Donkey Kong Bananza is set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17. It’s a big 3D platformer that’s possibly made my the team behind Super Mario Odyssey; we’ll have to wait until it comes out to know for sure. In any case, it finds our simian hero running, climbing, rolling, and digging through a variety of wide-open environments that look to be almost entirely destructable. It’s available to preorder now (see it at Amazon). Read on for the details.
There are no special editions or anything like that for Donkey Kong Bananza. The only choice you have to make is whether to buy it in physical or digital format.
Yes, the MSRP Is $69.99
While Nintendo is deploying a horrible new $79.99 price point for some Switch 2 games (looking at you, Mario Kart World) and even some upgraded and expanded original Switch games (looking at you, Super Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby and the Forgotten Land), it’s sticking with $69.99 for Donkey Kong Bananza. That’s $10 more than the standard Nintendo kept for most original Switch games, but I’m glad it’s not $79.99.
What Is Donkey Kong Bananza?
Donkey Kong Bananza is the first new 3D Donkey Kong game since the 1999 N64 platformer Donkey Kong 64. The main gameplay mechanic here seems to be a digging ability that has Donkey Kong pounding and smashing his way down into the ground or through the sides of cliffs. And based on the trailer, there appear to be plenty of secrets and treasure to be found.
While most of the levels do appear to take place underground, you’ll get to play through a variety of environments, including forests, canyons, lagoons, and frozen tundras. True to the series history, there are also side-scrolling and mine cart rail-riding sections. It looks like fun. Check out our Donkey Kong Bananza hands-on preview for more information.
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Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.
For as long as there have been video games, there have also been bad movie tie-ins. And with the exception of the Nintendo 64 classic GoldenEye, the ‘90s was arguably the worst decade for turning movie gold into video game slop. Independence Day? Stinker. Cliffhanger? Utter bollocks. Men In Black: The Game? We all needed neuralising after that one.
Despite its smash hit success at the movie box office, 1991’s Terminator 2 wasn’t immune from this curse. It also experienced a less-than-stellar video game treatment, published by Ocean Software on the ZX Spectrum, Amiga, and other platforms, and not one of the many versions was even close to being worthy of the film’s classic status.
“I remember playing the Ocean T2 game from way back,” recalls Mike Tucker, designer and programmer at developer Bitmap Bureau. “I think they went all-out with the blend of game designs in there, including one where you had to rewire the Terminator’s arm. And then there’s a sliding block puzzle [to reconfigure the Terminator’s face].”
Tucker’s colleague, pixel artist Henk Nieborg, also remembers the Probe Software Terminator game, based on the first film and released for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. “It was just a very simple use of the license,” he says.
“If you look at the Mega Drive and Super Nintendo versions of Terminator 2, [they’re] pretty woeful really,” Tucker concludes.
Since the ‘90s, though, games like Spider-Man 2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Alien: Isolation have proved that the tide has somewhat turned. Making a game based on a movie is no longer the instant critical failure it once was. And with no movie studio demands to launch alongside a brand new film’s opening weekend, any developer tackling The Terminator 2 now would have as much time as needed to revisit the 34 year-old classic. With that in mind, the opportunity to potentially right the wrongs of many previous failed Terminator 2 attempts wasn’t just something that the team at Bitmap Bureau thought would be fun to do… it was something they felt they needed to do.
“I got an email from Reef Entertainment asking me if I would be interested in doing a project with them, and it would be a licensed project,” Nieborg recalls.
“Terminator was on the table,” says Tucker. “And when it was offered to us, being huge Terminator fans, especially myself and Henk, it was just too good an opportunity to turn it down.”
“Having quite a big license attached to an indie game, that’s quite an unusual situation,” Nieborg adds.
It was an unexpected offer, but a welcome one. Bitmap Bureau’s specialty is retro-style games, with a back catalogue including the top-down shooter Xeno Crisis and side-scroller Final Vendetta. And so when a retro film license arrived in their laps, the team jumped at the chance to use their skills to develop what could be the ultimate Terminator 2 video game. And so Terminator 2D: No Fate was born.
The first step towards Bitmap Bureau’s goal was plotting out exactly what a Terminator 2 game would look like, down to the finest details. Afterall, with 34 years of legacy and expectations, anything less than a fully realised, ultimate Terminator 2 experience wouldn’t be good enough.
“It’s been a lot of fun adapting the various scenes of the movie into pixel form,” says Tucker. “Usually, when you make your own game, you can just do what you want. But within the confines of a license, you have to be very careful. You have to make sure you get all those iconic scenes in the movie and translate them into some kind of game.”
One of those iconic scenes was the movie’s opening sequence. Director James Cameron offered a small, unforgettable glimpse of the future war awaiting beyond Judgement Day, with a grizzled John Connor leading the resistance against Skynet. But while this sequence is visually impactful, it’s only a fleeting moment of the movie with no obvious gameplay translation.
“You don’t actually see that much of the future war in the first two Terminator movies,” says Tucker. “So yeah, we had to get creative.”
“We actually got a new boss in there,” says Nieborg, referring to the level’s main adversary. “I had to make that myself [and] get it approved by [movie production company] Studio Canal.”
“Luckily there was a lot of concept art flying around that we were able to make use of,” explains Tucker. “And there’s one boss in particular called Centurion, [a huge mech tank] which appears on the Terminator 2 pinball table, bizarrely.”
Expanding on small scenes from the movie is only one step towards creating the perfect Terminator 2 game, though. To make the ultimate experience, Bitmap Bureau set out to represent as many of the movies’ classic scenes as they could.
“I think the most contentious scene was the bar fight, which has the Terminator in naked form walking around, beating up bikers,” recalls Tucker. “I think we were trying to put that off for some time. We thought there’s no way we could do this. But we found a way, and I think it’s great. It’s a nice distraction from the rest of the game as well, which is largely run and gun. We had to be very careful what we could show below the waistline, of course. We did include some ‘creative shading’, let’s say.”
Another scene that initially didn’t translate well to the studio’s side-scrolling arcade game format was Sarah Connor’s prison escape. To create an authentic adaptation, the team had to develop and incorporate stealth mechanics and have them sit alongside the beat-em-up action. For instance, Sarah can duck into shadowy cells to avoid patrolling wardens.
“You can play [the level] as a stealth sequence, or you can just go around hitting the enemies with a nightstick,” explains Tucker. “But if you want to get an S-rank on that level, then you have to sneak through without getting seen.”
“You’ve got the T-1000 walking around as well,” he adds. “So if you bump into him, you’re as good as dead. So yeah, you really do need to find the right time and place to hide.”
34 years later is a long time after the event itself for a developer to revisit a movie to make a tie-in videogame. But how about 41 years later? Terminator 2 may be the most beloved of the legendary series, but it’s also (as the number suggests) a sequel. What stopped Bitmap Bureau going back to the 1984 original instead?
“I don’t think that was ever on the table,” Tucker says. “But maybe it will be in the future.”
“I think it’s probably easier to translate Terminator 2 to a game than the original Terminator, because [in T1] you just have one invincible enemy,” he explains. “Game design-wise, that’s quite tricky. I know Alien: Isolation did a good job with that, but translating that into a side-scrolling arcade game, I think would be tricky. But you never know. Perhaps we’ll get to translate that [one day].”
“Maybe if you play as the Terminator, then it would be fun,” Nieborg suggests.
In March 2025, Bitmap Bureau finally revealed their surprising project to the world. Despite initial fears of rejection, the team couldn’t be happier with the overwhelming positive response Terminator 2D: No Fate has received so far.
“It’s gone down really well,” says a relieved Tucker. “I’m always really anxious when we release a game because I’m just never sure how it’s going to go down. So yeah, that’s made us all feel really positive, and it’s given us that drive to get over the finish line and just polish the game up, get the bugs fixed, and get [it] out there.”
“It was incredible to see that reception,” agrees Nieborg. “I watched every hour to see how many views there were on YouTube. It just blew up and that was absolutely amazing to experience.”
Although the game isn’t in the hands of players (the true quality deciders) just yet, Judgement Day is fast approaching: Terminator 2D: No Fate launches on September 5. Early signs are pointing to the game finally providing the Terminator 2 experience we always wanted, though. If that’s the case, there will no doubt be demand for Bitmap Bureau to revisit other well-known action classics from the ‘90s that never got their big video game moment.
“I know a few licenses which I would love to take on,” teases Nieborg. “We’ll just see and let ’em come.”
“We do have other things in development, which I can’t talk about,” adds Tucker. “They might be in the same ballpark, let’s say. We’ve really loved working on T2, and I’m sure we’ll work on other licensed games again.
“But at the same time, we’re creative people and we like to create our own stuff as well. So luckily Reef Entertainment gives us that balance of working on license stuff and our own [original ideas]. So yeah, we’re going to continue in that vein for some time, hopefully.”
Dale Driver is an Executive Producer of Video Programming at IGN. Be thoroughly bored by following him on Bluesky at @daledriver.bsky.social
All the major studios and publishers have now revealed their biggest announcements through the numerous summer showcases. But IGN’s Summer of Gaming continues! We’ve already run down the biggest and best trailers of the season, but now we move on to bigger issues. Which games have us the most excited and counting down the days until they’re eventually released?
That’s why we’re here today to highlight our most anticipated games… and decide which one we’re hyped for the most. Our top pick has been chosen from a pool that includes every reveal from across the various shows we’ve seen, as well as the games that we’ve been able to go hands-ons with. We’ve also considered the enthusiasm that you, our readers and viewers, have shown for the many newly-announced titles – and so we’ve weighed up comments and trailer viewcounts along with our own personal excitement.
But before we get to our top pick, let’s take a bit of time to reflect on some of the other amazing games we’ve seen and played over the past couple of weeks. Here are some of our other favourites:
5. Ninja Gaiden 4
Soulslikes may have dominated the last decade of action-RPGs but the hack-and-slash renaissance is in full swing thanks to games like Ninja Gaiden 4. Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, two of the best character action developers in Japan, are teaming up for this direct sequel to 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3.
The high-speed actioner jumped onto the scene in style thanks to a stylish new trailer, but our 25-minute hands-on with the game left us wanting to play much, much more. Super-fast and hyper-bloody, it will make you feel like the ultimate killing machine, provided you have the dexterity to juggle your enemies and pull off the right combos, of course. Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long, as Ninja Gaiden 4 will be out on all platforms on October 21, 2025.
The first Silent Hill kicked off one of the most horrifying and beloved video game franchises in history, but while it was ahead of its time in many respects when it came out in 1998, it certainly hasn’t kept up with the times. A remake crafted with the same care and consideration Bloober gave to its sequel is certainly an exciting prospect.
3. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Move aside Marvel vs. Capcom, there’s a new superhero fighting game in town. The big surprise of PlayStation’s latest State of Play was Arc System Works’ Marvel Tokon, a 4v4 tag team fighting game featuring Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Captain America reimagined through a Japanese lens. Arc System Works is already lauded for their visually striking and deeply competitive fighting games like Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ, but Marvel Tokon could take this beloved-but-niche developer to new heights thanks to the power of Disney. The detail and depth of mechanics showcased in the lengthy reveal means Marvel Tokon just inches past our excitement for another superheroic fighting game announced over the Summer of Gaming – Invincible VS. Plus, Fighting Souls is 4v4 rather than 3v3, so that extra couple of heroes only helps push our anticipation up further.
2. 007 First Light
IO Interactive finally unveiled its long-awaited 007 game and – surprise! – it looks fun as hell. While the developer’s usual suited assassin, Agent 47, might be an emotionless killing machine, young James Bond here in 007 First Light looks to be having the time of his life as he sets out on the path to become one of the most famous secret agents in the world (a mission that, admittedly, seems something of a contradiction).
The trailer has everything a good James Bond game should have: exotic locales, sports cars, laser wrist watches, a little light flirting, and plenty of explosions. Pair that with the knowledge that IOI has said we should expect the same level of freedom as available in the Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy, and 007 First Light is one game we just can’t wait for (plus, with a 2026 release window, this is likely going to be our first big Bond outing since Daniel Craig bowed out). Perhaps the only reason it’s not our overall most anticipated game of the event is that we sadly haven’t had a chance to play it yet, and therefore can’t definitively speak to its quality. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for gamescom 2025…
So, that’s four reveals of varying sizes that have us hyped for future games. But the big one – our most anticipated game – is something coming pretty soon, and something we’ve already been able to play. And, based on how much we love its predecessors, we’re hoping it continues the series’ legacy and offers up one of the finest survival horror experiences of the generation. Our most anticipated game from the Summer of Gaming is…
1. Resident Evil Requiem
Capcom delivered an epic bait-and-switch during Summer Game Fest 2025, suggesting that there would be no official Resident Evil 9 announcement as part of the show, only to formally reveal Resident Evil Requiem a few minutes later. I guess delayed jump scares are part of the Resi recipe, after all.
Grace seems like a compelling new character, too, given her background as an FBI analyst who’s more comfortable behind a computer than with a gun. This’ll make her (and us) even more afraid when we come face to face with Requiem’s new stalker monster, a hulking figure whose grotesque frame fills up entire hallways.
All this, plus Capcom’s ongoing winning streak of great games, means we’re incredibly excited to play the next mainline Resi game when Resident Evil Requiem is released on consoles and PC on February 27, 2026.
Resident Evil Requiem is our most anticipated game from the Summer of Gaming, but what’s yours? You can let us know in the comments below, or join us tomorrow when we’ll be ranking the biggest announcements in an IGN community tier list.
As the wait continues for news of Ubisoft’s long-delayed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, the publisher has reassured fans it is still persevering with the project, and instead recommended something else to play while you wait.
Now, with no sign of the game during any of this month’s various announcement shows — Sony’s PlayStation State of Play, Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase, or Summer Game Fest — Ubisoft has spoken out to confirm its Sands of Time remake is now “deep” in development, as the game’s current vague 2026 launch window edges ever closer.
“Yep, we’re still deep in the game — exploring, building, and ensuring the sands move with purpose,” Ubisoft wrote on the official Prince of Persia social media account.
“This game is being crafted by a team that truly cares, and they’re pouring their hearts (and a lot of coffee) into every step. Thank you for sticking with us.”
Yep, we’re still deep in the game — exploring, building, and ensuring the sands move with purpose. 🗡️⏳
This game is being crafted by a team that truly cares, and they’re pouring their hearts (and a lot of coffee) into every step.
While there’s still a long wait ahead for Prince of Persia fans, Ubisoft noted that there was another entry in the series that’s well worth a try: The Rogue Prince of Persia, developed by Dead Cells studio Evil Empire, which is currently set to leave early access in August.
“While development continues behind the scenes, there’s another adventure waiting for you right now: The Rogue Prince of Persia — fast, stylish, and built with the same dedication,” the publisher added.
Ubisoft is currently in something of a quiet patch for new game launches, following the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows back in March this year. The game’s first expansion, Claws of Awaji, is due before the end of 2025, but new games in the publisher’s other big franchises are further off.
As the company restructures itself with the help of €1.16 billion investment from Chinese giant Tencent, it has also delayed a number of its upcoming big budget releases in order to afford them extra development time — likely meaning a longer wait for the return of Far Cry.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Elden Ring Nightreign has some pretty sick gear drops. And sometimes, you might even want to let other people try out that gear, even though you want to also use them. Well, a gear duplication glitch makes it easy to share the loot, for as long as it’s around.
I first saw this thanks to the folks at PC Gamer, who put together a quick guide on just how to tackle the duplication. It’s actually fairly simple to execute; if two players try to pick up the same weapon, at the same time, they both pick it up. So now you have the original, and a duplicate. (Don’t ask which is which, it’ll freak everyone out.)
Not only is this fairly simple, it’s easy to repeat and there isn’t really a downside to “failing” it. If the pick-up gets messed up, you can just try again. In fact, the only danger is that you’re basically stopping in one place and coordinating this drop-and-pick-up strategy, and in Nightreign, standing still is rarely advisable. The brief respite between days, or the alabaster alcove before the big Nightlord showdown, is probably the best time to do this.
As PC Gamer noted though, they’re not the first to stumble onto this trick. Various YouTubers and Reddit users have posted about the easy duplication, too. The proverbial lid is off on this particular exploit.
Whether FromSoftware will take any aim at changing it is anyone’s guess. It is somewhat niche-use. There’s no voice chat or anything to coordinate with random players online, so it’s not exactly feasible to start dropping your best equipment and hope everyone’s on the same page.
Even for teamed-up players using Discord or some other method to chat, you’d still want to have equipment that other characters would want. Not only is Elden Ring Nightreign fairly generous in drops, at least in my experience, but each character tends to have their own wants and needs for weaponry. Unless you’re rolling three Ironeyes, I suppose.
The duplication glitch is nice for characters who want to double-up on specific weapons, like the Executor, but it’s not some instant-win trick. For some fun and maybe sharing the wealth around if someone didn’t manage to get any solid weapons by the final day, though, it might not be the worst trick to keep in your back pocket.
To celebrate the release of Nintendo Switch 2 – and the 19(!) different Zelda games that are now playable on the system – the IGN Guides team has made a few upgrades to ensure you’ll have a helping hand when you most need it. Not everyone needs a walkthrough to get to the end, but we hope these new features and upgrades can inspire even the most seasoned Zelda player to return and discover something they may have missed or skipped on a previous playthrough.
Speaking of smooth sailing, we hope you’re as excited as we are to revisit one of GameCube’s best games, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker in its original form. Yes, that means the slow-sailing and long Triforce Chart/Shard quest found in the OG version are back – and you may want to use our guide to make sure you don’t head in the wrong direction. Our Wind Waker guide was originally written in 2002, but we’ve worked on some big upgrades to make it nice and new for Switch 2! Here’s what you can expect:
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker Guide and Map
We have overhauled our guide and walkthrough with new high-resolution screenshots, added in-page tracking, checklists, new videos, and radically upgraded our interactive map. Instead of just showing you a desktop or mobile version of the in-game map, we have redone it from the ground up and you can now zoom in all the way and see every island, enemy platform, and submarine up close. Track which Pieces of Heart, charts, and items you’ve collected and start chasing all 135 Nintendo Gallery images to finally get that 100% completion. If you prefer video, you can even track every Treasure Chart via in-video checklists (or jump to the exact spot in the video from the guide). The guide and videos of course also address the Wii U HD vs GameCube/Switch 2 version differences so that it all works for both versions.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Guide and Map
Nintendo’s biggest-ever series reboot arrived on Switch 2 with upgraded framerate and resolution. If you’re like us and you’re itching to go back and see how it plays after sinking hundreds of hours into Tears of the Kingdom, we’ve got you. As a thank you to our returning IGN Guides users, our tracking experience will be completely free for the next three months, giving you enough time to finally find and check off every Korok Seed. Each seed location comes with brief hints for those who want to figure out things on their own – or you can click through to the guide for detailed tips if you’re stumped.
Here are the most popular pages for people trying to 100% the game:
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Guide and Map
We’ve updated our Tears of the Kingdom guide and map to get ready for the Switch 2 re-release as well. While Nintendo hasn’t changed a ton over the original Switch release, there are some updates we’ve detailed in our guide. If you’re jumping back in to finally complete the main quest, you can start with our detailed walkthrough, or embark on the never-ending Korok hunt and track everything on our Interactive Map.
If you’re wondering what changed and need some pointers for the new Switch 2-specific features, check out these links:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Guide and Map
Surprise! We quietly snuck out an update to our classic A Link to the Past guide a few weeks ago – if you’ve never played or finished this 2D openworld gem, you could do worse than playing it via Nintendo Switch Online on either Switch console. It might not have the hundreds of collectibles of its 3D successors, but there are plenty of things to discover on Link to the Past ’s dual map.
We may be a little LTTP (sorry) – but we figured “better late than never” and rolled out a complete interactive map that lets you track every Piece of Heart and discover every cave and secret hidden in the 1991 classic. We also added checklists and all-new screenshots throughout the guide to make it all shiny and new!
The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening Guide and Map
Launched on Nintendo Switch in 2019, Link’s Awakening has finally gotten the update we’ve all been asking for: a smooth framerate. Play it on Switch 2 and you’ll be able to experience Link’s most-charming adventure in a dreamy 60fps at 4K resolution. Our guide helps you get to 100% completion, including all Pieces of Heart. If you used our guide way back when, check out this cool upgrade we made to the videos featured in the guide:
You can check off the collectible figures you’ve collected via the on-screen checklist trackers while watching the video in embed mode.
You can also bring up the in-video checklist by clicking on the button in the lower-right corner.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Guide and Map
Players have made extensive use of our Echoes checklists — and we can tell you that the Rock, the Table, and the Zol Echo are the most collected Echoes overall. But we were also shocked that so many players who played Echoes of Wisdom outright skipped Dampe’s Automaton side quest! With the upgraded resolution and framerate on Switch 2, you may want to take another look and get all six mechanical helpers. We made it easy by providing a handy table that you can sort and filter.
Beyond these select Zelda games and guides that received upgrades this month, there is of course plenty more Zelda to be found on Nintendo Switch 2. Whether it’s the Hyrule Warriors spin-offs, Skyward Sword, the NES, Game Boy Color, and Advance classics, or our two 64-bit favorites, IGN Guides has you covered. And if enough people find our Link to the Past and Wind Waker maps helpful, maybe we’ll give some of those guides some upgrades as well.
Peer Schneider originally launched IGN Guides in 1999 and is now heading up IGN Entertainment’s guides, tools, and game assist teams across IGN, Map Genie, Maxroll, and Gamer Network.
The price of Borderlands 4 was officially confirmed this morning as preorder listings for the upcoming game went live for the Standard, Deluxe Edition, and Super Deluxe Edition. The initial wave of preorders only included digital versions of the game, but Amazon has jumped in late in the day with the first round of physical copies.
These new Amazon listings are currently only for the PS5 and Xbox versions of the game and only two editions are currently up for preorder: Standard and Super Deluxe. You can check out the preorder pages at the links below. The current release date is set for September 12, 2025 for the console and PC versions of the game. We do not yet have a release date for the Switch 2 version, but it is coming sometime in 2025.
Preorder Borderlands 4 – Physical Copies
Standard Edition – $69.99
The standard edition of the game is exactly what it sounds like, but you do get a preorder bonus if you make your purchase before the game releases. Alongside the game itself you’ll receive the Gilded Glory Pack that features a Vault Hunter Skin, a Weapon Skin, and an Echo-4 Drone Skin. The only other bonus you get is Amazon’s preorder price guarantee, which is only useful if Amazon ever drops the price before the game ships.
Super Deluxe Edition – $129.99
The super deluxe edition of the game includes the same Gilded Glory Pack as a preorder bonus. In addition to that you’ll get the special edition game case and some other additional extra content included. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll get that’s different from the standard edition:
Firehawk’s Fury Weapon Skin
Bounty Pack Bundle
Ornate Order Pack
Vault Hunter Pack
The Art of Borderlands 4 Is Also Up for Preorder
In addition to the two versions of the game you can now preorder on Amazon, there’s also a pretty cool art book that is set to release later in September as well. The Art of Borderlands 4 is currently set to release on September 30, 2025 for $55. The book will feature 224 pages about the art and development of the upcoming game.
What Is Amazon’s Preorder Price Guarantee?
If you’ve never actually preordered anything from Amazon before, it’s worth noting that if you purchase this art book ahead of the release date, it includes Amazon’s preorder price guarantee. According to Amazon’s own help page, this means that if the price decreases between now and when the item ships, you’ll pay the lowest price. So in this case, if any of these editions of the game get a discount before they actually start shipping then you’ll pay whatever it dropped to rather than the full price.
Although not every preorder gets discounted, physical editions of games especially seem to rarely drop in price compared to other product categories.
One of the biggest problems in fighting games is preservation. It doesn’t matter how good the game is, or how influential it was, or whether it’s a beloved classic or a flash in the pan or anything in-between. It’s just hard to play old fighting games on modern hardware. If you want to play any Tekken earlier than 7, you’d better have an old console hooked up. SoulCalibur? I hope you have a Switch 2 and/or the delisted re-releases or physical discs. The best version of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike? Still trapped on the Xbox 360 and PS3. And on and on and on it goes. Some have done better than others (Capcom, SNK, Arc System Works), but the reality is that a lot of the best, most important fighting games of yesteryear are lost to time or trapped on old hardware or saddled with bad ports that make them essentially unplayable at worst and deeply flawed at best. And that’s the best-case scenario. The ones that burned out or faded away? You probably can’t legally play them at all. Rest in peace, Masters of Teras Kasi fans.
That’s the situation Digital Eclipse is stepping into with Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection, a compilation of Mortal Kombat’s glory days from the early days. If Digital Eclipse seems like the right studio for this type of thing, it’s probably because they have a lot of history doing it, having made Tetris Forever, Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection, and, my personal favorite, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, among many, many others. They know what they’re doing here; the only question will be execution.
The most important things, of course, are the games themselves. The classics are all here: Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat 4. But it’s not just the arcade games. The console and handheld versions are here, too. If you prefer the sweaty SNES release of the original Mortal Kombat, it’s there for you. If you’re more into the gory Genesis game, that’s here, too. Me, I’m an arcade purist, but it’s nice that there are options here for people who aren’t, or who’d just like to see the different versions of each one.
The weird stuff is here, too.
But we’re not limited to the klassic (sorry) versions that everybody and their mama played. The weird stuff is here, too. That means the Game Boy Advance version of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is included, plus things like the 32X version of Mortal Kombat II and the Game Boy and Game Gear versions of the original Mortal Kombat. I didn’t even know they made a Game Boy version of the original Mortal Kombat, but it’s here for you if you want it.
In addition, every game in the Legacy Kollection will support online multiplayer with rollback netcode powered by GGPO, one of the best rollback solutions in the business. This release will mark the first time most of the games in this collection have online play. That’s meant a lot of extra work for Digital Eclipse (adding online play to fighting games that don’t already have it is a notoriously difficult undertaking), but if they can get it right, it’ll be an enormous accomplishment.
Online play isn’t the only new deal in this package, though. Digital Eclipse is letting you unlock every secret with the touch of a button. That means characters, game settings, hidden developer menus, the whole enchilada. If you’d rather do things like unlock Reptile normally (seriously, go look up the process for that in the original MK just to remember how wild some of MK’s arcade secrets were), you can do that. But if you don’t want the hassle, every secret is at your fingertips.
What I’m most looking forward to, however, is Digital Eclipse’s propensity for archival work, which will appear in the Legacy Kollection. That means interviews with the likes of Ed Boon, John Tobias, Dan Forden, John Vogel, and many, many more – but also archival stuff, like footage of the actors that was scanned into the game and the Mortal Kombat prequel comic book, written and illustrated by Tobias himself, that you could send away for by mail and is, like all collectors items, now prohibitively expensive to acquire. Throw in a timeline of the series that traces each character’s history and the story of MK’s various realms, and it sounds like the Legacy Kollection will have everything an oldhead MK fan (and young guns looking to learn the series history) could want. And as someone who grew up in the arcade with those games, I’m glad that they’ll be available for everyone. I’ll see you online in UMK3.
In the last Crashers and Climbers, I was focused on Destined Rivals, thanks to it just launching. I was going to look into older sets this week, but the volatility of this set right now forced me to revisit some of the market values on this set.
It’s also a good time to be savvy on the secondary card market right now and pay attention to pricing trends and market values across the whole of Pokémon TCG.
After prices plummeted as predicted following the launch weekend, most cards are once again trending up if they haven’t already.
It doesn’t help that there’s a rise in sellers on TCGPlayer charging way above market value for their stock. It sticks out like a sore thumb and could be a collective push to artificially inflate market values.
Pokémon Card Crashers
The main point I want to focus on with crashers this week is amazing illustration rares being insanely more affordable than a couple of weeks ago. First up is Shaymin – 185/182, which was a chase card for many out of the gate with Destined Rivals. This gorgeous card is currently down by 56%, from $46.48 near launch to $18.34 currently. Worth every penny in my opinion.
Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex – 230/182 was one of my main chase cards from Destined Rivals, and I’m still after one. Now might be a good time to take the plunge with a massive 38% drop from $202.05 near launch to a much more digestable $126.
Team Rocket’s Houndoom – 191/182 is another banger. This is what I love about Destined Rivals: a lot of the artwork captures a cool or sweet moment in time or an amazing angle mid-battle. Down almost 50%, I could see why this card was around $38.62 a couple of weeks ago, but $19.75 at the time of writing is a solid price.
Team Rocket’s Meowth – 203/182 is a brilliant example of this set being brave enough to show a sweet moment that should be out of place in a set focusing on an iconic crime entity, but it works so well.
In a set marketed with Giovanni looking at you like he’d steal your Christmas tree, this moment of him showing love for his Meowth is just fantastic. Again, this card is 56% off compared to a couple of weeks ago, crashing from $58.64 to current listing at around $26. Love to see it.
With Team Rocket’s Mewtwo SIR still going for daft money (More on that shortly), it’s nice to have an option with an equally cool design that is a solid chase card in it’s own right. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex – 213/182 is a banger card and it’s nice to see Ultra Rares holding their value.
It was just over the half tonne line at $52.34, with listings now sitting at around $25 at the time of writing. I’m going to snap one of these bad boys up before they start to rise again, because they will.
The thing with the secret art rare’s from Destined Rivals is their odd value trends, that for the most part look like the English Chanel (Choppy). Most of them are crashing out from launch then climbing back up, more about this below.
Pokémon Card Climbers
A prime example of the wierd volatility of higher end cards in Destined Rivals right now is Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex – 231/182. This ridiculously awesome card was already touching $400 a couple of weeks ago, which has since down down then back over in value to recent listings around $460, then back down to $385 most recently.
What the hell is going on? Personally I think it’s sellers pushing their luck, so vote with your Pokécoins trainers. This market is all based around what trainers are willing to pay, so don’t pay it if it’s too much! Sellers don’t want to be sat on these cards, we do.
Cynthia’s Garchomp ex – 232/182 is another example of SIR madness. It’s a damn sight more reasonable in value than Mewtwo, but the story is the same. Up, down then back up again at over $40 more than when the set was birthed. That’s $194.79 in old money, ramping up to $209.75 at the time of writing. Hold tight people, this isn’t a good deal.
Misty’s Lapras – 194/182 is a much more understandable price hike. It’s only gone up a few dollars since launch, and still a reasonable price for a gorgeous illustration rare. It popped out on the market at $29.56, jumped to $34.99 last week, and is now $46.48. Can’t argue with that spike in value, certainly if it’s a flaunt for a deck or going into a trainers stunning IR collection.
I honestly thought Team Rocket’s Nidoking ex – 233/182 was going to be more valuable. This is a scene straight out of the anime, and who didn’t love seeing Garry Oak getting absolutley humbled? The value is going the right way at $118.71 last week, it was going for $90.96 a couple of weeks ago, but has since dipped again to $87.99. If you have nostalgia for this scene or card then go for it, but I reckon this card will plateau fairly soon as a sub $150 SIR. I’ve kept it in climbers for now as it just seems to be so all over the place, it’s hard to tell where it’s going to settle right now.
Another day of ridiculous pricing on Amazon for Pokémon TCG sealed products, but keeping an eye on it so you all have options is still important.
If you can’t find other sealed products for a decent price, I can almost guarantee the market value on TCG Player is cheaper right now.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
PC gaming mod hub Nexus Mods is under new ownership for the first time in 24 years as creator Robin “Dark0ne” Scott hands off the baton for the sake of his mental health.
The figurehead of one of the biggest gaming sites on the internet posted about its next chapter in a message published today. It comes with confirmation that Scott has already officially stepped away from Nexus Mods, “following months of meetings, face-to-face talks, and a whole lot of soul searching.”
The message keeps many of the behind-the-scenes details under wraps but says two new individuals — one named Victor (a.k.a. Foledinho) and another named Marinus (a.k.a. Rapsak) — have adopted the leadership role, with both of their profiles now bearing the “Site Owner” title. The leadership change signals the beginning of a new era for Nexus Mods, and for Scott, a much-needed break.
“The strain of being responsible for the behemoth I created has taken its toll.
“The strain of being responsible for the behemoth I created has taken its toll,” Scott explained. “The stress of the job has been a regular source of anxiety and stress-related health issues. I realised that I have been burning out and this started to have an impact on my staff and Nexus Mods as a whole. So, I firmly believe that the best thing for the future of Nexus Mods is for me to step aside and bring in new leadership to steer the business forward with renewed energy to make Nexus Mods the modding community we all truly deserve.”
The small project born in Scott’s bedroom for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind eventually ballooned into a massive entity in the gaming space. The Nexus Mods About Us page notes that this beating heart of the PC gaming community is made up of 63.4 million users and 16.8 billion file downloads, positioning it as one of the most highly trafficked UK-based websites on the planet.
As Nexus Mods has grown, so too has its impact on Scott, who has spent “every single day” for more than 20 years “on call.” Losing his direct input in the day-to-day operations of Nexus Mods will surely result in some changes, but Scott assured modders and gamers alike that the shift should not be cause for concern.
This is me doing something I probably should’ve done years ago: taking care of myself.
“Behind the scenes, I’ve already been stepping back bit by bit,” Scott clarifies. “Over the past few years, the team has taken on more of the weight and the site’s been doing better than ever. What’s changing now is simply the formality of it, making sure the right people are in place to guide Nexus Mods into the next era.”
Scott says his stepping down from Nexus Mods, as well as a few small structural changes, are moves made to ensure “long-term stability” and won’t impact how the site has been operating recently. He goes as far as to say, “Nexus Mods is community-first and mod-author focused, that’s not up for negotiation.”
As Scott steps away from his direct leadership position, the modding creator says he’ll still engage with the Nexus Mods community on its Mod Author Discord, forums, and more. He’ll also help guide the site’s 40-person team as the page is turned, relieving his duties as its face and figurehead.
“So yes, the ownership of Nexus Mods has changed hands, but I want to be clear, this isn’t some corporate ‘exit’ or a backroom deal,” Scott adds. “This is me doing something I probably should’ve done years ago: taking care of myself. Reclaiming some headspace. And finally letting go of the idea that I have to do everything and be responsible for everything myself.”
Nexus Mods has housed thousands of fan-made creations for games like franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Stardew Valley, Baldur’s Gate, Cyberpunk 2077, and many, many more for decades. In fact, just moments after The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion shadow-dropped earlier this year, dozens of minor mods had already been published on the site. It’s the go-to place for PC gamers to modify their games to their liking, and with its first change in leadership in 24 years comes a fair amount of uncertainty for its future.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
