Mother 3 Is Getting An Adorable New Set Of Plushies Later This Year

To hug while we wait for our English localisation.

The Mother Project is launching four brand new Mother 3 plush toys later this year to commemorate the GBA game’s release on Nintendo Switch Online in Japan. (Thanks Wario64!)

Look, it’s not the NSO localisation we wanted, but at least this is something we could import, love, and understand without needing a whole translation or an English script, right? Sigh.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Brie Larson Reveals Her Smash Bros. and Mario Kart Mains and Why She Wants a Princess Peach Trilogy

Brie Larson is many things: an Oscar winner, an MCU star, and, perhaps most famously, a gamer.

While that last part is mostly a joke, Larson’s love of games – especially Nintendo games – is well documented. It’s something she’s talked about extensively on her YouTube channel, which she launched by showing off her Animal Crossing: New Horizons island back in 2020. (She admits that it’s been awhile since she’s visited said island, and she’s a little “scared” to check on it now: “I think there’s a lot of passive aggressive neighbors.”)

So, it makes sense that Larson would appear at a Nintendo preview event for the upcoming Princess Peach: Showtime! as a celebrity spokesperson, where she sat down with IGN’s Brian Altano to talk about Peach and her love of games in general. In fact, looking back to when she started gaming, she says those are her “earliest memories.”

“I don’t think there was ever a time I’ve lived without them, like, from a baby,” she says. “There was always a Nintendo console. My earliest memories are trying to figure out games. We had Super Mario, we had Little Mermaid, and we had a volleyball game and Duck Hunt.”

“There was always a Nintendo console. My earliest memories are trying to figure out games.

And, even though it’s been awhile since Larson checked on her New Horizons neighbors, she’s long been a fan of Animal Crossing. Recalling some particularly formative gaming memories, the actress says the first game in the series, released on the GameCube in 2001, was the first title that spawned “a lot of desire and competitiveness with my sister.”

“That was the one where my mom actually had to create real rules, like you have to finish your homework and then you can play because we were just so into it, unlike any other game at that time,” she remembers.

As for her favorite game of all time, she used to say The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took the crown. However, its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, might take the title, although Larson says she still needs to finish it.

“I’m really taking my time, I’m not trying to blast through it,” she says of Tears of the Kingdom. “I’m putting a lot of time into it because I just love it so much.”

And, like any good Nintendo gamer, she has her Smash Bros. and Mario Kart mains. For the former, it’s usually Zero Suit Samus (fitting, then, that she previously asked Nintendo to cast her as Samus in a movie), while she also dabbles in Kirby and Pikachu. For Mario Kart? Luigi (even if she was “spooked” by Luigi’s Mansion as a child).

Spotlight on Peach

Larson made a point, however, to talk about the real star of the hour: Princess Peach. In fact, when we ask what Nintendo character should be the next to get their own game, she playfully pushes back, saying, “That’s all you’re going to talk about? Why won’t we talk about Peach?”

“Peach. Peach 2. Peach 3,” she adds.

When asked if she wants a Princess Peach: Showtime! trilogy, she says, “Of course I do. Yeah. Just to start with. I’m putting that out there.”

“I’m really just rooting for Peach,” she continues. “I’ve watched her my entire life and I always knew that she contained multitudes and she was just waiting a little bit to show us what she had, and now she’s here with her adorable little friend.”

“That’s the thing with games,” she continues. “…It’s just that games are limitless and that’s what I love about them.”

She quickly gets sidetracked, however: “Sorry, I’m just staring into Princess Peach’s eyes. I mean, how can you not love them? She’s magnetic. With her heart bangs? Come on.”

Understandable.

Princess Peach: Showtime! arrives on Nintendo Switch on March 22, 2024.

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.

Incredibly Rare GBA Platformer ‘Ninja Five-O’ Is Coming To Switch

Limited Run Games and Konami team up again.

Limited Run Games and Konami are adding another game to the retro specialists’ Carbon Engine rereleases. This time, it’s the GBA platformer Ninja Five-O (or Ninja Cop, as it’s known in Europe) from Hudson Soft. And yep, it’s coming to Switch later this year.

The game was announced at IGN FanFest 2024 and joins Felix the Cat and Rocket Knight Adventures as part of Konami’s slate of LRG rereleases. Originally released on the GBA in 2003, Ninja Five-O was critically acclaimed back in the day, praised for its excellent platforming and level design. However, the game had a pretty low print run, and if you’re a retro games collector, then you probably know that copies sell for over $300 fairly regularly as a result. Thank goodness for this rerelease then, right?

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha (2403.240219-1730)

Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Alpha ring today.

It’s important we note that some updates made to these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.

Details can be found below!

Xbox Insider Release Notes

System Update Details

  • OS Version: XB_FLT_2403ZN25398.3813.240219-1730
  • Available: 2 p.m. PT – February 21, 2024
  • Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – February 22, 2024

Fixes Included

Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:

Accessibility

  • Fixes to improve narrator readout in the profile section in the guide.

System

Known Issues

While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.

Audio

  • We have received reports of users experiencing intermittent issues with audio across the dashboard, games, and apps. If you have experienced issues, be sure you have the latest firmware updates for your TV and other equipment. If you’re unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance.
    • Note: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware updates, please submit feedback via Report a Problem immediately with the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”. Be sure to include as much information as possible:
      • When did the issue start?
      • Did you lose audio just in the game/app or system audio as well?
      • Does changing the audio format resolve the issue? If yes, what was the format before and after?
      • Does rebooting resolve the issue?
      • What does your setup include? Equipment, layout, etc.
      • And any additional information you can provide to reproduce the problem.

Networking

  • We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to their network as expected on boot. If you experience this, be sure to report the issue via Report a Problem as soon as you’re able.

As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

What Happens to Your Feedback

If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.

When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.

Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!

The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha (2403.240219-1730) appeared first on Xbox Wire.

What’s better: characters making ‘bdbdbdbdbdi’ noises while talking in text or cosmetics unlocked by challenges?

Last time, during our special Valentine’s Day experiment, you decided that Doomguy’s pet rabbit, Daisy is better than health pick-ups looking like cartoon hearts. This one was decided by a Brexit-narrow margin, which shows me two things: 1) every vote counts; 2) love truly grows stronger once someone is gone (RIP Daisy). This week, I need you to decide between cheery chat and couturial challenges. What’s better: characters making ‘bdbdbdbdbdi’ noises while talking in text or cosmetics unlocked by challenges?

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FromSoftware’s Miyazaki Responds to Calls for Bloodborne Remake on PS5

While everyone has Elden Ring on the mind today with the official unveiling of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, there’s another FromSoftware title that has fans still hungry for love: Bloodborne. And today, the game’s director finally acknowledged the overwhelming fan demand for a remake…though he stopped short of confirming or denying that one might ever materialize.

In IGN’s own interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki about the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, we asked Miyazaki about the possibility of a Bloodborne remake. But he deflected: “Unfortunately, and I’ve said this in other interviews, it’s not in my place to talk about Bloodborne specifically,” he said. “We simply don’t own the IP at FromSoftware. For me personally, it was a great project, and I have a lot of great memories for that game, but we’re not at liberty to speak to it.”

But Miyazaki shared a few more thoughts with Eurogamer, acknowledging it made him “very happy” to see so many fans passionate about Bloodborne, and suggesting the game would benefit for a release on more modern hardware.

“I think having new hardware is definitely a part of what gives these remakes value,” Miyazaki said. “Things you weren’t able to achieve on previous generations of hardware, ways you weren’t able to render specific expressions – [new hardware] sometimes makes it possible.

“However, I wouldn’t say that’s the be all and end all. I think purely from a user perspective, modern hardware also allows more players to appreciate all the games. And so, it ends up being a simple reason, but as a fellow player, I think that accessibility is important. I think that can be the driving force between bringing an old game to a new platform.”

So that’s it. No promises, no hints of anything in the works, and to hear Miyazaki tell it, the decision isn’t even really up to FromSoftware – it’s entirely on Sony, who owns Bloodborne. In stark contrast, we recently learned that publisher Bandai Namco switched the ownership of its trademark on Elden Ring fully to FromSoftware, meaning the developer now has full control over what to do with that license. It seems highly unlikely Sony would ever do the same for Bloodborne, however.

Bloodborne fans have been desperate for a remake for years now. We gave the game a 9.1/10 when it first launched, but despite critical acclaim and incredible sales success, Bloodborne has remained relegated to PlayStation 4 exclusivity. There’s no dedicated PS5 version, nor is it available on PS5 or other consoles. With other FromSoftware games such as Demon’s Souls and the original Dark Souls getting a remake and numerous ports, respectively, hope has been kept alive. For now, FromSoftware fans will have to be content with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, about which we also spoke with Miyazaki at length.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

I don’t hate generative AI, I just hate that it’s “The Future”

I’ve been looking back over my news pieces about artificial intelligence tools, generative image software and/or large language models and reflecting that what I really distrust about “AI” is the fact that AI is “the future”. Saying that X thing is the future is de rigueur for technology marketing. It’s something you hear repeatedly from videogames companies in particular, with their sequels and console generations and other chronological fixtures that form an endless staircase towards The New.

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Guide: Nintendo Direct February 2024: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer

Round Up: Everything announced in the Partner Showcase.

The first Nintendo Direct of 2024 has been broadcast. The February 2024 presentation was a Partner Showcase highlighting Switch games coming from third-party publishers (so, not Nintendo) in the first half of 2024.

Below you’ll find the video of the full Nintendo Direct February 2024 presentation, every individual game announcement with trailers, plus some official info, or a link to our more detailed coverage. There’s also a poll at the bottom, so let us know your personal highlights from this Nintendo Direct.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

New Platforms, New Players: Four Fan-Favorite Xbox Games Coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony Platforms

At Xbox, we strive to create games that inspire, entertain, and connect players from around the world. As a publisher and platform we are committed to meeting players where they are, by bringing more games, to more people, and on more devices. And at the heart of all we do are our players, and the vibrant communities that they build around the games they love. 

Today we are announcing that four fan-favorite Xbox games will be coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony platforms this spring. The studios that built these celebrated games have drawn on their multi-platform experience to open the worlds they created to even more players and communities.  

  • Pentiment from Obsidian Entertainment, a truly unique, critically acclaimed, and award-winning narrative adventure game with a striking visual style inspired by history itself will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on February 22.   
  • Hi-Fi RUSH, the award-winning and beloved rhythm-based action game where the world syncs to the music from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks will be coming to PlayStation 5 on March 19 at midnight UTC, with pre-purchase available on PlayStation 5 digital storefronts on February 21.  
  • Grounded – also from Obsidian Entertainment – a co-op survival adventure phenomenon that has welcomed 20 million players into the backyard, will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16. Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.   
  • Sea of Thieves, the shared world adventure game from Rare, will be coming to PlayStation 5 on April 30 – and will be available to wishlist by PlayStation 5 players starting tomorrow, February 22. Having built a passionate community of more than 35 million players from around the world, the support of cross play for Xbox, PlayStation and PC will allow players to experience epic pirate adventures with friends on more platforms. 

These titles join franchises like Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Diablo – which already reach players and fans on multiple platforms – and we’re excited for more players to experience these worlds and stories on more platforms.   

Whether it’s Nintendo Switch and PlayStation players surviving in the backyard together in Grounded, or PlayStation players getting to live a pirate’s life in Sea of Thieves, with cross-play, these multiplayer titles available will bring more people together and continue to grow their communities of players.  

Last week on The Official Xbox Podcast, we also discussed how our Xbox consoles will continue to provide a flagship experience for players. This is what it means to be a part of Xbox: 

  • The biggest games in the world will be on Xbox.    
  • Our first party games will come to Game Pass day one.  
  • A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap. 
  • Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.   
  • Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible. 

And as we shared at Developer_Direct, earlier this year, players can look forward to Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and more on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass this year.  

There’s never been a better time to play, and we can’t wait for more players to experience these great games.  

The post New Platforms, New Players: Four Fan-Favorite Xbox Games Coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony Platforms appeared first on Xbox Wire.