A former Fortnite tech artist is making the world’s most advanced slime monster in Unreal Engine 5

I know as much about programming video game monsters as I do the exact flavour and consistency of the sands on Mars, but I’ve always thought the chief advantage of the Slime monster archetype is its economy. A slime, in most games, is a squashy smiley face. Why, I could grow myself one of those right this very instant, by doodling a circle in MS Paint and squinting very hard. Slimes do take more complex forms – chrome slimes, fire slimes, slimes with angry eyebrows, etc – but come now, it’s not on the same level as rebooting Lara Croft’s hair to billow in the blowback from grenades.

The simplicity of slime creation may soon become a distant memory, however, for Epic Games tech artist and current Duck Shake Games Asher Zhu is hell-bent on reinventing the homely Dragon Quest sludgeball as a technical tour de force on par with his previous contributions to Unreal Engine showcase Matrix Awakens. That’s the impression I garner from the below video of Zhu’s latest project, anyway, whose description also tantalises with talk of “Splatoon mechanics in dungeons”.

Read more

The Best Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals We’ve Found So Far

Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to buy games and accessories for your Nintendo Switch. This year, there are dozens of excellent deals for Nintendo Switch, with major Mario games and other titles on sale. Outside of Black Friday, Prime Day tends to offer some of the biggest deals of the year for Switch games.

This major sales event is exclusive to Amazon Prime members, so you will need to have an active membership to take advantage of any of these deals. If you’re not currently a member, you can sign up for a free trial to gain access to Prime Day. Below, we’ve gathered up every Nintendo Switch deal you need to be aware of during Prime Day 2024. Whether you’re looking for a new console, controller, or game, we’ve got you covered.

TL;DR – Best Prime Day Switch Deals

Nintendo Switch MicroSD Cards on Sale – Prime Day 2024

The best Switch or Steam Deck SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, as it’s quite likely we’ll be getting a Switch successor / the next Nintendo console within the next year or so (if rumors are to be believed). Therefore, you’re going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. Here are the best deals this Prime Day that adhere to those specs.

Preorder Nintendo Switch Lite Hyrule Edition Console

It’s not too late for Nintendo to release new Switch Lite editions. Best Buy is offering preorders of the Nintendo Switch Lite: Hyrule Edition handheld console for $209.99 with orders shipping out on September 26. That’s $10 more than a stock Switch Lite, but that’s more than justified by the fact that this edition includes a 12-month Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.

Nintendo Switch Games on Sale – Prime Day 2024

Alongside Nintendo Switch accessories, there are dozens of Nintendo Switch games on sale for Prime Day. Some of these titles are available at record prices, with discounts of up to 75% off. We’ve rounded up the best Switch games on sale for Prime Day here, with a few selections below that you do not want to miss.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for $39.99

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is now on sale for the first time since launch! During Prime Day, you can save $20 off this massive title, which was just released last month. SMT V: Vengeance is an enhanced version of the former Nintendo Switch exclusive SMT V, launched in 2019. The biggest feature available in this upgraded re-release is the all new Canon of Vengeance route, which is essentially 40 hours of new story content. At $39.99, this is a steal for what will likely end up being one of the most popular RPGs of the year.

Octopath Traveler II for $29.99

Octopath Traveler II was one of the most overlooked RPGs of 2023, featuring an extremely unique narrative with the perspective of eight characters. Utilizing Square Enix’s HD-2D technology, Team Asano heavily built on the foundation that was laid with the first Octopath Traveler in 2018. If you’re interested in the upcoming Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, this is a great chance to experience an HD-2D title for the first time.

Unicorn Overlord for $34.99

Unicorn Overlord is available at a new all time low of $34.99 for Prime Day. This tactical RPG hsa a plethora of features to discover, with over 60 unique characters to unlock and use in combat. The game was developed by Vanillaware, who is best known for titles like Dragon’s Crown and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. If you’re a fan of Fire Emblem, you owe it to yourself to check this one out, especially at this price.

Super Mario RPG for $39.95

Super Mario RPG was initially released in 1996 for the SNES, and over two decades later, a remake has been released for Nintendo Switch. As one of the wackiest Mario titles, there are dozens of unique characters to discover who have never appeared outside of this title. It’s also one of the rare occasions where Mario and Bowser work together – the King of the Koopas even joins your party! The legendary Yoko Shimomura even returned to compose the soundtrack, making for an unforgettable Mario experience.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder for $49.99

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is one of the best Mario games currently on the Switch, acting as a huge breath of creativity as the console’s first new 2D Mario title. Over 150 different levels are available in the game, with plenty of secrets and challenges to uncover as you play through the story. One of the new features of Wonder is the Badge system, which allows you to grant characters unique abilities to use throughout levels. At $49.99, this Mario game is a deal you do not want to pass up.

Nintendo Switch Accessories on Sale – Prime Day 2024

Some of the best Nintendo Switch accessories available are on sale for Prime Day, which makes for a great time to pick up a new controller, case, and more! An extra controller can always be useful if you play multiplayer titles, as you never know when you might have a friend over. Additionally, accessories like cases are essential to protect your console.

Limited Run Nintendo Switch Standard Game Case 10-Pack for $17.49

If you’re a collector of physical games, you know the pain of damaged Nintendo Switch cases. Since they are made of plastic, it can be easy for the sleeves to puncture or tear, which can be offputting and frustrating as a collector. Luckily, you can purchase brand new game cases straight from Limited Run at Amazon, with extra savings available for Prime Day! This package contains 10 Nintendo Switch game cases, pricing each at roughly $1.75. You can even buy a 30 pack of game cases for $24.99 this Prime Day if you need even more cases.

PowerA Nintendo Switch Protection Case for $13.99

Any Nintendo Switch owner should have a protective case to protect your console when it’s not docked. During Prime Day, you can save $7 off this Animal Crossing themed PowerA Protection Case for Nintendo Switch. The case is designed to fit all Nintendo Switch models, including the Switch Lite and Switch OLED.

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller (Mario Pop) for $42.99

Another great PowerA product worth your attention is the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Nintendo Switch Controller. This Mario Pop edition comes with unique art of the icon with various items from the series to create a colorful controller. One of the best features of this PowerA controller is the addition of two mappable buttons on the map, which can come in handy in fighting games or any other title. Additionally, the battery is rated for over 30 hours with a single charge.

Nintendo Switch Consoles on Sale – Prime Day 2024

Currently, there are no Nintendo Switch console discounts or sales available at Amazon for Prime Day 2024. While Amazon could release a lightning deal for the console, no sales are live as of now.

If you’re looking to get a discounted Nintendo Switch, Walmart is currently offering the Nintendo Switch Lite: Timmy & Tommy’s Aloha Edition for $159. This console is themed after Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it even includes a free copy of the game. While this deal won’t appeal to those looking to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch OLED Model or similar, this offer is excellent if you’ve yet to jump into the Switch market.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium. His favorite series include Xeno and Final Fantasy.

You’re a better pilot than I if you can get this Mechwarrior meets HighFleet indie’s mech to do literally anything

We do love a good diegetic interface here at the treehouse, whether that’s the analogue radar twisties of HighFleet, or the myriad hefty flickables of PVKK (Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant. Duh.) The fifth mech jam is currently happening over at Itch.io, and the clear standout for me thus far is Armored Shell Nightjar. It’s a first person pilot-em-up that puts you in the cockpit of a grasshoppery rust-bucket carrying out a critical mission on an industrial desert planet. The more the intro text stresses the importance of this mission, the more guiltily useless I feel, because I cannot get this beautifully run-down mech to do anything of note, unless you count violently hopping into walls to be notable.

Read more

Review: Hot Lap Racing (Switch) – An Enjoyable “Simcade” Racer That Still Falls Between Stools

Not about spilling coffee, sadly.

Although the Switch is home to an abundance of arcade-style racing games, the same can’t be said for more realistic fare.

This is most likely because the Switch’s hardware would struggle to handle the Gran Turismos and Forza Motorsports of this world, so developers tend to give Nintendo’s system a mess when making their own serious racers. Besides, let’s face it, on the odd occasion the Switch has received a port of a racing sim, the results usually leave something to be desired – case in point, the chonky visuals that were being churned out in the WRC games for years.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Best PS5 Deals for Prime Day: Discounts on Games, SSDs, and More

Prime Day is a wonderful opportunity to secure everything PS5 at discount prices. The sale is running from July 16-17, and there’s already a slew of top deals to consider. We’ve found offers on the best SSDs for PS5, the latest PS5 exclusives, alongside controllers, headsets, monitors, and more. You name it, we’ve found a good deal for it. Remember, you’ll need to be a Prime member to secure these offers, so consider picking up a 30-day free trial before the end of the sale.

TL;DR: Prime Day Best PS5 Deals

SSD for PS5 Prime Day Deals

The best PS5 games are getting bigger every year. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, for instance, is rumored to require 350GB of storage for everything—multiplayer, zombies, campaign, and Warzone. Depending on your PS5 model, that could be half of your console’s base storage. To avoid the hassle of constantly installing and uninstalling games, we recommend taking advantage of SSD deals during Prime Day.

SSD prices have been trending upward in 2024, making this the perfect time to buy with significant discounts available. If you need one, pair your SSD with this heatsink we recommend and follow our install guide, and you’ll never have to worry about storage space again. Otherwise, there are plenty more great options in the sale as well.

PS5 Games On Sale for Prime Day

I’m personally looking for even more games to play on my PS5 going into the second half of the year, so I’ve tracked down the best deals on PlayStation games for Prime Day. There are some great offers up for grabs as well, with my personal favorites including Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Elden Ring, Persona 3 Reload, and God of War: Ragnarok all getting big price cuts for the shopping event.

Best Monitor for PS5 Prime Day Deals

Gaming monitors have come a long way in the past few years, and there’s now more options than ever at even more affordable prices. Some of the best monitors for PS5 are even on sale during Prime Day, so this is a wonderful opportunity to save and complete or upgrade your setup. One of my favorite deals is definitely on the AOC Agon PRO AG324UX 32” Gaming Monitor which is down to $499 in the Prime Day sale.

This is a wonderful 32-inch monitor that features HDMI 2.1 ports, 4K resolution, and 144Hz 1ms. It’s perfect for PS5 and well worth the investment at this price. Plus, if you’re happy with 1440p instead of 4K, the 27-inch version is also discounted and down to just $249.99 as well, which is another huge discount.

Best PlayStation Portal Accessory Prime Day Deals

PlayStation Portal is basically a DualSense controller with an 8-inch LCD screen in the middle of it. It lets you stream games from your PS5 at up to 60fps, with a 1080p screen resolution, so it should look plenty sharp considering the screen’s dimensions. Essentially, it lets you play your PS5 games from anywhere in your home, or even anywhere away from home if you have a solid internet connection. If you’ve already secured one in 2024, then here’s some great accessories to consider alongside.

Best Headset for PS5 Prime Day Deals

Big news, my pick of the best PS5 headsets is on sale for Prime Day 2024. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless is down to just $119.99 in the sale, a significant 33% drop from its $179.99 list price. I love this headset, and personally use it at home during every multiplayer session on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, or just when chatting over Discord.

It features a fabulous out-of-the-box audio setup and an extremely generous battery life which is good for lazy gamers like myself. With top tier audio quality and comfort without an eye-watering price tag, this is the best wireless gaming headset to buy during the Prime Day sales. It got a 9/10 IGN, with reviewer Matt Adler stating: “Simultaneous Bluetooth audio, improved battery life, and a lighter design make the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 the midrange headset to beat.”

Racing Wheel for PS5 Prime Day Deals

The best racing wheels for PS5 put you right in the driver’s seat for games like Gran Turismo 7 and F1 24. Sure, a PS5 controller gets the job done, but there’s nothing like the exhilarating rumble of a racing wheel to make you feel like you’re tearing up the track. Get ready for an immersive, heart-pounding experience as you burn rubber on the virtual asphalt.

Best PS5 Controller Deals for Prime Day

Let me get the bad news out the way first, DualSense controllers are not on sale for Prime Day this year. I know, it’s disapointting, especially when we’ve seen a reasonable offer on the controllers pretty consistently during the Prime Day sales over the past few years. But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to discuss. Backbone One Mobile Gaming Controller is down to $69.99 for Prime Day. That’s a $30 discount for Prime members, and well worth considering if you want to play PS5 games handheld via streaming but don’t want to shell out for the PlayStation Portal.

Is it Better to Buy a New Console on Prime Day or Black Friday?

Prime Day often lacks the punchy console deals that we often see during long Black Friday sales. For example, last year saw the launch of the PS5 Slim which Sony quickly bundled with Spider-Man 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and knocked $50 off the list price.

That was the most popular deal of Black Friday, and a good indicator that it’s worth waiting on a decent console deal. It’s also worth keeping in mind potential mid-gen refreshes like the PS5 Pro, which could usher in bundle deals or price drops for every other PS5 when it launches. There’s lots to consider, but for now I think it’s safe to say it’s better waiting for Black Friday to buy a console.

Should You Wait For the PS5 Pro?

PS5 Pro feels like it’s been officially announced, but in reality it’s currently heavily rumored. Earlier this year nalysts reported to CNBC it’s anticipated Sony will release a ‘Pro’ variant of the PS5 in the latter half of 2024. Insider Gaming also reported that the PS5 Pro is “aiming for a tentative holiday 2024 release.” So should you wait for the PS5 Pro before buying anything?

If you’re waiting on buying a PS5 console in general, possibly; if you’re willing to spend a rumored ~$600 on a video game console. Otherwise, the standard PS5 will do you just fine and all of the deals we’ve mentioned in this article will work for both iterations of the console, so there’s no need to wait for the next mid-gen refresh. Should you wait for the PS6? Also no.

What are Must-Have Accessories for the PS5?

PS5 has a slew of interesting accessory options, but the must-haves are dependant on your playstyle. If you’re a single player guru who sticks to 200 hour Elden Ring playthroughs, then it’s unlikely you want a top of the line gaming headset for comms on Warzone. But, if multiplayer is more your vibe, then by all means shell out $100+ for the best headset possible. Personally, an SSD is the must-have accessory for PS5, as it’ll relieve so must stress and time in the longrun, especially with how big games are getting. Otherwise, my next best suggestion is a premium controller like the Razer Wolverine V2 Pro or DualSense Edge, but only if they’re on sale.

What Is Amazon Prime Day?

Prime Day is a great opportunity to save some serious cash on your favorite hobbies, at least in my view. The annual summer sale features discounts on thousands of items, with new lightning deals every hour that you won’t want to miss.

As one of the biggest sales events outside of Black Friday, it attracts many companies, including those outside of Amazon, offering exclusive discounts available only on Prime Day. If you’re already a Prime member, you can access the sale without much bother. But, there’s also a free 30-day trial if you’re intrigued and just want to check out some of the new discounts.

Prime Day is absolutely one of the best times to buy physical video games and although you might not find discounts on major consoles during the sale, there are still plenty of deals to check out for Switch, PS5, and Xbox.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Newest Entry In ‘Magical Drop’ Puzzle Series Scores A Free DLC Update

It’s currently on sale for half price.

If you haven’t given the puzzle game Magical Drop VI a go on the Switch yet, now might be the perfect time. The second free DLC has now been made available. As part of this, the game is currently half price. The usual full price is $29,99 / €29,99 / 3,299 円.

This second season of the game comes loaded with three new characters (Hierophant, Judgement and Father Strength) each with their own characteristics, and a multiplayer lobby (for up to 8 players) and spectator mode. This includes the ability to create custom matches.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Mina The Hollower Store Page Listing Spotted

A “grand gameplay reveal” is coming soon…

Yacht Club Games recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of Shovel Knight, and as part of this, it also mentioned how it would be sharing more information about its new action-adventure game Mina The Hollower in the form of a “grand gameplay reveal in the near future”.

With this in mind, a new PlayStation Network listing for this anticipated release has now appeared with a placeholder page. It says the game release is “to be determined” but this can sometimes be a sign an announcement or reveal is on the way.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Genshin Impact Voice Actors Join in Criticism of Upcoming Natlan’s Region’s Character Designs

Genshin Impact is facing more accusations of cultural appropriation and whitewashing, and some of its voice actors are asking publisher HoYoverse to make changes.

The ever-expanding Genshin Impact universe features stories and locations seemingly inspired by the real world. Similarities range from the geography of in-game settings to architecture, mythology, music, food, and history in general. These connections have been extended to a new region, Natlan, which was revealed in a trailer released last week.

Fan outcry stems from what many feel is a failure to accurately represent the cultures each character pulls from, including the fact that Mavukia, Kinich, and Ororon — who seem to be inspired by real-life deities like the Maori’s Mahuika — are all white. It continues a trend in Genshin Impact that has seen players begging for proper representation.

Now some of the actors behind Genshin Impact’s faces have begun to chime in. Albedo actor, Khoi Dao, published a statement on X/Twitter calling for change in Genshin Impact.

“I hope y’all keeping make your voices heard, and I hope they listen.

“If a game draws so heavily from real-world cultures and bases a character on the supreme deity of Yoruba religion, and that character ends up looking like pale Sasuke Batman, people are absolutely within their rights to demand better representation, ESPECIALLY when said game has a clearly-stated commitment to a *global* audience.”

Dao continued: “I hope y’all keeping make your voices heard, and I hope they listen.”

Zeno Robinson, who voices the recently released Genshin Impact character Sethos, also called out HoYoverse, highlighting a worldwide desire for better representation.

“If even your base audience, the Chinese fans, are asking for better representation/or character with different shades of melanin, who are you making these characters for?” Robinson said.

Sucrose actor Valeria Rodríguez brought more attention to the issue with a string of posts, too. One post compares Olorun’s appearance in Titan Forge Games’ MOBA title, Smite, to their appearance in Genshin Impact, saying, “Look at what a sick job SMITE did with their own interpretation!!! IT’S NOT HARD!!!”

“It shouldn’t be a radical desire to want to see yourself reflected in the media you consume,” Yoimiya actress Jenny Yokobori said in her own post.

Natlan hasn’t been officially added to the Genshin Impact universe yet and has no release date. With there still time between now and its launch, Cyno actor Alejandro Saab took note of the complaints surrounding Ororon and put out a request to the HoYoverse team.

“I didn’t know THAT’S who he’s based on… AH that’s bad,” Saab said. “You still got time to fix it.”

Anne Yatco, who plays Genshin Impact’s Raiden Shogun, added, “I really hope that a video game company listens to its fanbase when valid criticism is made multiple years in a row about the execution of its research and inclusion of elements/aspects of other cultures.”

Genshin Impact released in 2020 and has continued to build on its foundation with new locations and characters in the years since. HoYoverse has yet to respond to calls for better representation or the BoycottHYV movement.

IGN has reached out for comment.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

The Best Nintendo Switch Lite Deal of 2024 Is Available Ahead of Prime Day

Ahead of Prime Day, Walmart is offering the Nintendo Switch Lite (Timmy’s and Tommy’s Aloha Edition) console for only $159. It normally retails for $199, which was already a great deal because it included the full Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. It was originally part of Walmart’s larger sale that competed with Amazon Prime Day. That sale has now ended, but this deal is one of few that are still avaialble. We are pretty certain that Amazon will not match or beat this deal on Prime Day proper.

Nintendo Switch Lite with Animal Crossing for $159

The Switch Lite retails for $100 less than the original Switch and $150 less than the Switch OLED. It is compatible with most Nintendo Switch games and it runs off the same hardware, so performance is identical. The three main tradeoffs of the Switch Lite is that (1) the controllers are not detachable, (2) the console can’t be docked and played on a TV and (3) the display is smaller (5.5″ vs 6.2″ on Switch and 7″ on Switch OLED). If you were intending to use the Switch solely as a handheld console, you might be better off just getting the Switch Lite. Even though the controls aren’t detachable, the Switch Lite does support wireless Bluetooth, so you can always purchase another pair of Joy-Cons, a Switch Pro controller, or a compatible third party wireless Switch controller, and you can still play untethered.

If you enjoy life sim type games like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, or Minecraft, you’ll probably love Animal Crossing. It’s obvious that Nintendo put in a lot of love into this first party title and it’s certainly one of the best – and most relaxing – games for the Nintendo Switch. This is an excellent pick for gamers of all ages, even children. Check out our glowing IGN review for more details.

Other Nintendo Switch related sales and news that might interest you:

Spark The Electric Jester 3 Is A High-Speed Indie Platformer Dashing To Switch This Month

And early August in Australia and Europe.

FreakZone Games has announced that the popular high-speed indie platformer Spark the Electric Jester 3 is coming to Nintendo Switch on 25th July in North America, and 1st August in Europe and Australia.

Inspired by the Sonic Adventure games, Spark the Electric Jester 3 sees the return of the titular hero in the leading role. The game launched on Steam in 2022 and simply reading through reader reviews is enough to make us giddy. “This is basically the Sonic Adventure 3 we never got” says one fan, while another says it’s “everything I wished from 3D sonic games”. High praise indeed.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com