The Nintendo 64 emulation scene has come a long way and the latest recompilation project revolutionises native PC ports.
Our friends at Time Extension shared a post recently about N64Recomp – describing the tool as potentially transformative to the world of N64 emulation, as it streamlines the process of native ports and adds modern enhancements such as uncapped frame rates, ultrawide monitor support and even ray tracing.
The 3DS title Luigi’s Mansion 2 will make return next month on the Switch and ahead of the game’s launch, Nintendo has started to reveal more of the pre-order goodies that will be up for grabs.
The toy shooter HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed is arriving on Xbox next week, and ahead of this launch, developer Digital Cybercherries has revealed the game will be getting cross-platform support.
While this feature (allowing players to “join forces” across platforms) will roll out for Xbox and PC on 31st May 2024, it seems Switch players will have to wait a little longer with no ‘ETA’ just yet. Here’s what the developer had to say in response to a question about crossplay for Switch:
Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckmann has taken to X/Twitter to clarify that some of what made it into his interview with Sony was “not quite” what he said, including that the next game from The Last of Us developer could “redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.”
In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with SONY, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here’s the full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game… pic.twitter.com/tVuxX3LYJF
“This is not quite what I said,” Druckmann said in regard to the “it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming” line. “In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with Sony, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here’s the full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game.”
You can read the full response below from Druckmann after he was asked, “As we discuss future innovation, is there like a personal vision or dream project, you hope to see realized in the realm of entertainment at this point?”
Below, you can read the answer that appeared in the interview from the question, “Could you share a personal vision or dream project you hope to see realized in the future of entertainment?”
So, while Druckmann said this new project is “maybe the most excited” he’s been for one yet and “something really fresh for us”, he didn’t quite say, “it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.” What he did additionally say was that he is “very excited to see what the reaction for this thing will be — and i’ve already said too much about it.”
How would you feel if the next mainline Fire Emblem game was exclusively a social sim?
While a change this drastic is almost certainly not in the cards, the identity crisis currently faced by Fire Emblem means that change must come. While Engage’s 1.61 million sales as of March 2023 is respectable for the franchise, it marks a return to 3DS-era numbers after whispers of blockbuster status when Three Houses sold nearly 3 million in its first fiscal year. The reason for this discrepancy is simple: Three Houses expanded the fanbase by shifting the focus away from its strategy elements, whereas Engage doubled down on its strategy roots.
It will apparently be getting a “multiplatform release”.
The next entry in the first-person shooter series DOOM is reportedly set to be unveiled at Xbox’s games showcase this June.
According to Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, this new entry will officially be titled ‘DOOM: The Dark Ages‘ (previously codenamed ‘Year Zero’) and is believed to be a “medieval inspired” game.
Vibrant, family-friendly action in a unique toy-shooter setting.
Team up in a co-op story campaign or compete in diverse player-versus-player modes.
Preorder today
Greetings, Xbox community! I’m Joe Henson, Creative Gameplay and Marketing Director at Digital Cybercherries. Today marks a thrilling milestone: the launch of Hypercharge: Unboxed on Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. Our tiny team has poured heart and soul into creating this game, and we’re ecstatic to finally share it with you!
Xbox enthusiasts are in for a treat with Hypercharge: Unboxed—a game where family-friendly fun meets exhilarating first and third-person action. Our game transports players into the world of sentient action figures, tasked with defending the Hypercore against a battalion of rogue toys.
Introducing Hypercharge: Unboxed
Hypercharge: Unboxed combines the nostalgia of action figures with the excitement of modern gaming. Whether you’re teaming up for the online cooperative story campaign, engaging in local split-screen play, or playing offline with player bots, there’s something here for everyone. Our player versus player offerings are equally robust, with modes like Capture the Battery, Infection, and King of The Hill, designed to test your skills against other players.
In Hypercharge: Unboxed, you don’t just play as a toy—you become one. From the moment you break out of your packaging, the game is a playground of imagination. Build defenses, gather resources, and discover hidden treasures across expansive, interactive environments.
Our design philosophy centres on simplicity and fun, reminiscent of classic shooters but without overcomplicated gameplay mechanics. Players will feel the nostalgia of their childhood toys, with the added twist of strategic combat and exploration.
Additionally, it includes several accessibility features, such as customized volume controls, adjustable difficulty, pause functionality, adjustable input sensitivity, no quick time events, adjustable text size, and steady camera.
Key game features include:
1-4 player online/local cooperative play.
Full split-screen support, including online/local.
Single player/offline play with player bots.
Difficulty scales based on the number of players.
Wave-based shooter with a story campaign.
Classic player-versus-player game modes (up to eight players).
First and third-person camera perspectives.
Cross-platform support.
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox achievements.
60 fps+.
Join Our Community
We’re eager to connect with you and hear your thoughts on Hypercharge: Unboxed. Join our community on Discord: to share feedback, get updates, and engage with other fans. Hypercharge: Unboxed is available for wishlist or pre-order now. The list price is $29.99, and pre-orders receive a 10% discount. Get in on the action today.
HELP SGT. MAX AMMO TO DEFEAT MAJOR EVIL AND SAVE THE HYPERCORE!
There was once an ancient line of action figures, who created a magical power source that would allow humans to keep their favourite childhood memories of their toys. This ancient power source is known as the Hypercore.
Inside the Hypercore are the beloved memories of our favorite toys. If Major Evil destroys it, these memories will disappear forever. Defend it with everything you’ve got, or see our cherished toys turn into lost treasures of the past!
Hypercharge is a first and third-person shooter action figure game you’ve always dreamed of! Grab your friends, complete objectives, defend the Hypercore against waves of weaponized toys, and defeat Major Evil together in the story campaign!
PLAY CO-OP WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Work together as a team to defend the Hypercore. Grab a friend, break out of your toy packaging, and get ready to fight waves of classic toys. Prepare for each wave by searching for weapons, resources, and even hidden secrets.
OFFLINE PLAY FOR SOLO PLAYERS
Not everybody likes to play online. Hypercharge supports Offline, Split-Screen and Local play. You can progress and unlock everything in-game while playing solo.
PLAYER BOTS
Don’t have a team to play with? Don’t worry, we’ve got you solo players covered. Player bots listen to your commands, collect resources, and even help to build defences.
UNLOCK ACTION FIGURES
In Hypercharge, hundreds of unlocks are available, all of which can be earned directly in-game without any microtransactions.
PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER MODES
Go head-to-head against other action figures as you fight to become top of the scoreboard! Classic PvP modes include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Battery, Infection, and King of the Hill.
Call of Duty publisher Activision and Facebook and Instagram owner Meta are being sued in a new suit filed today by several families of victims of the 2022 Uvalde elementary school shooting, The New York Times reports today.
The lawsuit, filed in California, comes alongside an additional suit filed in Texas targeting the manufacturer of the gunman’s AR-15-style rifle, Daniel Defense. Both suits arrive on the two-year anniversary of the shooting, in which 19 children and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School. The documents claim that Activision, Meta, and Daniel Defense each took part in “grooming” the gunman to be a mass shooter.
Activision and Meta are being sued, essentially, for the roles the documents allege they played in promoting the gun used in the shooting to 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. The Uvalde families are being represented by lawyer Josh Koskoff, best known for reaching a $73 million settlement with the maker of another AR-15-style rifle that was used in the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting.
“Daniel Defense is a predator but can’t get to the prey without the help of these other third parties,” Koskoff says.
Ramos allegedly bought the gun a week before the shooting, just 23 minutes after his 18th birthday, the suit alleges. Koskoff argues that this came months after he started playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare which, according to the lawyer’s account, began a spiral of the teenager becoming obsessed with guns. The gun that Ramos did end up purchasing, a DDM4 V7, was featured on Modern Warfare’s opening title page, the lawsuit says.
“Within a week of downloading Modern Warfare on Nov. 5, 2021, the shooter’s phone indicates a growing obsession with weapons and accessories associated with the game,” Koskoff says, according to the NYT.
The suit goes onto allege that, by December 2021, Ramos was looking into Daniel Defense, reasearching what models he might use, and making several Instagram posts about weapons. In the process, Koskoff claims, the teenager was “targeted and cultivated online by Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense.”
“This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it,” Koskoff says.
“Daniel Defense is a predator but can’t get to the prey without the help of these other third parties.
In an interview with CBS News, Koskoff added that Instagram created a “connection” between the gunman and the gun manufacturer.
“And nobody exploited Instagram for this purpose more than Daniel Defense,” he said. “If Instagram can prevent people from posting pictures of their private parts, they can prevent people from posting pictures of an AR-15. And of course, Instagram doesn’t care. They don’t care. All they care about is driving traffic and generating attention, drawing attention and getting their ad revenue.”
Meta and Daniel Defense did not immediately respond to IGN’s request for comment. When reached by IGN, Activision issued the following statement:
The Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way, and we express our deepest sympathies to the families and communities who remain impacted by this senseless act of violence. Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts.
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has also issued the following statement, more broadly addressing violence in video games:
We are saddened and outraged by senseless acts of violence. At the same time, we discourage baseless accusations linking these tragedies to video gameplay, which detract from efforts to focus on the root issues in question and safeguard against future tragedies. Many other countries have similar rates of video gameplay to the United States, yet do not see similar rates of gun violence.
The new lawsuits come just days after the same 19 Uvalde families reached a $2 million settlement with the Texas city, in which they were also represented by Koskoff. They also announced a number of new lawsuits against the Texas Department of Public Safety officers and Uvalde’s school district, including one $500 million suit against nearly 100 state police officers.
Thumbnail credit: Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua via Getty Images
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
