Category: IGN

Auto Added by WPeMatico

Every Mario Game on Nintendo Switch in 2025

As one of Nintendo’s most iconic characters, Mario is everywhere on the Switch. The plumber has had multiple releases every year since the system first came out with no signs of stopping, even as we head further into the Switch 2 era. Some of the best Mario games ever have launched on the Switch, like Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

From 3D platformers to the newest versions of Mario Kart, here’s every Mario game available on the Switch and Switch 2, as well as upcoming Mario games set to launch on the new system.

How Many Mario Games Are There on Nintendo Switch?

A total of 21 Mario games have been released for Nintendo Switch. This spans from the launch of the system in March 2017 to the present day. Below, we’ve compiled each of the original Mario titles available on Switch. Keep in mind that this list won’t include games that are a part of Nintendo Switch Online.

All Mario Switch Games in Order of Release Date

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)

The first Mario game on Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, brought together all Mario Kart 8 had to offer on Wii U in one package. The game has gone on to receive a handful of new characters and 48 new tracks through the Booster Course Pass DLC. It is the best-selling title on the Nintendo Switch, partially thanks to a Black Friday bundle that has been discontinued.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (2017)

A unique partnership between Ubisoft and Nintendo, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle brought together the worlds of Super Mario and the Rabbids. A turn-based strategy system was implemented to allow you to control Mario and friends around each map to take down enemy Rabbids.

Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

Super Mario Odyssey is a revolutionary release that reinvented and transformed the 3D Mario formula forever. You travel with Mario across all sorts of kingdoms to stop Bowser’s plans to hold a wedding with Princess Peach. The big new feature of Super Mario Odyssey is the addition of Cappy, Mario’s trusty cap. With Cappy, you can capture and transform into all sorts of enemies, allowing for a wide variety of gameplay. It’s arguably the best Super Mario game to ever be released.

Mario Tennis Aces (2018)

Mario Tennis Aces was the first Mario sports title to release for Switch. The game had a large focus on its Adventure Mode, which was the first story mode in a Mario Tennis title since the Game Boy Advance’s Mario Tennis: Power Tour. Content was released frequently after launch, with a total of 30 unique characters available to choose from.

Super Mario Party (2018)

The first Mario Party title for Nintendo Switch is Super Mario Party, which was coined as a refresh of the beloved series. Contrary to Mario Party 10, this game brought back to turn-based boards for the first time since Mario Party 9. Over 80 minigames are available with a handful of modes to play with friends.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (2019)

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe hit Switch in early 2019. This package combines New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U into one bundle. Between the two games, there are a ton of levels available for you to play through. Additionally, new playable characters Toadette and Nabbit were added to this Deluxe package.

Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)

The exciting follow up to the hit Wii U title, Super Mario Maker 2 implemented new tools like slopes, on/off blocks, seesaws, vertical areas, water levels, and more. Additionally, a style based on Super Mario 3D World is available to create courses with, allowing for items like the Cat Powerup and Clear Pipes to be used. A Master Sword powerup was even added, which transforms you into Link.

Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (2019)

A staple series with each year of the Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 released for Switch in November 2019. A story mode featuring Mario, Sonic, Bowser, and Dr. Eggman is available, in addition to online play with events. A total of 32 different characters are available to choose from. It’s one of the many Switch Sonic games worth adding to your collection.

Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020)

The main Paper Mario release for Nintendo Switch was released in July 2020. Paper Mario: The Origami King features a unique puzzle battle system that involves rotating rings to line up enemies. Like previous Paper Mario titles, The Origami King was developed by Intelligent Systems.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)

A collection of three 3D Mario titles, Super Mario 3D All-Stars was a limited release that celebrated the 35th Anniversary. It bundles together Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy into one package. Both Sunshine and Galaxy received substantial resolution upgrades with this collection’s release.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (2020)

You might have forgotten about this game, but Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit hit Nintendo Switch in 2020. The game utilizes AR technology to allow you to create Mario Kart tracks in real life with RC cars. The game combines the environment around you with the world of Mario Kart, featuring coins, powerups, and other racers to go up against.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (2021)

The Wii U’s 3D Mario title made its way to the Switch in 2021, with an enhanced version of Super Mario 3D World. A new mode, Bowser’s Fury, was added as a part of the package. Bowser’s Fury brought a brand-new take on the 3D Mario formula, opting for one large, open sandbox environment.

Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021)

Developed by Camelot, Mario Golf: Super Rush released in June 2021. A story mode is featured, where you level up your Mii character across different courses. Multiple new modes were introduced with Super Rush, like Speed Golf where you run across the course to hit the ball into the hole as fast as you can. It’s one of the best golf games on the Switch.

Mario Party Superstars (2021)

Mario Party Superstars is a classic take on the Mario Party formula, bringing back older boards from the Nintendo 64 titles. One hundred minigames were featured in this release, with returning favorites from prior games. Additionally, Nintendo and NDcube finally opened up online play for all modes.

Mario Strikers: Battle League (2022)

The first Mario Strikers game in more than 15 years, Mario Strikers: Battle League was developed by Next Level Games and released in June 2022. Plenty of new characters and abilities were made, with eight-player multiplayer added as well. The highlight of Battle League is the Strikers Club, which allows you to create clubs with up to 20 other players and take on competing clubs.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (2022)

The sequel to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope completely revitalizes the combat system. The game opts for an open approach to combat rather than the Grid system found in Kingdom Battle. New characters like Rosalina and Edge join the battle in an action-packed adventure that spans the cosmos.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023)

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the latest 2D Mario game in the Super Mario Bros. series. It introduced the Wonder Flower, a unique mechanic that allows everything you know about a Mario level to flip on its head and surprise you. A total of 12 characters are playable through more than 100 unique levels.

Super Mario RPG (2023)

Released in late 2023, Super Mario RPG, is a remake of the classic SNES title of the same name. The wacky and colorful title recreates each of the unique characters, environments, and battles with exquisite detail. Even composer Yoko Shimomura returned to recreate the magical original soundtrack with modern orchestration! If you are looking for a good game like Paper Mario, this is basically the original Paper Mario.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2024)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of the 2004 GBA game of the same name. It’s a puzzle-platform game that brings the the Donkey Kong and Mario franchises together once again for entertaining gameplay.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2024)

The Nintendo Switch remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the most faithful remake of the original GameCube sequel to Paper Mario that released in 2004. The graphics are upgraded to give the characters and their environments a bigger pop of color, but the comedy threaded into the game’s plot remains a classic. It’s arguably the best Paper Mario game there has ever been.

Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024)

The third Mario Party game of the Switch generation, Super Mario Party Jamboree is the series’ biggest entry to date with 22 playable characters, seven game boards, and over 110 minigames across its various single- and multiplayer modes. Jamboree notably intrdouces the Jamboree Buddies mechanic, which allows you to compete for companions through more complex minigames called Showdowns.

Super Mario Party Jamboree was also one of the select games that got an enhanced edition for the Switch 2. This enhanced edition is called “Jamboree TV” and incorporates the Switch 2’s mouse, voice, and camera features… to varying results.

Mario and Luigi: Brothership (2024)

The most recent Mario game isn’t just dedicated to one brother: Brothership launched in November as the first mainline “Mario and Luigi” game from Nintendo since 2015’s Paper Jam. With a fresh new artstyle, gibberish voicelines, and even some turn-based combat, Brothership lets you take control of both brothers to restore the land of Concordia. And while our Mario and Luigi: Brothership review did say the game “feels designed specifically for ages six to 12 rather than ages six to 66,” that could make this game a great gift or entry point for younger gamers.

Mario Kart World (2025) *Switch 2 Exclusive

The newest Mario game brings us into the world of the Switch 2: a new Mario Kart game launched alongside alongside (and bundled with) the new console on June 5. Mario Kart World introduces free roaming, weather conditions, and double the amount of racers on each track. That means tons of playable characters, including the Moo Moo Meadows Cow.

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025)

Originally released during the Wii generation, Super Mario Galaxy was, in my opinion, an absolute peak moment for 3D Mario. This peak was somehow surpassed with Super Mario Galaxy 2, which we described as “the pinnacle of Mario games” in our 10/10 review. Now, both games have made their way to Switch consoles in a new bundle with boosted resolution quality, UI improvements, and an in-game music player. Yippee!

Available Mario Games With Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

If you’re looking to play some classic Mario games, there are quite a few available to play on the Nintendo Switch if you have a Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. Here is every Mario game currently available:

  • Mario Party
  • Mario Party 2
  • Mario Party 3
  • Super Mario Advance
  • Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World
  • Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island
  • Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
  • Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga
  • Mario Kart Super Circuit
  • Mario Kart 64
  • Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
  • Mario Golf
  • Paper Mario
  • Super Mario 64
  • Mario Tennis
  • Dr. Mario 64
  • Super Mario All-Stars
  • Super Mario World
  • Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
  • Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
  • Mario Bros.
  • Super Mario Bros. 2
  • Super Mario Bros. 3
  • Dr. Mario
  • Mario Paint

Upcoming Mario Games on the Switch 2

We’ve officially entered the Switch 2 era, and the latest Nintendo Direct in September has given us our first look at upcoming Mario games for the new console. While we still haven’t gotten an update on a new 3D Mario platformer (besides the Super Mario Galaxy port listed above), Nintendo did announce Mario Tennis Fever. The new tennis game is already up for preorder but won’t hit the console until February 2, 2026. We also learned that Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be getting a new Switch 2 edition with a multiplayer expansion next spring.

Outside of the games themselves, we know that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be releasing on April 3, 2026. With that in mind we’d expect news of a new 3D Mario platformer around the same time as the film.

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. His favorite series include Xeno and Final Fantasy.

Take Time Board Game Review

Here’s a conundrum: Cooperative board games have wide appeal, but they tend to have a singular problem. Because everyone around the table wants to win, rather than genuine cooperation, there’s a tendency for groups to accept plans suggested by the most experienced or able player. Of the various ways to prevent this, the most successful has been to give players hidden information they’re not allowed to communicate.

The most extreme example is 2018 game The Mind where players aren’t allowed to talk at all, and simply have to rely on their innate sense of timing to lay cards in the correct numeric order. Take Time belongs in this group, but it’s trying to use a set of novel, simple mechanics to chart a worthwhile course between no communication at all, and heavyweight cooperative planning.

What’s in the Box

Take Time’s tiny box belies a wealth of goodness within, which you can sense by its weight. First up there’s a player deck of numeric cards, 24 in all, embossed in gold and set against fetching, complimentary shades of white and dark blue. Beneath there are a set of 12 envelopes, also embossed in gold and set with luminous art pieces depicting colorful, stylized scenes from nature. It’s a salutary lesson in how simple yet highly effective graphic design and artwork can elevate everyday game components into something glorious and eye-catching.

Most of the envelopes contain four clock discs, each with six points. While these are thinner cardboard and lack the gold that elevates the cards and envelopes, they’re still delightful things, carrying more of that rich, stylish nature art in slightly more muted colors. You’ll be playing cards at each of the points, and as soon as they’re on the table, the whole thing springs to life visually. The final component is a set of punch tokens which contain a clock hand and several cogs. They’re chunky and a little drab compared to everything else in the box, but that’s fine: they take a back seat during most of the play time.

Rules and How It Plays

The core game rules are very simple. Each player gets a hand of number cards which come in two colors that run from 1 to 12. In the center of the table is a clock face with six segments. One of these will be the starting segment and your goal, as a group, is to play cards so that the total in each segment runs from lowest in the starting segment and ascends to the highest in the final segment. The catch? Most of your cards must be played face down, and you’re not allowed to talk about your plays while making them.

So, you start to make logical deductions about what people are likely to have played. It’s up to the players – without discussion – to decide who’s going first so, intuitively, someone with a low card will likely play into the starting space and the group will understand that is probably a one, or a two. If the next player plays into the next space, it’s a good bet they’ve played a two (ties count as being part of the ascending order) or a three. Cards played straight into the final space are probably high, and so on. On this basis you can begin to figure your way around the puzzle, although deciding where to play your limited number of face-up cards is still an interesting choice. If no one reaches to open the play, for example, then it’s likely nobody has a low card so starting with a face-up mid-range option might be wise.

Each pack contains four clock faces and, from the very first challenge, there are additional requirements to frustrate you. That first face, for instance, requires the first segment to have a single white-color card in it, and the last segment can contain no more than three cards. So you can’t just dump high-values into that final space mindlessly and call it a day, as once you hit the three-card limit there’s a good chance the penultimate space might end up containing a higher total.

Take Time’s tiny box belies a wealth of goodness within.

Once the difficulty begins to scale, you’ll start making use of the game’s most ingenious aspect. Although you can’t communicate while you’re playing cards, you’re allowed to plan and strategize before anyone has looked at the cards they’ve been dealt. Initially this looks of limited value: how can you plan when you don’t know what values anyone has at their disposal? But there are still things you can do. The card colors are public knowledge, for example, as it’s reflected on the card backs, so in that first clock you can quickly see how many white cards have been dealt and whether you’re likely to have a low-value card to play into its first segment.

But that’s not all. The rules are purposefully vague about what you can discuss in this phase, only explicitly disallowing “codes or signals” during card play. This leaves cunning players with a wealth of ways to approach the game and increase the group’s chances. No spoilers, but once you understand the game flow you can be surprisingly creative in terms of forming a plan, and when imaginative proposals pay off on a difficult clock it is incredibly satisfying. But remember that you have to adhere to the dictum that you must not communicate in any way, even with devised codes, during the card-play phase.

If you’ve played a limited-communication cooperative game before, such as Hanabi, or Take Time’s spiritual predecessor The Mind, you’ll know this rule is hard to enforce. Sometimes a player forgets, and blurts something out by accident, or the preceding player will instinctively react to a play with a wince or a knowing smile, all of which gives out useful information. Some players find this vagueness troublesome: if that’s you, be aware that Take Time has nothing to ameliorate this issue. If not, it can actually be quite fun to watch how different groups interpret and enforce “no communication.” It’s a cooperative game, so it doesn’t really matter so long as you’re on the same page.

Curiously, the game has no final fail state. If you mess up on a clock face, you get to have an additional face-up play for each failure to a maximum of three, and then you keep going until you either succeed or give up. In the latter case, you place the clock into the delightfully named Sleeve of Regrets and move on. To win overall you must go back and ensure you pass all 40 tests although once you’ve at least attempted them, you can open a final sleeve for additional replayability. But how you actually approach this is up to you: Take Time is more interested in being surprising and fun than it is in whether a group wins or loses. It’s clearly supposed to be a cozy, cooperative time to be enjoyed together.

Although you can’t communicate while you’re playing cards, you’re allowed to strategize before anyone has looked at their cards.

From the initial clock face, you may be wondering how any of the subsequent puzzles get hard enough to make you want to skip them. Each new face introduces new rules and wrinkles, but these never become overwhelming. After the first three faces, for instance, you’re not allowed to have any segment total higher than 24. Later, some segments disallow certain cards, while others force you to draw new cards, and an increasing proportion will have one or more placement rules. The design has a fantastic knack of pulling the rug out from strategies you’ve become used to. If your new clock disallows laying your lowest cards on the first segment, and your highest on the last, working out how to get them in ascending order suddenly becomes a whole lot more challenging.

Amazingly, the lack of an absolute loss condition does little to undermine the excitement and thrill of play. Even with good communication and a full three bonus cards, there’s easily enough uncertainty about what’s around the clock to require thoughtful consideration before late cards, and ramp up the tension ahead of the final reveal. A group win is always gratifying, and it doesn’t take many losses before any given face begins to assume a daunting prospect, propelling you toward discussing new approaches, and offering ever-sweeter satisfaction when you finally take the win.

Where to Buy

Switch 2 Dev Says Nintendo Has Cheaper Cartridges Coming as Alternative to Game-Key Cards, Then Backtracks, but Either Way Its Title Will Now Be a Proper Physical Release

Fans expect Nintendo to soon make cheaper Switch 2 cartridges available to game publishers as a fresh alternative to Game-Key Cards, though one developer has said it expects its game to still cost around $10 more as it shifts to a proper game card.

In a statement today, R-Type Dimensions 3 publisher Inin Games initially said it would take advantage of two new Switch 2 cartridge size options that Nintendo will offer to developers currently stuck choosing between an expensive 64GB cart or a cheap Game-Key Card release.

Inin Games has now reworded that same statement to clarify that Nintendo itself has not made any announcement concerning cartridge storage capacities, and in a further post on social media said that any references it previously made “should not be interpreted as official information from Nintendo.”

That corporate snafu aside, Inin Games is still now launching R-Type Dimensions 3 as a physical release where previously it was not, due to what its hastily-edited announcement now blandly describes as it being able to “recalculate the production in a way that wasn’t possible before.” (Such as with a smaller cartridge size, hypothetically.)

Game-Key Cards — mostly-blank cartridges that simply prompt users to download the game’s contents — have proven unpopular among Switch 2 fans, though some developers have defended their use, saying they are necessary for games that otherwise would not fit on a 64GB cartridge, and a cheaper option for both publishers and players alike.

As if to demonstrate that, Inin Games has said it will switch its physical production run for R-Type Dimensions 3 to cartridges rather than Game-Key Cards, though at a higher price point that’s €10 (just over $11) more expensive. Still, that’s cheaper than the “at least” €15 higher price Inin Games previously said it would have cost players had it used the standard 64GB Switch 2 cards. Not that other, smaller cartridge sizes are confirmed for now, of course.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Winter PC Game Sales Are Live, Featuring Big Discounts on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Silent Hill f, and More

Winter PC game sales have officially begun, making now the perfect time to stock up your library with some excellent new games to play over the holidays. Steam, Fanatical, GOG, Humble Bundle, and the Epic Games Store have each launched their respective Winter sales, and there’s a treasure trove of discounts to look through right now while they’re still live.

Winter PC Game Sales

Each of these sales is stacked with excellent discounts at the moment. Some of our favorites include The Game Awards’ Game of the Year winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 getting a 28% discount, down to $35.99 at Fanatical; Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 dropping 50% to $29.99 on Steam; and Silent Hill f coming down 53% to $32.89 at Fanatical, but they’re just the beginning.

Below, you can see a few more of our favorite offers from the various Winter sales right now. If you’re curious to see the sales in full, just click on their individual links above.

Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 is a winner all around, with critic Michael Higham writing in his review, “Wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story.”

With Christmas coming up next week, this is an excellent time to treat yourself to some new games to play over the holiday period. However, if you have to get last-minute shopping done right now for other people in your life with a love of games, we can help there as well. We’ve also gathered up the 10 best gifts for gamers to help you find the best gifts to give this year, from Xbox Game Pass gift cards to the sleek Meta Quest 3.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

Eiji Aonuma Hints That Next Zelda Game Will Be Inspired by Elements of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Eiji Aonuma, the producer of The Legend of Zelda series, recently dropped some hints about what players can expect from the next game in the series in an interview with Japanese news site 4Gamer. He noted that the collaboration with Koei Tecmo on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment may influence the next mainline Legend of Zelda title.

While the Wii got Twilight Princess and the Switch got Breath of the Wild as launch titles, there has yet to be any announcement about an upcoming mainline Zelda game for the Switch 2. However, owners of Nintendo’s latest console do have Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Imprisonment to play. Age of Imprisonment is the latest entry in a spin-off series that combines Dynasty Warriors-style 1 vs. 1000 musou gameplay with the characters, lore, and locales of The Legend of Zelda. It allows players to experience the Imprisoning War that sealed away the Demon King Ganondorf. Like previous Hyrule Warriors games, Age of Imprisonment was a collaboration between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo, with Koei Tecmo and its new AAA Games Studio handling the development.

Zelda series producer Aonuma said that his team wanted to be the first to release a new Zelda title on the Switch 2, however Koei Tecmo beat them to it. “The Legend of Zelda: Age of Imprisonment is the first Zelda title released for the Nintendo Switch 2. To be honest, we wanted to bring out the ‘first’ (Zelda game on the new console),” he laughed.

Commenting on the collaboration with Koei Tecmo on Age of Imprisonment, Hidemaro Fujibayashi (director of Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild) said: “it was incredibly fun. They always had ideas we never would have come up with on our own, it was truly stimulating.”

In turn, Age of Imprisonment’s director Koki Aoyanagi talked about how motivating it was to receive such positive reactions from the Nintendo team, saying: “since they (the Nintendo team) were playtesting the game, we wanted to give them big surprises and moments of awe to experience.” Age of Imprisonment producer Ryota Matsushita described the Zelda team and Koei Tecmo’s team as being “on the same wavelength” when it came to collaborating on the game, noting that Fujibayashi’s knowledge of real-life castles enabled them to instantly understand each other regarding how Hyrule Castle should be depicted in Age of Imprisonment.

“We aimed to combine these two approaches; the Zelda-like, strategic back-and-forth of using Zonai gear and varied techniques against powerful foes with the exhilaration of musou (i.e. feeling mighty powerful as you cut down waves of weaker foes),” noted AAA Games Studio head Yusuke Hayashi. Even when Nintendo’s Zelda team gave feedback on points of concern, Fujibayashi said that Koei Tecmo would come back with “proposals that elevated it into something even better.”

Aonuma even suggests that this fruitful collaboration might influence the next mainline Zelda title. “The inspiration we received from this collaboration with Koei Tecmo may be reflected in the (next) Zelda we create. Please picture this while playing Age of Imprisonment, and look forward to our Zelda.”

Aonuma’s comment is mysterious, but this means that we might get elements from Age of Imprisonment’s gameplay in the next mainline Zelda adventure.

In September 2023, Nintendo said it had no plans to release DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and was instead moving on to a brand new game in the series. However, Aonuma failed to rule out a return to the Hyrule of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, potentially setting up a third game.

“In the first place, the reason I decided to make this a sequel to the previous work was because I thought there was value in experiencing a new game in that Hyrule place,” Aonuma said. “If that’s the case, if a new reason arises, we might return to the same world again. Whether it’s a sequel or a new work, I think it’s going to be a completely new game, so I hope you’re looking forward to it.”

Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi also chimed in with his own comment: “We are very grateful that so many customers have been playing Tears of the Kingdom for so long and deeply, so we will do our best to make the next game even more enjoyable.”

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

Pokémon TCG: This Phantasmal Flames Mega Charizard X Ultra-Premium Collection Is Cheaper Than It’s Ever Been at Amazon

Pokémon TCG’s Phantasmal Flames Mega Charizard X ex Ultra-Premium Collection is pretty spectacular, and certainly worth the splurge if you can find one in stock.

It’s mighty high MSRP is $120, but if you don’t mind paying a little more, Amazon has got the elusive set down to $139.99 right now (sold and shipped directly from Amazon, not a dodgy third-party). That’s below market price, around $150, and even better than trusted resale sites like TCGplayer.

Unfortunately, it won’t arrive until after Christmas, but if you’re keen on picking it up, here’s a complete list of what’s included in the collection:

  • 1 foil full-art promo card featuring Mega Charizard X ex
  • 1 foil full-art promo card featuring Oricorio ex
  • 65 card sleeves featuring Mega Charizard X
  • 1 playmat featuring Mega Charizard X
  • 1 deck box featuring Mega Charizard X
  • 1 metal coin featuring Mega Charizard X
  • 6 damage-counter dice
  • 18 Pokémon TCG booster packs:
    • 2 Surging Sparks TCG booster packs
    • 4 Journey Together TCG booster packs
    • 4 Destined Rivals TCG booster packs
    • 4 Mega Evolution TCG booster packs
    • 4 Phantasmal Flames TCG booster packs
  • A code card for Pokémon TCG Live

This should go without saying, but this collection really only makes sense if you want the exclusive TCG accessories included in the box, at least in my experience with it.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with what’s here, but the selection of booster packs feels just a tiny bit tired. More Phantasmal Flames, or even Mega Evolution packs, would have gone a long way.

Instead, the heavy reliance on Surging Sparks and Journey Together makes the whole thing feel a step behind where it should be. Still, if that isn’t an issue for you, than this is the best value going for the latest Ultra Premium Collection online right now.

If you’re looking to just chase cards, however, I’d also recommend checking out how much some of the best single chase cards are going for right now, to pick up individually. Or, to consult after you’ve cracked open all your packs. Good luck!

Best Phantasmal Flames Cards Chase Cards

According to marketplaces like TCGPlayer, certain Phantasmal Flames cards have already skyrocketed further in price, and, following up from our Mega Evolution round-up, we’ve ranked the ten most expensive cards so far just above.

From aggressive Mega attackers to powerful evolution support, Phantasmal Flames brings a fiery mix of competitive threats and high-demand pulls.

Robert Anderson is Senior Commerce Editor and IGN’s resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.

Octopath Traveler 0 Review

Great RPGs can live or die by their final chapters – what’s been built up through a long journey could pay off with major revelations that leave a lasting mark or fall flat with cliches that undermine its best ideas. I spent over 100 hours with Octopath Traveler 0, and although I’d say about 80 of those are pretty good overall thanks to a fair share of ups and downs, it’s those last 20-or-so hours where it ascends to true greatness. If that sounds far too daunting, I get it, it’s a big time investment – but what you get in return is something that only games of this scale can pull off, making good on its various story branches and stunning you with one moment after another as you approach its wild conclusion. While Octopath already had a brilliant turn-based combat system, this iteration adds its own quirks to freshen things up as the HD-2D art style delivers its unique brand of modernized nostalgia yet again. And along with an outstanding soundtrack to beautifully frame both pivotal and quiet moments alike, Octopath Traveler 0 shows that this series can and has pushed the genre to new heights.

Octopath Traveler 0 is largely a repackaging of the mobile game Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, which is a prequel to the original entry. But by axing the microtransations and gacha elements used to recruit party members, as well as introducing some very important additions to story and gameplay, it has become a fully fledged RPG worthy of this wider release. I’m a bit shocked that this game in particular was once a mobile exclusive because it’s built as a traditional RPG, and I’m thrilled it exists in this form since I would have otherwise missed out on some of my favorite moments from any recent game.

However, it’s not always a smoothly paved road, and I’m not terribly surprised as any 100-hour game leaves plenty of room for valleys between its peaks. Story is where I had most of my reservations in the first half-or-so, and while I wasn’t expecting the most beautifully written script or deepest character study, I found some of the dialogue and plot beats rather shallow. Comically evil villains made for bosses who were satisfying to take down, but when their unabashed cruelty and simple thirst for power is the primary hook without much nuance, I didn’t feel quite as compelled by them as characters. But despite the inconsistent quality of its storytelling, Octopath Traveler 0 still runs at a decent pace and doesn’t sit on any one thread for too long.

That’s mainly due to how the main quest is structured. After a tragic prologue where your hometown is burned to the ground, you’re given three story branches in order to pursue the trio of villains who were responsible. Themed around power, fame, and wealth, those three paths then converge into a conclusion for what is roughly the first half of the overall story (at about 40 hours). And don’t be fooled by the fakeout credits roll, because you’ve barely seen what Octopath Traveler 0 has up its sleeve. It then splits into three new questlines that pick up those themes once again, and although they retread similar territory, the stakes get higher as more of Octopath’s world gets involved and your understanding of it deepens. Warring kingdoms and corrupt religious institutions across the land of Orsterra, where betrayal is more common than loyalty, start to face greater consequences as the full picture comes into focus and the story gains real momentum.

I can almost guarantee you’ll find that few games blossom quite like Octopath Traveler 0.

Rather than trying to build eight separate stories for characters that have to run in parallel, this game is able to tell a tighter tale by weaving its themes together, putting your custom character at the center of it, and elevating the important figures when needed. While your silent protagonist may seem like a typical “chosen one,” having the story revolve around the world’s eight rings that grant godly power turns a cliche setup into a strong foundation for its deeper messages. Octopath Traveler 2 was very successful with its cast of eight and made for one of my favorite games of the last decade, but this change of pace is a smart direction. Unfortunately it does mean most of the 30-plus party members you can recruit through sidequests feel rather disposable, but the dissonance that creates is worth the trade-off.

And like many of the seemingly frivolous features of Octopath Traveler 0, that roster eventually means something important in the grand scheme. There’s a reason why you want to recruit as many of these characters as possible, and this pays off in unpredictable ways that even had me – someone who’s played nearly every major JRPG under the sun – absolutely stun-locked. That’s a powerful example of how this game makes you care about the seemingly mundane things in retrospect and earns its big moments. Perhaps it could’ve benefitted from trimming its lesser parts (especially where it runs into problematic tropes or naive politics), but the time you spend along the main questlines builds an intimate understanding of the people who embody Orsterra and the leaders you collaborate with in earnest.

Avoiding any specific spoilers, once you hit the “final” questline, Octopath Traveler 0 mashes the gas and does not stop; it almost felt like I was playing a whole new game. Dungeons get more intricate, boss fights get a lot tougher, character arcs come full circle, and motives begin to make much more sense. Plenty of stories go for the complex and sympathetic villain or antihero, but the true antagonist of this tale represents an incredibly thoughtful, fully realized, heartwrenching, and intense exploration of this archetype. I was floored by the revelations therein because of how they’re grounded in things that feel real, with both gameplay mechanics and music wielded as storytelling devices to paint a complete picture without having to explain itself out loud. The more I peel back the layers that make its final chapters so moving, the more it’s stuck with me well after I rolled credits on the 0-exclusive true ending after 106 hours on the dot.

I’ve been on record saying Octopath Traveler 2 has one of my favorite turn-based combat systems ever; it shines here as well and for slightly different reasons. The Boost and Break systems give the typical dynamic of hitting elemental affinities some extra depth to devising how turns should play out. Playing the guessing game of discovering what enemies are weak against gets a little tiresome, but once that part is solved, scheming for your plan of attack based on turn order to Break enemies and tee up the big hits is oh so satisfying. Building each party members’ Boost points to add extra hits or increase spell potency gives you something to plan around for turns well in advance. And lining up all these variables while juggling the threat of hard-hitting bosses, who can impose some impactful status ailments or wipe party members in one turn, had me feeling like a genius tactician. Octopath might be playing on our nostalgia with its HD-2D retro-style visuals, yet this series has continually set a high bar for turn-based combat systems in modern gaming.

This series has continually set a high bar for turn-based combat systems.

Party composition is quite different this time around since you have eight active party members at all times – four in the front row and four in the back. With well over 30 characters in my roster, it’s an overwhelming amount to process and manage. While the fundamentals of Octopath’s combat system are familiar, matching character duos for the row they occupy is a unique strategic layer that allows for a lot of flexibility. And because they all build Boost points individually, you can dole out the big hits more frequently and keep up a brisker pace in battle compared to previous entries. You sacrifice individual character depth, however, as each party member has just one Job to progress through (aside from your protagonist), but you can at least master specific Job skills to then equip on other characters to diversify their moveset.

I found Octopath Traveler 2’s character progression more meaningful, especially as it tied to their individual stories, but Octopath 0 offers a welcome change of pace that hits the turn-based highs that’ve made the series special. The slow-motion cinematic camera cuts for Max Boost attacks and each party member’s tide-turning limit break still get me hyped up, giving combat the visual flair that truly makes the HD-2D style stand out when the action picks up. The tactical considerations you need to make in order to inflict damage well past the 9,999 soft limit requires effort and foresight that isn’t spelled out for you, but figuring out how to wield these systems and mechanics yourself is as satisfying as it is necessary to stand a chance in late game fights. Random encounters throughout dungeons and the overworld get overbearing, but that tedium pales in comparison to the gratification of landing a Break and busting out every full-powered ability to overcome a boss you had no business defeating.

While that turn-based combat supports much of the A-plot I’ve already praised, there’s also a B-plot that revolves around reconstructing your hometown of Wishvale. In the process of bringing it back to life narratively, you actually rebuild it with a town-building system in a similar vein as Fallout 4 or Ni no Kuni 2. You collect crafting materials naturally throughout which then allow you to build housing, shops, and decor within certain parameters on a grid-based layout. It’s an enjoyable side activity, with tangible benefits that come from new buildings and recruiting new residents, such as discounted shop prices, a self-sufficient flow of materials, and a training ground for inactive party members to continue leveling up. Town building may seem optional at first and isn’t particularly deep, but it becomes almost essential the further you get, especially when you consider the story’s broader message about what home means to you and the people you care for. And seeing the town you put together yourself in the background of cutscenes is a heartwarming touch that is its own small emotional reward.

This questline’s story can be a bit cheesy at times, but its heart is in the right place as it gets sentimental about what it takes to rebuild after losing everything. Like the previous game, the way poverty shapes a person and going from nothing to something remains a prominent motif, and even though it fumbles the messaging at times here, it’s willing to talk about those topics with clarity. In the same way the branching questlines eventually converge sensibly, the town-building system and story attached to it enrich the main quest in tangible ways. By having you take the actions necessary to pick up the pieces and offer survivors some semblance of the past lives of your hometown, Octopath Traveler 0’s overarching themes about holding onto your humanity comes across as more genuine.

[Series composer] Yasunori Nishiki deserves to be mentioned alongside the GOATs.

After 100-plus hours, I look back on this journey often teary eyed. Its prevailing messages and star characters really resonated with me, offering perspectives on how tragedy changes people. That hits hardest when I listen back to my favorite songs on the soundtrack that evoke those feelings. Series composer Yasunori Nishiki has a particular style that lends itself extremely well to the genre, but is an absolute madman when you break down the musicality of his work, especially here in Octopath Traveler 0. A rock orchestra with swelling strings, horns, and drums (sometimes backed by opera vocals and chanting choirs) boss battle themes make me feel like I can run through a wall; hell, even the initial normal battle theme slaps hard. It’s also in the softer town themes that round things out, and specific motifs that punctuate important moments and work their way into the most impactful songs. Twice during late game bosses, I had to put my controller down absolutely stunned by what I was hearing before picking it back up and using the power of music to propel me to victory – so yeah, Yasunori Nishiki deserves to be mentioned alongside the GOATs.

Magic’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Set Is Months Away, but Play Boosters Are Discounted Already

While yesterday we spotted a deal on Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander Decks for kicking off Magic: The Gathering’s big 2026 lineup (which includes seven (!) sets), the next set has just seen a nice early discount.

Universes Beyond: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is launching in March 2026, but Amazon has dropped the price of a Play Booster Box by 24% already – although there is a slight catch.

Save On Magic’s TMNT Set Ahead of Launch

The MSRP (or List Price, as Amazon calls it) for a Play Booster Box for a Universes Beyond set is $209.70, and this discount brings the same product down to $159.99.

The catch is that Play Booster Boxes tend to retail for that amount anyway if they’re set in Magic’s own realms. That’s right: Universes Beyond Booster Boxes are pricier than Universes Within just because.

Still, this deal nets you 30 packs of 14 cards each at a price of $5.33 per pack, a drop from the $6.99 you’d pay at full price.

A similar thing happened with Magic’s Spider-Man set this year, which seemingly underperformed by just about every metric, but Avatar Play Booster boxes were also discounted and that set was much more promising – so a discount at this point isn’t necessarily a reflection of how good or bad the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set is.

For more Magic: The Gathering deals, be sure to check out our coverage of Avatar: The Last Airbender products you can still get before Christmas (including discounts), as well as a way to nab two underrated Commander decks from this year for you and a friend to play right out of the box.

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.

Terminator 2D: No Fate Has an Amazing Easter Egg Only Film Buffs Will Understand — Watch It in Action

Terminator 2D: No Fate is packed with Terminator references and Easter eggs, but this one is perhaps for hardcore fans only.

Bitmap Bureau’s retro action game has an Easter egg that can only be accessed once you’ve unlocked its hardest mode, Judgment Day. Once you’ve done that, play through the game on Judgment Day difficulty and reach the Biker Bar level, which is only the second level in Arcade Mode if you want to get there quickly. The instant the level loads, you’ll immediately notice that the previously naked Arnie is now wearing some very bright, ultra ‘90s neon Zubaz shorts.

Why is he doing that? It’s a reference to how The Governator actually dressed on-set during the filming of the biker bar scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. That’s right: naked Arnie in Terminator 2 is a lie, and you can get a glimpse of those incredibly colourful shorts in this footage from behind the scenes.

We thought we’d check in with the Terminator 2D development team to find out more about this cheeky Easter egg, and they explained how it came together:

“When planning the game we did a lot of research on the movie; watching it scene-by-scene, going through materials such as the illustrated screenplay and also looking at making of content which is where the shorts idea came from.

“After looking at how some of the older T2 games handled the naked Terminator for the bar scene (for example in the SNES game where it was behind a strategically placed wooden fence) — Mike [Tucker, designer] jokingly had the idea of making a pixelated crotch effect for Easy Money mode.

“But we decided the shorts from behind-the-scenes pics would be a hilarious Easter egg and you can only unlock it on the Judgment Day difficulty!

“We also had an internal thread where we gathered ideas for Easter eggs to include, and we managed to fit plenty of them into the game. For example, retro game lovers may enjoy the custom ending of Arcade Mode which we hope is a nice reward for sticking with that challenge and completing it.

“For the biker bar level itself, we made a lot of adjustments throughout the development as we continued to polish. Like adding the two licensed music tracks, adding the boss fight, the guy getting griddled, giving the Terminator a line asking for clothes, boots and motorcycle, the waitress idle animations etc and then we added a few more moves such as the backfist, headbutt, and shoulder barge for depth.”

So there you have it! That’s why the Terminator is wearing retro shorts in Terminator 2D: No Fate, and if you didn’t already know about its origins, now you have some fun movie trivia to impress your film buff friends with!

Arnie’s shorts aren’t the only call-back to Terminator 2. In June, IGN reported on how the developers tracked down the actor who played future war John Connor back in 1991 to include his likeness, and in doing so found out why Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t in the game.

IGN’s Terminator 2D: No Fate review returned an 8/10. We said: “Terminator 2D: No Fate is a wonderfully realised tribute to one of the single greatest movies ever made, punctuated with pitch-perfect music, exquisite pixel art, and brilliant Easter eggs.”

And in Terminator movie news, creator James Cameron has said he plans to make a new film once the dust has settled on Avatar: Fire and Ash, but insisted Arnold Schwarzenegger’s time as The Terminator is officially over.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

‘Temper Expectations’ — Bethesda Reportedly Prepping Starfield Improvements, Though Suggestion Is This ‘Isn’t a Cyberpunk 2.0 Scale Update’

A cluster of Starfield fans say they’ve gained an early glimpse at improvements coming to Bethesda’s sci-fi role-player, though have suggested the changes are relatively modest in scope.

The fans claimed Bethesda invited them to take a look at the upcoming content, with one saying they were “stoked” by what they saw, while another suggested they were “excited for the future of Starfield.” For now, the details of what was shown remain under embargo, to be properly revealed at a later date.

But there’s also a note of caution here, regarding the scope and scale of what Bethesda is actually working on. Another content creator, who said they had been contacted by several Starfield fans either at the event or who helped put it on, suggested this “probably isn’t a Cyberpunk 2.0-scale update,” referencing the major additions that helped improved CD Projekt’s RPG.

Word that Bethesda is working on more content for Starfield is unsurprising — indeed, Bethesda boss Todd Howard said back in August that the company had “free updates and features the players have been asking for, as well as a new DLC story” in the works.

“I can’t go into all the details just yet, but I will say part of the team has been focused on space gameplay to make the travels there more rewarding,” Howard noted. “We’re also adding some new game systems, and a few other smaller delights. There’s also some really interesting stuff coming down the pipe from our verified creators. There’s some fun stuff.”

This tease followed a long period of radio silence on Starfield’s future, and the discovery of datamined references to a still-unannounced “Cruise Mode” that suggested players would finally be able to actually travel in your spaceship from one planet to another. Firm details from Bethesda itself remain thin on the ground, however, with the game’s second anniversary in September passing with just a simple social media post and the vague tease of something named “Terran Armada.”

Bethesda’s vagueness around future plans for Starfield has long been a point of discussion among fans, with a sense that the company has pulled back on its previous ambitions for the game following its mixed response and amid a clamoring for the company’s two bigger franchises, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.

In August it was reported that Bethesda had delayed Starfield’s second expansion due to “weak sales” of its first, Shattered Space, which launched in September 2024 to a ‘Mostly Negative’ Steam user rating. Todd Howard had previously talked of Starfield expansions releasing annually. Another reported reason for the delay was Bethesda’s plans to launch Starfield on PlayStation 5, with both the second expansion and the game’s multiplatform rollout potentially happening simultaneously. Here’s hoping 2026 provides a clearer sense of the game’s future.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social