Category: Video Games

I’m Getting Epic Pulls Thanks To These UK Pokémon TCG Booster Bundle Deals

Pokémon TCG is popping right now, and it’s not going to slow down throughout 2025 thanks to Prismatic Evolutions, the upcoming Journey Together expansion and the heavily rumoured return of Team Rocket cards. The current problem is stock, which is a massive challenge when finding recent sets for RRP in stores. Luckily, Amazon has our backs with Booster Bundles from Scarlet and Violet, including the immensely popular Surging Sparks.

UK Deals: Pokémon TCG Booster Bundles

What’s the point of ripping open boosters if you have nothing to chase? The good news is all of the below Booster Bundle deals have some immense chase cards that are either starting to even out or skyrocket in value. This is the best way to avoid the pricey world of single-card sales. Imagine buying a selection of Booster bundles and finding a £100+ banger? It’s not guaranteed, but it’s the thrill of the chase, right?

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks Booster Bundle

Pikachu ex 238/191 (SIR)

Surging Sparks is starting to calm down on the singles market thanks to recent restocks, but Pikachu ex-SIR still holds its value. Granted, it’s a much more respectable £280, but that’s still a lot of money for many people for one card. It’s a damn sight cheaper than November 2024 when this card was selling for well over £400, with some listings touching £500. Long story short, grab some Surging Sparks booster bundles while they’re in stock and cheap. You never know!

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces Booster Bundle

Raging Bolt ex 208/162 (SIR)

Honestly, I hated this Paradox rehash of Raikou when Scarlet and Violet DLC 2 dropped, but Raging Bolt has grown on me. Everyone wants Pokémon to take more risks with their games, so complaining about them taking risks is a bit of an oxymoron to me. This bad boy is currently zapping around the singles market for around £90. That’s a slow creep from around the mid-£70 mark around November 2024, but it’s a climb nonetheless. As this set runs out of stock, this price is bound to get higher, so get ripping some Temporal Forces.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Twilight Masquerade Booster Bundle

Eevee 188/167 (IR)

You thought I’d go for Greninja’s ex (SIR) for this one, right? Too obvious and Illustration Rares need some love. Most of these cards are slept on right now, so it’s a great time to snap them up. Eevee IR is a prime example of how Illustration Rares will climb in value for their artwork; don’t sleep on them. Eevee IR is currently going for around £70, which has jumped from around £50 in October and November 2024.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable Booster Bundle

Cassiopeia 094/064 (SIR)

Shrouded Fable has shade thrown at it in the Pokémon TCG community. Still, plenty of awesome Chase cards have settled in price and are valuable. Cassiopeia 094/064 (SIR) is one of the coolest trainer cards, Secret Illustration Rares. It goes for around £40/£50 on the single card market, which is a nice settling point from its £35/£40 value at the end of 2024. Suppose you’re a big fan of Fezandipidi, Okidoki, Punkidori and Pecharunt. In that case, this is a top mini-expansion to rip open.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown Booster Bundle

Terapagos ex 170/142 (SIR)

My take on the Scarlet and Violet era is solid artwork is and will be more valuable than Pokémon. We’re seeing bloody Magikarp cards going for good money right now; go back to the early 2000s and tell yourself that and kill yourself from the bans. Terapagos ex 170/142 (SIR) is one of the weirder legendaries in Pokémon. Still, it’s the basis of Terastalisation and featured heavily in Pokémon Horizons anime. It’s a stunning card that fetches around £70 raw, which is a nice settling point between the £60 to £90 fluctuations we saw back in 2024. Stellar Crown is also a slept-on set, but there are many superb Illustration rares and chase cards like this. Get those booster bundles ripped!

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.

Poll: Box Art Brawl – Duel: Mario Kart 64

Vroooom!

Welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl, everyone!

Last week, Klonoa: Empire of Dreams was thrust into the spotlight, with North America, Europe, and Japan all vying for the top prize (and yes, we mistakenly labelled it as a ‘duel’ – sorry about that). Ultimately, with its bold, simple design, Europe’s offering won the week with 51% of the vote. Japan managed 38%, while the less said about North America’s dire variant, the better.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Nintendo’s Surprise Switch 2 Trailer Is On Track To Surpass 20 Million Views

It’s already “tracking ahead” of the PS5 reveal.

After an overload of rumours and leaks, Nintendo this week released its first trailer for the Switch 2.

For anyone worried about the company’s lack of marketing or promotion in the leadup to this big announcement, it doesn’t appear to have impacted the reveal – with the trailer still trending in the top spot on YouTube days later.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Daily Deals: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Meta Quest 3S, PS5 Disc Drive, and More

The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Saturday, January 18, below:

Meta Quest 3S 256GB for $349

Amazon has the Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow for $349 today. This headset is perfect if you’re just entering the VR space, and it’s equipped with everything you need to experience all the latest games out there. In our 9/10 review, we stated, “Raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time.”

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for $49.99

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD just release for Nintendo Switch this week, and you can already save $10 off at Woot. If you enjoyed Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Returns HD is another excellent entry you are sure to have fun with. There are many different worlds to traverse through, with a variety of collectibles and items to discover.

PS5 Disc Drive Available at Target

If you are a recent PS5 Slim or PS5 Pro owner, it’s likely you have ran into some trouble looking for in-stock PS5 Disc Drives. These sell out quickly each time they are restocked, but Target has the item available right now for $79.99. If you’ve been looking for a PS5 Disc Drive, grab one before they’re gone.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered for $19.93

As the name suggest, this collection packs in remasters of the first three Tomb Raider games, and you can score this bundle for only $19.93 this weekend at Amazon. Both the Nintendo Switch and PS5 versions of the game are on sale, so you can grab a copy for the platform of your choice!

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 SteelBook Up for Pre-Order

It’s been a month since Sonic The Hedgehog 3 released in theaters, and you can now pre-order the 4K Steelbook at Amazon. This edition includes a 4K UHD disc, a Blu-ray disc, and a digital copy that you can redeem. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 pits Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles against the formidable Shadow. If you’re a Sonic fan, this is the ultimate celebration of the franchise.

Save $44 Off This Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Wireless Controller

This deal from Target on the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller is one you can’t miss. Widely regarded as one of the best controllers on the market, the Elite Series 2 has so many great features you can use to your advantage. This includes modifying the tension of the thumbsticks, creating custom button profiles, and so much more. The Core version of the Elite Series 2 controller allows for a cheaper price point with less premium outer materials and textures. Additionally, you won’t get the paddles or charging dock in the box, so you’ll need to buy those separately if you’d like them.

Logitech G713 Mechanical Keyboard for $69

Normally $115.60, you can save $46.80 off this Logitech G713 keyboard today at Walmart. The G713 is a wired mechanical gaming keyboard with GX Blue switches. A cloud-shaped palm rest is included for maximum comfort, as well as support for Logitech’s Lightsync RGB. You can even customize both the top plate and keycaps to your liking!

Stardew Valley Creator Releases New Patch For Nintendo Switch Version

Kicking off 2025 with some bug fixes.

It’s a new year and Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone has already rolled out a new patch for the Switch version of Stardew Valley.

This new update does only appear to be a small one, but it’s an important fix – addressing multiple bugs that were popping up for players on Nintendo’s hybrid device. Here’s the full rundown:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Forget Prismatic Evolutions, I’m Buying These UK Silver Tempest Deals

Whilst Pokémon TCG trainers are scrambling to find Prismatic Evolutions this weekend, I’m thinking outside Bills PC Box by looking at older sets that are still available for RRP. Silver Tempest is in a unique position right now, with single card prices soaring and stock set to run out by the end of 2025. It’s also one of the cheapest sets to collect right now, with Elite Trainer Boxes dipping just below £40 at Amazon and Zavvi. But why Silver Tempest specifically? Let’s look at the insane pulls this Sword and Shield era expansion delivers.

UK Deals: I’m Buying Silver Tempest Before It Goes Out Of Stock

Lugia V 186/195 (Alt Art)

This is hands down the best Lugia Pokémon card out there; look at that amazing artwork! Whilst being playable to quickly get through a deck, this is one for the collectors. Lugia V Alt Art is starting to climb in value, from around £150 on the secondary market at the end of 2024 to around the £230 mark at the time of writing. There’s every chance to still pull one of these bad boys in Silver Tempest products on store shelves right now.

Rayquaza VMAX TG20/TG30 (Trainer Gallery)

Honourable Silver Tempest Mentions

– Lugia VSTAR 202/195 (Rainbow Rare)

– Unown V 177/195 (Alt Art)

– Regidrago V 184/195 (Alt Art)

– Trainer Gallery Cards, the artwork is stunning on them all

Trainer Gallery cards are still very cheap for the most part (usually under £5), so I’d highly recommend picking them up. They’re stunning, and their value will only climb as time goes on. Plus, they’re so fun to collect. Rayquaza Vmax is stunning, rocking its Dragon Clan routes whilst considering how massive this Pokémon is. This card has nearly tripled in value from the back end of 2024, with sold listings from December going for as low as £25. Most recent sales are going for between £60 to £80, and I don’t see that price getting any cheaper as 2025 progresses.

Pokemon TCG: Sword & Shield 12 Silver Tempest Elite Trainer Box

8 booster packs of Silver Tempest, Alolan Vulpix sleeves, dice, damage counters, and a cool box to store your bulk are a solid deal for £39.99. Unfortunately, this is the dark times before every ETB has a cool promo card, but it’s still a sweet deal. It’s also probably a good idea to keep one sealed if you’re a collector; the value for these will certainly rise as stock runs out in stores.

Pokémon Sword & Shield—Silver Tempest Build & Battle Stadium

For an extra £20 over the Silver Tempest ETB, trainers can snag 12 booster packs, two 40-card build and battle decks, extra energy cards, damage counter dice, coins, and status markers. There’s also a foil promo card. It’s certainly worth the extra few quid to pony up. It is perfect for trainers wanting everything they need to start battling with one handy product.

Pokémon Silver Tempest Triple Pack

Looking for cheap Silver Tempest pulls? The triple booster blister packs are a good deal at £12.99, with a cool promo card and game-legal coin to sweeten the deal. Buying three will get you one extra booster over elite trainer boxes for £1 less. If you’re not bothered about the ETB swag, this one’s for you.

Pokemon TCG: Sword & Shield 12 Silver Tempest Elite Trainer Box

An honourable mention goes to Zavvi as they’ve got a sale going this weekend with 20% off in-stock Pokémon TCG products. This brings down the Silver Tempest ETB to the same price as Amazon, but adding more products to your basket means a solid deal for any trainers looking to stock up on other Scarlet and Violet boxed products.

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.

Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (18th January)

Wait, we have to play the Switch 1..?!

The weekend is here folks, which means it’s time to get cracking with some gaming. Before we put our feet up, however, let’s recap what’s been going on in this very quiet, unevenful week in the world of Nintendo (chortle!).

Yes, in actuality, it’s been a ruddy busy one, with Nintendo finally officially revealing the Switch 2. Not only that, but the debut trailer also gave us a brief, yet tantalising look at a brand-new Mario Kart game, affectionately titled Mario Kart 9 for now.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com