In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you’d find all the weird goofs that we couldn’t fit in anywhere else. Some may call it “filler”; we prefer “a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag”.We don’t have pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes — so welcome to our semi-regular feature, Back Page.
Today, Jim imagines what an Illumination trailer for a Zelda movie would look (and sound) like…
The last few weeks have been filled to the brim with exciting summer gaming showcases, and now Nintendo has thrown its Mario-shaped hat into the ring as it has announced a brand-new Nintendo Direct will be arriving June 21, with roughly 40 minutes of information “focused mainly on Nintendo Switch titles launching this year, including new details on Pikmin 4.”
This guide will share everything you need to know about the upcoming Nintendo Direct, including when it starts, how you can watch it, and what you can expect to see from the show.
Nintendo Direct June 2023 Start Time
June 2023’s Nintendo Direct will take place on Wednesday, June 21, and will start at 7am PT/10am ET/3pm BST. If you live in Australia, that translates to June 22 at 12am AEST.
Where to Watch the Nintendo Direct June 2023
If you are interested in watching the latest Nintendo Direct, Nintendo will be hosting its stream on its homepage,YouTube, and Twitch.
While we won’t be hosting the stream on IGN, our Nintendo Voice Chat crew will be doing a pre-show before the direct that begins at 6:40am PT/9:40am ET/2:40pm BST, a live watch party during the Direct, and a breakdown of the Nintendo Direct immediately following the stream.
What to Expect at the Nintendo Direct June 2023
We don’t know a ton about what surprises Nintendo has in store for us tomorrow, but it did confirm the Nintendo Direct would feature “roughly 40 minutes of information focused mainly on Nintendo Switch titles launching this year, including new details on Pikmin 4.”
Pikmin 4 is set to be released on July 21, 2023, so expect a new look at gameplay from the first mainline Pikmin game since 2013’s Pikmin 4.
As for what else may show up at the Nintendo Direct, it could be time to announce the long-awaited re-releases of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and/or Twilight Princess, especially now that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been out in the wild for over a month now. It also could be time for a DLC announcement for Tears of the Kingdom, but that may be a bit too soon as many people are still working their way through the massive game we called a masterpiece.
Link and Zelda have also had a lot of time in the spotlight on Nintendo’s video game stage, and it may be time for them to take a bow and make way for the return of Mario. With the runaway success that is The Super Mario Bros. Movie and a lack of a mainline Mario game since 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey, this Nintendo Direct would be a great welcome back party for the best plumber in the biz.
Is there a chance we’ll be playing a new 2D or 3D Mario game this holiday for a repeat of the 1-2 punch in 2017 that was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey? We’ll find out soon enough!
Metroid Prime 4 has also been missing in action for some time and would be a very exciting announcement on the heels of the release of Metroid Prime Remastered earlier this year! It may be hard to believe, but Metroid Prime 4 was first announced back in 2017.
Something Pokemon-related may also be in the cards, as we only know a little bit about the expansions for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and there are those (like me!) who are hoping for the arrival of older Pokemon games like Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow on Nintendo Switch Online.
Also, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Hollow Knight: Silksong and Mother 3, because these two titles are always some of the most requested to show up in Nintendo Directs!
While you wait for what the future holds, be sure to check out our Nintendo Direct recap from February that featured The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Metroid Prime Remastered, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games, and more.
With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on the horizon (October 20 of this year, if you still need to mark your calendars), there’s no better time than now to play (or replay) Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. And if you’re looking to purchase the games for your collection, we have very good news for PC players: you can pick up both for PC on Newegg at a discounted price right now.
By using the promo codes below at checkout, you can save 50% in total on each game for PC. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is then marked down to $29.99 and Spider-Man: Miles Morales goes down to just $24.99. Keep in mind that they do require a Steam account to activate them.
Get 50% Off Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PC
Both of these games are ones we absolutely loved, with both receiving 9s in our reviews for them. With scores like that, it’s no wonder we’re excited to see what Insomniac has in store next. And for those interested in picking up Spider-Man 2, preorders are now live for the highly-anticipated upcoming game. Not only is the Standard Edition up for preorder but there’s also a Digital Deluxe Edition and a Collector’s Edition, which run for $79.99 and $229.99, respectively.
While both Editions come with the same digital items – which include five unique suits for Peter, five unique suits for Miles, additional Photo Mode items, and 2 Skill Points – the Collector’s Edition also comes with a Steelbook case and a very large 19-inch statue. To learn more about these Editions, make sure to visit our Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 preorder page, where we have additional details on what preorder bonuses you get for ordering any Edition of the game early as well.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Welp, it’s that time again folks. Another Nintendo Direct is almost upon us, with the latest showcase broadcasting on June 21st, 2023 at3pm BST / 4pm CEST / 7am PT / 10am ET / Wednesday 12am AET.
The Direct is said to be “roughly 40 minutes” in length and will focus mostly on games releasing this year, including Pikmin 4. We’ll get into a bit more detail shortly, but we’re also expecting to see the likes of Everybody 1-2-Switch and Master Detective Archives: Rain Code.
The Wumpa Fruit is calling, and it’s nearly time to open the gates. Experience a whole new way to Crash with the upcoming launch of Crash Team Rumble, arriving today, June 20 for PlayStation 4 and 5.
Developed by Toys for Bob, this all-new strategic multiplayer experience brings 4v4 platforming action to the Crash universe, featuring eight crazy characters and nine wild arenas at launch. Your team’s goal? Collect and bank the most Wumpa Fruit. Though strategically deep, it’s easy to pick up and play, making Crash Team Rumble a great title for Crash veterans and new players alike.
Scorers, Blockers, and Boosters
In their pursuit for fruit, each character will use their own unique abilities in addition to fulfilling one of three important roles as a Scorer, Blocker, or Booster. Scorers excel at moving around the map to collect and bank Wumpa, Blockers fight to prevent enemy players from depositing Wumpa at their bank, and Boosters collect Relics to activate map-specific, tide-turning Relic Stations and capture Gem Pads, which provide temporary multipliers to their team’s Wumpa deposits.
With eight characters available at launch plus more coming in post-launch content, there are plenty of ways to approach each match. For now, let’s focus on three of our characters: Catbat, N. Brio, and N. Tropy.
Catbat
A speedy Scorer with unmatched aerial mobility, Catbat is an all-new playable character in the Crash universe, equipped with a long-ranged dive attack and the ability to jump five times higher than other characters, making it easy to access hard-to-reach areas on the map.
Catbat also supports teammates with their healing ability to keep them going during the toughest combat encounters while easily engaging and disengaging opponents through use of their aerial maneuvers — they can even stall in the air to wait out the most dangerous situations below.
N. Brio
A high-risk, high-reward powerhouse, N. Brio is a Blocker who controls the battlefield with summoned monsters. By throwing flasks on the ground, he can summon up to two slime monsters that attack enemy opponents. The monsters also make for great jumping pads, allowing N. Brio to bounce off them for a major height boost.
By drinking his potion, he can transform himself into a huge monster, smashing anything in his path for a short time. Timing is critical, however: N. Brio is vulnerable to enemy attacks during the transformation process.
N. Tropy
The self-proclaimed master of time, N. Tropy is a ranged Blocker who sweeps the battlefield with large, slow-moving projectiles that can knock the enemy away. Using her long attack range, she chases down and pesters the enemy team from a safe distance.
When working in tandem with a powerful melee Blocker like Dingodile, N. Tropy really comes into her own, providing valuable ranged damage while her teammate takes on the brunt of the attack.
Post-launch expands the roster and more
Expect the roster of characters to expand with additional post-launch content, including two more characters arriving later in Season 1. Other post-launch content includes new arenas, modes, powers, time-limited events, customization options, and more.
Standard vs. Deluxe Editions
Purchase Crash Team Rumble for $29.99 SRP for the Standard Edition and $39.99 SRP for the Deluxe Edition. The Standard Edition includes the full game plus additional post-launch seasonal content and limited-time modes, as well as the Season 1 Premium Battle Pass*.
The Deluxe Edition includes everything in the Standard Edition plus 25 Battle Pass Tiers instantly unlocked during Season 1, the Season 2 Premium Battle Pass**, and the digital “Proto Pack,” which features extra customization options for each hero and villain at launch and more.
* Premium Battle Pass will be accessible in Crash Team Rumble once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in-game. Limited time only. Season 1 Premium Battle Pass (or equivalent version) must be redeemed by September 12, 2023.
**Premium Battle Pass and Tier Skips will be accessible in Crash Team Rumble once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in-game. Limited time only. Season 1 Premium Battle Pass (or equivalent version) and Tier Skips must be redeemed by September 12, 2023. Season 2 Premium Battle Pass (or equivalent version) must be redeemed by December 4, 2023.
Another day, another batch of Game Pass additions, with this selection being spread out across the end of June and beginning of July. The Xbox Wire blog shared this half of the month’s Game Pass additions earlier today, and there seems to be a little something for everyone. First up is Need for Speed Unbound via EA Play, the most recent and incredibly stylish entry in the racing game series, which you’ll be able to play on PC from June 22 – you’ll be able to stream it through the cloud too.
CD Projekt has released another patch for Cyberpunk 2077 that addresses a ton of bugs on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.
Outlined on the game’s website, patch 1.63 addresses several dozen issues still present in the game including bugs that stopped progression, text that appeared the wrong way in mirrors, misbehaving photo mode filters, and more.
The Xbox version of Cyberpunk 2077 gets specific changes of its own too. An issue that affected Xbox Series performance after playing for an extended period of time has now been addressed, and CD Projekt has changed the number of available save slots to 20 for manual saves and 10 for Point of No Return saves. The full patch notes can be seen below.
Fixed an issue where selecting a blue dialogue option while calling Mitch twice could cause the call to be permanently stuck on the screen.
All Along the Watchtower – Fixed an issue where V gets flatlined after crossing the border.
Chippin’ In – It is now possible to examine all of the clues on Ebunike before becoming detected.
Gimme Danger – Fixed an issue where there were no objectives left in the journal.
I Walk the Line – Fixed an issue that could cause V to randomly flatline during the quest.
Lightning Breaks – Fixed an issue where Panam wasn’t present in front of the garage and spawned inside the motel instead.
Machine Gun – Fixed an issue where the dialogue with Skippy wasn’t activated after performing 50 kills, and it wasn’t then possible to unequip Skippy.
Never Fade Away – Fixed an issue where Rogue despawned from the couch in the Atlantis, blocking progress.
Only Pain – Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to complete the “Defeat the cops” objective because the cops weren’t present at the intended location.
Play It Safe – Fixed an issue where holograms and platforms in the parade disappeared after an Auto Save was loaded.
Play It Safe – Fixed an issue where Takemura didn’t call to start the parade mission.
Pyramid Song – Fixed an issue where Judy teleported underground after entering the church.
Search and Destroy – Takemura will now move to his hiding spot instead of standing in the middle of the room during Arasaka’s attack.
Sex on Wheels – Fixed an issue where the Quadra Turbo-R V-Tech spawned underground, blocking progress.
Small Man, Big Mouth – Enemies and the van now spawn correctly.
The Heist – Fixed an issue where Jackie wasn’t present in front of the Afterlife.
With a Little Help from My Friends – Fixed an issue where the Nomads weren’t present at the train station.
Open World
Fixed some instances where some gigs were stuck in the “Undiscovered” stage and didn’t start after approaching the area.
Fixed an issue where regular subtitles appeared instead of overhead subtitles for some crowd NPCs in Rancho Coronado.
Gig: Bloodsport – V will no longer be reflected standing backwards when looking in the mirror in the dojo bathroom.
Gig: Last Login – Fixed an issue where it was possible to pick up the quest item before the quest was activated, breaking the flow of the mission.
Gig: Going-away Party – Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to get in the car with Flavio.
Gig: Guinea Pigs – All the security robots in the hotel now properly engage in combat.
Gig: On a Tight Leash – Fixed an issue that could cause the gig to be stuck without an objective after completing it.
Gig: Serial Suicide – Fixed an issue where the quest could reactivate again after completion and become stuck on the “Steal the CCTV footage” objective.
Reported Crime: Blood in the Air – Fixed an issue where the quest was stuck on the “Search the crate” objective even after searching the crate.
Reported Crime: Comrade Red – Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to search the stash.
UI
Fixed an issue where, while transferring money or data, the UI showed the “Enemy hack in progress” text.
Fixed an issue where devices could become unusable after opening the map.
Fixed an issue where the FSR toggle wasn’t grayed out after restarting the game with Dynamic Resolution Scaling on.
Visual
Fixed an issue where some surfaces had colour artifacts when Path Tracing was enabled.
Fixed an issue where bright, colourful flashes appeared at the edges of certain objects when DLSS was enabled.
PC-specific
Fixed a crash that occurred on launch when using Razer Chroma.
Fixed an issue where Photo Mode screenshots could appear as empty files and brought them back to their original folder location.
Improved performance of DLSS Frame Generation on AMD CPUs.
Console-specific
Changed the number of available save slots on Xbox to 20 for manual saves and 10 for Point of No Return saves. Players who have a number of saves that exceeds the new save limit will need to delete some saves to be able to create new saves.
Addressed an issue affecting performance on Xbox Series X|S after playing for an extended period of time.
Miscellaneous
Photo Mode stickers and frames will now properly appear on screenshots.
Padre will now recognize Corpo and Nomad V in the intro holocall.
REDmod
Allowed deploying mods from a listing file.
Updated command help texts.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
I’ve been meaning to round up the best Steam Deck accessories for a while now – ambushing Liam with homemade Etsy gadgets is one thing but now that there are literally millions of Decks in owners’ hands, quite literally, it’s time to put a serious face on and consider which accessories genuinely are the best buys.
This guide is keeping separate from the best Steam Deck microSD card list, mainly because a good microSD card is less of an accessory and more of a core essential (especially if you’ve gone for the 64GB Steam Deck model). Still, this guide will cover an array of addons, from alternative cases to thumbstick covers and USB-C docking stations.
Microsoft has announced the next wave of Xbox Game Pass games, taking subscribers to the end of June and into the early part of July.
Need for Speed Unbound races onto Game Pass on Xbox Series X and S, PC, and the cloud on June 22. Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play members get access to this Criterion-developed racer, which IGN awarded 7/10.
Also on June 22, The Bookwalker launches on Game Pass day-one across console and PC. In this narrative adventure you play a writer-turned-thief with the ability to dive into books.
