Category: Video Games

Reigns: Three Kingdoms arrives on PC next week

Reigns is a kingdom management game which boils narrative choice down to its simplest form, by presenting the player with a long series of binary choices they swipe left or right on. From that basic interaction, it spins enjoyable yarns with some strategic underpinnings.

It’s had several followups and spin-offs since, and it’s about to get another. Reigns: Three Kingdoms, which lets you swipe your way through anccient China, will launch on January 11th.

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Daily Deals: Super Mario RPG, Crucial 2TB SSD, Thermaltake A3 850W PSU

It’s the first weekend of 2024, and there are some exciting deals that have gone live now that the holiday season has ended. From video games to PC components, there is no shortage of deals you don’t want to miss out on. The best deals for Saturday, January 6, include Super Mario RPG, a 2TB Crucial SSD, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, and more.

Super Mario RPG for $47.69

The recently released remake of Super Mario RPG is 20% off at Walmart right now. If you’ve yet to either play the original or check out the remake, this is the perfect time to do so. Composer Yoko Shimimura returned to compose the remake’s original soundtrack, and each boss and environment has been expertly recrafted for the Nintendo Switch. It’s the perfect Mario title to check out if you’ve already beaten Super Mario Bros. Wonder!

2TB PS5 Compatible SSD for $124.99

You can never have enough storage for a console like the PlayStation 5. File sizes have only grown with each passing year, and each of the biggest titles of the year usually requires 100GB on the low end. This Crucial T-500 2TB SSD includes a heatsink, so it’s ready to slot into your PS5 with no other installation required. If you don’t have an SSD yet, this is a great deal to take a look at.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete 4K Blu-ray for $18.90

With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth just a month and a half away, there has never been a better time to watch Advent Children. This 4K Remaster of the Complete edition packs in multiple bonus features, in addition to the revised cuts and over 25 minutes of added content throughout the movie. It’s likely that Advent Children could be very important to the story of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, especially with Square Enix electing to bring the movie back to theaters just days before the game’s release.

Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 850W

If you’re in the market for a new power supply, look no further than the Thermaltake GF A3 850W. This Gold Certified PSU is fully compatible with ATX 3.0 Standards and is PCIe Gen 5.0 ready. Additionally, it is fully modular, so you’ll only need to use the necessary cables for your specific build. Almost any of the new 4000 series cards will work effortlessly with this 850W PSU.

$800 Off One of LG’s Best 2022 TVs

Best Buy has the 77″ LG G2 Gallery Series 4K OLED TV on sale for $2,474.99. It’s one of the best TVs that LG put out in 2022, which makes this a fantastic deal for a high quality 4K OLED TV. Utilizing the Gen5 AI Processor 4K, you’ll get the best color and picture quality from your LG TV. It will automatically adjust both the picture and sound depending on the content you are watching. Additionally, this TV has 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, making it a perfect for the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.

Save 20% Off This LEGO Icons Atari 2600 Set

Right now, Amazon has the LEGO Icons Atari 2600 set on sale for $191.99. That’s 20% off the listing price of $239.99! This set includes loads of nostalgia and retro fun, with a to-size Atari 2600 console and its iconic controller. Additionally, Asteroids, Adventure, and Centipede cartridges are included to be built, with game scenes representing the three games as well. Overall, this is a great set to pick up if you love Atari or are looking for a rush of nostalgia for video games.

LEGO DC Super-Villains for $14.99

LEGO DC Super-Villains is a title that went under the radar for many. The collaboration between DC Comics and WB Games sees you take control of some of DC’s biggest villains and wreak havoc across multiple cities. A new group of suspicious heroes has appeared, and it’s up to the villains to uncover their true intentions. This deal is for the Nintendo Switch version of the game, which runs consistently in docked and handheld modes.

Apple AirPods Pro with USB Type-C for $189.99

There’s no better holiday gift than a new pair of AirPods. Amazon has dropped the price of the 2nd gen Apple AirPods Pro truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds with the universal USB Type-C connector by $50, now only $199.99. Best of all, it can be delivered to you before Christmas, December 25 without paying any additional shipping fee. With this current gen AirPods Pro, Apple has replaced the proprietary Lightning port with the more universal USB Type-C. For people who want to bring along a single charging cable for all of their mobile devices, this is a godsend.

Netflix Exclusive Reigns: Three Kingdoms Launches On Switch Next Week

Featuring a new card battle system & online play.

Devolver Digital and UK studio Nerial have today locked in a release date for Reigns: Three Kingdoms on the Nintendo Switch and PC, announcing it will be arriving next week on 11th January 2024.

This fifth entry in the Reigns strategy series was originally “available exclusively for Netflix members” in November 2022 and draws inspiration from the Chinese epic “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Feature: Zelda’s Forgotten Steward – Who Is Hidemaro Fujibayashi?

The man, the myth, the legend.

Since his outstanding work on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, director and producer Eiji Aonuma has cemented himself as the driving force behind one of Nintendo’s most celebrated, enduring, and lucrative franchises. For many Zelda fans, he holds just about as much prestige in the ranks of Nintendo as Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, and the late, great Satoru Iwata.

Yet for as vital as Aonuma has proven himself to be for the growth of The Legend of Zelda, there’s another creator who has arguably taken even more of a crucial role in the franchise’s development in recent years: Hidemaro Fujibayashi. In fact, as of 2023, Fujibayashi holds the most directorial credits for the Zelda franchise, helming Oracle of Ages and Seasons, Four Swords, The Minish Cap, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom. He also served as story writer and sub-director on Phantom Hourglass.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 6th)

Back for more in ’24.

And just like that, we’re one week into 2024 — well, near enough — and it’s time for the first What Are You Playing of the year!

Before we dive into a weekend of gaming plans, remaining Quality Street and questionable leftover Christmas cheese, however, let’s take a look at what happened in the world of Nintendo this week. We laid out our gaming predictions for the year ahead, ran through some of the discounted delights in yet another eShop sale (will it ever end?) and restarted the ‘Switch 2’ chatter with the predictions of an industry analyst.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The Weirdest Pokemon Evolution Methods in the Scarlet and Violet DLC

Listen, there are some weird Pokemon evolutions out there, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have them in spades. Sometimes the cute little guy you first caught will evolve into an absolute monstrosity, or just something a little bit… off. But who doesn’t love a good motley crew?

The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Teal Mask DLC introduced some new and classic Pokemon to the game, but evolving them isn’t always a straightforward process. Here are some of the most sought-after Pokemon evolution methods in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet The Teal Mask DLC and the Pokemon Indigo Disk DLC.

How to Evolve Nosepass in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

This adorable little Moai (or Easter Island head) of a Pokemon makes a return in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC, but evolving Nosepass is different this time around.

Once you’ve found Nosepass in the northwestern corner of Kitakami (we recommend looking in Paradise Barrens) you will need to expose Nosepass to a Thunder Stone in order to evolve it into its next strange form, Probopass. Alternatively, if you don’t want to evolve Nosepass, you can sometimes find and defeat Probopass in either a 5-Star or 6-Star Tera Raid.

How to Evolve Aipom in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet

  • Teach Aipom the Double Hit move
  • Defeat in Tera Raid Battle

It’s always been just a little disconcerting that Aipom evolves from a cute little monkey with a hand on its tail to a cute little monkey with… they kind of look like udders, okay? If you want Aipom’s evolution, Ambipom, however, you can evolve your Aipom using this trick.

First, you will want to teach your Aipom the move Double Hit. Aipom should learn the Double Hit move naturally at Level 32. Once Aipom knows Double Hit, you only need to level it up once more and it evolves into Ambipom!

How to Evolve Lampent in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Yep, a chandelier Pokemon. Starting out as the precious candle Pokemon, Litwick, you can take its second evolution Lampent another level and get yourself your very own Chandelure.

To evolve Lampent into Chandelure, you will need to expose your Lampent to Dusk Stone. There is a guaranteed drop of Dusk Stone behind the Montenevera Gym, if you’re having trouble finding some. Otherwise, you can skip evolving Lampent altogether and capture a Chandelure after defeating one in a 5-Star or 6-Star Tera Raid Battle.

How to Evolve Weepinbell in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

  • Expose to Leaf Stone
  • Defeat in high-level Tera Raid Battle

It has to be said. Weepinbell goes from looking very much like a mouth to evolving into a mouth with sharp teeth. If this cursed creature is your cup of tea though, you can catch Weepinbell and evolve it into your very own Victreebel!

To evolve Weepinbell, you’ll need to expose your Weepinbell to a Leaf Stone. We recommend looking for Leaf Stone in Tagtree Thicket, or you can just buy one. You can also just capture a Victreebel by defeating it in a higher-level Tera Raid Battle.

How to Evolve Dusclops in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

  • Trade while holding Reaper Cloth
  • Defeat in high-level Tera Raid Battle

This strange Ghost-type Pokemon Dusclops can only be evolved into a Dusknoir by trading it at Level 37. However, there’s a catch! The Dusclops must be holding a Reaper Cloth when traded. To find one, head to the Timeless Woods in Kitakami, and look around the ground in the center of it, to the south, for a Poke Ball on the ground containing one. Dusclops is one of several Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that can only evolve when traded.

The only other way to snag yourself the sinister Dusknoir Pokemon is to defeat one in a high-level Tera Raid in Kitakami.

How to Evolve Poliwhirl in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Okay, so Poliwhirl really isn’t that “weird” for a Pokemon, at least when you compare it to others. What’s strange about Poliwhirl is that it’s one of the few Pokemon that has a “branching” evolution. Not only that, but its Politoed evolution circumvents the usual standard in which an adorable Pokemon evolves into a “tougher” looking Pokemon.

If you want to evolve your Poliwhirl into a cute Politoed instead of Poliwrath, you will need to trade it while it’s holding a King’s Rock at Level 25. You can get King’s Rock from Delibird Presents. The only other way you’ll encounter a Politoed in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is in a high-level Tera Raid Battle in Kitakami.

How to Evolve Feebas in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

  • Trade while holding a Prism Scale
  • Defeat Milotic in 5-Star or 6-Star Tera Raid Battles

This very decased-looking fish Pokemon, Feebas, is tough to locate in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. If you need help tracking Feebas down, try using our Where to Find Feebas in The Teal Mask DLC guide.

Originally, Feebas would only evolve into Milotic once it was as beautiful as it could be, but since that old Pokemon Contest mechanic is missing from Scarlet and Violet, you’ll have to follow a different method. Once you’ve caught Feebas, the next step is to give it a Prism Scale and trade it. Once traded, it will evolve into a Milotic! If you’re up for the challenge, alternatively you can defeat Milotic in a 5-Star or 6-Star Tera Raid Battle found in the Kitakami region.

How to Evolve Applin in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

  • Expose to a Syrupy Apple
  • Defeat Dipplin in 4-Star Tera Raid Battle

Dipplin is a new, strange candied apple Pokemon introduced in The Teal Mask DLC. To get it, you’ll first need to find an Applin. These are easier to find in Kitakami, specifically the Apple Hills. Applin already had two different evolutions depending on the type of apple you expose it to, and Dipplin is now the third. Once you have acquired an Applin, simply expose it to the new Syrupy Apple! You can also find Dipplin in 6-Star Tera Raid Battles in Blueberry Academy’s Terrarium.

How to Evolve Dipplin in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

  • Teach it Dragon Cheer and level it up once

Hydrapple is really just a collection of six “syrpents” who live in an apple made of syrup. Really. It’s the new second stage evolution of the Applin line introduced in The Indigo Disk DLC, and to get it, you’ll need to evolve the more subdued Dipplin. Dipplin will need to learn Dragon Cheer via TM before it can level up and evolve. To get the Dragon Cheer TM, defeat a certain BB League Elite Four member in the Polar Biome.

How to Evolve Hisuian Qwilfish in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

  • Teach it Barb Barrage and level it up
  • Defeat Overqwil in 6-Star Tera Raid Battles in Blueberry Academy’s Terrarium

Hisuian Qwilfish and Overqwil aren’t too strange, considering they’re kind of inspired by real-life sea creatures, but the method to evolve Hisuian Qwilfish is a fairly unique one. It needs to know Barb Barrage first and then level up to evolve into Overqwil. You can also encounter the angry Overqwil in 6-Star Tera Raid Battles in Blueberry Academy’s Terrarium.

How to Evolve Inkay in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet

  • Level up Inkay to Lv. 30 or up while the Switch is upside down
  • Defeat Malamar in 5- or 6-Star Tera Raid Battles in Blueberry Academy’s Terrarium

Inkay is a cute ‘lil squid friend that evolves into Malamar, a curious Dark- and Psychic type Pokemon that can hypnotize its victim. The evolution method for Inkay has been stumping players since its inception, and the method hasn’t changed for its reintroduction in The Indigo Disk DLC. Level Inkay up to at least Level 30 while the console – yes, the entire Nintendo Switch – is upside down.

How to Evolve Milcery in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet

  • Give Milcery a Sweet to hold and spin
  • Defeat Malamar in 5- or 6-Star Tera Raid Battles

Milcery’s a cute cream Pokemon first introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield with a completely unique method of evolution that is… quite specific and strange. First, you must let it hold a Sweet. Then, exit the menu and twirl the control stick so your trainer spins–Milcery should evolve into Alcremie! A pile of whipped cream and strawberries. Well, its adornments will change based on the Sweet you gave it! Yum.

All Trade Evolution Pokemon in Scarlet/Violet

There are some Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet that require you to trade them before they’ll evolve. These Pokemon are Trade Evolutions.

Here is the list of all trade evolutions in Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet (and the DLC) as a quick reference:

  • How to Evolve Scyther
    • Trade while it’s holding a Metal Coat
  • How to Evolve Haunter
    • Trade
  • How to Evolve Slowpoke
    • Trade while it’s holding a King’s Rock (for Slowking)
  • How to Evolve Graveler
    • Trade at Level 25 or higher
  • How to Evolve Gurdurr
    • Trade at Level 25 or higher
  • How to Evolve Phantump
    • Trade
  • How to Evolve Rhydon
    • Trade while it’s holding a Protector
  • How to Evolve Electabuzz
    • Trade while it’s holding an Electirizer
  • How to Evolve Magmar
    • Trade while it’s holding a Magmarizer
  • How to Evolve Poliwhirl
    • Traide while it’s holding a King’s Rock (for Politoed)
  • How to Evolve Gurdurr
    • Trade
  • How to Evolve Seadra
    • Trade while it’s holding a Dragon Scale
  • How to Evolve Dusclops
    • Trade while it’s holding a Reaper Cloth
  • How to Evolve Feebas
    • Trade while it’s holding a Prism Scale
  • How to Evolve Porygon
    • Trade while it’s holding an Upgrade
  • How to Evolve Porygon 2
    • Trade while it’s holding a Dubious Disk
  • How to Evolve Phantump
    • Trade

All of these evolutions can also be caught after defeating them in Tera Raid Battles if you’ve got what it takes, too.

Are there some Pokemon who you are hoping to evolve that weren’t on this list? You can find every Pokemon and their evolution items over on our How to Evolve Every Pokemon guide for Scarlet and Violet! On the flip side, if you are looking for more Teal Mask DLC help, check out our walkthrough or How to Catch the Loyal Three guides!

Shailyn Cotten is a Freelance Writer for IGN. When she’s not writing guides, you can find her gobbling up Legend of Zelda lore, writing cozy fantasy novels, or live-streaming on Twitch. You can find her on Twitter at @ShaiCotten.

Princess Peach: Showtime! Has Been Rated For Nintendo Switch

The show opens this March.

It’s a new year and that means Nintendo has a whole bunch of new games to release. One of these happens to be Princess Peach: Showtime! for the Switch.

This title was originally confirmed to be arriving on 22nd March 2024 during last year’s September Direct and in the latest update, an ESRB rating for the game has now been spotted online. This seemingly confirms its release is still on track.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

How to Use VALORANT’s New Gun: The Outlaw

VALORANT Episode 8 Act 1 is dropping January 10th and brings, for the first time since launch, a new gun. The Outlaw is the new weapon in the latest season that brings a new sniper rifle into play. Here’s everything you need to know about the Outlaw and the newest season of VALORANT.

OUTLAW

The Outlaw is a brand new double-barreled sniper rifle made to fit somewhere between the Marshal and Operator sniper rifles in the roster. The Outlaw can fire two shots in succession very quickly without zooming out. Depending on how many shots you’ve fired, one shot or two, the reload times will vary and are overall a bit longer than the other sniper rifles to compensate for the fire rate.

Nick Smith, Game Designer II and Sal Garozzo, Game Designer Architect, stated, “The Shorty (the sawed off shotgun sidearm in Valorant) served as a bit of an inspiration in that regard, allowing us to reimagine that paradigm in a new context with a Sniper rifle.”

The Outlaw will be especially formidable against players wearing Light Armor due to its high damage and two-shot mechanics. The Outlaw costs 2,400 credits in matches so it’s right between its competitors the Marshal and Operator.

OUTLAW BUNDLE

The Outlaw also drops with a new Throwback Bundle in the VALORANT SHOP that costs 2,320 VP and includes two skins for the Outlaw with 3 variants each. The Prism/Reloaded Outlaw skin and the Ego Outlaw skin. There are no unique custom animations and VFX for these skins but the Prism and Ego skins returning from 2020 have new color variants to make up for that and the price point.

VALORANT Episode 8 Act 1 will be available to everyone January 10th with a new battle pass.

Stella is a Video Producer, Host, and Editor at IGN. Her gameplay focus is on competitive FPS games and she’s previously reviewed Apex Legends, Hyper Scape, Halo Infinite Multiplayer, and Battlefield 2042. She regularly hosts and shoutcasts competitive Apex Legends and Halo Infinite tournaments when she isn’t streaming on her Twitch channel after work outs. You can follow her on Twitter @ParallaxStella.