Every film loses moments here and there to the cutting room floor, as demonstrated by the deleted scenes ubiquitous on DVD and Blu-ray releases. Sometimes, those scenes are especially difficult to cut, as was the case for a particular moment in writer and director Ari Aster's latest horror movie, Midsommar, which has now arrived in theaters amid very positive reviews.Warning: There are Midsommar spoilers below. If you haven't watched the movie, come back after you have.Midsommar follows a group of friends that includes Dani (Florence Pugh) and Christian (Jack Reynor), a couple who would have broken up long before the group's trip to a remote village in Sweden, if not for the tragedy that struck Dani's family. Christian winds up feeling obligated to stay with Dani, despite being pretty well fed up with her--and although he may be trying to do the right thing by not ending it, he's not actually doing her any favors. Their relationship spirals throughout the Midsommar festival, although it never really comes to a head until the end of the movie, when Dani chooses a new family in a spectacularly f***ed up, but very satisfying, way.Except, at one point, their relationship was supposed to come to a head--in a scene that Aster said was incredible difficult for him to ultimately cut.Midsommar And The Genius Of A Horror Movie Set In Broad Daylight"There [was] a very big argument between Dani and Christian in the middle. That was the only time that we see Dani fight back and argue with Christian, and that was a big debate in the edit room, about whether we keep that or lose that," Aster told GameSpot. "If you told me that I would have cut that scene before we went into production, I would have told you that you were crazy."In Aster's previous film, the acclaimed Hereditary, mother and son Peter (Alex Wolff) and Annie (Toni Collette) have a screaming match across the dinner table that fully demolishes their already fraught relationship. Aster said he once considered the cut scene between Dani and Christian to be just as important. "I really love the scene that we cut," he said. "It's some of my favorite dialogue in the whole film, and in some ways it was as big of a decision to cut that as it would have been to cut the dinner table scene in Hereditary between Toni and Alex. It was that big of a cut. It was a very, very big day when we lost that from the film."Aster told us his original version of Midsommar was three hours and 45 minutes long, so naturally, cuts had to happen to get the movie to its final runtime of two hours and 27 minutes. As it is, the film spends a long time languishing in the Swedish village's strange, unsettling rituals, but Aster said there were "two other giant rituals" that got removed entirely. And they dropped a scene that was glimpsed in the movie's trailer, in which someone appears to be levitating (although Midsommar doesn't actually feature anything supernatural, Aster confirmed with us, and that scene had more to do with the film's mushroom-infused psychedelic elements)."There's a lot that's been cut out of the film, and [distributor] A24 used a lot of images from the cutting room floor in the trailer," Aster said. "I don't mind that, because you're sad to see these things go, and so if they are being put to use in one way or another, you're happy."Ultimately, losing the big argument scene between Dani and Christian benefitted the movie, in Aster's opinion. "We did find that by cutting that, we were able to maintain the tension between them even more successfully," he said. "I was in love with that scene, because it felt like an argument that I'd had with partners before, and I think it felt like the kind of argument that people would relate to. But it also felt like the movie could survive it being cut, which was a shock to me, and I didn't make peace with that until very recently."Aster shared one other thing about the movie's initial, much longer cut: The timeline of the Midsommar festival itself was much clearer in the original version. As it is, there's plenty of ambiguity, but the writer and director clarified a few things. For one, although the Midsommar festival happens every year, the part that happens at the film's end--the fiery human sacrifice--occurs only every 90 years. In addition to that, said sacrifice occurs on only the fourth day of the nine-day festival, leaving us to wonder how the festival could possibly continue to escalate for five more days after that. "[That's] something that we always understood would be potentially confusing to people, but I'm really allergic to exposition that's not absolutely needed, or that's not, like, woven invisibly into the fabric, and there was just no way of explaining that in a way that didn't feel like spoon feeding information," Aster said. "In the three hour and 45 minute version of it, it's a little bit clearer, but it was just one of the casualties of cutting the movie down.""I think there might be a director's cut for this one," Aster emphasized.Midsommar is in theaters now.Info from Gamespot.com

Disney's 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid is getting a live-action reboot. While some cast members are still in talks over deals, Walt Disney Studios has announced that lead character and mermaid princess Ariel will be played by Halle Bailey (Grown-ish, Last Holiday) of R&B duo Chloe x Halle.The Hollywood Reporter reported in late June 2019 that this live-action reimagining is seeking Melissa McCarthy (Ghostbusters, Tammy) to play sea witch Ursula. Subsequently, THR reported earlier this month that both Nora "Awkwafina" Lum (Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean's 8) and Jacob Tremblay (Room, Wonder) are in talks to play Scuttle and Flounder, respectively.Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) sits in the director chair, with John DeLuca (It Remains, Mary Poppins Returns) producing and David Magee (Life of Pi, Mary Poppins Returns) writing the script. Famed Disney Animation composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Ralph Breaks the Internet), who scored the 1989 original and Guy Ritchie's recent Aladdin remake, will write the music for the live-action adaptation. Lin-Manuel Miranda (Moana, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will assist Menken by writing lyrics.AMC and Netflix teamed up in 2018 to release The Little Mermaid, written and directed by Blake Harris. This version starred Gina Gershon (Blockers, Riverdale), Poppy Drayton (Unhallowed Ground, Writers Retreat), Shanna Collins (Breaking the Girls, Sassy Pants), Shirley MacLaine (The Last Word, Valentine's Day), and William Moseley (Friend Request, The Silent Mountain).Production on the new The Little Mermaid reboot is expected to begin in early 2020.Info from Gamespot.com

Midsommar, the new movie from writer and director Ari Aster (of Hereditary fame), is now in theaters, having received extremely positive reviews. Throughout the film, the group of friends that includes Dani (Florence Pugh), Christian (Jack Reynor), Josh (William Jackson Harper), and Mark (Will Poulter) experience strange and ever more sinister rituals during the Midsommar festival of a remote Swedish village to which they've been lured by their good buddy Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren).This is your final spoiler warning: If you haven't seen Midsommar yet, come back when you have for a look at the movie's ending.Dani and Christian's friends drop like flies--first their new acquaintances from London, then Mark, who's seduced by a village girl and apparently has his face skinned off, and finally Josh, who gets smacked in the noggin while snooping around the village's scriptures. Eventually, the two protagonists are the only ones left standing, much like Dani at the end of the dance-off that sees her crowned May Queen.They go through some crazy weird rituals: Dani sits at the head of the table while tripping her freaking balls off on shrooms and gets palanquin'd away to bless the land, while Christian takes part in one of the strangest sex scenes ever committed to film. It was all leading here: Pelle brought in the outsiders for a specific purpose, and Christian was deemed worthy of "breeding." It's less clear if the plan was always to crown Dani May Queen, although Pelle's suspicious words to her early in the film--that he was glad she was coming on the trip--seem to indicate so.The Genius Of Setting A Horror Movie In Broad DaylightIn Midsommar's final climactic scene, Dani is presented with a choice: Who will be sacrificed in the impending fiery ritual? Christian, her boyfriend of years, or a random villager she's never met before this week? She picks Christian, and in so doing chooses a new family for herself--one that values her and doesn't keep her around out of a misplaced sense of pity.Some viewers have experienced Midsommar's final scenes as a happy ending. And surprisingly, despite the human sacrifice element, that's not far off from writer and director Ari Aster's intent. "I hope that it's something that feels maybe cathartic, and almost maybe even uplifting, at the moment, and then I hope it's something that you have to wrestle with later," Aster told GameSpot. "I've always viewed the film as a perverse wish fulfillment fantasy in the clothes of a folk horror film. For the guys, for the men in the movie, the American men, it is a folk horror movie it's. But for Dani, it's really more of a fairy tale. And we are aligned with Dani."We here at GameSpot can attest to that--after leaving the theater, our own Meg Downey proclaimed Midsommar "the feel-good movie of the summer," a reaction Aster seemed tickled by."That's great," he said when we recounted Meg's reaction. "I mean, that's certainly what I was going for. I'm always happy when people call it a crowd pleaser."Aster shared another interesting tidbit about Midsommar's ending: The aforementioned human sacrifice is not the end of the festivities. In fact, it takes place on just day four of the village's nine-day festival. "I just found it funny that this is a nine-day festival, and this massive thing--the thing that ends the film--happens on day four," he said. "I like the idea of thinking about what would happen for the next five days after that."That timeline was more clear in Midsommar's original cut, but given that that version was three hours and 45 minutes long, some things had to go. Aster said he dislikes exposition, and besides, the ambiguity of basic questions like "What time is it?" and "How long have they been there?" adds to the movie's sense of anxious unreality.Midsommar's remote Swedish village and its many alien rituals aren't based on any one particular location or people, according to Aster, but rather drawn from a "stew" of different inspirations. "I was drawing from research into Swedish traditions, Swedish history, Swedish folklore, and then I was also pulling from German and English midsummer traditions," the writer and director said. "And then beyond that, I was pulling from my imagination and what was necessary for the story." One thing that doesn't happen by the end of the movie: anything supernatural, unlike in Aster's previous film, Hereditary."It just wasn't that film," Aster said. "There was never going to be anything supernatural, so it wasn't anything I had to--I didn't have to restrain myself from doing that. The only thing I've ever written that did involve the supernatural was Hereditary."Supernatural or not, it was a hell of an ending--and, depending who you ask, quite an enjoyable one, as well. Midsommar is in theaters now.Read next: The Midsommar Deleted Scene Director Ari Aster Hated To CutInfo from Gamespot.com

It was only a matter of time before GameStop stuck its toes into what is becoming a very crowded pool of July sales. As you might have heard by now, Amazon Prime Day 2019 is coming up soon, kicking off on July 15 and 16 (but with some deals available already). As a result, many retailers are getting in on the action, and GameStop joins the likes of Target, Walmart, Ebay, and Microsoft in offering a big summer sale that overlaps conveniently with Prime Day 2019.GameStop's Game Days Summer Sale will run for two full weeks, kicking off this Sunday, July 7, and running through July 20. This is GameStop's largest sale of the season, and it's a good chance to snag some relatively new games at a discount, such as Kingdom Hearts 3, The Division 2, and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, all three of which will be available for just $20. If you're not opposed to buying pre-owned games or accessories, GameStop is also running a buy two, get one free sale on last-gen and retro consoles, accessories, games, and more--that deal is already live and will end on July 7, when the Summer Sale starts.Select consoles and accessories will be discounted, including Xbox One wireless controllers for 20% off and GameCube-style, Nintendo Switch-compatible wireless controllers for $40. You'll also receive a free Starlink starter pack if you buy a Nintendo Switch and a free $50 GameStop gift card if you buy any Xbox One console. If you're in need of a new gaming headset, a few solid options will be available at a discount, including the HyperX Cloud Alpha Pro for $85 (usually $100) and the Turtle Beach 700 Premium for $120 (usually $150).You can also save big on select toys, collectibles, and apparel in GameStop's Summer Sale. Funko Pop collectors can get three Pop Vinyl figures for $25. That excludes figures listed over $12, but if you choose three $12 figures, that'll still save you $11. All T-shirts will be marked down to $20, select Amiibo will be buy one, get one 50% off, and all Kingdom Hearts and Fallout collectibles will be 40% off, to name just a few of the upcoming deals.See more details on what to expect in GameStop's summer sale below; plus, get prepped for Prime Day with GameSpot's coverage of the best deals, alternative sales, and more. Please note the below prices may change between now and when the sale kicks off.Games Platforms: PS4 and Xbox One, unless otherwise statedAnthem -- $20Assassins Creed Odyssey -- $20Borderlands Game of The Year- Only at GameStop -- $25Call of Duty WWII -- $9.97Days Gone -- $40Destiny 2 Forsaken -- $10 for PS4, $20 for Xbox OneDevil May Cry 5 -- $40The Division 2 -- $20Fallout 76 -- $25Far Cry New Dawn -- $20Grand Theft Auto V -- $20Just Dance 18 -- $4.97Kingdom Hearts 3 -- $20Madden NFL 18 -- $4.97Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle -- $20 (Switch)MLB The Show 19 -- $40Mortal Kombat 11 -- $50 (Deluxe Edition: $80)NBA 2K18 -- $4.97NBA 2K19 -- $20Rage 2 -- $40Red Dead Redemption 2 -- $40Star Wars Battlefront II -- $9.97Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission -- $50 (only July 7-13)Consoles and accessoriesGet a free $50 GameStop gift card when you buy any new Xbox One S or X consoleGet a Starlink starter pack free when you buy a new Nintendo Switch console -- $300GameCube-style Gold or Silver wireless controller for Nintendo Switch -- $40Get 20% off select new Xbox wireless controllers (only July 7-13)Turtle Beach 700 Premium wireless gaming headset -- $120HyperX Cloud Alpha Pro gaming headset -- $85Toys, collectibles, and apparelGet three Pop Vinyl figures for $25 ($12 and under, through July 13)Buy one, get one 50% off on select AmiiboBuy one, get one 50% off all action figures (only July 7-13)Get all T-shirts for $10 each (only July 7-13)Save $20 when you buy Forza Horizon 4 and any Thrustmaster Xbox One Racing Wheel (only July 7-13)Get 40% off all Kingdom Hearts and Fallout collectiblesGet 20% off select collectibles, including Fortnite, Pokémon, and more (only July 14-20)Special trade-in offersGet $275 trade credit for any PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, or iPhone 8Get $225 trade credit for Nintendo Switch, 1TB PS4, or iPhone 7 PlusGet $175 trade credit for 500GB PS4, Xbox One S, or iPhone 7Get $125 trade credit for original Xbox One or iPhone 6sInfo from Gamespot.com

July is officially here, which means we've entered the second half of 2019. This year has already seen some great games release for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and there are even more on the way as we head closer to the holiday season.This month is packed with some notable releases, so there are plenty of games to look forward to regardless of what platform you own. Switch gets two major exclusives this month in Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, while the former PlayStation exclusive Beyond: Two Souls makes its way to PC. RPG fans can also jump into Dragon Quest Builders 2 and Final Fantasy XIV's latest expansion, Shadowbringers, this month.There are a few other noteworthy titles coming in July as well. You can see all the biggest games on the way to each platform this month below. For a wider look at what's still in store for the rest of this year, be sure to check out our complete list of game release dates in 2019.Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (PS4, PC) -- July 2Kicking off July's releases is Final Fantasy XIV's third major expansion, Shadowbringers, which is available now on PS4 and PC. The expansion introduces a ton of new content to the popular MMO, including new areas to explore, nine new dungeons to conquer, and two new raids--one of which is a crossover with Nier Automata. Shadowbringers also adds two new playable races, the Hrothgar and Viera, as well as a pair of new Jobs, and more.Further reading: FFXIV Shadowbringers New Jobs: Gunbreaker And Dancer Guide And Quest LocationFFXIV Shadowbringers 5.0 Update Patch Notes Revealed--Here's What's NewFinal Fantasy 14 Will Be Overwhelmed By Fat Black Chocobos If Amazon Gets Its WayMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (Switch) -- July 19After nearly a decade, the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series returns with a brand-new, Switch-exclusive installment. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order arrives on Nintendo's hybrid console on July 19. This entry is set in a different universe than the previous Ultimate Alliance games, but it offers the same co-op, button-mashing gameplay that made the series so beloved. It also features an expansive roster of Marvel heroes and villains, with more to come as post-launch DLC.Further reading:Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: We Try To Trick The Devs Into Revealing CharactersNew Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 Trailer Shows Off A Ton Of Marvel's Best CharactersMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3 Adds Two Avengers To Its Playable RosterFire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch) -- July 26Nintendo's long-running tactical RPG series makes its Switch debut on July 26 with the release of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the first home console installment since 2007's Radiant Dawn on Wii. This time around, players are placed in the role of a professor at the Officers Academy, which is made up of three houses representing the continent of Fódlan's three ruling nations. As a professor, you'll be responsible for raising your students and guiding them, both in the classroom and on the battlefield.Further reading:Fire Emblem: Three Houses Has Save Scumming, SortaNew Fire Emblem: Three Houses Trailer Revealed At Nintendo's E3 2019 DirectFire Emblem: Three Houses Pre-Order Guide--Special Seasons Of Warfare Edition, Pre-Order BonusWolfenstein: Youngblood (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch) -- July 26Arriving alongside Fire Emblem: Three Houses on July 26 is the next entry in Bethesda's Nazi-shooting series, Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Set 20 years after the events of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Youngblood begins with series hero BJ Blazkowicz going missing in Paris, and it's up to his twin daughters Jess and Soph to find him. Despite the change in leads, Youngblood offers the same over-the-top Nazi-killing the series is known for (with some new RPG elements for good measure), and the entire game is playable in co-op.Further reading:Wolfenstein: Youngblood's Estimated Game Length RevealedWolfenstein: Youngblood Microtransactions Don't Let You Buy UpgradesWolfenstein: Youngblood's Kids Add Newfangled RPG Stuff To BJ's WorldFull July Release ScheduleGamePlatformRelease DateBuy / Pre-OrderFinal Fantasy XIV: ShadowbringersPS4, PCJuly 2Sea of SolitudePS4, Xbox One, PCJuly 4PlayStation, MicrosoftStranger Things 3: The GamePS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchJuly 4What Remains of Edith FinchSwitchJuly 4Senran Kagura: Peach BallSwitchJuly 9Dr. Mario WorldiOS, AndroidJuly 10SolSeraphPS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchJuly 10Dragon Quest Builders 2PS4, SwitchJuly 12AmazonGod Eater 3SwitchJuly 12Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black OrderSwitchJuly 19Beyond: Two SoulsPCJuly 22Fantasy StrikePS4, PC, SwitchJuly 25Raiden V: Director's CutSwitchJuly 25Fire Emblem: Three HousesSwitchJuly 26AmazonKill la Kill: IfPS4, PC, SwitchJuly 26AmazonWolfenstein: YoungbloodPS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchJuly 26Amazon, SteamMadden NFL 20: Superstar / Ultimate Superstar EditionsPS4, Xbox One, PCJuly 30 Info from Gamespot.com

It's no secret that Avengers: Endgame left some pretty major questions unanswered as we headed into Spider-Man: Far From Home--and no, we don't mean questions like, "Wait, so is Captain America just a huge selfish jerk? Or did he kiss his own niece?" We mean questions like, "So what actually happened when Bruce "reversed' Thanos' snap?"Though, seriously, did Captain America kiss his own niece? Will we ever get an answer for that?Anyway--the lingering questions about the MCU's worldbuilding and shared universe were largely swept away or skirted around during Endgame proper. We're only given very, very brief looks at the devastation the snap caused through a handful of establishing shots which show an almost post-apocalyptic New York City and San Francisco. We never actually see anyone come back from being dusted--they all swoop in from magic portals during the fight. What actually happened to the world at large when half of the population suddenly rematerialized is left completely up to our imaginations.Until now, that is. Spider-Man: Far From Home may not be as dire or as serious as Endgame, but as the final chapter of Phase 3, it was put in the unique position to try and pick up some of Endgame's pieces--sort of, at least.Spider-Man: Far From Home spoilers from here on out!Snap no moreWe may be calling it the "reverse-snap" here in the real world, but the characters themselves know it as "the Blip." As in, people weren't "snapped away," they "blipped," and so forth. It sounds silly, sure, but it actually does make some sense. After all, the only people who knew it was a snapping hand-motion that caused everything would be the Avengers who were there on the scene when it happened. And, technically, the snap itself was really just a meme--after all, nothing about the Infinity Gauntlet suggests that a snap is required to activate all the stones, Thanos was just being dramatic and it stuck in everyone's heads. Ergo, "the Blip" for everyone who isn't us, the viewers, or the Avengers themselves.What happens in Far From Home's post-credits scenes?What does Far From Home tell us about Phase 4?What does that surprise cameo mean for the MCU?So, does the MCU have a multiverse or not? We get a first-hand look at what, exactly, happened the moment Bruce undid the Blip, thanks to someone's cell phone video of a high school basketball game. The players are in the middle of their game when, suddenly, members of the marching band re-materialize mid-song in the middle of the court, causing all sorts of wacky chaos. It's funny, here at this moment, but what we can assume from this scene is actually pretty bleak--everyone who vanished in the snap was returned exactly to the place they vanished from, no matter what.So, people who vanished from say, cruise ships or boats in the middle of the ocean? They'd just be dropped into the water to drown since, obviously, no boat would be there for them to stand on five years later. People who vanished from planes would be falling out of the sky. People who vanished from hospitals say, mid-surgery, would be--well, let's just say extremely worse for wear when they reappeared.Far From Home naturally doesn't touch on any of that--but it does deal with some of the less-fun fallout by explaining that May rematerialized into her apartment, only to find that another family had started living there in her absence, leaving both her and Peter effectively homeless. They weren't alone in that particular situation and it actually inspired May to start up a humanitarian effort to help people with similar experiences in the post-Blip world.But beyond May's work to help homeless Blip-victims, the world seems to have picked up the pieces shockingly quickly and with little to no trouble at all. After all, less than a year after rematerializing and destroying Thanos for good, Peter's high school is ready to take a European vacation. There are a handful of gags about how underclassmen who weren't blipped are now in their grade or older than them, but beyond that? Everything seems to be business as usual. Even the cities themselves don't seem to be all that bad off, even after we saw the garbage-strewn post-apocalyptic ghost towns they'd become. Apparently, the world's infrastructure was able to bounce back so fast that the world is just normal again, right off the bat.What about the deaths?People returning from the dust is only half the equation of a post-Endgame world--we also have to deal with the fact that the Avengers themselves are now no longer a thing. Sort of. Some people died, others didn't but still decided to retire and/or ruin the past because they were bored, we guess. Either way, the landscape is pretty dramatically changed, at least for the heroes themselves.Far From Home confirms that civilians definitely know everyone died, or is otherwise gone, but never actually digs into just how or why. The movie opens with an (admittedly very funny) "video tribute" to the fallen heroes including Cap, Black Widow, and Vision, but the world itself seems to be populated exclusively by tributes to Tony. So, despite it being obvious that people somehow know that it wasn't just Iron Man who died, not many people seem to care about much else.This also begs the question: How, exactly, do people know? It's not like anyone was actually there to witness the final fight, Natasha died on an alien planet, Vision died in the middle of Wakanda, Steve didn't die at all (unless he's since died of old age, we guess). Did someone put together a press release or something to make sure the public was clued in? What was that process like? How did they explain what happened to a population of people who just underwent what is, undoubtedly, the most shocking and traumatic experience of their lives on a global scale?Apparently, whatever they did worked like a charm. Because while people are definitely scared that Iron Man is no longer around, they don't seem that thrown off by anything else. In fact, it seems to basically be business as usual for just about everyone and everything, though doubtlessly, we'll continue to see some of the fallout unfold in slow motion as Phase 4 really gets rolling. Info from Gamespot.com

Mario is a video game icon not only because he's a plucky and affable dude, but because he's the face behind some of the best platformers of all time. Nintendo has carefully guided his adventures for decades, but something happened in 2015: It gave players the keys to design and share stages in Wii U's Super Mario Maker, and the Mario we thought we knew took on a whole new light. He was no longer a laidback high-jumping hero; Mario became a hardened speed demon, a death-defying daredevil forced into unruly gauntlets crafted by evil geniuses who know his every hop, skip, and jump like the back of their hand.With the Wii U and 3DS versions of Mario Maker abandoned by Nintendo at this point, Super Mario Maker 2 on Switch brings us back to that heady time from years past. The game itself is largely familiar, though the more you play and create, the more you notice all of the little additions tucked inside and appreciate how they elevate the potential for creativity in new ways. Mario Maker 2 is a robust level creation tool and a fantastic open-ended platformer that will no doubt spur a new era of competition among players and creators alike. But so far, it's amazing what the right players can do when given the tools to craft Mario's world.The intuitive drag-and-drop system is back--you don't, however, have the luxury of a built-in Switch stylus, so consider buying or devising one before getting into the game as using your finger alone can cause you to occasionally misplace objects. You can create while your Switch is docked, though ultimately that should be a last resort considering how quickly you can place objects in handheld mode, even with the lack of stylus. Picking and placing ingredients for your level, or painting wide swaths of land, is a quick and painless process, and there are intuitive means of copying, pasting, and undoing your work as needed. You are once again given access to the components of games including Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U, along with their numerous enemies, objects, and mechanisms. You select a game theme and work within that toolset, but you can easily switch to another one on the fly and retain most of your work--only occasional elements aren't transferable.The big exception is the newly included set based on Super Mario 3D World, which can only be used in isolation. Lest you mistake the "3D" aspect to suggest you're breaking free from side-scrolling Mario, you aren't--you're just given access to unique elements from that game, such as the never-not-strange Cat Mario power-up. Far from being the only notable addition, the sum total of which are too numerous to list here, the Cat Mario suit is up there with the ability to make slopes, craft custom scrolling for stages, and set level-clear conditions as one of the most impactful additions to the Mario Maker formula. But of course, even the smallest variable can have a huge ripple effect in the hands of the right person. Time will tell what seemingly average element gets twisted into a diabolical weapon in the hands of the craftiest creators.For new creators, there's the chance of becoming overwhelmed with the number of options available at the start, but that's where Yamamura's Dojo comes in. Yamamura is a pigeon, but a very wise and insightful pigeon at that. If you need help wrapping your head around the basic concepts that go into conceiving and creating a level, Yamamura's your bird. His catalog of 45 lessons (divided into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced sets) walk you through everything from laying tracts of land and placing Goombas to the more philosophical side of level creation, even navigating the meta side of being a creator unleashing their work for others to judge.These lessons will help get a novice creator up to speed, and the fact that there's nothing holding back knowledgeable designers from the start was a smart move by Nintendo, too. The pool of creators has thus far made some truly impressive stages that utilize Mario Maker 2's robust toolset well. The overall level of logic inherent to a Mario game remains largely the same--no digging under the hood to rewrite traditional cause-and-effect rules, for example--but the spirit of Mario Maker 2 comes alive when familiar elements are combined by masterful players, often in ways that Nintendo would never employ in a traditional Mario game.So far, that unexpected creativity often manifests itself in oddball stages packed with an unreasonable number of enemies, diabolical platforming tests that demand superhuman reflexes, or clever contraptions that move Mario and key items around an environment with calculated chain reactions. Not every stage is a winner, but because the fundamental controls and elements of the world are tried-and-true, it's rare that you run into a custom stage worth getting upset about. Ultimately, dozens (soon to be hundreds, if not thousands) of alternative stages are seconds away, a convenience that's easy to take for granted. It's not an understatement to say that the speed at which you can browse, download, and play levels are key factors that make exploring Mario Maker 2 so easy and enjoyable.Discoverability plays a part in what levels you find, and beyond basic lists such as popular, new, and trending courses, there's a detailed search function that lets you narrow stage selection by attributes like theme and difficulty. You can also sort by tags that indicate the type of stage at hand, be it an auto-scrolling level or puzzle-centric challenge. After playing, you can leave feedback on the level for other players to consider--a simple but meaningful chance to contribute to the community and learn from your peers. This is all to say that Mario Maker 2's online stage selection is both organized and catered to the wider player base. You don't have to involve yourself in every aspect of it if you just want to play a bunch of random Mario levels, but it's great to see that you can become deeply involved with your fellow makers if you desire.One of the hotly contested elements pre-launch was online multiplayer, which comes in both co-op and competitive forms. Nintendo's initial plans to limit these modes to random matchmaking drew the ire of some fans who quite reasonably expected to be able to play with their friends. Nintendo has since made it clear that feature will come, just not in time for launch. As it stands, the lag present in most multiplayer sessions (where matchmaking happens automatically) ruins the experience. Mario, and especially Mario Maker levels, are geared around precision platforming. When you can't rely on the movement of your character or your controller inputs, you might as well not be playing at all. If anything stains Super Mario Maker 2, it's the current state of online multiplayer.On a more positive note, the other major addition to Mario Maker 2 is a proper story mode, a campaign of 100 Nintendo-made levels. The story is typical Mario fare set in an overworld with NPCs and a few fun surprises, taking things a few steps further than The Super Mario Challenge from the 3DS Mario Maker. It's not an amazing addition in light of the countless levels coming from other players, but it's an enjoyable alternative if you prefer a more coordinated campaign. There's the slight missed opportunity to give you creative tools as a means of solving purpose-built puzzles, to give you that hands-on learning in a practical scenario, but they are given to you as options to overcome stages that you repeatedly fail. It's not as if there's a drought of custom stages online, even before release, though Nintendo's batch of stages are nice to have if you want to dig into stages handmade by the developers themselves.The Mario series is worth all the admiration it gets, and Super Mario Maker 2 is an excellent tool for picking it apart by pushing its enemies, mechanisms, and Mario, to their limit. I've yet to make a stage of my own that I think is worthy of sending out to other players, but I'm committed to getting there. Whether exploring the full potential of a single element or throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, I've got the itch to join the creator's club. Mario Maker 2 makes the learning process intuitive and enjoyable. Most importantly, it's enabled designers amateur and professional alike to share their creativity with the world. The community is off to a great start, and thankfully, the fun has only just begun. Info from Gamespot.com

A free demo of Daemon X Machina launched in February prior to the release date announcement made during Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct. Though the company pulled the demo off the Eshop in Mach, we're getting another look at the mech action game in the form of a new feedback trailer, highlighting the various improvements coming to Daemon X Machina when it releases this September.The two-minute trailer goes through a flurry of adjustments and improvements made to both quality of life and game feel. Some changes include new equipment that locks on to enemies, the ability to see enemy health bars, indicators showing the direction of enemy fire, slight alterations to default button configurations, and more. Developers Marvelous First Studio is also making use of the Nintendo Switch's motion controls, implementing a new Gyro aiming system that can be toggled on and off.Rock out to the trailer and the blistering metal music below.Daemon X Machina is a third-person action game where you pilot giant mechs called Arsenals to fight other giant mechs. It features character and mech customization and modification. The demo, called "Prototype Missions," launched with four separate missions showing off the basic controls and combat scenarios, as well as a boss battle with a humongous mech.Daemon X Machina will launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch on September 13.Info from Gamespot.com

It appears another crossover event is coming to Fortnite. Following the game's second 9.30 content update, the portals from Netflix's popular Stranger Things series have begun appearing in the game, conveniently in time for the launch of the series' third season (you can read our Stranger Things Season 3 review here).There are several portals in the game right now, and they can be found, fittingly, inside the Mega Mall, one of the new areas introduced to the game at the start of Season 9. It's unclear what the purpose of the portals is--at present, they'll simply teleport you to other areas of the mall if you walk inside one--but it could signal some more Stranger Things content coming to the game. Netflix had previously hinted at a Fortnite/Stranger Things collaboration around the launch of Season 3 (and the Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor from Stranger Things 3 was even added to Mega Mall recently), so this could just be the beginning.This certainly isn't the first crossover to happen in Fortnite. Epic has previously collaborated with a number of blockbuster films. Earlier this year, Fortnite hosted an Avengers: Endgame crossover event that allowed players to wield some of the Avengers' iconic weapons. After that, the game held a John Wick crossover event to coincide with the release of John Wick 3. Epic Games boss Donald Mustard even appeared in the Avengers: Endgame re-release.Fortnite is still in the midst of its 14 Days of Summer event. Until July 16, you'll be able to complete new challenges and unlock some special summer-themed rewards. There will be 14 challenges in total, and if you manage to clear all of them by the end of the event, you'll unlock the Smoothie back bling. Epic is also unvaulting a weapon and hosting a different limited-time mode each day of the event.The aforementioned 9.30 content update went live on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices on July 2, and it was a fairly minor one as far as Fortnite updates go, only adding a single new weapon to Battle Royale mode: the Drum Shotgun. Fortnite's premium Save the World mode, on the other hand, has brought back a handful of festive heroes to celebrate the Fourth of July, while Fortnite Creative has received a handful of new prefabs and galleries.Info from Gamespot.com

Actor Rami Malek plays the villain in the upcoming 25th and untitled James Bond movie. Now, the Oscar winner has revealed that he needed a guarantee about the character before signing on. He told The Daily Mail that he discussed his intentions with director Cary Fukunaga, telling him that he wouldn't play the part if the character was a religious fundamentalist."It's a great character and I'm very excited," Malek said. "But that was one thing that I discussed with Cary. I said, 'We cannot identify him with any act of terrorism reflecting an ideology or a religion. That's not ­something I would entertain, so if that is why I am your choice then you can count me out.'"That kind of character was "clearly not" what Fukunaga had in mind, Malek said, so he agreed to do the movie. The character Malek plays is a "very different kind of terrorist," he said.Malek went on to say the script is "extremely clever," and it should be "exactly what people want" from a James Bond movie. Malek also said he feels "substantial pressure" to deliver in his performance given the weight of the history of the James Bond series.Oscar winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) was initially tapped to direct Bond 25, but he dropped out due to "creative differences." Cary Fukunaga replaced Boyle before the film was delayed first from October 2019 to February 2020 and then again to April 2020.Bond 25--which is not the final name--stars Daniel Craig as James Bond for the final time. Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Lea Seydoux will all reprise their roles for the film Jeffrey Wright and Ben Whishaw also return.In June, a controlled explosion on-set went wrong, and one person was injured. Info from Gamespot.com

This year's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will address one of the most-discussed elements of the new trilogy: who the heck are Rey's parents? Actress Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, told The USA Today that director JJ Abrams is planning to reveal more details about her parentage in the upcoming film."(Director J.J. Abrams) did say the question is answered. So at the end of the film, you do know what the dealio is," she said.In The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) told Rey that her parents were no one of significance; they were only "filthy junk traders," according to Kylo Ren. Ren, who is the movie's villain, told this to Rey in the middle of a tense, emotional scene where he was directly trying to manipulate her, so many have theorized that he was indeed lying.Abrams said earlier this year that The Rise of Skywalker aims to offer a satisfying conclusion not only to the new trilogy that began with 2015's The Force Awakens, but also for the entire "Skywalker Saga" that began in 1977. Part of this is revealing who Rey's parents are, it seems.Abrams said he doesn't want to retcon what director Rian Johnson did in The Last Jedi with Ren telling Rey her parents were nobody, but there is more to the story. "I don't want to say that what happens in Episode 8 [didn't happen]," Abrams said. "We have honored that. But I will say that there's more to the story than you've seen."Some of the theories about Rey's parentage include that she is the daughter of Luke Skywalker, a Kenobi, or a descendant of Palpatine, among others.The Rise of Skywalker releases in theatres in December. In addition to Ridley and Driver, the movie stars John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Mark Hamill as Luke, and Billy Dee Williams as Lando. For more, check out the movie's first trailer and everything we know about Star Wars Episode IX.Info from Gamespot.com

The second Pokemon Go Fest event of the summer kicks off soon in Dortmund, Germany, but even if you can't attend in-person, you'll have a chance to catch a special Pokemon. To celebrate the event, Niantic is increasing spawns of male Nidoran around the world beginning tomorrow, July 4, at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM BST, and if you're lucky enough, you'll be able to find its Shiny version for the first time.That isn't all that's happening during the event. As was the case during last month's Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago, Niantic will offer a variety of Global Challenges throughout Germany's Go Fest. Players around the world can chip in toward their completion, and if enough challenges are completed, Niantic will make a variety of bonuses available in the game, including another chance to capture the Legendary Pokemon Entei.This week marks the third anniversary of Pokemon Go's release, and Niantic is celebrating the occasion with a variety of events and bonuses. Shiny Alolan forms of Rattata, Sandshrew, Vulpix, Diglett, Meowth, Geodude, Grimer, and Exeggutor can be found in the wild, and Pikachu wearing a party hat is available once again. There are also new Special Research quests and new avatar items inspired by the game's three team leaders in the Style Shop.Beyond the third anniversary festivities, the Gen 3 Legendary Groudon has returned to Raid Battles for a limited time. The Pokemon will appear at Gyms until July 10, and you'll have a chance of encountering its Shiny version. Groudon and Kyogre are also two of the possible Legendaries you can encounter through July's new Field Research tasks. Another Gen 3 Legendary, Speed Forme Deoxys, has also begun appearing in EX Raids.Pokemon Go's next Community Day is scheduled for July 21. The featured Pokemon this time will be Mudkip, the Gen 3 Water-type starter. Throughout the event, Mudkip will appear in the wild more frequently than normal, and if you can evolve it into its final form, Swampert, by the end of the event, it'll learn a special move. You'll also earn triple the usual amount of XP for capturing Pokemon during this month's Community Day.Info from Gamespot.com

On PS4 and PC, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a lovely homage to classic Castlevania with a collection of smart quality-of-life improvements and impeccable craftsmanship. Koji Igarashi has been hailed as a visionary who helped define the “Metroidvania” genre, and his return to it is worth celebrating. Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch version of Bloodstained suffers from significant technical problems, and it's difficult to recommend over other platforms.Symphony of the Night may be the most famous of Igarashi’s works, but the series of micro-sized follow-ups he produced on the Game Boy Advance showed portability was a boon to its newfound RPG-like mechanics. Games like Harmony of Dissonance squeezed much of what was wonderful about those games into a form factor that allowed picking up and playing wherever you might go. Bloodstained appeared primed to offer this again for a modern age, with one contiguous experience between the console and portable forms. However, the Nintendo Switch version of Bloodstained struggles to deliver an experience on par with other platforms.Switch ports often get visual downgrades compared to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, but Bloodstained fares especially poorly in the transition to Switch. The backgrounds are muddy and the character models lack crisp edges and flourishes on their accessories. Textures like clothing often appear flat. The style of the game on more powerful platforms--which is often a visual treat with lots of subtle detail on the environments and enemy designs--doesn’t lend itself to being compromised in this way.Performance issues are even more difficult to overlook. A combination of uneven frame rate and high input latency makes it feel sluggish and unresponsive. After experiencing the game as intended, it can feel like the hero, Miriam, is struggling to move through molasses, as if the air itself is thick. This diminishes the normally fast-paced action and makes dangerous enemies even more difficult than they should be. Bloodstained is finely-tuned to feel challenging without veering into frustration, and the unresponsiveness on Switch compromises this careful balance. Long load times only add to the annoyance, breaking the flow of action further.Those compromises distract from what is otherwise an expertly modernized Metroidvania. Quality-of-life changes like loadouts slots and weapon-specific techniques make combat feel more versatile. Shards collected from monsters both supply a different kind of loot to collect and imbue you with a variety of powers that let you customize the game to your playstyle. Crafting weapons, enhancing shards, and cooking all give you multiple avenues to power up and suit your equipment to the challenges you face. It’s a very satisfying progression from the feeling of total helplessness that envelops you, regardless of platform.Best of all, the castle design itself unfolds beautifully throughout the experience. The layout of the environments inspires curiosity and a sense of adventure as you slowly unlock more tools to access additional areas. The mystery of the castle itself and the puzzle that brings about the true end-game merges the game’s lore and mechanics wonderfully. And the monster design and dialogue show a playful sensibility that contrasts with the dark and dour tone of the story. [Read our PS4 and PC review for our full thoughts.]All of Bloodstained's excellent qualities make the Nintendo Switch version even more disappointing. Though 505 Games has acknowledged its technical shortcomings and committed to issuing updates, at launch it is simply too compromised for its own good. If you have no choice but to play on Nintendo Switch, it may still be worth overlooking the weak spots and taking in the experience. If you have other options, though, play on a different platform. The portability of the Nintendo Switch could have made it the absolute best version for a retro-inspired game like Bloodstained. Instead, it’s the worst.Info from Gamespot.com

While Marvel is bringing its cinematic universe to San Diego Comic-Con this month, fans will also be able to learn a bit more about the upcoming games. On Thursday, July 18 in Hall Hat 1:30 PM PT, there will be a panel for the highly-anticipated Marvel's Avengers for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.The panel promises a first look at "exciting new content" for the Avengers game, as well as other titles like Iron Man VR and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. There will be "many unannounced surprises and panel exclusives," according to the description.I'm back at Comic-Con this year hosting the @MarvelGames panel in Hall H! Come join @BillRosemann, me, and more to talk Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Marvel's Iron Man VR, and Marvel's Avengers (plus secret stuff)! #MarvelSDCC https://t.co/SGuZA9QYqp — Greg Miller (@GameOverGreggy) July 1, 2019Marvel Games boss Bill Rosemann will appear on the panel, which will be hosted by KindaFunny's Greg Miller. Other "special guests" will also appear on the panel.Those who can't attend in person can watch the Marvel Games panel from Comic-Con through a number of streaming platforms such as Marvel.com, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.The new Avengers game from Crystal Dynamics, Eidos, and other support studios is scheduled to release in May 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

Sony's streaming TV service, PlayStation Vue, is raising prices yet again. Every PlayStation Vue multi-channel plan is going up in price by $5 USD.Those who are existing subscribers won't be charged extra until their first billing cycle begins after July 31. New customers pay the higher prices now. PlayStation Vue general manager Dwayne Benefield said in a blog post that prices are going up in response to the rising annual costs of available content. "We constantly evaluate each deal to ensure we continue to deliver the content you want while considering the overall value of each package," he explained.Benefield went on to say that Sony is sticking with PlayStation Vue with the ambition of making it "the premier destination for live TV streaming."PlayStation Vue, which is only available in the United States, features packages that include major channels such as HBO, FX, ESPN, the NFL Network, and HGTV, along with more than 650 local stations depending on where you live.This is just the latest price hike for PlayStation Vue. Sony also raised PlayStation Vue pricing by $5 USD a year ago this month. According to Variety, the latest price increase is due to Sony reaching new licensing deals with NBCUniversal, AMC Networks, WarnerMedia, and Discovery.With the new price increase, the base-level Access package is now $50 USD per month; the Core package is now $55 USD, the Elite subscription is $55 USD, and the Ultra package is $85 USD. Info from Gamespot.com