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Nintendo posts cute and mysterious animated short film, but is it teasing Pikmin?
Game Reviews

Nintendo posts cute and mysterious animated short film, but is it teasing Pikmin?

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Nintendo has posted a new animated short film on its Nintendo Today app and YouTube channel, so far completely devoid of context.

Called Close to You, the Pixar-esque film shows a baby following its toys around the room, seemingly moved by invisible creatures, all accompanied by a playful piano soundtrack.

The film has been posted purely with the name and no description, so it’s not initially clear what project (if any) this might relate to, be that a game or a film.

Close to You – NintendoWatch on YouTube

While the company doesn’t state which production studio created the film, some have speculated this is the work of Nintendo Pictures – its Tokyo-based animation studio that launched back in 2022, formerly known as Dynamo Pictures.

What’s more, the music references the main Pikmin theme tune at the start, while the focus on items being carried certainly alludes to the little plant creatures. And if you check under the bed at 1’41, a little red creature can be seen scurrying around.

What’s that under the bed? | Image credit: Nintendo

Could this be hinting at a Switch 2 version of Pikmin 4? That game does include levels themed around a child’s bedroom. But why go to the trouble of a new animated short?

At the very least, it’s a beautifully animated film and extremely cute.

What do you think Nintendo is hinting at?



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Best FC Mobile 2nd Anniversary players tier list
Game Reviews

Best FC Mobile 2nd Anniversary players tier list

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The 2nd Anniversary event in FC Mobile introduced special cards for icons and current superstars in the Gallery, which you can get by exchanging your shards.

As of writing on Oct. 7, there are two special teams of promo cards. Two more will be added in the next couple of weeks. The highest price for a card is 1500 shards, while the lowest is 200. As with any event, you can’t obtain them all, and this guide will narrow down the best choices as per your budget.

Best FC Mobile 2nd Anniversary players tier list

I have used four tiers to separate the cards. B and C tiers have cards that are 110 and 111-rated, and their stats are inferior compared to 112 and 113-rated cards. However, some of them are great budget choices if you don’t have lots of shards. Also, a few exceptions might be 111-rated, but have been placed higher.

  • S-tier cards are the absolute best items when you consider their stats, alternative positions, and shard costs.
  • A-tier cards are great cards, but they might be limited in alternate positions, or their shard costs more than they should.
  • B-tier cards are average choices that have decent stats, but they should be considered only if you have a low budget.
  • C-tier cards are items that you should stay away from (unless you have extra shards that have no other use).

S-tier

  • Jude Bellingham: Great card, great stats. He is also one of the cheaper 113-rated items, available for 1250 shards. He can play well as both a CAM and a CM.
  • Ronaldinho: While the cost is slightly higher, every Ronaldinho card has always been a top-tier choice. His dribbling and finesse will help you beat opponents and score from absurd angles.
  • Patrick Vieira: One of the most versatile midfielders in the current meta who can shine as a CM and a CDM. Unlike Lucio in the next tier, his cost of 1250 shards is perfect.
  • Toni Kroos: While I feel that his in-game stats and work-rates can be better, the card being available for 1000 shards makes him an absolute bargain.
  • Emmanuel Petit: Petit’s in-game stats and animations make him the best CDM in the current game (Vieira comes close), and the 112-rated item is only going to cost you 800 shards.
  • Cha Bum Kun: The South Korean might be the best RW currently available in the Shards Exchange, and he offers 5* Weak Foot as a bonus.
  • Lilian Thuram: If you have 1250 shards and need an RB, blindly choose the Frenchman. He will remain the best RB for a long time, and one of the safest choices in FC Mobile.
  • Marco Van Basten: He is pacy and strong, has a 5* weak foot, and costs 1250 shards. He is one of the best strikers in the current meta and will remain so.
  • Carles Puyol: While he isn’t top-tier meta in terms of stats, the 112-rated card costs only 650 shards, and it’s incredible value.
  • Vanja Milinkovic-Savic: Unless we get another CB in the 2nd Anniversary event, Vanja at 300 shards is the best goalkeeper you can pick.

A-tier

  • Lucio: A great CB item, but not ideal for those who like having taller defenders. His shard cost at 1500 should have been lower.
  • Theo Hernandez: While this Theo Hernandez card is a straight upgrade over his Inferno version, the cost of 1200 shards is way too high. However, he is pretty much the best offensive LB along with Ballon d’Or Roberto Carlos.
  • Jamal Musiala: While the German wonderkid is priced right at 800 shards, his Physicality stats and 4* weak foot are a bummer.
  • Kyle Walker: There’s a definite dearth of good RBs in this game, and Walker could be a great choice. Despite being 111 OVR, he has the pace and stats to shine in the meta. His price at 800 shards is objectionable, though.
  • Diego Maradona: Maradona might be an extremely strong meta choice, but his shard cost (1500 shards) and low physicality put him in the A-tier.
  • Zlatan Ibrahimovic: If Van Basten wasn’t a part of the 2nd Anniversary event, Zlatan would be top tier. He’s an excellent choice for most, but Van Basten will be better.
  • Samuel Eto’o: For an RW who costs 1500 shards, he has 4* weak foot, which is a limitation in the RW position.
  • Kevin De Bruyne: An elite CM but lacks slightly in defensive stats.
  • Luis Diaz: The new Diaz card has extraordinary agility, great pace, and costs only 800 shards.
  • Federico Dimarco: If you can’t afford Hernandez and need to upgrade the LB, Dimarco is a great, cheap option.
  • Jonathan Tah: This budget-CB is 6’5″ and has stellar defensive stats. He can be a great CB choice coming in at only 450 shards.

B-tier

  • Alisson: If I ignore the overall rating, there are better goalkeeping options over Alisson, and he is priced at 1000 shards, which makes him overpriced in my book.
  • Joe Cole: Good card and great in-game stats, and the 300 shard cost is just the right amount.
  • Freddiie Ljungberg: A good budget option if you need a new RM.
  • Viktor Gyokeres: While Gyokeres has always been meta, this card feels clunky to use. If you still need a striker at 800 shards, this should be your pick.
  • Socrates: I have loved to use many Socrates items over the years, but this version at 1000 shards is way overpriced.
  • Victor Osimhen: Quick pace and decent shooting, but a 111-rated card at 600 shards is not what I would call decent value.
  • Kenan Yildiz: Good pace, 5* weak foot, and well-priced at 450 shards.

C-tier

  • Jack Grealish: While I like his in-game stats, the 3* weak foot and 450 shard cost just reduce his potential value.
  • Federico Chiesa: If you need a new RM, it’s better to go with Ljungberg (although the Swede costs 150 sharrds more).
  • Joao Palhinha: Good CDM if you need a reliable option at 200 shards.
  • Olivier Giroud: Too slow for the meta and poor work-rate.
  • Thiago Almada: Quick but behind the power curve.
  • Beukema: Extremely weak stats and too short of a height for a CB.
  • Yann Sommer: Same price as Vanja, but one OVR less and inferior stats.

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PowerWash Simulator 2 launches later this month
Game Reviews

PowerWash Simulator 2 launches later this month

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PowerWash Simulator 2 will be launching on 23rd October, 2025. It’ll be coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and the Nintendo Switch 2.

This was announced on the official PowerWash Simulator 2 X account, which posted a release date trailer. This not only introduces some of the grimey locations you’ll be cleaning up, but also the home base you’ll be hanging around in. This home base, obviously, has pet cats called Bubbles and Squeak.

The game is also coming to Game Pass, so for those who are still subscribed even with the recent price changes, you’ll be able to play it as part of your ongoing subscription.

Watch the PowerWash Simulator 2 release date trailer here!Watch on YouTube

We do know PowerWash Simulator 2 will be continuing the original games’ ridiculous and brilliant lore, which should give avid cleaners something more to delve into other than muck. Those interested in getting their hands dirty can wishlist the game now on Steam, or try out the demo first if they’re curious as to what the hype is all about.

In Eurogamer’s PowerWash Simulator 2 preview, Ed Nightingale wrote: “With that in mind, this refined sequel provides FuturLab the perfect platform to continue tweaking and experimenting with its cleaning sim – as long as the dirt doesn’t wear too thin. Perhaps we could even get some rug cleaning DLC to really get the ASMR tingles going – and monopolise my relaxation time for good.”



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An assassin climbs roof tops.
Game Reviews

Free DLC For Assassin’s Creed Mirage Makes A Big Change To Parkour

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Will the jump button come back in the next Assassin’s Creed? Will Battlefield 6 really work right out of the box? Can PowerWash Simulator 2 prevent the further atomization of modern society? It’s the latest edition of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news and culture. I am still thinking about Xbox and how much Microsoft keeps fumbling the bag. And I’m apparently not the only one. But for real: what’s going on with those Walmart displays?

The Saudi Arabia Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC will let you manually jump

Reportedly funded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Valley of Memory DLC is a free major update for the 2023 game that takes Basim to the AlUla region in search of his long-lost father. It includes a new skill, tool customization, difficulty levels, and replaybale missions and challenges. The most important change to me, however, is the addition of a manual jump to add more depth to the parkour. The stealth action series hasn’t had a dedicated jump button since Unity as movement became more streamlined and automated. Hopefully, the experiment pays dividends in Valley of Memory and paves the way for more complex parkour in the next big Assassin’s Creed sequel.

Silent Hill 2 remake is reportedly coming to PS Plus this month

That’s according to billbil-kun at Dealabs, who says last year’s PS5 exclusive will be arriving as part of the Extra and Premium tiers later this month. It arrives alongside Alan Wake 2 on PS Plus Essential and The Last of Us Part 2 on Extra and Premium. Not a bad haul for this year’s Halloween.

Physical copies of Battlefield 6 are out early and include at least part of the game on the actual disc

Bucking recent trends, Battlefield 6 apparently comes with the actual game on the disc, at least on PS5. A fan on Reddit claims the servers are live and the campaign and multiplayer both work. You can preview the game’s full day-one update and all of the over 200 changes it makes here.

Funcom layoffs hit Metal Hellsinger studio

The Outsiders, a Funcom studio based in Stockholm, Sweden, is shutting down, founder and creative director David Goldfarb announced yesterday. The team had previously produced the rhythm-based demonic FPS Hellsinger which sold one million copies. ” It will always be a high point for me personally and I will be forever grateful we got to make it and for the wonderful team and partnerships that made it happen,” he wrote. The veteran developer said the plan is to “continue on in some new form.”

PowerWash Simulator 2 is out October 23

The sequel to the hit OCD management game arrives with some upgraded visuals, split-screen co-op, and an increased focus on story beats which the original game kept mostly in the background. Who’s ready to spray and pray and search frantically for that remaining one percent of dirt you just can’t find?

ICYMI:

Watch this:



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Silent Hill 2 remake reportedly coming to PS Plus later this month
Game Reviews

Silent Hill 2 remake reportedly coming to PS Plus later this month

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The remake of Silent Hill 2 is reportedly heading to the PS Plus catalogue later this month, available for Extra and Premium subscribers.

That’s according to reliable insider billbil_kun of Dealabs, who reported Konami and Bloober Team’s remake will be added on 21st October.

Silent Hill 2 was released last October as a PS5 console exclusive, also available on PC. A trailer from last year added it would be available on “other formats” from 8th October 2025, exactly a year later.

Silent Hill 2 ReviewWatch on YouTube

As such, the game’s reported inclusion on PS Plus would give PlayStation a boost should those other formats be announced imminently.

It also continues momentum for the series, following the release last month of Silent Hill f developed by NeoBards Entertainment and published by Konami.

“Silent Hill f’s frustrating first-half is outweighed by a brilliant, delirious second that’s well worth the initial slog,” reads our Silent Hill f review.

Bloober, meanwhile, released Cronos: The New Dawn last month, its original sci-fi survival horror set in 1980’s Poland that’s also been well-received.

Last week, Bloober confirmed a remake of Silent Hill 1 is now in full production, and hasn’t ruled out a sequel to Cronos.

Sony already revealed the PS Plus games for October at its State of Play stream, which includes Alan Wake 2, Cocoon, and Goat Simulator 3. Silent Hill 2 would seemingly be a welcome surprise extra.



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WD Is Going Nuts This Prime Day, 14TB Hard Drive Is Now Selling for Just $0.01 per GB
Game Reviews

WD Is Going Nuts This Prime Day, 14TB Hard Drive Is Now Selling for Just $0.01 per GB

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Storing large amounts of data offline comes down to a fundamental choice between two technologies. SSDs offer blazing speed but come with premium price tags that can hurt your wallet, while traditional HDDs sacrifice some performance in exchange for massive storage capacity at a fraction of the cost.

If you’re willing to trade a bit of speed for significantly more space, Western Digital’s 14TB external hard drive is currently hitting an all-time low on Amazon during Prime Big Deal Days at $169, down from its usual $279 price (40% off). To put this in perspective, a comparable 14TB SSD would set you back between $1,500 and $2,000, and you’d gain speed but nothing else. For most users backing up photos or documents, that speed difference doesn’t justify paying ten times more.

See at Amazon

Best in Class HDD

The sheer capacity of 14TB transforms how you think about digital storage: This isn’t a drive where you constantly delete old files to make room for new ones. With 14TB, you can store approximately 3.5 million high-resolution photos at 4 megabytes each, or around 3,000 hours of Full HD video or massive game libraries that would choke smaller drives.

The USB 3.0 interface moves data at rates of up to 5 gigabits per second on paper, which translates to real-world speeds of around 100-120 megabytes per second depending on your hardware and file type. That’s not quite as quick as current modern SSD speeds of 500+ MB/s but it’s quicker than enough for your average backup and archival workloads. Moving a 50GB folder takes around 7-8 minutes compared to under a minute for an SSD, but it’s a good trade-off given how much money you’re shelling out.

Plug-and-play functionality is a matter of plugging in the drive by USB and it is registered instantly on Windows and Mac platforms, no driver installs, and no formatting required. The pre-formatted Windows format of the drive is NTFS but Mac owners are able to reformat it to exFAT or even APFS, in minutes for guaranteed compatibility.

The unit is actually powered externally by an AC adapter instead of tapping off of the USB bus for current. The external powering is what grants the drive its ability to work at full capacity and isn’t held back by USB bus current limits, and it helps to remove drives off of laptop batteries during long transfers. The adapter, though, must itself be plugged into a wall outlet, so it’s a genuine desktop solution and not a transportable package stuffed into a briefcase.

The form factor is suitable for a semi-permanent/permanent installation for a home office/studio setup. You can sit it right next to your computer as a specialty backup drive, set automatic backups by Time Machine for Mac or by File History for Windows and leave it quietly accumulating copies of your irreplaceable data.

At $169 for its Prime Big Deal Days sale, this Western Digital 14TB HDD offers unmatched value per terabyte. That’s around $12 per terabyte, which is dazzling for a major-brand drive by a company known for reliability like Western Digital.

See at Amazon



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Nintendo seeks $4.5m against reddit moderator accused of pirating Switch games, in latest crackdown against piracy
Game Reviews

Nintendo seeks $4.5m against reddit moderator accused of pirating Switch games, in latest crackdown against piracy

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Nintendo is seeking $4.5m in damages against a reddit moderator the company has accused of pirating its games.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month with the US District Court for the Western District of Washington (thanks OatmealDome), and according to a document, Nintendo is accusing James Williams (known as “Archbox”) of piracy having “facilitated a network of unauthorised ‘shops’…that have offered to the public extensive libraries of pirated Nintendo Switch games for download.”

Nintendo has accused Williams of copying and distributing its games, as well as actively promoting their distribution as a moderator on the SwitchPirates reddit group.

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Overview Trailer – Nintendo SwitchWatch on YouTube

“Since 2019, Williams has been either directly or indirectly the owner, manager, operator, creator, administrator, supplier, and/or overseer of several online Pirate Shops, and has worked to actively promote these Pirate Shops to communities consisting of many thousands of individuals,” the document reads.

Williams has been “instrumental in the planning, development, functioning, and proliferation” of these shops, while further promoting the shops, soliciting donations, and offering “technical advice and encouragement” through his position as moderator on reddit.

Further, Nintendo claimed Williams was “directly involved in creating, promoting, and distributing the Circumvention Software to facilitate widespread use of the Pirate Shops”.

Ahead of this lawsuit, Nintendo sent Williams a cease and desist letter back in March 2024. In response, Williams acknowledged his conduct violated Nintendo of America’s rights and “stated that he would work with NOA to satisfy its demands”. However, Nintendo claimed he did not agree to cease his conduct and denied involvement with the piracy shops.

“When NOA requested that Defendant confirm in writing that he would comply with NOA’s demands, he became combative and uncooperative,” said Nintendo.

Since then, some of the piracy shops (or their content) have become inaccessible, while Williams is also accused of deleting or hiding evidence relevant to Nintendo’s claims (such as social media posts).

Nintendo sent Williams a final opportunity to comply in May 2024, to which he stated an attorney would be in contact with Nintendo. However, “NOA never received any such outreach, and its efforts to contact Defendant’s purported counsel were ignored,” the document reads.

As a result, Nintendo has requested a default judgement be granted against Williams, along with damages of $4.5m due to a number of violations including copyright infringement, trafficking in circumvention devices, and breach of contract.

“Here, the amount of money sufficient to remedy NOA’s injury would be extremely difficult to quantify; but it is indisputable that such amount would be large,” the document reads. “Therefore, the money at stake by this Motion is nowhere near an amount that would compensate NOA for the seriousness of Defendants’ conduct.”

This lawsuit is the latest in Nintendo’s ongoing actions against piracy.

Back in March, Nintendo claimed its victory over French file-sharing company Dstorage was “significant…for the entire games industry”. Then, in July, the FBI seized a number of ROM piracy sites it claimed had seen cumulative downloads of 3.2m in just three months, representing “an estimated loss of $170m.



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Shovel Knight developer's Zelda-like game Mina the Hollower delayed
Game Reviews

Shovel Knight developer’s Zelda-like game Mina the Hollower delayed

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Mina the Hollower, the next game from Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games, has been delayed but is “so close to being done”.

The Zelda-like adventure was intended for release on 31st October, but has been pushed back without a new release date, though the developer has stated it “isn’t a major delay” but just “a stretch of time to apply some final polish and balancing to make the game truly shine”.

“Our goal is to make sure our development team has the time and resources to deliver an incredible adventure and we will be giving you just that. That’s no hollow promise!” the studio stated.

Mina the Hollower: Release Date Announcement TrailerWatch on YouTube

“We don’t want to announce another release date until it’s submitted to platforms, so please hang tight as we reach the finish line.”

Yacht Club Games made its name with celebrated platformer Shovel Knight, which spawned a number of spin-offs.

Mina the Hollower is a change of pace, featuring a top-down adventure style reminiscent of Game Boy Zelda game Link’s Awakening in a gothic, Castlevania-esque world.

It continues the studio’s penchant for retro aesthetics, then. Victoria checked out the demo on Switch 2 a couple of months back and loved it.



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EA promises largest ever post-launch content for Battlefield 6, teases naval combat, and maybe even the return of the Little Bird
Game Reviews

EA promises largest ever post-launch content for Battlefield 6, teases naval combat, and maybe even the return of the Little Bird

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We’re mere days away now from the launch of one of the most-anticipated games of 2025. Battlefield 6 arrives this Friday to (hopefully) satiate excitement from longtime series fans, and anyone who checked out its wildly successful beta.

And to offer prospective buyers some assurance that the game is going to have a long tail, EA has started talking about what players can expect in the months following launch.

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The game’s first season was recently revealed to much praise from fans, and it arrives pretty quickly, too, just 18 days after launch. But there’s a lot more beyond that, which Battlefield Studios has officially started teasing.

In the latest Community Update, the developer mainly touched on data from the beta, as well as the various Battlefield Labs tests held before and since. After over 30 sessions and over 92 million hours of beta gameplay, the developer found that class pick rates were varied and had a healthy spread.

Whichever class was more popular essentially depended on the map, with more close-quarters maps favouring Support, and maps with longer ranges going towards Recon. Interestingly, Open and Closed Weapons playlists had barely any difference on class pick rates between them.

Another thing that the two playlists didn’t affect is kills per hour, though they saw a small variance in match length, with Closed Weapons playlists having slightly higher match durations.

Image credit: Battlefield Studios, EA.

Closed Weapons playlists also saw a 3% higher revive rate in Breakthrough, and 2% for Conquest, meaning players stuck to their roles regardless of the weapons they were using. In terms of time spent in combat, both playlists had about the same percentage.

Perhaps the most unsurprising reveal from the blog post, however, is that most players picked the weapons they wanted in Open Weapon playlists, rather than sticking with their class’ Signature Weapons and benefiting from the bonus that comes with that. Except for Recon players, who favoured sniper rifles regardless of playlist.

That said, the developer revealed that there was no dominant weapon archetype, which is a little surprising considering the versatility of some over others. Indeed, that is one thing that will undoubtedly change as the game evolves at launch and beyond.

It also sounds like players didn’t see the value of Open vs Closed Weapons playlists, as “the vast majority of players” stuck with the former after trying the latter. This is misleading, as Closed playlists were buried deeper in the menus and you had to know they a) existed, and b) where to find them.

Regardless, both playlist options will be in the launch build, and Closed Weapons will itself remain a modifier in Portal for custom experiences.

Watch on YouTube

Looking to the future, the developer said that Battlefield 6’s seasons “will have more content than ever before in a Battlefield game,” which is quite the claim. More details will apparently be revealed soon.

Finally, the post teased the return of naval warfare, as well as the Little Bird helicopter – two highly-requested additions that are strangely missing from the launch package. Platoons, essentially Battlefield’s clans feature, was also teased.

You can check out the full blog post at the link at the top for a recap of what the game’s day one patch is going to change. The Battlefield 6 pre-load is now available across all platforms, with the game to go live on October 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.



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