included in the Kickstarter stretch goal, including war, single combat, and the Fortress Town.
Kawano: Including the cook-offs, too.
Murakami: The backers are fans of Murayama’s games, so it seems that those elements were required. All of them were realistic targets if we got the budget and time frame right, so we included them as items, but we’ve already accomplished all of them. We started from the point where we had to aim to include all the elements we promised in the Kickstarter program.
Komuta: From the very beginning of the project, we wanted to develop the Fortress Town aspect of the game. We were not talking about a castle where everyone could gather, but rather a town where people could build their own town, as if we were putting in a whole other game where people could build their own town.
Murakami: It was borderline crazy to think of such thing (laughs).
Komuta: It is true that when we started imagining the Fortress Town, it was not an easy task. It may have been better if it was just an automatic progression of elements, such as the city growing as it levels up, but this time, we wanted to includes elements such as building structures of your own choosing, and calling in the people needed to build and maintain them. Some people told me that I was making another game within the game (laughs).
Murakami: Once you get into that phase, HH gets more and more interesting. In the beginning, you don’t even have the Fortress Town.
What kind of response did you receive from overseas players (after Kickstarter)? Were there any regions where the response was particularly strong?
Murakami: Originally, HH started with the fact that Murayama had many fans overseas, since Kickstarter and crowdfunding in general has not been too familiar within Japan. That’s why we didn’t include Japan in our crowdfunding activities at first. When the crowdfunding started, we came to think, “No, there are definitely Murayama fans in Japan as well,” so we decided to approach them too, and thus the order was first overseas and then domestic. The game itself is developed by Japanese people with Japanese sensibilities, so it will have a JRPG-like finish. We have been trying to create something that is uniquely Japanese, rather than focusing on foreign countries.
Kawano: In terms of the response from people overseas, we received support for “making a game that Murayama likes,” and we expected that there would be many fans around the world. In fact, when we launched the crowdfunding, the largest number of support came from the U.S., and the second largest was from Japan. Besides that, we also have received support from France and the Asian region, but also from Brazil, and really from all over the world. We didn’t really prepare anything special for any one place, but unlike Japanese fans, we received requests from American fans that are a bit more hardcore, such as wanting a mode with a higher level of difficulty.
Eiyden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be available on day one with Game Pass. What is your impression of the subscription service?
Murakami: When the idea of distributing Hundred Heroes through Game Pass first came up, It got me thinking since I was yet to consider it as an option. I thought it over very well and decided that our priority should be to spread awareness of Hundred Heroes rather than to aim for the stars with the first game.
When we settled on this direction, we realized that our core fans had already turned their attention to us. The backers of Hundred Heroes are the most important, and we will produce the work they wish, but I felt that their support alone would not be enough to continue the series — if that was the only way to continue the series, it would not last.
What I had to do as a producer was to increase the number of people who could play Hundred Heroes and broaden the base of the fan community. I thought that Xbox Game Pass would be the best way to increase opportunities for people who have never played this genre to pick up the game and see it. After considering these ideas, we decided that we should go for it.
Can you tell us about some of the memorable events in the development of Hundred Heroes?
Murakami: Memories abound (laughs). One of the things that was unprecedented was the (COVID) lockdown during development. I have very fond memories of that special environment, where we had to team up with people we didn’t know and had never met face-to-face from the beginning of development to create the game.
Komuta: About half of the people on my team have never met me face-to-face.
Kawano: Everything was done online, mostly from home.
Murakami: There are many such episodes. But the most memorable one was when Murayama and I launched the Kickstarter project.
Komuta: After we launched the Kickstarter, we reached our goal in an instant. We all went a little crazy at that moment.
Murakami: If it were a lottery ticket or something, I would simply be happy, but in the case of crowdfunding, the more it goes up, the more I got worried.
Kawano: Yes, you feel the sense of responsibility building up (laughs).
Komuta: I couldn’t believe our dream would gather so much support.
Murakami: I got the feeling that the expectations were being taken on board in a new way.
Komuta: I felt like I was taking on something great.
Kawano: While I felt grateful, it also came with a feeling of heavy commitments being placed on my shoulders.
Murakami: I had the feeling that there was no way I could escape from this (laughs).
Komuta: I had a lot of mixed feelings running through me, but above all, I was happy. Even now, I can’t forget what Murayama said at that moment. He said something along the lines of, “I can’t stop my hands from shaking”.
Kawano: It was like that from the beginning, and it was a special kind of game production right up to the end.
Lastly, what is your message to Xbox players who are new to the JRPG genre?
Kawano: We have created a place where people can play in a variety of ways. We hope you will enjoy the game, because we have created a game that can be played in any way you like and can be fun no matter where you pick up the pieces.
Komuta: If you play the game normally, you may get the feeling that “It’s just a regular JRPG”, but if you enjoy the deep variations, such as taking side trips, going off to the side, gathering your friends and changing to a different party, I think you will find HH very interesting. If you enjoy these side contents, I can guarantee you will feel the fun of HH.
Murakami: It is difficult to imagine what kind of person might experience a JRPG for the first time. But one thing I am sure of is that whoever experiences JRPGs through HH for the first time will find everything new and fresh. I think they will be able to enjoy a game they have never played before, a type of worldview they have never traveled in, and a feeling they have never had before. We have used different voice actors for all the characters. All characters have their movements and effects changed in detail, and there are also scenarios for each of them. Overall, I think you can enjoy the game without thinking too hard about it. There is not a single difficult thing to do, so in that sense, I hope that newcomers will feel free to give it a try.
Get the most out of your adventure with the Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the following content:
• Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes full game
• 1x Easy Journey Pack: (6x Healing Herb, 4x Healing Incense, 2x Revive Medicine. 3x Runeshard of Return, 1x Gold Coin)
• 1x Headquarters Custom Object
• Season Pass: [3x Original Wallpapers by Junko Kawano, Story Expansion: The Chapter of Seign, Story Expansion: The Chapter of Marisa, Story Expansion: The Chapter of Markus and HQ Makeover Pack (Golden & Pink Headquarters Exterior Paint)]
• Digital Mini Artbook
• Digital Soundtrack
Our story begins in one corner of Allraan, a tapestry of nations with diverse cultures and values. By dint of sword, and by way of magical objects known as “rune-lenses,” the land’s history has been shaped by the alliances and aggressions of the humans, beastmen, elves, and desert people who live there.
The Galdean Empire has edged out other nations and discovered a technology that amplifies the rune-lenses’ magic.
Now, the Empire is scouring the continent for an artifact that will expand their power even further. It is on one such expedition that Seign Kesling, a young and gifted imperial officer, and Nowa, a boy from a remote village, meet each other and become friends.
However, a twist of fate will soon drag them into the fires of war, and force them both to reexamine everything they believe to be right and true.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes became the #1 funded Kickstarter video game of 2020 thanks to phenomenal support from the community. 505 Games is truly honored to publish Eiyuden Chronicle and work with Rabbit & Bear to help deliver a memorable gaming experience to fans. The goal of Rabbit & Bear and 505 Games is to make sure Eiyuden Chronicle reaches its true potential and delivers a worthwhile JRPG the community will enjoy.
Our story begins in one corner of Allraan, a tapestry of nations with diverse cultures and values. By dint of sword, and by way of magical objects known as “rune-lenses,” the land’s history has been shaped by the alliances and aggressions of the humans, beastmen, elves, and desert people who live there.
The Galdean Empire has edged out other nations and discovered a technology that amplifies the rune-lenses’ magic.
Now, the Empire is scouring the continent for an artifact that will expand their power even further. It is on one such expedition that Seign Kesling, a young and gifted imperial officer, and Nowa, a boy from a remote village, meet each other and become friends.
However, a twist of fate will soon drag them into the fires of war, and force them both to reexamine everything they believe to be right and true.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes became the #1 funded Kickstarter video game of 2020 thanks to phenomenal support from the community. 505 Games is truly honored to publish Eiyuden Chronicle and work with Rabbit & Bear to help deliver a memorable gaming experience to fans. The goal of Rabbit & Bear and 505 Games is to make sure Eiyuden Chronicle reaches its true potential and delivers a worthwhile JRPG the community will enjoy.
There are some amazing PS5 deals to check out right now, including a selection of PlayStation games that have dropped to just $20 at Walmart. Not only that, but the PlayStation Portal, a surprise hit, and Sony’s newest handheld gaming accessory, is back in stock at Amazon. It’s sold out everywhere else and has been for quite some time — so if you want one, you’d better grab it quick, as it’s not likely to stay in stock for long. Below, you can also find other deals on everything from consoles to SSDs and even information on where to buy a PS5 now.
The PlayStation Portal is back in stock, but more importantly, it’s also part of Amazon’s – Save $25 when you spend $250 – video game promotion, so if there are any extras like DualSense controllers or media remotes you want to pick up alongside, it’s well worth taking advantage of as well. There are even games like Spider-Man 2, Rise of the Ronin, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 included in the offer. If you were planning on picking any of these up anyway, this could be a great way to save an extra $25 when buying the PS Portal as well.
Best PS5 Video Game Deals
While the God of War deal works out at $30 for PS5 (after the $10 digital upgrade from PS4), it’s still $10 cheaper via this deal compared to any other retailer currently, and a massive $40 off the MSRP. In any case, you’re still securing the best possible price for God of War Ragnarok on PS5.
$20 games is a huge deal, with the only issue being that Walmart offers free delivery for baskets of $35 or more. But, we can assist there as well. If you sign up for a Walmart+ account with a 30-day free trial, you can get free fast delivery (alongside a slew of other benefits right now like three months of YouTube Premium for free). Otherwise, you can also check to see if your local store has stock, and pick it up from there instead.
Score a Spider-Man 2 PS5 Slim Bundle for $449 (20% Off MSRP)
This deal has been one of our favorites for quite a while (since last year’s Black Friday, actually!) and it’s been selling out at a variety of retailers. Thankfully, Walmart and Best Buy still have some stock, so if you’ve been hoping to grab one of these PS5 Slim bundles, now’s your chance to do so. Who knows how long it’ll stick around for, so act fast! Normally, it retails for $559.99, but it’s been marked down to $449 for a while now which is an excellent deal.
WD_BLACK PS5 4TB SSD for $303.64 at Amazon
Looking to completely maximize your PS5 storage capabilities? Then this is the deal for you. For a limited time only, this PS5 4TB SSD is available at Amazon for just $303.64 (see here). It has an MSRP of $699.99 which is rather dramatic, but in reality, this and many other 4TB SSDs have been sitting around $280-$300 recently.
Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. You can also check out the best PS5 2TB SSD deals here, or see more of our favorite deals below.
Best PS5 Headset Deals: 20% Off the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro & More Headset Deals
There’s no shortage of PS5-compatible headsets. If you’re constantly having to turn down the volume when you play, you might want to pick up one of these, then you can listen to your games as loud as you darn well please. And if you’d like to see even more options that are worth buying, check out our collection of thebest gaming headsets.
It doesn’t need to have a massive discount to be a good deal, so we thought it would be a great idea to pick out our absolute favorite PS5 and PlayStation offerings that would be relevant to buy no matter the time of year, or the sales going on. From the latest DualSense controllers, to the very best PS5 SSDs on the market, we’ve got it all right here.
Generally, the best time to buy a PS5 console is during major yearly shopping events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the various Amazon Prime Day sales. Although PlayStation consoles rarely go on sale, you can often scoop up limited-time bundles that include additional an additional game or two, and more.
How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles
If you’re looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.
Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.
While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you’ll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction, the latter of which poses its own risks.
With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Stand by for a missive from RPS corporate parent ReedPop. Transmission begins! Ah, it’s about gaming events. So, Reedpop’s EGX expo and MCM Comic Con are joining forces. They’ll both take place side-by-side in the ExCel London this year, on 25th-27th October.
EGX, of course, will feature a bunch of classic and upcoming games, while Comic Con is laser-targeted at our respected allies in the world of on-paper image-based storytelling with speech bubbles. EGX’s headline partner is TikTok this year, which makes this a perfect nexus of entertainment artforms. All we need is a puppetshow now and possibly a semaphore stand, and the ritual will be complete.
Buying new video games, hardware, and accessories for your preferred console doesn’t need to make a massive dent in your wallet. In fact, deals happen all the time for items like these, so you can save money while investing in your favorite hobby.
These sales even occur outside of events like Prime Day, Black Friday, or publisher events like Nintendo’s eShop sale in the summer or PlayStation’s Days of Play. And while we’ll always keep you up to date on those sales and what’s included in them, here, we’ll provide you with year-round deals that are worth taking advantage of. Whether you play on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC, you’ll find the very best deals listed below.
TL;DR – Our Favorite Video Game Deals
Meta Quest 2 (128GB) is Down to $199.99
Target is offering a very nice $50 discount at the moment on the 128GB Meta Quest 2. Normally, this VR headset retails for $249.99, but you can grab it for $199.99 right now, which is a great price for such a high-quality headset. We gave it a 9/10 in ourreview back when it was released, stating that it “improves an already amazing VR headset with better resolution, refresh rate, and a lower price tag.”
Score 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (New Members Only)
Walmart is now offering two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free for any current or new Walmart+ members. If you’re not currently a member of Walmart+, the retailer offers a 30-day free trial (which will make you eligible for the Game Pass offer), alongside plans for $12.95 paid monthly, or $98 paid annually.
For those interested in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer, it is worth qualifying that this code will only apply to those who currently don’t have an active Game Pass Ultimate membership, and Walmart stresses that this is for new members only. If you’re on Game Pass Core, it should be fine to apply to your account. Otherwise, if you’re a current Game Pass Ultimate member, the code won’t be applicable. If you do qualify, it’s a pretty simple process if you’re looking to bag the two-month free trial, here’s how:
Steps:
Visit the Walmart+ Offer Page and select ‘Get Offer’ next to the 2 free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate listing
On the ‘Offer Page’ you will see a unique promo code, copy this code and keep a record of it
Hit the ‘Redeem Offer’ button on the page to go to the Xbox Site
Sign in to Your Account
Your promo code will autofill — if it does not then paste/type
Redeem your offer and receive your 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Disable auto-renewal afterward to avoid being charged at the end of the trial — this can be located in ‘Services & Subscriptions’ in your Microsoft account. You should also do this for Walmart+ if you used a free trial to access the Game Pass offer
Score a Spider-Man 2 PS5 Slim Bundle for $449 (20% Off MSRP)
This deal has been one of our favorites for quite a while (since last year’s Black Friday, actually!) and it’s been selling out at a variety of retailers. Thankfully, Best Buy still has some in stock, so if you’ve been hoping to grab one of these PS5 Slim bundles, now’s your chance to do so. Who knows how long it’ll stick around for, so act fast! Normally, it retails for $559.99, but it’s been marked down to $449 for a while now which is an excellent deal.
Get $20 Off a Super Mario Party + Red & Blue Joy-Con Bundle at Walmart
Who doesn’t love a bundle? Right now, Walmart’s offering a nice deal on a Super Mario Party and Red & Blue Joy-Con bundle. It’s currently available for $79 (the price is shown after adding it to your cart), which is $20 off its MSRP of $99.99. Be ready for your next game night with a fantastic game and additional Joy-Con all ready to go.
Perfect for Steam Deck (and More): Get 31% Off the Anker Prime Power Bank & More Deals
When it comes to your favorite handheld devices, making sure you have enough battery power in them is very important. Thankfully, some excellent power banks are discounted at the moment that are perfectly portable and full of plenty of power to keep you going. In particular, the fantastic Anker 737 Power Bank is discounted at the moment to $109.99, saving you $40, and the Anker Prime Power Bank is down 31% to $124.99 for a limited time at Amazon! To see even more excellent power bank options, check out our picks below.
Perfect for Switch and Steam Deck: 512GB SD Card for $27.99
The best Switch SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, as it’s quite likely we’ll be getting a Switch successor / the next Nintendo console within the next year or so (if rumors are to be believed). Therefore, you’re going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That’s a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we’ve left our top suggestions and deals just below for your convenience. To see even more SD card deals, make sure to check out our roundup of the best SD card deals.
The Diablo IV Xbox Series X bundle is still holding on at Walmart, down $92 from its MSRP of $559.99 to $467.99. This has stood the test of time since last Black Friday as one of our favorite console bundles, and is well worth investing in before it’s all gone for good.
Alienware Aurora R15 RTX 4070 Gaming PC for $1399.99
Do you prefer to play on a dedicated tower? Navigating the options online can be a lengthy ordeal. Desk space (or lack of desk space), portability, and price point are often factors in the decision. Utility, function, and fun little extras like RGB capacities or sound-enhancing add-on devices to pair with your PC often make up the list of desired needs. However, there are some great PC deals that pop up every now and again that are worth jumping on before they disappear. One of our favorite deals at the moment is on this Alienware Aurora R15 RTX 4070 Gaming PC, which is down 39% to $1399.99. To see even more PC deals, check out our roundup of the best gaming PC deals.
WD_BLACK PS5 4TB SSD for $294.99 at Amazon
Looking to completely maximize your PS5 storage capabilities? Then this is the deal for you. For a limited time only, this PS5 4TB SSD is available at Amazon for just $294.99 (see here). It has an MSRP of $699.99 which is rather dramatic, but in reality, this and many other 4TB SSDs have been sitting around $280-$300 recently.
Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. You can also check out the best PS5 2TB SSD deals here, or see more of our favorite deals below.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Official Guide for $27 (Save $18)
With these, you’ll have a detailed overview of Hyrule, a helpful walkthrough to get you through the game, and much more. Not only that, but they have gorgeous covers as well, especially the Collector’s Edition. The Standard Edition has an MSRP of $29.99 but is on sale for $18.74, and the Collector’s Edition normally runs for $44.99, but you can get it for $26.85. Plus, if you want to complete the set, the Breath of the Wild guidebook is also down to just $22.49 right now as well.
With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.
Sometimes, I hear critics describe something as ‘actively hostile’ to the act of playing it, but with something close to admiration in their voices. I’ve always felt that I, too, would like to one day find an artwork that I could describe in the same way. Partly because it sounds like an interesting experience, but mainly so I could steal that line and feel like one of those elite, urbanely perceptive, multiple trouser-owning critics.
Well, today is not that day, because indie horrorIRIS isn’t, in fact, actively hostile towards the act of playing it. It’s more a case of passive disdain. Is it a ‘good’ game? Probably not. Ah, but is it enjoyable? Buddy, not even slightly. But it is intriguing. I am intrigued, reader.
Sometimes, a video game surprises you by doing something you don’t expect: A plot twist, a novel game mechanic, or an idea you don’t really see anywhere else. And sometimes, a game is precisely what it says it is on the tin: What you see is what you get, for better and for worse. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is the latter. An enhanced port of the 2017 arcade game from developer Raw Thrills, Wrath of the Mutants is a very good beat ‘em up that is beaten down by a lack of content and features. It’s a tasty slice of New York pizza if you like beat ‘em ups, but only a single piece; you’ll probably be hungry again an hour later.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Wrath of the Mutants’ visual style, story, and character designs are ripped straight from the 2012 Nickelodeon TV series. That’s a neat, stylistically distinct period in Turtles history, but its biggest inspiration is actually the 1991 arcade classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. If you’ve ever played Turtles in Time, you should be able to jump right into Wrath of the Mutants because, on a gameplay level, they’re basically the same. You’ve got a standard attack which can double as a throw when you’re right next to enemies, a jump, a jumping attack, a dive kick, and a spin attack you perform by pressing jump and attack at the same time. The only difference I can point to is that spin attacks don’t cost health in Wrath of the Mutants, which is a welcome change since you’ll need to use it often to stay alive.
Turtles in Time remains one of the best beat ‘em ups ever made to this day, so copying its systems isn’t a bad thing, but it does make Wrath of the Mutants feel a little basic when you compare it to modern beat ‘em ups like Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Those used the template of games like Turtles in Time as a base to build action with more complexity, more depth, and more systems that both reward mastery and encourage replayability. That’s not to disparage Turtles in Time or say it doesn’t hold up, because it does, but it also doesn’t feel as fresh when compared to beat ‘em ups designed for current consoles, a feeling that carries over to Wrath of the Mutants.
Considering Wrath of the Mutants is a seven-year-old arcade game that predates either of those modern takes, that’s not particularly surprising. Besides, it was designed to be easy to pick up and play and suck up as many of your quarters as possible without making you hate it, so it’s probably unfair to expect it to add a lot of nuance to the genre. But if you’re being introduced to it for the first time in 2024, as this console and PC port is intended to do for a lot of people, it does feel a lot simpler than what you might be used to. Simplicity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re looking for more, know it’s not hiding somewhere here.
Special Turtle Powers do a good job showcasing their personalities.
The Turtles’ kits are essentially the same as they’ve always been, but there are a few things to liven up the moment-to-moment brawling. The first is your Turtle Power, a powerful special attack unique to each character. Once you fill up your meter by whacking enemies with your basic katana, nunchuck, sai, or bo staff attacks, you can unleash your Turtle Power to utterly demolish regular enemies or deal big damage to bosses. You’re even fully invincible the entire time you’re letting loose, which is cool.
More importantly, these moves help establish the Turtles’ personalities. Michelangelo uses his nunchucks to carve up a pizza from midair while yelling, “We got pizza! We got pizza!” I couldn’t tell you why the slices explode when they hit enemies, and it’s probably better not to think about it too hard, but it’s an extremely Mikey thing to do and my co-op partner and I laughed every time one of us did it. Meanwhile Raphael (the angriest turtle in the history of the known universe) just punches the ground really hard a bunch of times, Leonardo spins around so fast he makes a tornado that sucks up his enemies, and Donatello turns into Raiden from Mortal Kombat and summons an electrical storm from his staff that zaps everyone around him. It’s good, goofy stuff.
And then you’ve got your item pick-ups. There are standard pick-ups like things that’ll fill your Turtle Power meter and entire boxes of pizza that will refill your health. But there are also shurikens that take out enemies in a single throw, a power-up that lets you spin around on your shell to dish out the hurt, and the ice cream kitty: an unholy terror who emerges from her cooler and zooms around like the Killer Rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. All glory to the ice cream kitty!
The best power-ups, though, are the assist characters: Metalhead and Leatherhead, a turtle robot and the world’s most traumatized mutant alligator, respectively. Metalhead launches missiles and Leatherhead deathrolls absolutely everything in sight – and both clear the screen, even if enemies in an area haven’t fully appeared when you summon them. That’s one of those nice quality-of-life things you don’t notice until it’s not there.
You’ll need all these tools because, like the beat ‘em ups of old, there is no dodge or block button (you’ll have to jump or walk out of the way manually), and Wrath of the Mutants throws a ton of enemies at you at once. There’s a lot of variety here: regular Foot Clan ninjas, ninjas with spears, ninjas with lightning guns, mousers, Krang robots with laser guns, Legally Distinct Xenomorphs, the works. You have to approach each of them in different ways, too, so you’re always on your toes.
Boss fights are less interesting as a lot of them are too mechanically similar.
Managing your Turtle Power meter, health, and items in the environment adds a little bit of depth and rewards you for making smart choices about when to use what, which keeps moment-to-moment decision-making fun. When you use Turtle Power at the wrong time, you’ll feel it, but its presence opens up interesting questions. Do you spend that Turtle Power now so you can start building it up again faster, or save it for a big fight to get the most out of it? Do you grab that pizza now, when your health is relatively low and there’s a lull in the fighting, or do you try to clutch this fight out and save it for you or a friend, just in case? Good beat ‘em ups force you to manage your resources and make split-second choices, and Wrath of the Mutants has that part down.
The boss fights, sadly, are less interesting as a lot of them are too mechanically similar. For example, they all have an area-of-effect attack you have to jump over, which is cool the first few times, but once you realize every boss has it, it’s just kinda there. However, a few bosses shine thanks to unique mechanics – Rocksteady’s flamethrower, Karai’s teleport, Stockman’s ability to fly and drop green goo on you, and so on. It becomes a good challenge to time your Turtle Power right and avoid their scariest stuff by being invulnerable when it happens, but not all of them have these twists, and I wish more of them stood out.
By far the coolest thing about Wrath of the Mutants is how much stuff has been added for this home release. It’s basically double the size of the original arcade game, adding three new levels and six new bosses, including a new final boss. The original voice cast from the TV show also returns, and everyone gives a good performance. The highlights are probably the late Gilbert Gottfried as Kraang Subprime – a casting as absolutely incredible as it sounds – and Kevin Michael Richardson as Shredder, mostly because his voice sounds like it was forged in the fire of a dying star. Don’t get me wrong, though: everyone here is good, and had I not known new lines or characters were added, I would have never been able to tell the difference.
The same goes for the new levels, and I love all three because each one adds something fun. The Amusement Park has you dodging rollercoasters and cardboard monsters popping up in the foreground and background as you explore a haunted house. Enemies literally teleport into the Dimension X stage, and there’s a big eyeball trying to blast you with lightning. And Shredder’s Lair is, well… where you fight the Shredder, and without spoiling things, it’s pretty cool. Not all of the new bosses are as big of a slam dunk, but several – like Karai, Rahzar, and Tiger Claw – are at least memorable. And even the ones that aren’t are funny.
Unfortunately, Wrath of the Mutants isn’t long, even by the standards of the short-but-sweet beat ’em up genre.
Unfortunately, even with all of that new content, Wrath of the Mutants isn’t long, even by the standards of the short-but-sweet beat ’em up genre. You can finish the whole story campaign in about an hour (roughly the same as Turtles in Time, but half of Shredder’s Revenge), and it’s not particularly difficult on the standard difficulty, though Hard mode might take you a couple tries if you just try to mash your way through. Part of the reason for this is that you can effectively use the two continues per stage (which are split across everyone if you’re playing co-op) and three lives per continue to brute-force your way to the end, but on Hard, you only get two lives per continue. It a small change that makes things harder without feeling unfair and forces you to learn how to avoid damage and memorize the locations of key power-ups and health items. For my money, it’s the best way to play.
Once you’ve beaten Hard, however, there’s not a lot of incentive to keep playing besides high scores because there are no other modes and nothing else to conquer. Bafflingly, you can’t even enter your name on the high score screen; Wrath of the Mutants just records the character, so if you play it with friends and you’re switching Turtles it can be hard to know who got what score on a level.
Wrath of the Mutants’ biggest deficiency is probably its most disappointing: there is no online co-op. There is a local co-op mode for up to four players, and it’s excellent, but that means you’re limited to playing it with people in your house/apartment/condo/RV/sewer-beneath-New-York-City, or via Steam’s Remote Play workaround. This is a game I’d love to play with friends who live across the US and internationally, and it’s lousy that there’s no easy way to do it unless they’re sitting on the couch with me. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a couch co-op evangelist, especially for beat ‘em ups, but it would be nice to have the option to play with friends even if we can’t all be in the same room.
I also ran into a level-breaking bug on Shredder’s Lair that only appeared in co-op where enemies wouldn’t spawn, but we couldn’t progress. We tried restarting the level, but hit the issue again. The only way out was to use the Leatherhead power-up, which made all the enemies on the map visible. Remember how I was talking about quality-of-life things? Once he’d killed them we could proceed, but since we’d already summoned him on the previous attempt, there was no way forward. This isn’t a huge deal because the levels are fairly short and we only spent a few minutes getting back to where we were, but it’s worth mentioning.
All of that said, I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t enjoy Wrath of the Mutants. It’s a solid beat ’em up played solo or in co-op, it captures the look and feel of the TV show admirably, and it’s genuinely funny, whether it’s Donnie lamenting that the health items you come across are “floor pizza” or Krang’s robots yelling things like, “Prepare for undesirable outcome!” Ninja Turtles is as much a comedy as it is anything else, and you have to nail that to really get what makes this weird universe tick. And yes, Shredder says the line. You know which one.
Were we to pluck up a passing stoat, or wandering pigeon, and inspect their entrails for omens as regards the quality of mythical roguelike Hades 2, we would find ourselves covered in blood and perhaps a little wiser. But I have been given strict editorial directions not to kill any more small creatures for gambling purposes. So let us instead use the semi-public “technical test” as a portentous looking glass from which to discern whether this hell-hopping sequel seems promising. Fine by me, the approach is no less stabby.
Can you ever truly have too much of a good thing? If you’re a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, this question must have sprung to mind at least once in recent years. Because in truth, the good things have been coming thick and fast.
2022 brought arguably the series’ best beat ’em up ever in Shredder’s Revenge and gave us a trip down memory lane with Konami’s excellent Cowabunga Collection. Then last year saw things were taken in a brave new direction on the big screen with Mutant Mayhem, the Dimension Shellshock DLC brought roguelike action to Shredder’s Revenge, and we got confirmation that a Last Ronin game was in development at THQ Nordic (albeit not for Switch). In short, the phrase “I love being a Turtle” had never rung truer.
Xbox and Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ’97” have united to bring fans an extraordinary collaboration – the “X-Men ’97” Xbox Series X, wrapped in an exclusive comic by Marvel’s Rich Douek and Paco Diaz.
Immerse yourself further with Xbox Design Lab’s X-Men character controllers. Each inspired by your favorites, they come in nostalgic blister packs.
Enter our limited-time sweepstakes for a chance to win this ultimate collector’s bundle! Don’t miss your shot at this iconic piece of mutant history.
Calling all Xbox and X-Men enthusiasts! We’re ecstatic to announce an incredible collaboration between Xbox and Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ’97,” now streaming on Disney+. Prepare to immerse yourself in the world of mutants like never before.
Xbox and “X-Men ’97” have come together to bring you a very special Xbox Series X wrapped in a limited-edition comic inspired by the all-new series and created by Marvel writer Rich Douek and artist Paco Diaz. This thrilling 2-page story with full page cover is exclusive to the Xbox Series X, and features Cyclops leading the X-Men in a battle against Sentinels and Master Mold, with an Xbox Series X console making a special appearance in the Danger Room.
Marking the first time an Xbox Series X has been wrapped by a comic book, this collaboration promises to immerse fans in a nostalgic journey through the world of the “X-Men ’97.”
In addition, Xbox Design Lab created a set of controllers inspired by you the colorways of your favorite X-Men characters from the show: Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Morph, Magneto, Jubilee, Gambit, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, and Bishop. Each character comes to life through unique controller designs, and comes in a 90’s inspired blister pack that makes for the ultimate collector item.
Fans eager to get their hands on the “X-Men ’97”-inspired Xbox Series X and one of the Xbox Design Lab character controllers will have the opportunity to enter the sweepstakes hosted on Xbox Twitter.
By following Xbox on X (formerly Twitter) and retweeting the official Xbox sweepstakes tweet ( #XMen97XboxSweepstakes) during the Entry Period, fans can secure their chance to win a Xbox Series X Console inspired by X-Men ’97, Xbox Wireless Controller (this comes with the console but will not be customized), and a Xbox Design Lab Controller inspired by X-Men ’97 Wolverine . The sweepstakes will run exclusively from Monday, April 22, 6:00am PST through Sunday, May 19, 8:00pm PST, offering participants ample time to join in on the excitement.
Get ready to unleash your mutant powers with this Xbox and “X-Men ‘97” team-up and don’t forget to catch the latest episodes of “X-Men ’97” on Disney+, available on your Xbox!
About Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ‘97”
Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ’97” revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
The all-new series features 10 episodes. The voice cast includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Beau DeMayo served as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi-Emmett Yonemura, and the series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo. Featuring music by the Newton Brothers, Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ’97” is now streaming on Disney+
