Spoiler Warning: The following article includes minor spoilers for side content in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Publisher Sega gives itself a cheeky pat on the back in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth as the game’s protagonist praises the amazing games its produced over the years.
The Yakuza/Like a Dragon series is largely set in Japan and aims to replicate real world locations, and one way it does so is by including genuine Sega arcades where players can essentially emulate other games.
These typically match the era they released in. Yakuza 0 takes place in 1988, for example, so includes Space Harrier, Fantasy Zone, Out Run, and more. Upon entering a retro arcade in Infinite Wealth, longtime protagonist Kiryu Kazuma (who’s one of the two main playable characters in this latest entry), reminisces over his time spent in these arcades, praising Sega as he goes.
“Looks like an old-fashioned arcade. Guess it’s what the kids would call ‘retro’,” Kiryu says. “I used to frequent arcades like this back in the day. Had lots of fun playing games there.
“The folks behind all these games must be incredibly creative and unique. Come to think of it, most of what I played were from a company called Sega. They always seemed to innovate with every new game they put out. And with a lineup like theirs, I’m sure they’ll be around for years to come.”
The publisher and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio weren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves too though. In another string of side content players will meet Robo Michio, a robotic version of a Hiroshima mascot introduced in Yakuza 6, who pokes fun at the Sega Game Gear.
The 1991 portable was infamous for having low battery life, and Robo Michio compares it to himself as he explains his lack of power. “Are you familiar with the Game Gear?” he asks. “Many have deemed its battery life and my own abominably similar.”
In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “Sprawling, enthralling, and packed with dynamic brawling, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth isn’t just the best turn-based Like a Dragon game, it’s one of the greatest games in the entire series.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Cardy and Jesse have played Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and both equally share their disappointment. Dale has been on a WWE adventure which resulted in a strange plane story, and all three boys have some strong thoughts on Sony’s recent State of Play, especially that mad 9 minutes of Death Stranding 2 On the Beach.
Following news that Nier mobile game Nier Reincarnation shuts down in April, publisher Tencent has reportedly cancelled an unannounced Nier mobile game that was in development for nearly two years.
As reported by Reuters, Tencent “halted development” of the mystery mobile game in December 2023, “marking a setback in the Chinese gaming giant’s hunt for new hits”.
Tencent reportedly failed to work out a “compelling” monetisation model given the “expensive” development costs and franchise rights (which Square Enix owns). IGN has asked Square Enix for comment.
Blockbuster hit Nier: Automata is approaching its seventh birthday with no new mainline game announced so far. Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito said in November 2023 that while Nier chief Yoko Taro is alive, another entry in the Nier series will be released at some point.
Action role playing game Nier: Automata launched in 2017 and wowed critics and fans with its vast locations and zany combat. It was a surprise breakout hit for Square Enix and went on to sell an impressive 7.5 million copies. There have been many crossover events since, plus Nier-related promotions, a remaster of the first game, and even a Nier anime.
As for Tencent, recent rumblings suggest all is not well with the company’s gaming effort. Reuters reported in January 2024 that Tencent Chairman Pony Ma said the company’s gaming business, which accounts for more than 30% of revenue, was under threat because some of its recent games had fallen short of expectations.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
During the latest episode of Sony’s Creator to Creator series, makers of the animated movie and the video game chatted about their work on all things Spider-Man.
“[There were] people on our crew that were like, playing your game while they were working on the film,” said Across the Spider-Verse director Joaquim Dos Santos. “We almost put one of your guys’ glitches that made it into… Like, we almost put a heater, like a space heater, swinging through.”
Bryan Intihar, senior creative director of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, acknowledged the glitch came from 2020’s Miles Morales before mentioning Spider-Man 2’s infamous Spider-Cube bug. “Well, there’s a cube one in this game, so we fixed that,” he said.
“I think the fact that we had a crew member that brought that up and said, ‘What about if there’s like a space heater?’ Like that’s true love,” Dos Santos continued.
Miles Morales’ patio heater glitch, dubbed Spider-Lamp, did the rounds on social media back in 2020, with fans naturally finding it hilarious.
I found one in the new Spider-Man game, where I turned into a patio heater for no apparent reason. pic.twitter.com/ApChq2nB1s
Spider-Lamp was but one of several Miles Morales glitches IGN covered at the time, with the likes of Spider-Trash and Spider-Brick also taking to the streets of New York City. Back then, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse producer Phil Lord noticed Spider-Lamp and even threatened to put it in the movie, much to Insomniac’s embarrassment.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse includes a ton of references already so perhaps there just wasn’t enough room or time to squeeze in Miles Morales’ Spider-Lamp.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has become the Yakuza series’ fastest-selling game to date, passing one million units sold within its first week on sale.
Publisher Sega and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio are celebrating by giving players some free downloadable content too. The Celebratory T-Shirt Set will be released “at a later date”, with Sega advising fans pay attention to its social media channels to learn when the pack will be available.
It’s also unclear what the pack entails, but Infinite Wealth leans into the ability to change characters’ outfits in battle, and goes even further in the post game, so Ichiban, Kiryu, and the team will likely be able to don a ridiculous looking t-shirt in battle and elsewhere.
Infinite Wealth arrived January 26 as the eighth mainline entry in the Yakuza (renamed Like a Dragon) series, but as a direct sequel to its somewhat reset Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It continues that game’s story and turn-based combat, though brought in some classic Yakuza influence by featuring longtime protagonist Kiryu alongside newcomer Ichiban in dual protagonist roles.
In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “Sprawling, enthralling, and packed with dynamic brawling, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth isn’t just the best turn-based Like a Dragon game, it’s one of the greatest games in the entire series.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
During the recent Xbox Developer Direct, we were treated to a deeper look at how Obsidian’s upcoming RPG, Avowed, will handle player choice via a close look at a certain sidequest. But that left us wondering: what’s the natural endpoint of a game emphasizing choice? Will Avowed have multiple endings?
I was able to learn the answer to that by speaking to game director Carrie Patel not long after the direct, where she confirmed that yes, Avowed will indeed have multiple endings. Obviously! “I mean it’s an Obsidian game,” she said. “What else would we be if we didn’t have a few different endings?”
Patel didn’t specify further about how many endings there would be or how different they would be from one another, but we did talk further about how player choice could be expressed in the game, and how players will experience it. Patel tells me that it’s not just about pushing dominos – one event happens somewhere every time the player does something. What matters more is player expression, and how the player understands and interprets the world reacting to them, especially in a game where parts of the world are open and players may not see every single reaction or interaction.
“You have to approach it with a degree of range, both in the spread and placement of those consequences and also the nature of those consequences,” she says. “Some things need to have surprising but believable outcomes. If everything plays out exactly as you expect, it could feel a little boring. And at the same time, not every quest needs to have world-ending consequences. Some absolutely do have huge impacts for the characters in the world around you, but sometimes the story you’re experiencing is just a very deeply personal one for the characters involved. And that’s okay too.
“I think the great thing about RPGs is there’s a lot of room for that spread in terms of the tone and type and scope and nature of content. And so you’re giving players a big world where they can find a lot of very different experiences that all sort of add up to their experience as the protagonist of this game.”
Sweet liberty! One of my favorite PS4-era shooters is back with a whole new perspective and it’s up to me and my friends to defend Super Earth in glorious co-op! After going hands-on with Helldivers 2 for three hours, I’m sold on the bold pivot from the original’s top-down view to the sequel’s new third-person perspective, the appetizing roster of deadly gadgets, and the outrageous comedic tone that expertly channels the low-budget action film vibes that pair perfectly with the developer’s live-service ambitions. I’m a bit concerned at the moment that it won’t have enough content to go the distance long term, with only two enemy factions (so far as we know), procedurally generated levels that can feel a bit one-note, and no real live-service roadmap at launch, but with such a strong, effortlessly fun foundation, it’s definitely off to good start. With all the over-the-top gore and patriotic pageantry of Starship Troopers, Helldivers 2 is the kind of wonderfully silly shooter that me and my friends could easily lose many Friday nights to.
By far the biggest way Helldivers 2 switches things up from the original is by moving to the third-person perspective, and so far I’m pleasantly surprised how well that transition works. I was initially skeptical about the change given how much the bird’s eye view was part of the original’s DNA, but it only took a matter of seconds for my concerns to disappear. Getting closer to the action feels great and allows for some really hilarious moments, like when I accidentally called in an airstrike that took out the rest of my team or when I found myself surrounded by absolutely terrifying robots and used my jetpack to leap to safety. Plus, you get to see the hideous bug creatures and murder-loving automatons closer than ever before, which is a nice bonus – each faction had lots of variety too, from chainsaw-armed androids who slowly closed in for the kill to heavily-armored beetles who charged at me with reckless abandon.
As I fought through armies of lethal insects, I got to try out a whole bunch of helpful gadgets that played a central role in my success. On one mission, I deployed a turret to keep the area clear of hostiles, while in another I threw down a bubble shield to give the team some much-needed cover, and in another I made use of the “guard dog,” a floating robot who followed me around to lay down suppressing fire. Unlocking new toys and communicating with your team to ensure you’ve got everything you might need is absolutely necessary to survival. For example, some enemies are so heavily shielded they can only be put down by explosive weapons capable of tearing through the steel, so you’ll want to have at least one player who can call down the Recoilless Rifle, a rocket launcher that’ll make short work of anything that stands in its way. It’s especially cool that any equipment summoned can be shared with anyone on the team, encouraging teamwork and allowing your friends to benefit from your untimely demise by looting your corpse.
It’s especially cool that any equipment summoned can be shared with anyone on the team, encouraging teamwork and allowing your friends to benefit from your untimely demise by looting your corpse.
And that’ll happen more often than you might think, because Helldivers 2’s enemies are no pushovers, especially on harder difficulties. Death is an intentionally common occurrence, because instead of being a beefed-up hero with lots of health and enough firepower to take down hundreds of enemies unscathed, you’re put into the feeble boots of a grunt who makes a better sandbag than a soldier. At the beginning of each level, your team is given 20 revives, where your killed-off character is replaced by an equally unimportant peon anytime you fall in battle. And with friendly fire always on and bad guys far outnumbering my ragtag crew of four, dying at some point or another felt like a certainty. This was especially true when we attempted to complete a level on the hardest difficulty and were utterly grinded to a pulp, which was hilarious and a complete blast even in humbling defeat. I’m really looking forward to seeing if I can actually best one of these levels once my character’s been properly leveled.
The numerous deaths my crew suffered played right into Helldivers 2’s comedic setting as well, which features a satirical futuristic version of Earth where people are treated as disposable. That hilariously dystopian backdrop added the perfect level of pseudo-patriotic B-movie cheesiness that made me smile through all that dying.
If there’s anything that concerned me about my time with Helldivers 2, it’s that after three hours I felt like I’d played a whole lot of the content available in the game, which makes use of procedural generation to drop players onto the surface of various planets to complete generic objectives like launching an ICBM or destroying a specific military target. With no story mode or alternate game modes, I’m curious how much there will be for players to do beyond grinding the same missions ad nauseum, especially with no clear content roadmap laid out as of yet. That said, with only two enemy factions at the moment, it seems likely the third one from the original Helldivers could be added into the mix at some point, which could easily keep the good times rolling.
The good news is that, even if content is light initially, what I played of it was more than enough to get me excited about laughing with friends as we blast our way through killer robots, and I can’t wait to play more.
Often cited as the world’s most valuable media franchises, Pokémon is a household name that’s been a Nintendo staple since the Game Boy. The beloved series is home to hundreds of amazing creatures, with each new generation bringing loads more to discover. Every console released by Nintendo has had dozens of Pokémon games released for it, and the Nintendo Switch is no exception.
As we head further into 2024, now is a great time to explore the Pokémon offerings on Switch and catch up before new games are released. Below, we’ve compiled every Pokémon game that has been released on Nintendo Switch, and will keep an eye on any upcoming Pokémon titles that may arise.
How Many Pokémon Games Are There on Nintendo Switch?
In total, twelve Pokémon games have released for the Nintendo Switch. This includes both mainline titles and the spinoffs that have released for Switch. For mainline entries with two versions, we’ve counted each as one release. The Pokémon games offered through Nintendo Switch Online are not included in that number but can be found below.
All Pokémon Switch Games in Order of Release Date
Pokkén Tournament DX – 2017
Pokkén Tournament was originally released for the Wii U in 2016. A year later, Nintendo and Bandai Namco prepared a deluxe version of the game for Nintendo Switch, adding new characters and updated visuals to take advantage of better hardware. This three-on-three battle system is a blast to play with friends both in person and online.
Pokémon Quest turns all your favorite Pokémon into miniature cube form. This free-to-play title features a fun and simple combat system where you send Pokémon on expeditions. There are so many different abilities to equip to your Pokémon, which you’ll use at encounters of all kinds,.
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! are remakes of the beloved 1998 Pokémon Yellow. These titles were the first mainline Pokémon games ever to release on a home console, since none made it to the Wii U. Set in the Kanto region, all 151 original Pokémon appear with varying forms from previous mainline installments. With heavy accessibility features, these remakes were a great first step for the series on Nintendo Switch for newcomers and veterans of the series.
Pokémon Sword & Shield marked the first installment in the series to feature aspects of an open world. Dubbed the Wild Areas, these regions allowed for free traversal and battles with wild Pokémon. Gyms also made a return for the first time since X & Y. Additionally, Sword & Shield introduced the eigth generation of Pokémon, which included Dynamax and Gigantamax forms of previous Pokémon.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a remake of the 2005 titles Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team. Surprisingly, this is the first Pokémon spinoff remake ever, with development handled by Spike Chunsoft. The gameplay consists of completing jobs in different dungeons and unlocking new Pokémon along the way.
The other Pokémon release of 2020 was none other than Pokémon Café ReMix. This title features similar gameplay to other puzzle games like Disney Tsum Tsum, which requires you to connect Pokémon together to solve puzzles. In Pokémon Café ReMix, you and Eevee own a café and must serve the Pokémon who come for food or a drink! This charming title is free-to-play via the Nintendo eShop.
New Pokémon Snap – 2021
After more than 20 years, the Nintendo Switch is the console that finally received a sequel to Pokémon Snap. Developed by Bandai Namco, you traverse around different biomes and areas with an on-rails camera to capture pictures Pokémon in the wild. You can unlock new courses by taking good pictures in New Pokémon Snap, leaving for a sizeable amount of content to unlock and discover. You never know what you might find during each session!
This free-to-play title marked Pokémon’s first entry into the MOBA genre. You command and control a team of five Pokémon in head-to-head battles against other players online. There’s a solid amount of Pokémon to choose from, so you can adjust your team to best fit your needs. Pokémon Unite went on to be featured in different eSports tournaments, with multiple championships held for the game.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Pokémon Shining Pearl are remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, which originally released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS. As the fourth generation of Pokémon, Diamond & Pearl feature a wide variety of Pokémon to battle against and discover. The remakes feature a new chibi art style that was created to stay faithful to the original titles while still remaining fresh.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is often praised as one of the best Pokémon games available on the Switch. This original title takes place far in the past, somewhere in the Hisui region. With a focus on exploration, you can freely walk all around the map to capture Pokémon, explore different environments, and so much more. Pokémon can be spotted wandering around all over the map, which requires you to be strategic if you’re looking to avoid battle.
The latest mainline Pokémon titles officially kicked off Generation 9, bringing along an entire new approach to gameplay and world design. In Scarlet & Violet, an open world awaits with freedom to explore wherever your heart takes you. The DLC pass, titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, is now wrapped up, making it a perfect time to check out Scarlet & Violet.
One game and one movie later, the sequel to Detective Pikachu is finally available on Nintendo Switch. Tim’s father is missing, and it’s up to Detective Pikachu to solve the case! This sequel features new puzzles and investigations, where you can investigate scenes and use your notebook to get to the bottom of the mystery. If you’re a fan of both Pokémon and mystery games, this is a great title to consider.
Available Pokémon Games With Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
The Nintendo Switch Online subscription service has additional Pokémon titles if you’re looking for more after completing the Nintendo Switch library. Here are the five Pokémon games you can play with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership:
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Puzzle League
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium 2
Upcoming Pokémon Titles on Nintendo Switch
At the time of writing, Nintendo has not confirmed any additional Pokémon games will be released on Nintendo Switch. With the Nintendo Switch 2 likely releasing in 2024, we might not see anymore new Pokémon titles make their way over to the Switch.
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.
Roughly a year after its original release, it looks like Xbox console exclusive Hi-Fi Rush is indeed headed to new platforms.
Hi-Fi Rush was released in early 2023 and received strong praise for its distinct art style and unique rhythm-based combat. We wrote in our review, “I swear Hi-Fi Rush could be a premier cartoon series. It’s got best-in-class animation, endearing heroes to cheer for, and villains you love to hate, all wrapped in good-natured humor.”
Hi-Fi Rush Anniversary Update t-shirt texture (platform exclusive designs) datamine seem to suggest that PlayStation/Switch port is happening
Hi-Fi Rush was held up as a solid example of Xbox’s console exclusives strategy, but newly-datamined t-shirt textures appear to suggest it won’t be a console exclusive for much longer. They include a red t-shirt that says “Rock Out! Anywhere” — an apparent reference to the Nintendo Switch — and a blue t-shirt that says “I’m here Baby,” which fans have interpreted as a nod to the PlayStation.
Xbox and Epic Game Store get references as well, with the former being a green t-shirt that reads, “Shadow Dropped” — a nod to Hi-Fi Rush’s surprise release in 2023. The in-game t-shirt are part of a broader collection released as part of Hi-Fi Rush’s one-year anniversary update, which quickly spread among fans on Reddit. Verge reporter Tom Warren subsequently corroborated the datamine on X/Twitter.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has further fueled the rumors by saying that Xbox can be a “good publisher” across all platforms. “We love gaming. In fact, Flight Simulator was created before even Windows. But, we were number three, number four. And now with Activision, I think we have a chance of being a good publisher — quite frankly — on Sony and Nintendo and PCs and Xbox. We’re excited about that acquisition closing and I’m glad we’ve got it through.”
We’ve now reached the end of our IGN First coverage, and to wrap everything up, myself and Casey thought it might be best to sit down and just have an unscripted conversation about everything that we got to experience at Capcom. There will be some overlap with what we’ve already covered in previews and other extended looks, but this is also our opportunity to talk a bit about the story, things we liked, things we didn’t like, and much more.
We hope you enjoyed this month of coverage, and thanks for sticking around.
Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit
