Combo Critters is a free, crunchy creature collecting deck builder from the Shotgun King devs

Tiny deck builder Combo Critters exhibits the winning combination common to both small games and radical breakfast cereals – it’s very crunchy, but also bright, sugary and moreish. If Thaddius Cornflakes had recommended struggling families play Combo Critters instead of eating Cookie Crisp for dinner, I imagine the backlash would have far more reserved. Cookie Crisp tastes like like someone poured Splenda on a packing peanut fished out from a puddle. Combo Critters, though? Pretty tasty, and also free from Itch here.

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LEGO Horizon Adventures Estimated Switch File Size Seemingly Revealed

Clear up some blocks.

Aloy’s new game LEGO Horizon Adventures is out on the Switch this month, and if you’re planning on downloading this game, you might be curious to know just how much space it will take up.

According to an official Switch eShop listing, you’ll need around 5.9GB of free space on your system to install it. The file size of the game doesn’t appear to have been revealed for the PlayStation, but the Steam listing says the PC version requires around 30GB of storage.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Super Mario Party Jamboree In-Store Demo Added To Nintendo Kiosks (US)

Try before you party.

Ahead of the launch of Super Mario Party Jamboree later this month on 17th October 2024, it’s been revealed a demo of the game has been added to in-store Nintendo kiosks across the US.

This demo is available at select GameStop, Best Buy and Target, and allows you to party for 10 minutes in total. As highlighted by Nintendo Wire, you’ll be able to try out two game modes: the Koopathlon and Minigame Bay. Here’s a bit more about them:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Amazon Drops the Price on This 1TB Micro SDXC Card, Perfect for Your Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck

Here’s your chance to get one of the best Micro SD cards for your Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch. As part of the October Prime Day Event, Amazon is offering a 1TB TeamGroup Pro Plus Micro SDXC card for only $59.99. Besides being compatible with gaming handhelds, the Pro Plus has a faster speed rating than most Micro SDXC cards in this price range and would make an excellent card for 4K action cameras and DSLRs.

1TB TeamGroup Pro Plus Micro SDXC Card for $59.99

The Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively, some of it reserved for the OS. To give you an idea of how paltry those capacities are, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom uses up 16GB and Breath of the Wild about 13.5GB. If bought digitally, those two games alone would take up all of your internal storage on the OG Switch console. If there’s any one Switch accessory that we think is absolutely required, it’s a high-capacity memory card.

The Steam Deck is equally space constrained. Although it starts out with more base storage (64GB to 512GB), Steam games can easily take up far more space than that base storage. For example, the best games to play on Steam Deck take up over 60GB each. Even if you opted for the 512GB model, you’re going to run out of space sooner than you think. For more information, check out our Steam Deck review or, for that matter, our ASUS ROG Ally review.

The TeamGroup Pro Plus card offers an extra 1TB of storage on top of your base capacity. It’s compatible with virtually any device that accepts the Micro SDXC card standard including the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and the ASUS ROG Ally for that matter. The Pro Plus is a U3 A2 V30 rated card with read speeds of up to 160MB/s and write speeds of up to 110MB/s, which means it is faster than most Micro SDXC cards at its price point. That makes it a good option for devices with hefty transfer requirements, like 4K action cameras and DSLR cameras.

This is easily one of the best Steam Deck deals and Nintendo Switch deals available for October Prime Day, and absolutely worth considering if you find yourself short on space all too often. For more deals, check out our definitive Prime Day article for current news on everything related to the upcoming October Prime Day Sales event, including what deals to expect and whether or not you should wait for Black Friday.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Teen Becomes First Tetris NES Player to Clear Level 255 and Achieve the Mythical ‘Rebirth’

The Tetris community has reached another major milestone, with 16-year-old Michael “dogplayingtetris” Artiaga becoming the first player to clear level 255 and achieve the mythical “rebirth” — community parlance for reaching the game’s highest possible level and looping all the way back to the beginning.

As reported by Ars Technica, Artiaga accomplished the feat in front of hundreds of Twitch viewers, clearing some 3,300 lines over the course of 80 minutes. It’s an achievement that was thought to be impossible until techniques like rolling and hypertapping came into play, inspiring a new generation of Tetris pioneers.

Notably, Artiaga was playing on a special version of the Tetris NES rom that keeps it from crashing after passing level 155. Earlier this year, Tetris expert and fellow teen Willis “Blue Scuti” Gibson managed to beat Tetris for the first time by hitting one of these crashes on level 157, marking the first ever instance of a human player getting one over on Alexey Pajitnov’s classic. After level 157, the crash points continue to proliferate, making them virtually impossible to avoid.

Still, that doesn’t make Artiaga’s feat any less impressive. As Ars Technica notes, the NES version of Tetris actually has a glitch in level 235 that results in it taking an incredible 810 lines to clear — an eternity when you’re playing at the fastest possible rate. Artiaga spent 20 minutes on this level alone, finally proclaiming that he had “seen the light” when it was finished.

Artiaga went on to clear level 255 and finally pull off the “rebirth,” sending the game all the way back to level 0. Then, incredibly, he kept right on playing, continuing all the way to level 91 before finally giving up. His final score was 29,486,164, breaking the previous world record by Alex Thach by more than 12 million points.

“Oh my god, I’m so glad that game is over, bro,” Artiaga said. “I never want to play this game again, bro… I was starting to lose my mind.”

Fans hailed Artiaga’s accomplishment online, not just because he pulled off a world first rebirth, but because he proved that endless play was indeed possible. Now speculation has already begun on who might pull off the first “double rebirth.” If records keep falling at the pace that they have been, it shouldn’t be long. After all, it’s been less than a year since Blue Scuti beat Tetris, and he’s now crashing it for fun.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Splendor Is on Sale for $17.99 at Amazon, No Prime Membership Required

The cool thing about board games is the emphasis on playing with other people in real life. You call over your friends and gather around the table and have a grand old time. Thanks to Amazon’s October Prime Day, you can snag a bunch of cool board games on sale right now. That is, assuming you’re a Prime member (sign up here if not). One of the most popular board games on sale is Splendor, which you can pick up for $17.99 when you clip the $6 coupon on the page. That’s a massive discount off the $40 MSRP, so grab it before the deal goes away.

Get Splendor on Sale for $17.99

Splendor transports you back to the Renaissance era, where you and your opponents play as merchants trying to build your own individual empires. Your job is to collect gems, build shops, and make partnerships with wealthy citizens on your way to commercial dominance. It’s an engine-building game (in fact, it’s on our list of the very best engine-building board games), so you build up various money-making schemes that keep on chugging when you’re not paying attention to them. Next step, take over the world.

It’s not one of those heavyweight games in terms of systems that take forever to learn how to play. It’s more beginner-friendly. In fact, if you have older kids, you could even play it as a family board game.

Splendor is always one of the more popular board games for the IGN audience, and for good reason. If you’re looking for a game with a bit of strategy that a wide range of players can play, it’s a rock-solid choice. And now it’s available for cheap, so pick it up before the deal ends. Amazon’s sale event only runs two days, and even though this deal isn’t explicitly a part of it (you don’t need Prime to take advantage), that doesn’t mean it’ll last.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads.

This Week Has Some of the Biggest Video Game Releases of 2024

We’re now properly into the month of October, and that means that some of 2024’s biggest game releases are starting to roll out.

Monday morning saw several big reviews go live, including very positive reviews for Metaphor: ReFantazio (currently a 94 on Metacritic) and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (our review is currently in progress, but we feel like it’s a labor of love). That’s on top of Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, the Silent Hill 2 remake, and more.

Here are some of the biggest games coming out this week

  • Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) – October 8 (though it’s available in some regions today)
  • Silent Hill 2 Remake (PC, PS5) – October 8
  • Destiny 2: Revenant (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) – October 8
  • Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) – October 11
  • Starship Troopers: Extermination (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) – October 11
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) – October 11

It’s a busy week in what looks to be a customarily busy month for games, with Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 also due to release (the latter just got a brand-new trailer).

So the question is: Which of these games are you planning to play first? Silent HIll? Dragon Ball? Metaphor? All of the above? Answer the poll and share your thoughts in the comments.

In meantime, make sure to keep it locked on IGN for lots of coverage around all of these releases, including why Silent 2 Hill is powerfully miserable and why Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brilliant evolution of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Echoes of Wisdom Players Are Finding Creative New Ways to Win Horse Races

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom pushes players to use creativity, rather than brute force, to solve its most tricky puzzles and even boss fights. But while most dungeons and boss fights are a breeze as long as you’ve been keeping your collection of Echoes up to date, there’s one ultra-challenging roadblock that more and more players are reporting is stumping them. No, it’s not a super-hard enemy…it’s a horse race.

Over the last week, player after player has posted on the Echoes of Wisdom and Zelda subreddits complaining about the game’s horse races, and specifically the “short race” in particular. The short race, which Zelda can enter once she passes a point in the game where she gets her own horse (as opposed to a rental) is supposed to be simple. Ride the horse around a circular track exactly one time, and do it in under 17 seconds. Basic stuff.

But for some reason, this particular horse race is a nightmare to do in that amount of time. The track is littered with crates (which Zelda’s horse can jump) and trees (which it cannot jump) to trip you up, making it hard to gain and maintain speed. Post after post has appeared with players finishing the race in just over 17 seconds or even 17 exactly…but needing under 17 to win. Even players who have passed the other horse races with flying colors are struggling with the short race.

Fortunately, some players are finding creative solutions. One player posted a clip of Zelda using Echoes of lava rocks to build little staircases allowing the horse to jump over the tree obstacles, meaning they could get past them without swerving and losing speed. Another popular tactic was even simpler: just use Tri to move the trees out of the way as you ride past, avoiding them entirely. That method in particular is saving other players already:

If you need more tips to beat the horse races yourself, we’ve got a guide to all horse races in Echoes of Wisdom right here. You can also check out our wiki guides to everything else in Echoes of Wisdom, and our interactive map to help you track down heart containers, might crystals, and more.

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

Pathologic 3 announced with time travel mechanic, due for release in 2025

Found a dead rat in my inbox this morning. When I examined the entrails it spelled out the following: PaThoLoGiC 3 aNnOuNcEd ToDaY. Ah, I see. Developers Ice Pick Lodge are working on a sequel to their infamously oppressive plague town simulator, only this time the follow-up will feature “a time-travel mechanic, allowing players to go back and see how their decisions change the lives of the townspeople.” It will also put you in the fancy-schmancy shoes of the Bachelor, a doctor fond of quoting Latin phrases, who will have the ability to order quarantines and request patrols of entire areas of town. There’s no firm release date yet, but we’re told it’ll be ready some time next year.

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Monolith Soft Is Expanding Its In-House Xenoblade Game Engine For Future Titles

And it has landed a new R&D division.

Monolith Soft, the studio behind the Xenoblade Chronicles series, is expanding its in-house engine for use on future titles thanks to its newly-founded R&D department (thanks, Automaton).

That is according to the company’s Chief Creative Officer Tetsuya Takahashi and lead programmer Michihiko Inaba, who, in a recent interview with Japanese outlet CGworld, spoke about the company’s plans for the future as it plans to tackle bigger development projects.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com