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Marvel Cosmic Invasion Looks Cool And Now Has A Free Demo
Game Reviews

Marvel Cosmic Invasion Looks Cool And Now Has A Free Demo

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Marvel Cosmic Invasion may not have a release date yet, but it does have a demo. The coolest-looking Marvel game in years, and a game many of us at Kotaku are excited to play later this year, now has a small demo up on Steam letting you play the superhero brawler alone or with a few pals.

On October 1, Tribute Games and publisher Dotemu announced and released a free, playable demo for the upcoming Marvel Cosmic Invasion. The demo contains two full levels with boss fights, supports both local and online co-op, and features nine playable characters: Rocket Raccoon, Nova, Phyla-Vell, She-Hulk, Venom, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Storm, and Captain America. Here’s a new trailer for the demo:

Announced earlier this year during a Nintendo Direct, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a side-scrolling 2D retro-inspired beat ’em up being developed by the same studio behind the extremely tubular and awesome TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, which was also a 2D co-op brawler. Cosmic Invasion, like Tribute’s past games, is a snappy and action-packed retro throwback. I played the new demo on Steam for a few minutes and immediately had a blast smashing baddies as She-Hulk and Spider-Man. Swapping between the two, which is this game’s big gimmick, was great as it let me switch between Spider-Man’s fast and agile action during some segments and She-Hulk’s heavy hits during fights with tougher foes. I did encounter some performance dips, which wasn’t ideal, but hopefully those issues get ironed out when the game launches…eventually.

While there are nine characters in the demo, that’s not the game’s full line-up. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is set to include a large roster of 15 characters. We know 12 of the 15 characters that will be playable at launch. Three more have yet to be revealed.

Now the bad news for console players: The new Cosmic Invasion demo isn’t available on Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch. This has understandably disappointed many players online, with some jumping into the comments of the trailer above to share their frustration.

Regardless, we shouldn’t have to wait long, as Marvel Cosmic Invasion is set to arrive in 2025. Exactly when hasn’t been announced yet, but there’s not much time left in the year so if it’s not getting delayed, the game is likely weeks away from launching on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch 2, Switch, and PC.



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Dune Awakening developer Funcom suffers layoffs after biggest release in studio history
Game Reviews

Dune Awakening developer Funcom suffers layoffs after biggest release in studio history

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Dune: Awakening developer Funcom has announced it’s laying off staff today as part of a restructuring process across the studio, with an undisclosed number of staff losing their jobs.

In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, the Norway-based developer stated it’s laying off staff as part of a restructuring effort towards: “releasing new content, features, and enhancements.”

The statement continues: “The transition from development to long-term live operation, while also building towards a major console release next year, will require us to restructure our teams and focus our resources from across projects and studios. Unfortunately, this also means having to say goodbye to cherished colleagues.

Watch the Dune: Awakening launch trailer here.Watch on YouTube

“This difficult process is starting now, and we cannot yet determine the exact impact. We are working to find new opportunities for those affected.

“Our focus now is to provide these team members with the support and guidance they need, and we ask for your understanding at this time as we will not make further comments during this process.”

Dune: Awakening, as mentioned both in the statement and widely reported, was a massive success for Funcom. The game had a Steam concurrent player count of roughly 190,000 players during its launch, with around 100,000 coming from a more expensive priority access version of the game. In recent months, the game is floating around roughly 20,000 concurrent daily players.

Funcom, a studio with ample history in both the MMO and survival game genres, had plans to continue supporting the game post-launch and recently rolled out its first major free update to the game. This, unfortunately, was not enough to stave off layoffs.



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A student at Hogwarts holds a wand.
Game Reviews

Hogwarts Legacy And Over 80 Other Games Added Across Game Pass Today

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Microsoft is adding a bunch of games to Xbox Game Pass to make Wednesday’s massive price hike announcement sting a little less. Hogwarts Legacy is the big one being added to all tiers of the program. Of the more than 80 games joining across different tiers, many are Ubisoft Classics, including Assassins Creed: Black Flag and Far Cry 3. A ton are also PC-only games, so if you only own an Xbox Series X/S, I’m not sure what exactly you’re supposed to do with those. Some of them will run on anything, like the original Fallout. Others, like the hit medieval settlement sim Manor Lords, will not.

Here’s the complete list of every game added to Game Pass on October 1, 2025:

Ultimate – Available Today (now $30 a month)

  • Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed II (PC)
  • Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag: Freedom Cry (PC)
  • Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (PC)
  • Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD (PC)
  • Assassin’s Creed Revelations (PC)
  • Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection (Cloud and Console)
  • Assassin’s Creed Unity (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Child of Light (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Far Cry 3 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Far Cry Primal (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Hungry Shark World (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Monopoly Madness (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Monopoly 2024 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • OddBallers (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show (Cloud and Console)
  • Rabbids: Party of Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Rayman Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Risk Urban Assault (Cloud and Console)
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Skull and Bones (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • South Park: The Stick of Truth (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Steep (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • The Crew 2 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • The Settlers: New Allies (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Tom Clancy’s The Division (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Trackmania Turbo (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Transference (Cloud and Console)
  • Trials Fusion (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Trials of the Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Trials Rising (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Uno (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Watch_Dogs (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Wheel of Fortune (Cloud and Console)
  • Zombi (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Premium – Available Today (also in Ultimate)

  • 9 Kings (Game Preview) (PC)
  • Abiotic Factor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • Against the Storm (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (PC)
  • Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (PC)
  • Age of Mythology: Retold (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • Ara: History Untold (PC)
  • Arx Fatalis (PC)
  • Back to the Dawn (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Battletech (PC)
  • Blacksmith Master (Game Preview) (PC)
  • Cataclismo (PC)
  • Cities: Skylines II (PC)
  • Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • Diablo (PC)
  • Diablo IV (PC and Console)
  • An Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire (PC)
  • The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (PC)
  • Fallout (PC)
  • Fallout 2 (PC)
  • Fallout: Tactics (PC)
  • Football Manager 2024 (PC)
  • Frostpunk 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • Halo: Spartan Strike (PC)
  • Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC)
  • Minami Lane (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Minecraft: Java Edition (PC)
  • Mullet Madjack (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • My Friendly Neighborhood (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • One Lonely Outpost (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Quake 4 (PC)
  • Quake III Arena (PC)
  • Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC)
  • Rise of Nations: Extended Edition (PC)
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • Sworn (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
  • Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)
  • Volcano Princess (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Warcraft I: Remastered (PC)
  • Warcraft II: Remastered (PC)
  • Warcraft III: Reforged (PC)
  • Wolfenstein 3D (PC)

Essential – Available Today (also in Ultimate and Premium)

  • Cities: Skylines Remastered (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S)
  • Disney Dreamlight Valley (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Hades (Cloud, PC, and Console)
  • Warhammer 40,000 Darktide (Cloud, PC, and Console)



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Amazon launching "completely redesigned" Luna streaming service later this year, with emphasis on social gaming
Game Reviews

Amazon launching “completely redesigned” Luna streaming service later this year, with emphasis on social gaming

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Amazon will launch a “completely redesigned and reimagined” version of its Luna game streaming service later this year, which remains incorporated into the existing Amazon Prime subscription at no additional cost.

The service is aiming to deliver both a growing library of blockbuster, classic, and indie games, as well as social games through its new GameNight hub. These social games are designed to be played without a controller; instead players join on their phones using a QR code, a bit like Jackbox Games.

GameNight will feature exclusive family friendly games developed by Amazon, and will launch with over 25 games including GameNight-optimised versions of the likes of Angry Birds and Exploding Kittens, as well as board game adaptations.

Introducing: The All-New Amazon LunaWatch on YouTube

The first of these exclusive games will be Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg, featuring an AI powered version of the rapper. It should be noted Snoop Dogg has recently been criticised for homophobic remarks about LGBT+ representation in children’s media.

Elsewhere, Luna will offer a growing library of over 50 popular games, though a further subscription to Luna Premium will be required for the full catalogue. The library will include the likes of Hogwarts Legacy, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Dave the Diver.

Luna will continue to be accessible without a PC or console. Instead, games are streamed using a Fire TV, smart TV, or tablet. Any bluetooth controller is compatible, though Amazon will continue to sell a specific Luna controller too.

“With advances in AI and cloud technology, we see opportunities to create entirely new kinds of games – experiences that were never possible before,” said Luna general manager Jeff Gattis in a blog post. “We have an incredible pipeline of games in the works and can’t wait for you to play and experience the all-new Luna for yourself later this year.”

Image credit: Amazon

Amazon launched Luna in the UK back in 2023. However it has so far failed to gain significant traction, something former Amazon Games boss Ethan Evans acknowledged earlier this year as Amazon couldn’t compete with Valve’s Steam platform.

This update is something of a re-launch for Amazon, then, with its GameNight addition bringing an increased emphasis on social gaming.

“Gaming hardware is too expensive,” said Gattis. “Games are intimidating and hard to learn… and expensive. Games can be isolating. But, at the same time, Prime members know that games don’t have to be this way, and indeed, they tell us that they want games to be a way to bring friends and family together. To build connection. To bond. To have fun!”



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Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile review - it's just fine
Game Reviews

Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile review – it’s just fine

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Hercule Poirot travels to Egypt, only to get sucked into the politics of someone else’s bad romance, but on the bright side, there’s a lot of murder.

To be Hercule Poirot is to know you’re probably going to win. Agatha Christie’s best-known child is sharp, methodical, and insufferable, even more so now because Microids decided to make him hot. Some might argue that it doesn’t matter what Poirot looks like, but those people are wrong; I know a few of the older Blazing Griffin games stuck with Poirot’s shiny egg-shaped head, but none can hold a candle to the bowtied visage of David Suchet. I try not to dwell too much on this as I reacquaint myself with Microids’ tall, angular daddy-o – head full of hair, resplendent in a white suit and silk cravat – who first appeared in 2023’s Murder on the Orient Express. Tonight, this Poirot is in the club, and unlike David Suchet (or the entirely rizzless Kenneth Branagh), he could probably get it.

Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile review

Death on the Nile is one of Christie’s most famous works; watching new adaptations as a crime fiction fan is essentially an exercise in indulgence if you already know the main twists. It makes sense, then, that Microids’ version of Death on the Nile brings in a new playable character and story arc – Jane Royce, a young private detective and Poirot superfan who introduces herself at the club and eventually works on a case that intersects with Poirot. The prologue chapter rolls out the main characters: heiress Linnet Ridgeway meets her friend Jacqueline de Bellefort’s boyfriend Simon Doyle for the first time. Jackie and Simon are deeply in love; Linnet craves their sort of fiery romance, but can’t find it among the weedy middle-aged aristocrats vying for her attention (girl, you would have loved Raya).

Fast forward six months later: Poirot is in Egypt, checking into the hotel where Linnet and Simon are celebrating their honeymoon. Yes, that hag married her friend’s fiance, and they’re going on a lavish cruise down the Nile. It’s a timeless flavor of tea that endures in soap-style narratives today, and I firmly believe that Christie would have loved the Chinese micro-dramas that nobody wants to admit watching. Because who should show up but crazy-eyed Jackie, hellbent on revenge?

Here’s a trailer for Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile to show it in motion.Watch on YouTube

The core mystery takes place on The Karnak, a luxury riverboat, with a pit stop at an ancient historic site. Mechanically, Death on the Nile follows the same point-and-click formula as Murder on the Orient Express – the player directs Poirot to gather clues and interrogate suspects, form theories in a Mind Map, and trigger Confrontations to wring truth out of liars. The player also fills out simple profiles in Poirot’s mental rolodex to keep track of characters, but these have no real effect on gameplay. Everyone has a secret, concealed in the form of a puzzle in their respective cabins. There are also lockpicking and eavesdropping mechanics, and Jane’s chapters have some tedious stealth sections that Poirot wouldn’t be caught dead doing. Most of the puzzles feel appropriately busy without hurting the brain, but it wouldn’t be a Microids game without a couple of taskmaster-y sadistic solves.

Really though, Death on the Nile is fine. It is a cruisy, anodyne murder mystery – a moderate-to-low stakes way to spend weekday evenings, especially if you can’t remember what happened in the book or the truly godawful recent film adaptation. It is, however, noticeably unpolished in places that matter for hardcore detective fans who pay attention to how and when clues are revealed. In one chapter concerning a piece of stolen jewelry, the player character casually characterises the item as fake before I’ve even learned that for myself – perhaps a simple mistake of reshuffled, resequenced dialogue that didn’t get corrected. In another section, my character suddenly brings up a random character name that has yet to appear in the game – I only discover their existence later.

Image credit: Eurogamer / Microids

This is the thing about mystery/detective games – all these little nitpicky things matter. Proofing the dialogue matters. Casual details matter. Yes, there’s a lot of walking around and checking and re-checking, as expected of a genre that demands extreme meticulousness and overbearing scrutiny. In this world, everything is held together by fine-tooth combs and dogged obsessions, where the protagonist irons out the smallest discrepancies in every piece of information; who is Poirot if not someone who drives everyone insane with his fastidiousness?

Death on the Nile isn’t so much an Agatha Christie game as an Agatha Christie LimitedTM game, which tends to be the way of things once a couple of generations have passed, and the estate has thinned the original creator’s vision into a mid-grade, easily marketable tisane. The game itself isn’t much to write home about, though it does check the right boxes and has some lovely 1970s interiors. The voice acting runs the gamut from charming to wooden and, in the Bronx sections, unintentionally comedic, along the lines of “why does this rough-around-the edges Chinese auntie sound like an aspiring antebellum plantation owner?” Most of the characters had far juicier motivations in the book, too – I’m not sure why Microids decided to tone things down, but it felt like a loss not to embrace full-throated revenge camp in the age of reality TV and Dramabox.

Image credit: Eurogamer / Microids

Thus hobbled, I had a lot of time to reflect on literary legacy, reading, and the nature of adaptations. Yesterday I saw someone repost, with appropriate horror, a news headline that read: “Were You Assigned Full Books to Read in High School English?” While this is certainly depressing, it is not surprising, as school systems around the world bend over backwards for genAI shortcuts to a real education. The fact that many people are not reading, are unable to stay engaged with a narrative arc, or fully savor a mystery on their own, is really sad. The fact that many people don’t want to read is downright embarrassing. Agatha Christie, however, has endured, though her estate would rather us forget that And Then There Were None, which they claim is the best-selling crime novel of all time, was originally named Ten Little N*****s (or in America, Ten Little Indians).

The forms and permutations that Christie’s stories take now – in this case, as a point-and-click game – means that Poirot’s methodology takes on a literal, mechanical roteness that robs the mystery of its charm. This isn’t anyone’s fault per se, but the reality when you switch to a medium that requires didactic design. The books weren’t there for you to live vicariously through Poirot and feel smart and capable and sleuthy, and they weren’t there to teach anyone that they, too, could be an investigative savant in a three-piece suit. The books were there to tell you a story about a strange, remorseless little Belgian man, almost certainly undiagnosed, with a preternatural gift for solving crimes, making everyone upset, and all the weirdos in his orbit. The books were there to put you in uncomfortable positions and wring out every drop of scandal that emerged with every accusation and confession. Book Poirot wanted to drink his tea and be left alone with his indulgences. This Poirot is generous and magnanimous and built to house the player’s aspirations of detectivehood; sure, he has his little “I’m the world’s best investigator” flourishes as a nod to his famously massive ego. But for all the theatrical power of games, when it comes to preserving what makes Poirot stand out from any other detective, they simply can’t match the age-old freak of chewing your bottom lip while soaking up the printed word.

Image credit: Eurogamer / Microids

Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile accessibility options

Subtitles.

“I like reading, and I wouldn’t read Agatha Christie in 2025, or listen to an audiobook,” a friend said when we discussed the enduring popularity of Christie’s work. We’re currently plateauing in a particularly stale age of remixes, though some of us barely survived the Pride Prejudice and Zombies era of the 2010s. With this drive for reimagination in mind (and y’know, everything we know has its roots in something else, so it’s not like that’s conceptually new), it makes perfect sense for Microids to bring in Jane: a fresh face willing to get their hands dirty and scrap around in a very un-Hercule way. I admit I did a double-take in a scene where she’s bullying someone for information and winds up for a backhand like a cartoon pimp. If the moodboard here was “pissed-off Coffy-era Pam Grier,” it reads loud and clear. If the intent here was to contrast go-getter Jane with hands-off Poirot, it doesn’t quite land for me, especially with the paper-doll stiffness of the character models. I hate falling back on tautologies, but Death on the Nile just makes me think, you know, it is what it is. If you asked me what I would like to see instead, I might point you to 2022’s excellent Wayward Strand as a pipe dream for what really good branching narratives could do to reinvigorate old-school literary crime adaptations.

I love crime fiction. On principle, I will, to paraphrase one of Death on the Nile’s main characters, go absolutely bald-headed for an Agatha Christie game, with the full understanding that reimagination and reinterpretation are crucial parts in keeping stories alive well beyond the existence of their creators. But while there is eccentricity and tension and vitality (however subdued and English) within the pages of Christie’s decades-old books, my first lesson in playing Death on the Nile is to accept comical lifelessness in the modern world’s most interactive media form. And it is a different creature entirely.

A copy of Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile was provided for this review by Microids.



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A screenshot shows a battle at a waterfall.
Game Reviews

12 Tips To Know Before You Start Playing

by admin


I’ve played Final Fantasy Tactics twice in the past couple of months. The first runthrough was of the original on PlayStation. The second was the excellent Ivalice Chronicles remaster, out today. Despite having grinded through the classic strategy RPG back in the day, I still learned a thing or two from revisiting it again all these years later. Here’s a bunch of friendly reminders, PSAs, and helpful tips, whether you’re playing Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time or coming back to it after decades away.

Keep every character a Squire until they learn JP Up

Square Enix

Rule number one of Final Fantasy Tactics is “ABJPU”: always be JP-ing up. JP stands for Job Points and these are what you use to unlock skills across the game’s sprawling job system. As you rank up each job, you’ll collect more points per action you take, but the JP Up skill will double that, letting you progress your characters twice as fast. The skill is on the third page of the Squire skill list under the passive section. Hold off on swapping your fresh recruits to chemists, knights, or other starting classes until you have this one unlocked.

Unlock Focus if you really want to streamline grinding

Square Enix

Characters earn XP and Job Points for successful actions. This means doing damage, healing, or buffing/debuffing something. The fastest way to level up characters is to stock up on potions, leave one enemy in a battle alive, and have everyone keep taking turns while staying healed. Accumulate is a Squire skill that raises your attack. It never misses. And you use it on yourself so you don’t have to move or worry about being in range.

The quickest way to grind in Final Fantasy Tactics is to have everyone learn the skill (it costs 300 points) and stand around using it at the end of a random encounter. Because you can use it as a character’s second skill, it’s helpful no matter what job they are trying to level up, making it a sound strategy over the course of the entire game.

Always have a least one character with the Item skill equipped

Square Enix

The ability to use Phoenix Down items is one of the most useful skills in Final Fantasy Tactics. That’s because when characters die, they only have three turns before they turn into crystals. Once that happens, they’re dead for the whole game unless you reset. If Ramza dies this way, the game is over. Even the best-laid plans can go sideways, and there’s nothing worse than having a character die early on in a fight and realizing you have no way to bring them back. Make sure at least one character has the Item skill equipped and Phoenix Down unlocked (it’s only 90 JP points) no matter what job they are. I usually have at least two or three.

Job Point spillover is your friend

Square Enix

Final Fantasy Tactics is full of math that never gets overtly explained. One of the most important calculations is called JP spillover. Every time a character earns Job Points, the rest of your characters in battle get 20 percent of those points to that same job. Even if they don’t have the job unlocked yet, the points will still accrue in the background, showing up once it’s available.

This has two important uses. The first is you can have people double-up on jobs and unlock specific skills much faster. The other is that you can earn a small amount of points that let characters unlock one or two lower-level skills without them ever having actually spent time ranking up in that job. If you have a Chemist in your party earn 2,000 points, that will be enough for everyone else to learn Auto-Potion, one of the most useful counterattack skills in the game.

Drag battles out when you can so human enemies turn into crystals

Square Enix

When humans fall in battle, they can turn into treasure chests or crystals. The treasure chests aren’t that useful, but the crystals contain all of the Job skills those soldiers had when they died. This is a really efficient way to unlock skills without spending any points, especially for lower-level stuff on jobs that character isn’t currently using. For example, your Chemist, Knight, or Archer might grab a crystal from a White Mage and learn a bunch of useful secondary skills like Cure, Raise, and Protect without ever grinding as a White Mage. There’s just one caveat: they need to have the job unlocked to be able to earn the skills from it this way.

Stats grow differently depending on the job you have when you level up

Square Enix

Here’s some more arcane math the game doesn’t tell you about. Jobs have different base stats, so if you go from being a Knight to a Thief, even if you don’t change anything else, that character will have less health but be faster. Well, these stats also change in the background as you level up (with XP) in particular jobs. Players have spent decades trying to get the rough math right in charts like these, but there are some key things even casual players should be aware of.

  • Monks, Knights, and Lancers have the highest health growth multiplier.
  • Monks and Ninjas have the highest attack growth multiplier.
  • Ninjas, Thieves, and Monks have the highest Speed Multiplier.
  • Wizards and Time Mages have the highest magic attack growth multiplier.
  • Priests, Wizards, Time Mages, and Summoners have the highest magic point growth multiplier.

Mimes, the hardest job to unlock in the game, have the highest all around stat growth potential, while Bards have the worst for male characters and Chemists have the worst for Female characters.

Ramza kicks ass as a Monk

Square Enix

Thematically, it feels like the main character should be wearing armor and tanking hits out in front. It’s also bad if he dies, so survivability also seems like a priority. But Monks, even though they wear light armor and less of it, can be exceptionally strong, and Ramza, because of his underlying stats, is one of the strongest. In addition to hitting for lots of damage and maintaining good speed, he’ll also unlock all of the Martial Arts skills which include ranged attacks, health and MP healing, status ailment removal, and a revive. Best of all, these skills cost no MP and happen instantly.

Pay attention to Bravery and Faith

Square Enix

More numbers! Each character in Final Fantasy Tactics has a Zodiac sign and two numbers near their name. The first is Bravery and it measures their ability to deal and take physical damage. The second is Faith and it’s involved in calculating the effectiveness of magic spells, both used and received. A high Faith character, for example, will have a higher likelihood of spells working and dealing more damage, but will also be more susceptible to them in return. Take note of these stats in the Recruiter’s office when you’re looking for new party members and when you’re deciding on their job trajectories.

If someone’s pursuing magic, they’ll do best with a Faith stat over 60 (I like to aim for 70). Same for Bravery when it comes to physical fighters. Bravery also effects the likelihood of counterattacks activating. This is extra important for things like Auto-Potion. A low Bravery character won’t react to being hit with their counterattack skills as much.

You can out-level for story battles but not random encounters

Square Enix

If you’re stuck on a story battle like, say, the Dorter Slums or Lionel Castle Gate, you can keep grinding until your characters get powerful enough to overwhelm the enemy with sheer force. Random encounters, however, will always raise enemy levels to around where Ramza’s is, which is worth knowing before you try to go into a fight and grind with characters who are all learning new jobs they haven’t unlocked skills for yet.

Don’t rush into fights!

Square Enix

This is a lesson Final Fantasy Tactics tries to teach you itself in Ramza’s very first battle out of the academy when Delita warns him about taking things slow. Any time I have ever lost a battle, it is because I got way too aggressive way too early. This will leave your fastest, farthest-moving characters isolated and easy targets to be picked off while also spreading you out across the field too much.

If you’re facing mostly Archers and Knights, turtle up and take advantage of healing and support spells that hit multiple allies at once. If you’re facing enemy spell casters, separate your party just enough to not have multiple people targeted at once while still being close enough together to burst down one enemy at a time.

Always buy the best armor you can afford

Square Enix

Every couple of battles, new gear will become available at the Outfitter’s office. Armor doesn’t increase defense in Final Fantasy Tactics. Instead, it raises health and magic point totals. Lighter armor will be a more balanced mix, while heavy armor prioritizes HP. It’s okay to switch things up to suit your character’s skills. A Knight that also casts White Magic will want to wear mage robes instead of a full suit of armor to get more magic points.

In the old days, traveling back to town could mean getting stuck in a random encounter, but the remaster gives you the option to flee any battle on the map, so there’s no downside to constantly tracking back for supplies and better armor. Unless you’re playing on easy, Final Fantasy Tactics will require you to grind for cash and levels every so many story battles. Staying on top of the latest gear available will help even the odds.

Don’t under estimate the power of Move +1

Square Enix

One is the loneliest number. In a game full of big numbers, it can look especially unimpressive. But the maps in Final Fantasy Tactics aren’t very big, and being able to move one extra square in any direction can pay off in big ways. Combine an early pair of Battle Boots with the Squire’s +1 movement ability and all of a sudden you have a 50-percent move bonus. Especially for characters who aren’t ranged, this can be the difference between contributing something meaningful to the fight during their turn and just constantly getting outmaneuvered until they die.



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Battlefield 6's Roadmap Is Packed With New Maps And More
Game Reviews

Battlefield 6’s Roadmap Is Packed With New Maps And More

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EA has released a content roadmap for Battlefield 6 that outlines all the new goodies and free DLC players can expect during the online shooter’s first season.

Battlefield 6, EA’s next installment in the popular military sim series, is nearly here. The FPS arrives on October 10 on console and PC. But in 2025, games like Battlefield can’t just launch and be done. No, they need roadmaps! Promises of more content coming down the pipeline. And that’s just what’s been revealed, with BF6‘s season one roadmap confirming two new maps are arriving in BF6 before the end of the year, as well as new modes, guns, and more.

As seen in the new roadmap shared on September 29, season one of Battlefield 6 doesn’t start at launch. Instead, it begins on October 28, a few weeks later. The first season is being split into “phases” that will bring in new content every month for the rest of 2025.

© EA

Phase One of BF6‘s first season

The first Phase is Rogue Ops, and it adds a brand new map: Blackwell Fields. This is a big map set in the California badlands, and it will support all modes as well as land and air vehicles. The first phase also adds Strikepoint, a new 4v4 mode all about “intense, small team tactical” combat. Squads fight over an objective across multiple rounds, but only have one life each round. Sounds tense. Not sure it’s something I’ll play, but different strokes, etc.

Also being added in the first phase are an APC vehicle, a compact carbine rifle, a new sidearm, and some extra attachments for weapons.

Phase Two of BF6‘s first season

Phase two of BF6‘s first season kicks off on November 18 and adds a new map, Eastwood, which seems to be a bit smaller than Blackwell Fields. This new battlefield is also set in the United States and is located in a “sleepy, affluent suburb” next to a golf course. All modes supported, but it seems no jets will be available on this one, just helis. A new mode called Sabotage is being added in this phase, too. The new mode is another smaller one focused on 8v8 combat as teams try to destroy as many objectives as possible before time runs out. One team defends, the other attacks. Once again, not sure if this is what I want from Battlefield, but cool for folks who like it.

Also being added in phase two: Battle Pickups. This is a returning feature from some past Battlefield games. Players will be able to find powerful and advanced weapons that can be picked up and used until they run out of ammo or you die and drop them. I’m excited to see how this might change up some maps.  A new double-barreled pump shotgun, revolver, and attachment is also being added during this phase.

Phase three of BF6‘s first season

Finally, on December 9, phase three of the season arrives. EA says this is the last phase of the season. This phase doesn’t add a new map, but instead changes up an existing map. BF6‘s Empire State map, set in NYC, will temporarily be covered in snow during this phase of the season. According to the roadmap, this won’t simply be a fun cosmetic change, but will actually affect gameplay. There will be a new “Freeze” mechanic introduced on the snow-covered map that EA describes as a “gameplay modifier.” No other details yet.

Meanwhile, the third and final phase will add an ice-climbing axe as a new melee weapon option, and a new limited-time “Ice Lock” even that will happen exclusively on the snowy Empire State map.

Phew! That’s a lot of content and all of it is, assuming nothing gets delayed, arriving in the game’s first few months. I’ll be curious to see how much content future seasons include. Can we expect two maps and multiple guns in every season? That seems like a lot. But if the devs can pull it off, Battlefield 6 might end up being one of the best entries in the series. And that might help distract people from the news that EA is being bought up by Saudi Arabia’s prince and Jared Kushner’s investment firm. Battlefield 6 is out on October 10 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.



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Here's What 50+ Celebs Thought Of The PS2 In 2002
Game Reviews

Here’s What 50+ Celebs Thought Of The PS2 In 2002

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Celebrities are just like you and me. They enjoy some video games, just like the rest of us. And back in 2002, Sony was thrilled that so many famous people really enjoyed playing the PlayStation 2. Sony was so excited, in fact, that the PlayStation maker compiled a large list of “celebrity testimonies” and shared it with the press via the company’s 2002 E3 Press Kit. And thankfully, as spotted by Devolver Digital PR manager Andy Kelly, someone all the way back in 2016 uploaded this press kit to the Internet Archive. Now we can all enjoy it.

I’ve formatted all of the testimonials below, with minimal editing or tweaks. Now you can easily enjoy all of these testimonials, some of which don’t seem like something Sony would actually want people to read or share. And yes, some of the people below are not great and are super canceled in 2025. Take a shot for each time that happens. (Don’t do that.)

Matthew Perry, actor, Friends

“I used to have a social life, go on dates, go to dinner parties, have a job. Now all I do is sit in a big chair and play PlayStation 2. 1 never leave my house. My friends have wondered what happened to me. Howard Hughes must have had one of these.”

David Arquette, actor, Scream 3

“PlayStation 2 is to the gaming world what the computer was to the typewriter. It’s not just an entertainment luxury, but a necessity.”

Hayden Christensen, actor, Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones

“I just got [PlayStation 2] a few days ago, but I’ve been playing it non-stop; it’s a great system. The graphics are fantastic, I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Luke Wilson, actor, Charlie’s Angels

“Freedom from everyday life can only mean one thing – the arrival of PlayStation 2.”

Sandra Bullock, actress, Miss Congeniality

“PlayStation 2 is the only place where I can legally explode things and not harm anyone.”

Chris Klein, actor, American Pie II

“I’ve been playing game systems for a really long time, but once you go PlayStation 2 you can never go back. . .It’s the best system for sure.”

Jason Biggs, actor, American Pie II

“I do play PlayStation. I have a PS2 console and it is awesome…It is amazing. PS one is still great, but the graphics and the concepts on PS2 are incredibly realistic…I had PS2 in my trailer for American Pie II. Me and the rest of the guys would get into some heated games.”

Jason Lee, actor, Almost Famous

“[PlayStation 2] is the most amazing game I’ve ever played. Amazing graphics, too. The console looks like it’s straight out of Blade Runner!”

Justin Timberlake, singer, NSYNC

“I play PlayStation 2 all the time, not just on the road. The play action is really easy and has the best graphics.”

P. Diddy, rapper

“No doubt I am a [PlayStation 2] fan. My kids and I play together.”

Snoop Dogg, rapper/actor, The Wash

“The rush to get the new PlayStation 2 is more out of control than the Cabbage Patch Kids. I want my music on there – I want it to be Snoop Dogg and PlayStation 2.”

Nick Carter, singer, Backstreet Boys

“I’ve been playing PlayStation 2 since it came out. I take it out on tour and play on the bus, in my hotel room and backstage before the shows. The graphics are totally awesome, and I like that I can use it to play DVDs, too.”

Vin Diesel, actor, The Fast & The Furious

“If I’m not playing Sony PlayStation or rereading a classic or watching a foreign film. . .my friends and I get on the Internet and find out who I’m dating, and it’s always hysterical.”

Tara Reid, actress, American Pie II

“PlayStation is fun. It’s innocent and fun. It is nice to be kids and have a good time… I bring PlayStation 2 into my trailer on every movie I do.”

John Leguizamo, actor, Moulin Rouge

“PlayStation 2 is the coolest thing ever. Forget my kids, this is MINE!”

Wayne Brady, comedian/actor, Whose Line Is it Anyway?

“I love my PlayStation 2. I’m all over my PS2. . . I tour so much now doing my improv act, that it’s great because my wife doesn’t let me play games at home, so I play them in the hotel room.”

Seann William Scott, actor, American Pie II

“I’ve never seen anything like it. . . I’ve played other games before but PlayStation 2 is just amazing.”

Shannon Elizabeth, actress, American Pie II

“The PlayStation 2 is the best thing ever.”

Tom Green, actor, The Tom Green Show

“They’ve all got Sony PlayStations and I don’t.” (On what he most values in his friends) “FINALLY, I’ve got my very own PS2″

Jimmy Fallon, actor, Saturday Night Live

“The PlayStation 2 is sweet! The new Madden game sounds insane…I want to play it now. I’m also excited about playing over the Internet. If they make an Olympic game it will be awesome to actually play someone in China. Too much fun.”

Forest Whitaker, actor/director, Waiting To Exhale

“I can’t wait to get the PlayStation 2 for my kids. They’re going to love it.”

Ashley Angel, singer, O-Town

“It’s midnight in Milwaukee and it’s 20 degrees outside and instead of being in a warm hotel room, Jacob, Erik and I are out playing PS2 in the tour bus.”

Howie Dorough, singer, Backstreet Boys

“We are all fans, but Nikki [Nick Carter] is the biggest. That is why I can’t beat him at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – I am trying to get that thing down.”

Dave Matthews, singer, Dave Mathews Band

“The band is so into PlayStation 2. I can’t imagine being on the road without it. Our lounge on the bus is dedicated to PlayStation 2.”

Danny Masterson, actor, That 70’s Show

“The games are really cool – they’ve got good soundtracks on them and look very, very real…I’m at work and in between scenes we play video games. We should probably read more books, but PlayStation 2 is so darn good.”

Bill Bellamy, MTV VJ/actor, The Brothers

“[PlayStation 2] is fascinating to see. The graphics are so incredible, so lifelike — it’s fast, it’s fun, it’s challenging, it brings people together. You feel like you’re really in the game. That’s the part that’s cool and that’s what people get excited about.”

Patricia Arquette, actress, Little Nicky

“We can’t get enough of PlayStation 2 at our house.”

Lee Ann Rimes, singer

“It’s a total stress-buster at the end of a long day – it’s a lot of fun!”

Marlon Wayans, actor/writer, Scary Movie

“It’s the truth. I played John Madden. . .one sack hit me so big, it broke my rib. You really feel like you’re playing the game. It’s the true experience. . .PlayStation 2.”

Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, actress, X-Men

“When I saw my friend [playing PlayStation 2] I became determined to become as much of an expert as she is.”

Tom Arnold, actor, Best Damn Sports Show Period, True Lies

“PlayStation 2 is so intense that when they play they don’t want to talk to anyone around them.”

Jermaine Dupri, So So Def Founder/Producer/ Recording Artist

“I am a die hard PlayStation 2 fan, I don’t like nothing else. But PlayStation is my favorite. . .You can play music, games, DVDs – there isn’t anything better.”

Billy Campbell, actor, Once and Again

“It’s going to be a long time before anybody beats it…”

Brendan Fehr, actor, Roswell

“In terms of graphics, it’s far superior to [the original] PlayStation. In between scenes, you see the players come out of dressing rooms, and there are little clips like you’re watching TV. It’s a lot of fun. . . PlayStation 2 is great because it plays both DVDs and games. . . and the graphics are so cool.”

Carmen Electra, actress/model, Scary Movie

“I grew up playing video games. PlayStation 2 takes it to the next level.”

Jeff Probst, host of TV’s Survivor

“When we did the first Survivor, I didn’t realize I’d have some downtime between challenges and Tribal Councils, but for Survivor 2, I was ready. I brought a PlayStation 2 as my luxury item. So, we’d finish Tribal Council, head back to base camp, toss in a game and start jammin’. It was a great way to get your mind out of your work and not a bad way to relieve some tension as well.”

Joey Fatone, singer, NSYNC

“I use PlayStation 2 because it is fun and has good graphics. It gives us something else to do on
the bus and helps pass the time while traveling from city to city. Got a PS2 in my car too like Chris [Kirkpatrick], and I play at least four to five hours a day. PS2 is the BOMB!”

Joshua Jackson, actor, Dawson ’s Creek

“I can’t go to a [movie] set without my PlayStation 2 ”

Sean Stockton, singer, Boyz II Men

“I am a huge fan of [PlayStation 2’s] Grand Theft Auto. . . for adults like me it is the bomb.”

Donald Faison, actor, Scrubs

“PlayStation 2 is everywhere – they’re always at the most happening spots. It is the coolest brand.”

Drew Lachey, singer, 98 Degrees

“I’m keeping [my PlayStation 2] in my bunk on the tour bus because I’m afraid I’ll play it too much at home and cause fights with my wife.”

Eddie Cibrian, actor, Third Watch

“You are talking to a true PlayStation 2 fan. I can’t wait for Tony Hawk 3 to come out…I play Madden all day long.”

Bryan McFayden, MTV VJ

“At MTV, a PlayStation 2 is never more than 30 feet away from where we’re taping.”

Erik-Michael Estrada, singer, O-Town

“NCAA Gamebreaker 2001 for PS2 is the most incredible college football game ever. Since we’ve gotten the PS2 on the road we have not been getting any sleep on the bus.”

Jason Cerbone, actor, The Sopranos

“I have a PlayStation 2 at home and play all the time. I am a big fan.”

Jeff Timmons, singer, 98 Degrees

“We’re going to test out all of the games for Sony and post our recommendations on our website.”

Justin Jaffe, singer, 98 Degrees

“PlayStation 2 is going to take over our football lounge on the bus.”

Kevin Richardson, singer, Backstreet Boys

“PlayStation 2’s Madden 2002, I am addicted to that game. I am addicted to football and loved to play in high school, but was not good enough to play college or professional ball. With Madden, I get to live out my fantasies on PlayStation 2.”

Lance Bass, singer, NSYNC

“I love my PlayStation 2 because it helps me to get rid of stress on and off the road.”

Michael Rosenbaum, actor, Smallville

“The PlayStation 2 is more fun than my blow-up doll.”

Nick Lachey, singer, 98 Degrees

“I know we’re going to bum through the first PlayStation 2 unit on the first leg of the tour.”

Robert Horry, athlete, Los Angeles Lakers

“I am a big PlayStation 2 fan. I went to the launch party last season and it was the best party I went to and I had to come back and check out the anniversary party. I don’t play the basketball games because I get frustrated. The games won’t let me do moves that I know I can do in real life.”

John Salley, former athlete, Los Angeles Lakers

“My daughter and I compete [on PlayStation 2]. Whenever we get in a fight, we say ‘See you on PlayStation.’ It’s better than a spanking. Just spank them on PlayStation.”

Simon Rex, actor, Jack and Jill (2002 TV show)

“Incredible fast graphics that would make Mario run for the hills. If my friends thought I spent a lot of time on PlayStation, just wait until [PlayStation 2] comes out!”

Stefan Lessard, bassist, Dave Matthews Band

“People know when they can’t find me, I’m in my bunk playing PlayStation 2. It’s my saving grace on the road – but I love playing it at home too!”

Jimmy Kimmel, host, The Man Show

“My son is eight years old and is hooked up like an IV to the PlayStation 2 — it keeps him busy.”

Adrien Brody, actor, Dummy

“I don’t even have a TV, but I’m going to get one and go crazy with PlayStation 2.”

Vincent Pastore, actor, After the Storm, The Sopranos

“I am a big PlayStation 2 fan. I am into it.”

Tia Carrere, actress, Wayne’s World

“Actually, I have to admit to jumping to the head of the line in Canada to get a couple of PlayStation 2s for Christmas — I was part of the craze. Now I want one for me.”

Nick Stahl, actor, The Thin Red Line

“The PS2’s graphics are amazing. I can’t wait to own one of these. . .I’ll play it all the time.”

Norman Reedus, actor/model, Gossip

“I love playing the PlayStation 2. It’s like meditation.”

Vincent Young, actor

“The sports games are addictive. I can’t put Madden Football down once I start playing. The graphics are so realistic – you can even see the hair on the players’ arms move.”

Catherine Bell, actress, Jag

“The PlayStation 2 is amazing and it looks really cool. Plus, the graphics are incredible. I love the fighting games, especially Tekken Tag, because I find all these crazy combinations, and when I play against my husband I always win.”

Ashley Poole, singer, Dream

“Me and my dad play PlayStation 2 when I go home — I love it. I love it. Holly and I are the PlayStation 2 babies of Dream. On our bus we have all the games and love to play.”

Daphne Zuniga, actress, Melrose Place

“My whole life, I’ve never liked video games, but after playing PlayStation 2, I have to get one…”

Debra Cox, singer

“I am a huge, huge, huge PlayStation fan. They are in every recording studio — how could you not be a fan?”

 

 

 



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Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2's ports bring two all-timers to the Switch 2, but I wish Nintendo made that just a little easier to celebrate
Game Reviews

Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2’s ports bring two all-timers to the Switch 2, but I wish Nintendo made that just a little easier to celebrate

by admin


While Super Mario Galaxy has appeared on Nintendo Switch before, via 2020’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars, this week’s re-release is still momentous. For one, 3D All-Stars was bizarrely only for sale for a limited time – so this will be the first time this game has a ‘standard’, ever-available Switch version. More importantly, this is the first time that Galaxy 2 is on Switch, meaning we now have one of gaming’s finest duologies reunited and available on modern hardware. All of this is great news.

Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2

  • Developer: Nintendo
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Platform: Played on Nintendo Switch 2
  • Availability: Out 2nd October on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

Having spent a fair chunk of time with each of the new ports, I’m looking forward to an inevitably reignited debate about which of these two games is better. The rare Nintendo direct sequel, Galaxy 2 is doubtless more refined, tightly organized to push its best ideas early and hard before offering up bold experimentation and fiendish late-game challenges. But that game can only exist because of the original Galaxy – experimental, charming, and wildly atmospheric.

The two form a fascinating one-two punch in this sense. Take the core structure of the games: Galaxy goes all-in on breezy hangouts in an attractive and story-rich but relatively inconsequential hub world. Galaxy 2 jettisons that for a very simple hub with a dialed-back narrative. The first title generally channels the levels of Super Mario 64, with multiple run-throughs and the like – Galaxy 2 embraces more of a linearity reminiscent of Mario’s 2D outings, in turn allowing for more attempts at joyous one-off level design spectacle.

Image credit: Nintendo / Eurogamer

Anyway, I digress. The funny thing about writing about a new release of games such as these is that there’s little point in litigating about the quality of the work. These are undeniably classics. The march of time is not going to change that for the Galaxies any more than it has for the very first Super Mario Bros. With that said, there are curious wrinkles in how these titles play that are only now visible because our minds have been collectively rewired by Odyssey – ways in which you realise Odyssey’s physics are slightly superior, its narrative waffling better delivered, and the game’s visual identity more refined. I feel if you showed that trio to somebody who had never seen them before, they’d easily identify which game is the newest – but none of this takes away from the brilliance of the Galaxy games.

What is more important, then, is the quality of the port. And it’s, you know… it’s fine, right? We know that Nintendo can port over GameCube and Wii games well enough to new hardware. Titles like the 3D Mario games have an art style that ages and scales exceptionally well, too. There was a time when this primarily benefited emulation enthusiasts who were running Wii or 3DS Mario games at much higher resolutions – but now, Nintendo can also reap such benefits first-hand.

Watch on YouTube

Both games run at 1080p on Nintendo Switch and 4K on the Switch 2. Things like the user interface have been tidied up, and everything is smooth. It’s nice, and from that perspective doubtlessly the new definitive way to play these games. I’m less enamored with the control setup, however.

The Mario Galaxy games were built as system-defining, hardware-shifting tentpoles for the Wii, and so they ooze that 2006 energy. The menus are all designed for the pointer interface, for instance – all great big buttons and the like. These of course can be navigated more traditionally and the UI has been subtly adjusted, but the design hasn’t fundamentally changed. The same is true of the game proper, which assumes you’re playing with a Wii Remote and a nunchuck – your right hand free to point at the screen to pick up or fire off starbits, or in Galaxy 2 to interact with the environment using Yoshi’s tongue.

You probably sense where this is going. If you want to play these games in handheld mode, or with a Pro Controller – in a more traditional way, more reminiscent of Odyssey – the act of controlling all of Mario’s skillset becomes uncharacteristically hard work. Some mechanics naturally fade to the background, which naturally is a shame. On the other hand, the Joy-Con is not a Wii remote. The gyroscopic-style cursor control is not as natural or as immediate as a sensor-powered pointer.

Image credit: Nintendo

Image credit: Nintendo

Image credit: Nintendo / Eurogamer

Image credit: Nintendo

Again, it’s fine and you do get used to it. You’ll gradually dial into a ‘zone’ where it becomes more natural over time, too. Still, it’s undeniable that this isn’t as intuitive or as good as on the Wii. I’m reminded of 3D All-Stars and its version of Super Mario Sunshine, which without the GameCube controller’s analogue triggers works just fine but is nevertheless somewhat compromised. In that case, support for the triggers was later patched in – but obviously, there’s no Wii Remote support on Switch, so that’s impossible here. What we have is what we’re going to get.

There’s also a sadly missed opportunity here, which is in the lack of mouse controls. The Switch 2 might not have a proper pointer, but it does have that going for it – but it’s unused! Or, well, not exactly. In a classic baffling Nintendo move, the Joy-Con 2 mouse is supported for the second player in the co-star mode, where a second player can join in the fun in a limited way – but the mouse can’t be used in any form when playing solo. It was probably deemed too awkward, given how your right hand also needs to liberally use the analogue stick to control the camera (though this is less important in this game, as the originals lacked camera control in the first place) and of course use those all-important action buttons. At the same time, I could easily see a scenario where a split Joycon player might seamlessly transition to temporary mouse control for pointer-intensive moments. No such luck.

I’d be more inclined to accept all of this without comment, by the way, if these were particularly cheap re-releases. At £34 individually and almost sixty quid for the pair, however, I’d expect every stop to be pulled out and a bit more bespoke tailoring to fit this Wii experience to the Switch machines. The one thing these joyous games aren’t remotely is cynical – but these releases might just be, a bit.

Image credit: Nintendo / Eurogamer

It has to be said that Nintendo has made smart changes, too. Assist Mode is lovely, and makes the elements of these games that did get surprisingly punishing a bit more accessible without damping the ‘core’ experience. The visual improvements are good, the new storybook stuff is cute, and while the soundtrack and amiibo support additions are basic, I appreciate them nevertheless.

So now I sit back, and scroll up, and think to myself: Oh. That’s a lot of negative words about perfectly fine ports of two of the greatest games of all time. And I suppose that’s the thing: these games are so good, and were so perfect in their original forms (we’re talking a pair of Eurogamer tens – remember those? – and a Eurogamer Game of the Generation) that to some extent all one is left with is nitpicks, frustrations, and unfavorable comparisons to near-perfect originals and an even-better-still successor in Odyssey.

And that’s the rub, really. The only thing one with any real light in their heart can do is to fully and loudly say that these games deserve to be played. They are always and forever an instant recommendation and a vital piece of platform gaming history. These ports are solid enough, and the best new, easily accessible way to play these games. So of course it’s a recommendation, in the end. I just wish the journey of my feelings to get to that recommendation were a little less complicated.



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