Earth Day is quickly approaching--it's next Monday, April 22, in case you didn't know--and in the spirit of reuse and avoiding waste, Amazon is offering 20% off used PS4, Switch, and Xbox One games, consoles like the Nintendo Switch, wireless controllers, PC gaming accessories, and more this week. Because they're used, many of these products are already discounted, so there are some pretty decent deals with the additional markdown.The 20% off discount will be applied automatically during checkout--you'll be able to see the reduction when you get to the Shipping & Payment portion. And if you have Prime, you'll get free two-day shipping as usual. While used, the products are all in "good," "very good," or "like new" condition and are shipped and sold by Amazon, so you can rest assured the deals are legit.It's a good time to pick up a Nintendo Switch, as you can grab one here for around $210. There's an excellent price on the HTC VIVE VR system, which generally sells for $500 but is available here for $338. Used Xbox wireless controllers are available for well under $40 in multiple colors, with the white version selling for just $27. Meanwhile, you can pick up a black DualShock 4 wireless controller for only $34.There are quite a few used games to pick from in this sale, but the highlights include a Bayonetta 2 + Bayonetta bundle for Switch for about $33, Kingdom Hearts III for $26 on PS4 and $28 for Xbox One, Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee for $34 and Let's Go, Pikachu for $38, God of War for $21, and Fallout 76 for the record-low price of $15.37 on PS4.The Amazon Warehouse Earth Week sale is running now through April 22.Shop Amazon Warehouse Earth Week gaming deals »See some of our gaming-related picks from the sale below--we've already calculated the 20% off discount for you so you can see the price that will show up at checkout.Consoles / Systems:HTC VIVE Virtual Reality System -- $338.45NES Classic ("Like New" condition) -- $59.07New Nintendo 3DS XL (Black) -- $115.39Nintendo Switch (Red and Blue Joy-Con) -- $210.54Nintendo Switch (Gray Joy-Con) -- $209.41PlayStation Vita -- $112.15Games:Assassin's Creed Origins (PS4) -- $14.86Assassin's Creed Origins (Xbox One) -- $13.58Bayonetta 2 (physical) + Bayonetta (digital) (Switch) -- $33.13Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (PS4) -- $21.94Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (Xbox One) -- $21.94Call of Duty: WWII (PS4) -- $8.94Fallout 76 (PS4) -- $15.37Fallout 76 (Xbox One) -- $20.12Final Fantasy XV (PS4) -- $9.94God of War (PS4) -- $21.11Halo 5: Guardians - Limited Edition (Xbox One) -- $15.74Kingdom Hearts III (PS4) -- $26.29Kingdom Hearts III (Xbox One) -- $28.07Metro Exodus - Aurora Limited Edition (PS4) -- $42.49Metro Exodus - Aurora Limited Edition (Xbox One) -- $42.49Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor - Game of the Year Edition (PS4) -- $12.69Nier: Automata - Game of the Yorha Edition (PS4) -- $21.12Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee (Switch) -- $33.97Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu (Switch) -- $37.74Accessories:DualShock 4 Wireless Controller for PS4 (Black) -- $34.18HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset -- $26.11Razer Cynosa Chroma Gaming Keyboard -- $30.27Razer Kraken Pro V2 Gaming Headset -- $31.39Seagate 2TB Game Drive for Xbox One, Xbox 360 -- $59.51SteelSeries Rival 600 Gaming Mouse -- $37.30Turtle Beach Recon 50X Gaming Headset (Xbox One) -- $21.79Turtle Beach Recon 50X Gaming Headset (PS4) -- $21.09Xbox Elite Wireless Controller ("Like New" condition) -- $85.85Xbox One Controller Charging Station -- $21.22Xbox Wireless Controller (Red) -- $34.77Xbox Wireless Controller (Phantom Black Special Edition) -- $39.87Xbox Wireless Controller (White) -- $27.48Info from Gamespot.com

Having an animal retrieve something at your command is one of the great joys of being a pet owner. It's difficult to put into words. My girlfriend's daschund hardly listens and doesn't know any tricks, but when you ask him to fetch his plum-sized orange ball, he finds it, wherever it is, and brings it to your feet, tail wagging delightedly. Falcon Age, a first-person action-adventure game for PlayStation VR, understands the special fellowship that exists between a person and their pet, and it expresses beautifully the trust and affection that caring for an animal can make you feel. Besides robust combat and fine crafting, it captures that simple, precious thrill of playing fetch--and captures it so well that, after a few hours in the company of this bird, you may feel you've adopted a new pet.Falcon Age places in your charge a baby falcon whose mother is killed protecting it, and over the course of a roughly four-hour campaign you feed it, train it, nurture it, lead it into battle, and otherwise act as its full-time caretaker. This can be done conventionally, on a television and with a DualShock 4, or in virtual reality, with a PSVR headset and a pair of Move controllers (or in VR with a DualShock, if you so prefer). Falcon Age was designed expressly to be played in virtual reality, though, so the traditional, non-VR gameplay feels like something of an afterthought. It's adequate in two dimensions with familiar first-person controls, but the game's best qualities are appreciable only with the headset on and the Move controllers in your hands. If you want to really bond with your bird, you need to be able to reach out and touch it.You play as Ara, one of the few humans left on a planet ravaged by robot colonizers. As the game opens, Ara is imprisoned, forced to follow a monotonous daily loop of "reeducation" in the form of morning quizzes and hard labor mining ore by pickaxe outside. Soon enough, she escapes, and the story follows her efforts to adopt the ancient traditions of her near-extinct people while fighting alongside the scrappy resistance that aims to take the planet back from its unwelcome invaders. Interestingly, the story begins near what seems to be the end of the colonization; the planet has already been exhaustively ransacked for resources, and as we arrive it looks long-since despoiled. The air of late-stage devastation--evident in every bleak vista and arid valley--makes fresh a premise that might otherwise feel too familiar.It also makes clear the game's politics, which are as central to Falcon Age as the bird is. The background of the story--a sprawling, rapacious colonial superpower ransacks a planet of its valuables, strong-arming the natives into wildly unjust obedience--is obviously meant to suggest certain real-world analogues, and it's hard not to keep the historical parallels in mind when hearing this tale from the perspective of the oppressed. Even the falcon is poignant here; you're told early on that falconry is part of the traditions of the native population, rapidly disappearing under tyrannical rule. It's a simple parable, but it's relevant, and it lends the game a seriousness that belies the impression of a game about an adorable bird.As you and your falcon make your way through the desolate landscape, attacking robot outposts and learning to practice farming on the recaptured soil, you discover encampments, encounter other survivors, and, in keeping with the demands of an adventure game, meet merchants with things for you to buy and people with errands for you to complete. The world itself feels well-realized and intriguingly stark, as you chart vast plains of barren rock depleted of verdure and pitted with fixtures of sleek, ominous steel. The conversations you have with its inhabitants, on the other hand, tend jarringly slangy and sarcastic, with dialogue that clangs as oddly careless. Your hero, in particular, often talks like an angsty teenager, with options to sass in practically every exchange with other people. The snarky one-liners struck me as totally inappropriate to the setting.Communication with your feathered friend is, thankfully, much more natural--perhaps because it's entirely unspoken. For your troubles, it's at your command. The mechanics are simple, modeled on the basic techniques of falconry. Your bird's default state is airborne, circling the sky above you. Bringing a fist to your lips calls it to you, and raising a hand invites it to land on your wrist. While perched, it can be fed, stroked, played with, or tended to if wounded--more on that later. The Move controllers are very responsive to even subtle movements, and the bird AI is sharp enough that I almost never had trouble getting it to follow my commands or fly to me when needed. It feels like a natural extension of your own body in an elegant, smoothly integrated way.You can dress your bird, equip it with items and armour, and direct it toward points of interest in the environment before you. Sometimes this takes the form of a kind of problem-solving, as in certain AI-companion puzzle games such as The Last Guardian. A drawbridge out of reach can be lowered for use if you direct your falcon to cut the string holding it aloft, for instance. Other times it's a matter of getting along as partners in the wild. Your falcon will hunt animals, pick fruit from trees, or collect bits of ore for you if so instructed; stronger creatures, such as big armoured beasts who burrow in the sand, you can tackle together, taking turns striking and jockeying for advantage. While you are bereft of beak or talons, you are equipped with an electric baton and whip, which isn't too shabby. You may have to whip plates of shell off the back of a lumbering animal to expose a weak point where your falcon can swoop in.It's at robot basecamps that the hunt becomes a full-blown battle--and it's here, too, where the surprising depth of the game's combat system reveals itself. The basic strategy involves tagging enemies and standing back while your animal does his thing, but in more challenging skirmishes you're obliged to be an active, nimble participant. Your falcon can pin certain enemies in place for you to attack their weaknesses; it also relies on you, in some cases, to attack first, and it's enormously satisfying to work out the right approach to a new situation. At their most complex, these are battles of wits and reflexes--a challenge that's gratifying rather than frustrating, thanks to precise, intuitive controls with the Move setup, especially with free roam on.Like deflecting a bullet with a knife in Superhot, looking down the sights of a sniper rifle in Killing Floor Incursion, or slashing a block in half in Beat Saber, interacting with your bird in Falcon Age has a tactile pleasure that is truly satisfying. The bird itself, meanwhile, looks great, behaves believably, and feels on the whole like a coherent, fully realized character; more than a sidekick or ally, you come to think of it as a companion, like a cat or dog at home. The highest compliment I can think to pay Falcon Age is that it evoked the same feeling I get caring for my real-life pets--including the real wince of bone-deep alarm I felt anytime my bird was at risk of injury. This is about much more than a cute animal. It's about a bond, and one Falcon Age nails.Info from Gamespot.com

Although the first trailer for the upcoming reboot of the classic '80s horror Child's Play was released back in February, there was one thing missing--footage of Chucky himself. Last month it was revealed that Star Wars and Batman legend Mark Hamill will be providing the voice of Chucky, and now the first full image of the iconic killer doll has been released.Chucky is shrouded in darkness, but it's an effective image. There isn't a huge difference between the new Chucky and the classic version familiar to fans of the long-running series; this one is perhaps a bit more sinister-looking, and is even a little reminiscent of Michael Myers' mask from the Halloween movies. But it's unmistakably Chucky and he's carrying a very large knife. Check it out below.Child's Play hits theaters on June 21 and stars Aubrey Plaza (Legion) and Brian Tyree Henry (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), plus Gabriel Bateman (Light's Out) as the kid who ends up in possession of the evil doll. It's directed by Lars Klevberg, who has also helmed the upcoming horror Polaroid. Hamill's role as Chucky was revealed at the WonderCon convention, where fans also got a look at some more footage from the movie.Confusingly for fans, there's also an unconnected Child's Play TV show being developed for SyFy, simply titled Chucky. It's produced by series creator Don Mancini, and follows on from the 2017 movie The Cult of Chucky.The franchise kicked off in 1988 with Child's Play, which was followed by two direct sequels in 1990 and 1991. The series took a more overt comic turn with 1998's The Bride of Chucky and three subsequent films. Mancini wrote every film in the series until that point and directed the last three, but has nothing to do with the new movie.Info from Gamespot.com

WWE is in the midst of its annual Superstar Shakeup, where wrestlers from the Raw and Smackdown rosters are moved around. Monday's episode of Raw saw 17 people come from Smackdown, 205 Live, and NXT to the red brand. However, things will be heating up on the April 16 episode of Smackdown for part two of the Superstar Shakeup.The chairman of the board Vince McMahon will be appearing on the Tuesday night show to "reveal the biggest acquisition in Smackdown Live History," according to a press release. While many WWE fans think this could mean Roman Reigns will jump over to the blue brand or maybe even Brock Lesnar (we hope not) could WWE be reaching for someone even bigger?Considering that Smackdown Live will be making the network jump to Fox this October, WWE could try and pull someone from the realm of sports to come to the Tuesday night show. Yes, Brock Lesnar was in the UFC, but considering how long he's been with WWE as a part-time competitor, that's not really exciting news.That's why we're thinking WWE is getting someone from the NFL: Rob Gronkowski. The former New England Patriots' tight end is a familiar face with WWE fans. He's appeared at NXT tapings and at a Wrestlemania to cheer on his friend Mojo Rawley. Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL back in March, and whether you love him or hate him, he's a good fit for the company, and a huge name in sports.However, we'll have to wait and see tonight to hear what McMahon has to say and who is coming over to Smackdown when the show airs tonight on USA at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT.Info from Gamespot.com

Ten days before the theatrical release of Avengers: Endgame in the US, the movie has leaked online. And because of this, the Marvel subreddit has gone on lockdown, for now.This lockdown is temporary until moderators can figure out a way to sift through potential reveals about Marvel's next movie. After the lockdown, in the coming week, all posts will be heavily monitored to make sure those who don't want to be subjected to Endgame spoilers can be free of them all while still being able to use the Marvel subreddit.A moderator of the Marvel forum posted late Monday night, a mere hour after the news broke, that everything in the subreddit is locked for now. "For precautionary purposes of course," the moderator explained on /r/Marvel. "Also, spoilers are bad. We strive to keep this community spoiler-free, and due to recent events, we must take these measures to ensure that. Until we are more satisfied with our filter's ability to weed out the influx of new spoilers, all posts will be subject to approval. This shouldn't last too long. If your post is removed, is NOT a spoiler, and not approved within a reasonable time, message one of the mods and we will help you out. Also feel free to message us if you have any other questions concerning this."While anticipation builds for the latest movie, Marvel has been releasing numerous TV spots before the April 26 opening in the US. While most people don't know for sure what will happen during the movie, there is a really fun theory floating around the internet about Ant-Man involving Thanos' butt. As for what the future holds for the MCU, we're not sure, but we do have a good idea of what movies are coming out for Phase 4.Info from Gamespot.com

Destiny 2's newest event, the spring-themed Revelry, is here, and with it comes new loot to grab, along with another week to complete the Thunderlord quest. But if you're still working up to the new Power level cap of 700 in the Season of the Drifter, there's yet another Ascendant Challenge available to get you the Powerful gear you need. This week's challenge is the third of six that repeat in Forsaken. Here's where its portal is located and what to do inside.If you've done an Ascendant Challenge (or several at this point) before, you'll have an idea of how this goes. Start out by buying the appropriate bounty from Petra in the Dreaming City. Alongside that, you'll need a Tincture of Queensfoil. Once you consume that, you get the Ascendance buff that allows you to see the Taken portal--after you've found it.This particular portal is located in the Spire of Keres; you can see its location in the video above. Go through it to visit the Shattered Ruins in the Ascendant Plane, where are tasked with climbing a tower made of rocks without dying. Enemies will try to snipe you, and Taken rifts will try to boop you off the tower to your death. Be careful with where you move as you go toward the top; once you're there, kill the boss to complete the Ascendant Challenge.Your reward is a chest that may not have anything special inside, but you'll also complete the bounty you picked up from Petra. This offers a piece of Powerful gear, making it a task worth tackling. With the recently released Black Armory expansion, the Power cap for characters has been raised to 650, so it's definitely worth revisiting the Ascendant Challenge as you grind up to those new heights.As noted above, the prerequisite for doing an Ascendant Challenge--aside from access to the Dreaming City, which only comes after finishing the Forsaken campaign--is a Tincture of Queensfoil. These can be obtained through chests and Public Events in the Dreaming City, but that's not the only means.The video above details a location you can go to trade 50 Baryon Boughs, the planetary material you earn in the Dreaming City, for a Tincture of Queensfoil. If you're desperate to get your hands on one to try the Ascendant Challenge, follow our video guide to help you find your way to the spot where you can trade with Huginn.The Season of the Drifter brings two new activities--Gambit Prime, a tougher version of the Gambit competitive mode we've seen since Forsaken, and The Reckoning, a new pinnacle-level activity related to the Drifter. It also seems set to expand on the Drifter's story and what we saw in the last new activity in Destiny 2, The Draw. Stay tuned for more guides and coverage as we dig into the new content this week.Info from Gamespot.com

Earlier this month, Nintendo announced that two of Switch's best games, Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, will receive Labo VR support via free updates on April 25. The former will get a new VR mode that consists of a handful of mini-missions, while the latter will be playable almost entirely in VR. Now the company has shared a few more details on how that'll work.In a new post on the official Zelda website, Breath of the Wild technical director Takuhiro Dohta shed some more light on the game's upcoming Labo VR update. As previously confirmed, you'll be able to toggle the VR mode on or off at any time from the game's Options menu, even if you already have an existing save file. Once the option has been enabled, you'll need to insert the Switch console into the Labo VR Goggles to view the world of Hyrule in VR.The game's controls and content will remain the same whether you play in 2D or 3D, but you'll be able to move the in-game camera by looking around with the VR Goggles (although this can also be toggled off from the Options menu). Dohta recommends trying the VR mode "when there's something interesting to see, like a location with a great view, a favorite character, or a favorite piece of equipment."Dohta also shared some insight into how Breath of the Wild's VR update came to be. "The idea for this started when the Nintendo Labo development team gave us a demonstration of the VR Goggles for the first time," he wrote. "The experience was quite a surprise, and I started thinking that maybe we'd be able to do something with them in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild."First, we thought about lots of different things; locations that would be nice to see in VR, enemies that would be fun to fight… In the end, The Legend of Zelda development team reached the conclusion that, rather than change the game, we should let you play it as it is, and instead just make it so that you can use the VR Goggles to see whatever parts you want."The Nintendo Labo VR kit is available now. The package is available in two configurations. The full suite costs $80, while the Starter Set--which comes with the Labo VR game card and the materials to build the VR Goggles and Blaster Toy-Cons--retails for $40. The remaining Toy-Cons can be purchased in $20 expansion sets. You can read more about the kit in our Labo VR review.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has announced Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order will release July 19. A Switch exclusive, The Black Order releases almost 10 years after its predecessor, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.There are currently 27 playable characters confirmed for The Black Order. The roster has been mostly pulled from the line-up of heroes that compose the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Defenders, Inhumans, and X-Men. However, there are a few outliers as well, such as Deadpool and Venom.The newest Marvel Ultimate Alliance game seems to be heavily inspired from the successes of recent Marvel movies. Although franchise veterans, such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Iron Man, return, they're joined by heroes never before seen in the series, like Falcon, Captain Marvel, Miles Morales, and Gwen Stacey. The main villains in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 are also Thanos and his Black Order--both of which played major roles in Avengers: Infinity War, and the former of which is the big bad in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame.Marvel Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game series that explores stories that involve dozens of heroes and villains from across Marvel's comics. In the first game, Nick Fury calls upon Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, and Wolverine to respond to an attack from Dr. Doom and the Masters of Evil, a battle that ends with the four heroes calling upon all their known allies to join together as one task force in order to track the villainous organization down. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 sees that team divided over the course of a story that borrows elements from both Marvel's Secret War and Civil War comic books. It hasn't been revealed whether Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is a direct continuation of the series' overall story.You know what's also been about 10 years in the making? Avengers Endgame, which celebrated its imminent release with a brand-new trailer that recounts the greatest moments of the MCU, from 2008's Iron Man to 2019's Captain Marvel. If you're as excited for Endgame as we are, be warned: spoilers for the movie have leaked. Stay vigilant.Info from Gamespot.com

Epic Games has announced a new addition to Fortnite: Battle Royale. Called the Reboot Van, the feature allows you to bring back squadmates that have died in battle--similar to the respawn stations in Apex Legends.As part of Fortnite's next update, Reboot Vans and Reboot Cards will be added to the battle royale game. Upon death, squadmates will drop their Reboot Card, which can be used at a Reboot Van to respawn them."After a squadmate has been eliminated, grab their dropped Reboot Card and any surviving squadmates can activate it at a van," Epic Games community manager Nathan Mooney said in a video detailing the new respawn feature, which can be watched below. "Once activated, you'll definitely know, as a beacon and audio cue will be set off, informing nearby players to the reboot in progress and how many players will be arriving. You're squad will appear, one by one, on top of the van--ready to jump back into the match."Much like in Apex Legends, your teammates will respawn back into the match without their weapons or items. So, in order to be sure they aren't left completely helpless, it's in your best interest to have something on hand that you can drop for your revived allies. Upon respawning a player, the Reboot Van will temporarily deactivate, and only turn back online after a set period of time.The idea of respawning in Fortnite was first addressed in an Epic Games Reddit AMA in February 2019. "We've been considering this mechanic for a while and have been exploring it," an Epic producer said. "[We] want to make sure we give it the time it needs and fully understand its impact on the game as a whole. Look for further updates during Season 8." Season 8 started shortly thereafter, on February 28, and introduced pirate-themed content into Fortnite. The new Legendary skin for Season 8, Ruin, has just been revealed, and it can be unlocked in Week 8 by completing the season's weekly challenges.In our Fortnite review, Michael Higham gave the game an 8/10. The battle royale game is available on Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch, and mobile.Info from Gamespot.com

Less than two weeks out from its theatrical debut, spoilers for Marvel's highly anticipated superhero blockbuster, Avengers: Endgame, have leaked online. As the culmination of more than a decade's worth of storylines, Endgame is a major event for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marvel Studios urges fans not to ruin it for others.Following the news of the leak, Endgame directors the Russo brothers have penned an open letter, which was shared on Marvel Studios' official Instagram and Twitter accounts with the hashtag #DontSpoilTheEndgame. The letter thanks fans for following along on this decade-long cinematic journey and entreats them not to share spoilers for Endgame.#DontSpoilTheEndgame pic.twitter.com/CrlCh6GBdU — Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) April 16, 2019"For all of you who have been on this journey with us since the very beginning, sharing every high and low with your family, your friends, your classmates, your co-workers," the letter reads. "Please know that the two of us, along with everyone involved in Endgame, have worked tirelessly for the last three years with the sole intention of delivering a surprising and emotionally powerful conclusion to the Infinity Saga."Because so many of you have invested your time, your hearts, and your souls into these stories, we're once again asking for your help. When you see Endgame in the coming weeks, please don't spoil it for others, the same way you wouldn't want it spoiled for you. Remember, Thanos still demands your silence."Avengers: Endgame hits theaters in the US next week, on April 26. The film marks the end of the Infinity Saga, which began back in 2008 with the original Iron Man. Marvel is expected to provide the first details on Phase 4 of the MCU after the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home in July.In response to the leak, the Marvel subreddit has gone on temporary lockdown so that moderators can figure out a way to sift through potential reveals. If you're hoping to go into the movie untainted, here are 15 ways you can avoid Avengers: Endgame spoilers.Info from Gamespot.com

We've all been there before--you purchased a new game, but after playing it for a while, realized it wasn't what you thought it was. Maybe it was too buggy, or lacked the features you had expected, or was just boring. Maybe you saw a really great deal somewhere else the next day. Regardless of the reason, most retailers won't allow you to return a game and get a refund once you've taken it out of the original packaging and played it--but a new GameStop policy will offer gamers a 48-hour window to do just that.According to a leaked document from a reputable source on Twitter, GameStop is launching a "Guaranteed to Love It" program where consumers can return a purchased game within 48 hours of the game's launch and receive a full refund in the form of store credit (not including tax). The program is limited to $60 standard-edition new releases, and any paid PowerUp Rewards membership bonuses will not apply. The game can be opened and played; it just has to be in good condition, and you must still have the receipt.The "Guaranteed to Love It" program will kick off with Days Gone, the upcoming open-world, survival-horror game from Bend Studio. Days Gone is scheduled to release exclusively for PS4 on April 26, so shoppers will get their first chance to test GameStop's new return policy as early as next week. If you decide you don't like the game, you'll have until April 28 to return it and receive $59.99 in store credit.It's likely GameStop will continue to test out this program with individual game releases before rolling it out to more games. There will obviously be those who make it a mission to finish a game and return it within 48 hours, so only time will tell whether GameStop continues this program long-term or makes it available to all standard-edition releases. We'll update this story when GameStop confirms the program and releases more details.And if you're considering picking up Days Gone now that you can try it with a 48-hour refund safety net, check out what we thought about the game after a hands-on session with it, as well as our interview with the developers on bringing the zombie genre to an open-world setting.Info from Gamespot.com

Across Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hidive, Netflix, Hulu, and VRV, there are over 30 new Spring 2019 anime premiering in the US. Understandably, it can be a little daunting to keep up with dozens of series just to find the handful worth watching. So to help, we've highlighted the eight that currently stand above the rest. In the following guide, we detail why each is worth keeping your eye on. They aren't ranked in any particular order.Spring 2019 continues several winter anime as well (such as The Rising of the Shield Hero), but for the purposes of this guide, we're only promoting series that premiered in April. As a reminder, the Spring 2019 season just started. So, for now anyway, this guide does not point to the anime we think are definitely the best for the season, just those that show the most promise.Demon Slayer: Kemetsu No YaibaWhere to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, VRVI have little doubt that Demon Slayer: Kemetsu no Yaiba will end up being the most watched series of Spring 2019. Not because I think it's the best this season, but because Demon Slayer does an excellent job fulfilling a void for anyone waiting on My Hero Academia Season 4. However, Demon Slayer has plenty to offer other than being based on an excellent Weekly Shonen Jump manga--especially in terms of its animation, voice acting, and story.Demon Slayer sees Tanjirō, the eldest son of a charcoal seller, arrive home one day to find his mother and four youngest siblings brutally slaughtered. Only his eldest younger sister, Nezuko, remains alive and she's barely breathing. Upon awakening, however, Nezuko grows fangs and talons, and her muscles nearly triple in size as she forces her older brother down and tries to eat him. Tanjirō is saved by a demon slayer, before being told by his savior that his sister has transformed into one of the monsters he now hunts. Despite this, Tanjirō protects Nezuko from being killed, vowing to help her keep a handle on her demonic impulses until he can find a way to make her human again.Fairy GoneWhere to watch: Funimation, HuluFairy Gone manages a fairly large expositional dump right at its start, but, thankfully, this anime doesn't waste too much of its first episode on world-building--finishing up with introductions of its compelling main cast and a taste of the show's explosive combat. Episode one earns brownie points for using CG for the fairies too. It makes them seem otherworldly in comparison to the drawn characters and backgrounds.An original anime that's not based on any preexisting literature or media, Fairy Gone takes place in a fantasy world where the War of Unification saw the rise of fairy soldiers, men and women bonded with fairies who can summon their magical partners in battle. After the war, society no longer needs the fairy soldiers, though. Some, like Veronica, turn to crime, while others, like Free, join a governmental task force charged with hunting down said criminals. When Veronica's childhood friend, Marlya, becomes bonded to an exceptionally powerful fairy and accidentally uses it illegally in public, she's given a choice: go to jail or join with Free in hunting down Veronica and similar criminals.We Never Learn: BokubenWhere to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, VRVWe Never Learn: Bokuben stars Yuiga, a third-year high school student trying to obtain a scholarship that will allow his financially poor family to afford sending him to college. One day, he's told the scholarship is his, but only if he tutors the school's two notable geniuses--brilliant writer Furuhashi and mathematical prodigy Ogata--and successfully helps them get into the colleges of their choice. There's only one problem, Furuhashi wants to study physics and Ogata is only interested in liberal arts, and neither can get passing scores in the subjects they don't excel in. Things don't get any easier when Takemoto--a gifted athlete who struggles with schoolwork and has a secret crush on Yuiga--joins the study group.This anime largely works because Yuiga is a relatable dude. He isn't special, and solely gets good grades because he does his homework and studies hard. He treats his female peers with respect and consciously keeps things professional by drawing a line between them as tutor and pupil. He's an intelligent and nice person, which doesn't sound like all that much, but it's a breath of fresh air in comparison to basically every other harem anime protagonist ever.Hitoribocchi No MarumaruseikatsuWhere to watch: Crunchyroll, VRVHitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu is easy to love with its cute visuals, nonstop humor, and charming cast. Main character Hitori is incredibly shy--so much so that she's only ever had one friend. However, when said childhood friend learns the two of them will be attending different middle schools, she gives Hitori an ultimatum: befriend everyone in her new class or the two can't be friends anymore. It's a cruel promise, but it's one Hitori's friend seemingly doesn't make lightly. And it does work, as it pushes Hitori to try and befriend her new peers, even though she's terrified.The show is clearly designed to be more cute than a deep dive into the hardships of overcoming shyness, but that doesn't mean the anime can't be both. It's those moments in the first few episodes--when the show uses its cutesy humor to help you better understand the sheer discomfort an anxious person can feel when thrust into a new environment--that make this anime feel like it could end up being truly special.Fruits BasketWhere to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, VRVAlright fellas, I'm sure there's plenty of you who've heard of Fruits Basket before, and how the original 2001 anime is a cutesy story solely designed for and only enjoyed by women. That's complete and utter nonsense, and even more so in regards to the new reboot airing this season, which seemingly ditches a lot of the original anime's cute fluff for the original manga's more emotional tale. Fruits Basket may have been written with a female audience in mind, but its story of self-reliance, exclusion, and perseverance is one that everyone should experience.Fruits Basket is the story of the high school life of Tohru, a 16-year-old girl whose single mother dies in an accident. Not wanting to be a bother to extended family or friends, she gets a job and lives in a tent--only to discover she's made camp on the land of the Soma family. Upon befriending the family, she is invited to live with them, only to learn the Somas suffer a rather peculiar curse. Twelve members of the family are possessed by the spirits of the Chinese zodiac--with a thirteenth possessed by the cat spirit who didn't make the cut--and they transform into their zodiac animal whenever they are stressed or held by a member of the opposite sex.Cinderella NineWhere to watch: Crunchyroll, VRVThe protagonists of sports anime are almost always concerned with winning or being the best, so it's refreshing to see a series start out with the characters more concerned with just having fun. Not to discount other recent sports anime, but it's sometimes a little too mentally taxing to tune in every week and stress about whether or not the heroes are going to succeed. I still want to see the Cinderella Nine girls improve over time, but the first two episodes of the anime make it clear that this show is more about using baseball as an avenue for emotional and mental growth, not achieving victory.In Cinderella Nine, Arihara founds a baseball club at her new school after learning none exists. She's immediately joined by her best friend, and the two soon recruit two more girls: neither of whom have played baseball before. Arihara doesn't care though, simply happy the newcomers are curious about the sport. Watching the new girls learn to play and leave their first practice feeling better about themselves is one of the most wholesome things I've seen this season.UltramanWhere to watch: NetflixYou don't actually need to know the story of the original Ultraman to enjoy this sequel, as the important points from the original series are briefly outlined right at the start. Netflix's Ultraman picks up years afterwards, as Shin Hayata--the original Ultraman long past his prime--discovers his enhanced strength, speed, and durability has been passed down to his son, Shinjiro. When a new alien menace threatens the Earth, Shinjiro inherits his father's mantle as well, becoming the new Ultraman.Ultraman has a lot more nuance when it comes to the definition of a superhero in comparison to its predecessor. It makes sense, given the popularity of certain characters in the superhero genre post 1960s that have redefined the qualities an ideal hero should have. Being a hero means a lot more than beating up bad guys, and Ultraman focuses most of its season exploring Shinjiro's growth as a masked crimefighter. It's a shame many of the action scenes can't keep pace with the actual storytelling, but there's still quite a few cool-looking moments and nice callbacks to the original show.Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds Of LifeWhere to watch: Funimation, HuluI know next to nothing about the koto--a Japanese stringed musical instrument--but it absolutely does not matter. For Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life, the instrument is merely the tool bringing the incredibly fleshed out cast together. The characters that make up that cast, and the growth they undergo, make this one of the most compelling anime series of the season. There's nothing else this spring I'm looking forward to watching more.Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life focuses on Kurata, the sole member of the Koto Club at his school. He's mercilessly bullied, until he is saved from his tormentors by a known delinquent named Kudō, who demands to join the Koto Club. Thinking he's being tricked into exchanging one set of bullies for another, Kurata initially refuses. However, upon learning Kudō's backstory, Kurata realizes he's misjudged his loud-mouthed peer and decides to trust him. Soon, other students join the Koto Club as well--each for their own reasons--and they all work together to grow as both musicians and people.Info from Gamespot.com

It's a blisteringly cold December day in Atlanta, Georgia, and I find myself sitting outside, watching something truly special. While it will be portrayed on-screen as a sunny day in California's San Fernando Valley, the set of Cobra Kai Season 2 was anything but warm when I arrived to watch former Miyagi-Do student Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) become the sensei he likely never expected to be.The scene that unfolded in front of me is a rather simple one. Daniel is in the backyard of Mr. Miyagi's home, which was painstakingly recreated by the show's production team in an Atlanta parking lot, teaching one of his new students. Given that he trained under Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in the Karate Kid films, though, the only way he knows to teach kids karate is through chores.However, those are lessons from a different time. Now, as I sat in Miyagi's backyard while cameras rolled on LaRusso instructing a new student about how to sand the floor--"Left circle, right circle"--it hit me that even though Season 2 will bring Daniel full-circle in the same way Season 1 did Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the lessons he's imparting aren't exactly the same as the ones he learned from Miyagi. Instead, like the Daniel character itself, Miyagi-Do has evolved."As a teacher, he carries on the legacy of Miyagi; he does not in any way bend that. Sometimes it takes him seeing that through a different prism to be able to relay it to today's generation," Macchio told GameSpot. "Mr. Miyagi took Daniel in because Daniel needed him, where now Daniel is going out and trying to get kids to sign on, that's a different story--not so easy. Therein lies some of the hurdles he has to jump through in the first half of the season to attempt to build Miyagi-Do up and to show a better way in his mind."For the producers, LaRusso's story mimics Daniel's in many ways. As the character tries to live up to the image of his mentor, the actor is doing the same when it comes to how Morita brought Miyagi to life. "Playing that student all those years and having to step into the Mr. Miyagi role of Miyagi-Do Karate, it's challenging for [Daniel],” executive producer Josh Heald explains. “It's something that [Macchio] really wants to live up to as best he can to do Pat Morita's performance justice, just as Daniel LaRusso wants to live up to Mr. Miyagi.".Daniel's attempt to live up to the example set by his mentor isn't necessarily coming from a selfless place, though. "First, it's about taking down Cobra Kai and then the Miyagi-ism of it all is it's not about taking them down. It's about showing people a better way," he explained.While Season 1 showed that Johnny had matured in many ways and that his vision of Cobra Kai wasn't that of his former sensei Kreese (Martin Kove), he and Daniel were still constantly at odds. Even when, as adults, cooler heads should prevail, Daniel simply can't help himself in wanting to cut down his one-time foe, who Macchio refers to as his character's "kryptonite.""The toughest thing for Daniel, and it's been really interesting in playing the adult Daniel, is that he has this wisdom. He sees the direction. He's able to shed that upon his students," the actor explained. "But when his kryptonite is in the room, when Johnny Lawrence comes in or the Cobra Kai teachings begin to influence, he snaps back to that knee-jerk kid with a temper."The situation certainly isn't helped by the fact that Miyagi-Do is competing with a dojo in Cobra Kai that is infinitely cooler than one where the guy in charge tells you to do his yard work. "It's interesting, [Daniel] gains more students [and] he thought it would be a lot easier than it is because, in retrospect, when you go out there, Cobra Kai is a lot sexier looking than [Miyagi-Do]," Macchio jokes. "So it's tough to recruit, and you'll see [in] the first half of the season that's a big challenge for Daniel, as a guy who's found a great woman and a great family and a great business in the car dealerships. And yet he has every resource possible but it's not so easy to sell people on, 'You do these chores, [and] you're going to do some martial arts.'"As executive producer John Hurwitz explained it, this uphill climb was essentially in rebuilding Daniel after Season 1. "[With] Johnny Lawrence [in] Season 1, we did everything we could to tear that character down to the studs. You have no choice but to relate and be sympathetic to him because of everything he's been through whereas Daniel owns a car dealership, he's got a big house, he's got a nice family, [and] everyone's pretty well adjusted," he told GameSpot. "So the underdog thing happens when you least expect it because, just on the surface, Miyagi-Do Karate is not as sexy as Cobra Kai. You're not being asked to strike first, you're being asked to have a lot of patience and balance and a lot of these zen philosophies that make Miyagi-Do Karate not immediately the shiny new thing that every teenager in town can't wait to have."Those Miyagi-Do teachings, though, and the setting where Daniel passes them to the students he's able to gather, were especially emotional for Macchio, who's been living with this franchise for 35 years."I say at the end of Season 1, 'Welcome to Miyagi-Do Karate.' This is not a spoiler, but for me, when I was walking on that [Mr. Miyagi's house] set--even though it's a rebuild, it's not the place where we shot it 35 years ago--there were moments in scenes where I'm passing on those teachings, teaching him how to paint the fence and sand the deck or whatever," the actor remembered. "It got emotional in a way that I said to the guys, 'This is so strange because this is where all the magic happened.'"He continued, "I know this show is Cobra Kai. I know Cobra Kai is the angle into the world. Someone may beg to differ, but the heart and soul and magic of the franchise is with Pat. With Mr. Miyagi and that boy, that Daniel, that fish out of water character that needed that guidance to navigate his adolescence and the sheer soulful magic that happened... It was a little bit nostalgic for me to know that those days are in my past, [as] John Hamilton who directed that film and Pat Morita who starred in that film and Jerry Weintraub who produced that film are no longer with us."Even without them, though, their legacy is forever imprinted on this franchise, and there's no better proof of that than Daniel's Season 2 journey. After being portrayed as something of a villain in Johnny's Season 1 story, the original Karate Kid is doing exactly what his former foe did. He's trying to use the lessons he learned from martial arts to better the youth in his community. In doing so, maybe Daniel will realize he has more in common with Johnny than he'd like to believe. "Different, but same," as Mr. Miyagi would say.Cobra Kai Season 2 premieres Wednesday, April 24, on YouTube Premium.Info from Gamespot.com

Niantic has kicked off a new in-game event in Pokemon Go. The annual Eggstravaganza returns for another year from April 16-23, giving players everywhere a chance to hatch more baby Pokemon, complete Egg-themed Field Research, and even catch a new Shiny.Throughout the Eggstravaganza, you'll be able to hatch Pichu, Smoochum, Magby, and other baby Pokemon from 2 km Eggs. You'll also receive twice the normal amount of Candy for every Egg you hatch, allowing you to power up your Pokemon more quickly. On top of that, Incubators will be two times as effective during the event, and Lucky Eggs will last twice as long as normal.In addition to those bonuses, you'll be able to get special Field Research tasks revolving around Eggs from Poke Stops. The bunny Pokemon Buneary will also appear in the wild more frequently throughout the Eggstravaganza, and you'll have your first chance to come across its Shiny form. You can read more on the Pokemon Go website.The Eggstravaganza isn't the only event occurring in Pokemon Go this week. The Legendary Pokemon Latios has also returned to the mobile game for a special Raid event. The Dragon/Psychic-type will appear as a Raid boss until April 22, and you'll even be able to find its Shiny form. You also still have a few more days to catch Origin Forme Giratina, which is set to leave Raid Battles on April 29.Niantic has plenty of other events lined up for Pokemon Go this year. The developer is holding three Pokemon Go Fests in Chicago, Germany, and Asia this summer. In the meantime, the game's next Community Day event is scheduled for May 19, although no other details for it have been announced just yet.Info from Gamespot.com

Look, there are a lot of characters in the MCU--but apparently Twitter is pretty determined to make sure we remember absolutely all of them. The social network added not one, not two, but 40 new character specific hashtag emojis for Avengers: Endgame--and some of them were a bit of a surprise.The list of emojis includes all the heroes you'd expect, of course. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye/Ronin (that's right, Clint gets two) are all on the list, as well as Rocket, Nebula, Captain Marvel, War Machine, Okoye, and Ant-Man. But on top of the characters we've already seen represented in the trailers, there are also emojis for every hero who has been confirmed dusted, from Dr. Strange to the Winter Soldier and every Guardian of the Galaxy, as well as some unexpected throwbacks to some fan favorites.Thor: Ragnarok breakouts, the lovable revolutionary Korg and his knife-handed friend, Miek, both have their own emojis now. Red Skull got one under the name "Stonekeeper," as a nod to his surprise cameo in Infinity War. Marvel Studio's boss Kevin Fiege has one, for the hashtag "#MarvelStudios" and so does the Infinity Gauntlet itself, in addition to Thanos.Absolutely nobody got left behind this time around. Now let's all go spam #Korg to get him trending. It's what he deserves.In the meantime, we're officially a week out from Endgame's theatrical release so you might say we're in an Endgame of our very own. You've got less than ten days to start solidifying your theories (even the weird ones) so you'll have them in writing to prove to your friends you were right. If you double up on a few of them, you may even have time to re-watch every MCU movie between now and then--or, you can just watch the ones that matter.It's worth noting that, sadly, Endgame spoilers have leaked online, which means you'll need to be careful for if you want to enjoy the movie when it hits cinemas. We've put together a few tips on how you can avoid Endgame spoilers, which should be helpful. The Marvel subreddit has gone into lockdown while its moderators sift through posts and try and control the content of what's being posted to combat spoilers. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have also issued a statement about the Endgame spoilers. Info from Gamespot.com