It’s hard to review a game when it has something that doesn’t bother some players but is considered a dealbreaker for others. Disney Speedstorm is a particularly tricky course to navigate, then, because it has two of them.
Let’s get this out of the way first, then, so as to not waste some people’s time. If you’re the sort of person who won’t accept a karting game if it doesn’t run at 60fps, you should probably move on at this point, because you will not be happy with what you find here.
Sports gamers took to the polls in April for IGN’s Ultimate Sports Video Games Showdown Contest (presented by the U.S. Army) and after 624,620 votes, Mario Kart 8 has been crowned as the #1 sports game title from a competitive field of 32! When Nintendo’s powerhouse racer was released in 2014, it was lauded for its twisting U-turns, blistering sense of speed, and thrilling antigravity transformations — not to mention its robust tournament and online features. A total package that led to Mario Kart 8 not just winning our tournament, but lapping the competition.
In Round 1, Mario Kart 8 was up against the Wii’s innovative, launch-day phenom, Wii Sports, which lured casual gamers with its wand-waving tennis, bowling, golf and more. Mario Kart won by 68% of the vote to advance to the next round.
In the Sweet 16, Mario Kart 8 faced off against Rocket League, the wonderfully absurd, hyper-powered, cars meet-soccer competition. And while over five billion Rocket League matches have been played online, Mario Kart 8 made a statement by getting 77% of the vote (at the time, the highest margin of victory of any of the matchups).
In the Elite 8, Mark Kart 8 took on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, Neversoft’s wildly addictive skateboarder that topped the original by allowing users to create their own skater (not to mention the skate-park creator). But Tony Hawk was no match for Mario Kart 8, which cruised into the Final 4 with a no-doubt victory, winning 73% of the vote.
In the Final 4, it was racer-vs.-racer as Mario Kart 8 took on Forza Horizon 5, an adrenaline junky’s dream set in Mexico and wowed gamers by opening with cars being dropped out of an airplane!!! But it was no match for Nintendo’s juggernaut as Mario Kart drove away the winner, earning 65% of the vote.
In the Championship, it was Mario-against-Mario, as Mario Kart 8 took on Mario Golf World Tour, an accessible, joy-making golfer that sent players to the links with loads of power-ups to get you close to the pin. But in the end, Mario Kart dismantled its brethren, winning it all by a stunning 94.9% of the fan vote, making them not only a decisive winner, but clearly the best sports video game of all-yime.
Congratulations to Mario Kart 8, which amassed 79,159 votes across the competition, and 16,216 votes in the final round to decide the champion.
And further congratulations go out to the winner of our Bracket Building Contest! They’ll take home a prize package valued at over $2,000, which includes an Xbox Series X, a PS5, 32 sports genre game titles and a one-of-a-kind IGN champion’s jersey!
Finally, congrats to the contest’s 10 runners-up, who will each receive a $100 gift card to the digital video game store of their choice.
Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is out now. If you owned the original ten years ago, then you already own this remaster of the wonderfully sticky puzzle roguelike. If not, you’ll find it on Steam for £14.23/$17.
Sports gamers took to the polls in April for IGN’s Ultimate Sports Gaming Showdown Contest (presented by the U.S. Army) and after 624,620 votes, Mario Kart 8 has been crowned as the #1 sports game title from a competitive field of 32! When Nintendo’s powerhouse racer was released in 2014, it was lauded for its twisting U-turns, blistering sense of speed, and thrilling antigravity transformations — not to mention its robust tournament and online features. A total package that led to Mario Kart 8 not just winning our tournament, but lapping the competition.
In Round 1, Mario Kart 8 was up against the Wii’s innovative, launch-day phenom, Wii Sports, which lured casual gamers with its wand-waving tennis, bowling, golf and more. Mario Kart won by 68% of the vote to advance to the next round.
In the Sweet 16, Mario Kart 8 faced off against Rocket League, the wonderfully absurd, hyper-powered, cars meet-soccer competition. And while over five billion Rocket League matches have been played online, Mario Kart 8 made a statement by getting 77% of the vote (at the time, the highest margin of victory of any of the matchups).
In the Elite 8, Mark Kart 8 took on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, Neversoft’s wildly addictive skateboarder that topped the original by allowing users to create their own skater (not to mention the skate-park creator). But Tony Hawk was no match for Mario Kart 8, which cruised into the Final 4 with a no-doubt victory, winning 73% of the vote.
In the Final 4, it was racer-vs.-racer as Mario Kart 8 took on Forza Horizon 5, an adrenaline junky’s dream set in Mexico and wowed gamers by opening with cars being dropped out of an airplane!!! But it was no match for Nintendo’s juggernaut as Mario Kart drove away the winner, earning 65% of the vote.
In the Championship, it was Mario-against-Mario, as Mario Kart 8 took on Mario Golf World Tour, an accessible, joy-making golfer that sent players to the links with loads of power-ups to get you close to the pin. But in the end, Mario Kart dismantled its brethren, winning it all by a stunning 94.9% of the fan vote, making them not only a decisive winner, but clearly the Best Sports Video Game of All-Time.
Congratulations to Mario Kart 8 which amassed 79,159 votes across the competition, and 16,216 votes in the final round to decide the champion.
And further congratulations go out to the winner of our Bracket Building Contest! They’ll take home a prize package valued at over $2,000, which includes an Xbox Series X, a PS5, 32 sports genre game titles and a one-of-a-kind IGN champion’s jersey!
And finally, congrats to the contest’s 10 runners-up, who will each receive a $100 gift card to the digital video game store of their choice.
The Sims 4‘s next two Kits represent two very different parts of the home. The Greenhouse Haven kit is all about giving you new options for how you design your garden, while the Basement Treasures kit lets you cram your subterranean hovel with “lived-in furniture and sentimental decor.” Both will launch on April 20th.
When Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma revealed what would become The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2014, he said the new Zelda game would be all about “revisiting the conventions of the Zelda series.” Breath of the Wild absolutely delivered on Aonuma’s promise — from a gameplay perspective, at least.
The 2017 game’s story, on the other hand, stuck very close to the rest of Zelda history: Ganon returns, and Link and Zelda must combine their powers to seal the ancient evil away… Again. But with Tears of the Kingdom on the horizon, some fans think the Breath of the Wild sequel could shake up the long-standing power struggle between the Triforce’s three main wielders.
Potential Spoiler Warning: This story goes deep into theories about what could end up happening in Tears of the Kingdom. If you don’t want to know anything ahead of the game’s release, turn away now!
Some Zelda fans on Reddit are convinced that Ganondorf could end up being the hero of Tears of the Kingdom’s story. This theory has been floating around in many fan’s heads (including my own) since some of the earliest trailers for Tears of the Kingdom, but Ganondorf’s proper reveal in the latest story trailer has the speculation picking up even more steam.
To properly explain the theory, we’ve got to go back to a key moment in Breath of the Wild. Early on in the game, Impa shares a legend with Link from the first Great Calamity that took place 10,000 years ago. There’s an image of a hero wielding the Master Sword and a Princess or Goddess figure fighting Calamity Ganon. The hero has red hair and has a green body/outfit, both of which line up with new official Ganondorf art.
Initially, fans drew comparisons to the hero’s tattered green outfit in the mural to Link’s torn green tunic from early Tears of the Kingdom trailers. This started the speculation that Tears of the Kingdom would take place across two distinct time periods: Present day following the events of Breath of the Wild, and 10,000 years ago during the events of the first Great Calamity.
But Ganondorf’s proper reveal has some fans thinking the traditional Zelda villain could actually be the true hero from the events that happened 10,000 years ago. MultipleRedditposts are theorizing that Ganondorf could be the one wielding the Master Sword in the mural, taking matters into his own hands to put an end to the Zelda series’ endless cycle of reincarnation.
As Reddit user Must_Go_faster_84 put it, “What if this mural is depicting a non-evil Ganondorf from 10,000 years ago? He was the hero (aka the ‘Link’ of that time period) that helped Zelda defeat Calamity Ganon (which is really an incarnation of Demise). His resurrection in TOTK is Demise basically possessing the corpse of a dead hero.”
Much of this theory also draws upon the events laid out in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The 2011 Wii game takes place at the very beginning of the Zelda timeline, explaining the origins of the endless cycle of rebirth that sees Ganondorf constantly returning to fight Link and Zelda’s ancestors.
Skyward Sword explains that it’s actually Demise — the final boss of the game — that sets these events in motion. Many fans think they spotted Demise in the latest Tears of the Kingdom trailer, when a mysterious figure with flowing red hair is staring directly into the blood moon. It’s also possible this figure is just mid-transformation Ganondorf regaining his human form, but the similarities to Demise are noticeable.
And then there’s this mysterious woman who appeared in the trailer. While our initial gut reaction had us hoping this could be the Hylian Goddess Din, fan speculation has taken things in a different direction. Many believe this is the Goddess or Princess character depicted in Breath of the Wild’s mural, and others think it could be the Goddess Hylia herself, who originally created Skyloft and sealed Demise away in the events preceding Skyward Sword.
Content creator Austin John Plays was one of the first to jump on this theory, and it’s gained a lot of popularity in the last few days. Tears of the Kingdom already has very obvious similarities to Skyward Sword, given that chunks of Hyrule are rising from the ground into the clouds above.
There are a lot of fans who aren’t buying into this theory, with Reddit user thepurplecubby writing, “I see post after post after post saying that Ganondorf had to be the ancient hero because red hair. Like literally that’s the only reason. It was absolutely an artistic choice I won’t argue that. But…it throws out all existing lore and mythos that’s been well established. It was even said in the tapestry scene that the warrior used the sword that sealed the darkness and he carried the spirit of the hero. Two things Ganondorf can not and will not have.” Another Reddit post claims that the hero featured in the mural is Link, and nothing more.
It certainly seems like Tears of the Kingdom is set to deal with the Zelda series’ ongoing story of Ganondorf’s reincarnation. The game’s logo itself depicts an ouroboros, which is a dragon eating its own tail. The ouroboros represents the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth. Maybe Tears of the Kingdom will finally end the Zelda series’ story as we know it, allowing Nintendo to set off in a fresh, new direction for the franchise’s plot in whatever comes next.
Will Ganondorf take on Demise itself, freeing himself from this endless cycle of reincarnation and violence? Or, could Tears of the Kingdom actually link back to Skyward Sword, rendering the entire Zelda timeline into an endless loop? Fans only have a few weeks left to speculate before Tears of the Kingdom launches on May 12.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over seven years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
Limited Run Games has today announced that it is re-releasing the much sought-after Sunsoft platformer, Trip World, in an all-new colourised form: Trip World DX. The game will be released physically on Switch, Game Boy and Game Boy Color, with pre-orders opening on 28th April.
Originally released in Japan in 1992 and Europe in 1993 (before coming to the regions’ 3DS Virtual Console in 2011 and 2012 respectively), Trip World never received an official US release and original copies of the game have been hard to come by ever since. In this new remaster, Limited Run Games has worked with original developers Sunsoft to give the title its first worldwide release, adding in new features such as complete colour gameplay, remastered audio, original design documents, video interviews and more.
Uncover the story of Sylas, the Unshackled in a brand new tale set in the League of Legends universe
Learn how the partnership between developer Digital Sun and Riot Forge Games brought this adventure to life
Jump into The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story today, on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One
Experience the magic of The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story today, out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is a 2D pixel action RPG developed by Digital Sun, an indie studio best known for their monster-stomping RPG, Moonlighter. Riot Forge and Digital Sun joined forces to bring the revolutionary story of Sylas, the Unshackled, to life.
Sylas was just a boy when his ability to sense magic was discovered by the Demacian Mageseekers. The Mageseekers, looking to unearth and control dangerous hidden sorcery in the kingdom, quickly recruited young Sylas into their ranks. During his time with the Mageseekers, Sylas realized that magical abilities were far more prevalent than previously thought. Beginning to doubt the righteousness of his actions, he committed an act of rebellion to save the life of a fellow mage, only for it to end in disaster.
As a result, Sylas was sentenced to life in prison. Shackled in the darkest depths of the Mageseeker compound, Sylas’s desire for vengeance began to take root. Join Sylas on his journey for retribution as he breaks free from his shackles to bring Demacia to its reckoning.
In this 2D action RPG, combine both melee and magic to take down hordes of enemies as you grow your rebellion. Use your fists to bash down foes, or steal and throw their own magic back at them. Join forces with fellow mages to strengthen your forces and grow your base. The revolution has begun.
Riot Forge partners with talented developers from across the globe to craft awesome experiences in the League of Legends Universe. Digital Sun’s extraordinary ability to bring stories to life in a beautiful 2D pixel style made them an obvious choice for bringing to life the League of Legends universe and the champions within.
Check out the interview below with Javi Giménez, CEO and Co-Founder of developer Digital Sun, and Rowan Parker, Creative Director at Riot Forge to learn more about how this partnership came together.
What was it like being asked to take on a League of Legends game as an indie studio?
Giménez: It was very exciting. We are huge League fans at the studio so it felt like a great opportunity to add a little bit of ourselves to the world of Runeterra. And get to build a game with characters we love. Now that it’s almost finished, we can confirm that it’s been a blast to build the game!
What were some of the greatest challenges in recreating the world of League of Legends?
Giménez: We wanted to make sure that we got right the very popular League champs that appear in the game in terms of visuals, narrative and mechanics. That last one, mechanics, was very fun to do – translating what Jarvan or Garen, or even Sylas himself can do on the MOBA to an ARPG was very fun to do, but challenging to get right. We hope players will like it!
Why did you choose to partner with Digital Sun?
Parker: Honestly, we loved Digital Sun’s previous game Moonlighter! Their charming pixel art style drew us in, and we stayed for the action gameplay. While playing, it was exciting to think through ways they might experiment with the League of Legends characters, so we reached out to see if they’d be open to the possibility. Obviously it worked out, because here we are!
What did you enjoy about the collaboration with Digital Sun?
Parker: The team over at Digital Sun are real League of Legends fans. The core team had been playing for years long before we’d even met each other. They know these champions, have their own personal history with them from thousands of games, and bring that with them to The Mageseeker. I think it really shows that a group of fans have made this game, with the easter eggs they’ve hidden in there, their passion for the champions and the world of Runeterra. It made the collaboration with Forge really effortless.
What excites you most about seeing League of Legends champions in Riot Forge games?
Parker: Riot Forge games give us an opportunity to get up close and personal with our champions in a way that isn’t possible in our bigger live service games. We can create these character vignettes that explore the motivations and nuance of our champions as we’re storytelling. Players can also immerse themselves in the world of Runeterra, touching and interacting with our factions like only a video game can allow. We really enjoy these chances to showcase the true power level of our champions, while telling compelling stories at the same time.
Unshackle the magic in The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story, available today on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Pre-Order the Standard Edition to receive a Lost Silverwing for your Hideout.
Developed by Digital Sun, creators of Moonlighter, The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story™ is an action RPG that takes place in the League of Legends universe. In the kingdom of Demacia, the Mageseekers hold the power to oppress magic-using citizens in the name of public order–by inducting and indoctrinating them, locking them away, or driving them into hiding.
Play as Sylas, a spell-stealing mage who has just broken free of his unjust captivity at the Mageseekers’ hands. Wielding the chains that once bound you, you must liberate your homeland from tyranny, one Mageseeker at a time.
It’s time to unshackle the magic.
Command the Magic
Magic is everywhere, including on the battlefield. From searing flames to deadly ice, master a variety of spells and customize your unique play style. Brandish your chains and use your enemies’ magic against them, or bash them with your fists–the choice is yours.
Raise a Rebellion
Demacia is ripe for a revolution, but can you rise to the challenge of leading it? It’s up to you to find mages across the land and recruit them to your cause. Harness the power of your growing army to upgrade your base and unlock unique abilities.
Forge Your Legacy
You see the Mageseekers for the criminals they are, but not everyone is ready for the truth. Battle formidable foes and align with unforgettable allies, both new and old. Only you can uncover the buried secrets of Demacia’s past, and use them to change the course of its future.
It’s been a very long time coming, but Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp is finally coming out. It’s set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on April 21, which just so happens to be this Friday. Re-Boot Camp is a collection of from-the-ground-up remakes of the 2001 Game Boy Advance game Advance Wars and its 2003 sequel Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising. It’s available for preorder now (see it at Amazon), so read on to see where to get it, how much it costs, and more.
Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp is only available in a standard edition. If that changes down the line, we’ll add the information here.
What Is Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp?
For years (and years, and years) strategy game fans had been pining for a new Advance Wars. But it seemed Nintendo had left the franchise behind in favor of its other turn-based strategy game series, the fantasy-flavored Fire Emblem. And while this isn’t a new entry per se, it’s good to see new life breathed into the modern military series Advance Wars.
This game contains full remakes of the first two Advance Wars games, which originally appeared on GBA in the early 2000s, before the series graduated to the Nintendo DS. In them, you’re in command of the Orange Star Army, which means you’re responsible for telling your land, sea, and air-based troops where to go and which enemies to engage. The idea is to win battles using your wits and strategy. You can play through the two campaigns, or you can go up against friends in Versus Mode.
Re-Boot Camp was originally announced with an April 2022 release date, but the war in Ukraine caused Nintendo to delay its release. (The enemy army bears some cartoonish resemblance to Russia). So after a year’s delay, it’s finally slated to release April 21, 2023.
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Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.
Just four months into 2023, and well, it’s been a bit of a banger year for games so far, hasn’t it? So Nintendo has been a little bit quiet in the run-up to a certain Zelda game launching in May, but in terms of indie titles and smaller games, we’ve barely been able to keep up.
So, it’s about that time of the year when we ask for your help, lovely readers. The last time we reached out for suggestions was in October 2022, and we had so many outstanding-looking suggestions that we expanded our selection to 24 hidden gems that slipped through the cracks. But another six months have gone by, and it’s time to stuff ourselves silly with titles that you think deserve some extra love.
