The latest Nintendo Direct outlined plans for a ton of games, from Fire Emblem: Three Houses to Super Mario Maker 2. Most of them are slated for later this year, but some are available on the Eshop right this very minute. Here's a full wrap-up of all the games and demos you can try out today. Tetris 99The Nintendo Switch has a brand new battle royale game, and this time it's... Tetris? The classic puzzle game returns as a 99-player battle for Tetris supremacy. Tetris 99 is free-to-play and available through the eShop starting today. You'll need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play online and participate in upcoming special events.Final Fantasy 9The classic RPG Final Fantasy 9 is coming today to the eShop. This game originally on PlayStation was a loving homage to the classic 8- and 16-bit Final Fantasy games, utilizing more medieval-style fantasy tropes than the science-fiction inspiration of FF7 and FF8. Plenty more Final Fantasy games are on the way, though, including FF7 on March 26, the Final Fantasy X and X-2 remasters on April 16, and XII: The Zodiac Age on April 30.Yoshi's Crafted World demoIf you want something cozy and cute in your life, look no further than Yoshi's Crafted World, a platformer starring everyone's favorite dinosaur. The demo is hitting the Eshop today, and a short trailer showed off Yoshi taking to a variety of vehicles and trading coins for special cardboard costumes. The full game is coming on March 29.Daemon x Machina demoWe haven't seen very much of the mech combat game Daemon x Machina, but that changes today with the first public demo. The "Prototype Missions" demo will only be available for a limited time, and Nintendo is inviting feedback with an online survey for those who try it out. It will consist of four missions showing off the basic controls, followed by a boss battle. It's still aimed for a Summer 2019 release.Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker updateCaptain Toad: Treasure Tracker is getting a pair of updates, both of which let you experience some fresh treasure tracking starting today. First, a free update available today will make all courses playable in co-op mode, so you can grab your Toadette buddy and go exploring. The second update will add a "Special Episode," and won't be fully available for a month. The new episode adds five new courses and 18 challenges. A digital bundle is available on the eShop today, though, and buying that will gain you access to the first of the new courses immediately.Info from Gamespot.com

With Apex Legends becoming one of the fastest growing games in record time, there are many players competing for that top spot to become Champion. As a battle royale game set within the Titanfall universe, you'll need to coordinate with your squad to pick the best landing spot and stay several steps ahead of the enemy team, all the while avoiding the encroaching circle of death. Though it features a familiar formula from games like Fortnite and PUBG, Apex Legends' particular brand of character-focused battle royale action will take some time adjusting to.We at GameSpot have put together a set of guides to help you get into the game with a better understanding of what's to come. In addition to learning more about Apex Legend's best weapons, we've also got some tips on how best to unlock the two additional characters Mirage and Caustic, and how to attain the ever-elusive Champion status. Be sure to check back with GameSpot for more guides and impressions on what's happening in the online world of Apex Legends. And if you haven't seen our review yet, go check out editor Phil Hornshaw's thoughts on Respawn's excellent debut into the battle royale scene."Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses. Respawn's intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it's an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future."Apex Legends' Best GunsApex Legends features a strong variety of light and heavy weapons that are versatile as they are functional. But as is the case in most battle royale games, you don't have much choice in what you get to use, and you'll often have to make the best of what you can get your hands on. With that said, it's always important to understand the type of gear you've got at your disposal, as some of the more unassuming weapons may prove to be more useful than you realize. Here's a quick rundown on all the best guns you can find on the field.Apex Legends' Best Guns: These Weapons Will Help You SurviveTips For Becoming A ChampionBecoming a Champion in Apex Legends will take patience, solid teamwork, and quick reflexes during some of the more intense encounters. In addition to smart use of scouting skills like pings, and keeping an eye out for Apex bots yielding some solid gear, you'll have to avoid putting yourself hairy situations--even if it means avoiding the use of a stylish execution. If you manage to get the final shot in at match's end, you and your squadmates will be named Champion, earning you a significant experience boost in the process. Here are some solid tips on how to become a Champion in Apex Legends.Everything Apex Legends Won't Tell You: Tips For Becoming A ChampionHow Best To Unlock New Characters Take Without Spending MoneyThough you'll have most of the key players available at the beginning, there are two additional characters that can take some effort to unlock. While EA and Origin Access members will get a 1,000 credit upon first booting up, letting them purchase one character right at the beginning, most players will have to unlock them the old-fashioned way and earn enough funds to afford the character. Here are the best methods to unlock the hologram-wielding Mirage and the poison-spewing Caustic.Apex Legends: How Long Does Unlocking New Characters Take Without Spending MoneyInfo from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Go's next Community Day is just around the corner. Niantic is hosting this month's event on Saturday, February 16, and like usual, it'll offer players around the world a chance to capture rare Pokemon and earn some generous in-game bonuses.Each Community Day typically runs for only three hours, but the specifics of these events vary month by month. To help you prepare, we've rounded up all of the most important details about February 2019's Community Day below, from the time it starts in each region to what bonuses you'll be able to earn.What Is The Featured Pokemon?Niantic typically designates one "featured" Pokemon for each Community Day. Not only will this monster spawn much more frequently than it normally does throughout the event, but players will also have a chance of finding its Shiny form. The Pokemon will be able to learn a special, otherwise unattainable move if it evolves by the end of the event.For February's Community Day, the featured Pokemon is Swinub, a Ground/Ice-type first introduced in Gold and Silver. For the duration of the event, Swinub will be much easier to find in the wild, and if players manage to evolve it into its final form, Mamoswine, up to an hour after the Community Day ends, it will know the Rock-type attack Ancient Power.What Are Sinnoh Stones?Swinub was one of several Pokemon to receive a new evolved form in the series' fourth-generation titles, Diamond and Pearl. Niantic has been gradually introducing these Gen 4 evolutions in Go over the past several weeks, but they're obtained a little differently than most others. Namely, they can only be triggered using a new evolutionary item called Sinnoh Stones.Sinnoh Stones can be obtained a few different ways in Go, but the most common is by participating in PvP Trainer Battles. To make it easier to get a Mamoswine, Niantic is giving players a chance to earn up to five Sinnoh Stones from Trainer Battles during this month's Community Day, on top of an additional five that can be earned from practice battles against Team Leaders.What Time Does It Start?Unlike many of Pokemon Go's other real-world events, Community Days aren't hosted at a specific location but rather during a designated window of time, which means you'll be able to participate in the event from any local park or other gathering place. The time it begins varies depending on what part of the world you live in, but regardless of your region, the Community Day will only run for three hours. You can find the full schedule for each region below.The Americas and Greenland11 AM - 2 PM PT2 PM - 5 PM ETEurope, Middle East, and Africa10 AM - 1 PM UTCAsia-Pacific12 PM - 3 PM JST (February 17)What Other Bonuses Are There?On top of increased Pokemon spawns, Niantic also typically offers a couple of other bonuses during each Community Day. For this month's event, players will receive triple the usual amount of Stardust for capturing Pokemon. Additionally, any Lure modules you use will remain active for three hours, rather than their standard 30 minutes.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has announced Super Mario Maker 2 for Nintendo Switch. The sequel made its debut as part of today's Nintendo Direct event (you can see all the news from the Nintendo Direct here), during which a June 2019 release date was also confirmed. One of the big new additions for the second game is the ability to create slopes--something which was noticeably absent from both the original Wii U title and the 3DS version.Angled surfaces for Mario to hop, skip, and jump along might not sound like a big deal, but its something that fans have been very vocal about wanting, and now it's finally here. It'll be interesting to see what kind of devious levels players come up with to make use of this new terrain option.The other big new feature for Super Mario Maker 2 is its inclusion of Super Mario 3D World assets to craft custom levels, which is nice way to represents the modern-era of Mario titles.The first Super Mario Maker was released for Wii U in 2015 and earned a 9/10 from GameSpot. In his review, Justin Haywald described it as "a game of joyous creation and fun surprises."He continued: "The first time I discovered that not only could I make a giant, flame-spewing piranha plant, but I could also make it fly, I cackled with horrible glee at the possibilities. And for the first time in a creation-focused experience, I look forward to returning again and again for more than just the amazing levels I know other people will create. I want to keep making my own levels better. The game won't necessarily turn you into the next Shigeru Miyamoto, but you can almost feel a little bit of that magic rubbing off every time you upload a new creation." Info from Gamespot.com

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order was unexpectedly revealed at The Game Awards in December of 2018. However, during an announcement-heavy Nintendo Direct, we learned some new details about the upcoming brawler for Switch. During the stream it was confirmed that the game will have an all-new story that pits Marvel's iconic heroes and villains against each other for the fate of the world.During the initial reveal trailer characters from the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and X-Men were shown as playable. However, it has now been confirmed that the Defenders squad will also be represented. For those not familiar, the team is made up of Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones. Additionally, Captain Marvel will also join the fight, which makes sense given that she'll be hitting the big screen in her own Marvel Cinematic Universe movie this year.During the video, we got to see the various special attacks called the "Alliance Extreme Attack" and there's also a team attacks called the "Ultimate Alliance Extreme" attack.As with the first two entries in the series, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order will support a range of multiplayer options including four-player local co-op, with four Nintendo Switch consoles connecting to each other. There will also be local couch co-op and online multiplayer, with the ability drop in and out of gameplay.Currently, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order has only been announced for the Switch. It is being developed by Team Ninja, the studio behind the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series' and, more recently, acclaimed Dark Souls-a-like, Ni-Oh. The game is being published by Nintendo and is scheduled to launch in Summer 2019.Other characters that'll be playable in Ultimate Alliance 3 include Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora, Star-Lord, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and Spider-Man. From the villain side, Thanos, The Black Order, Sandman, Green Goblin, and the Sentinels, among others, will be in the game and getting up to no good. Info from Gamespot.com

During the latest Nintendo Direct event, which was packed with Switch news, the publisher provided an update on what the future holds for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, revealing information about its 3.0 update, narrowing down when the next DLC character will be available, and showing off a few new Amiibo coming soon.First up is update 3.0, which Nintendo didn't actually detail. Instead it teased more information in the future. In terms of DLC characters, Nintendo already revealed that the next fighter to join the roster will be Persona 5 protagonist Joker. However, it has now confirmed that he'll be available in the game before the end of April.As previously detailed, Joker will be the first DLC character released for the game (outside of Piranha Plant) and will be available as part of Challenge Pack 1. Each DLC pack will be solid individually and contains a DLC character, a stage, and accompanying music. Nintendo is also offering a Fighters Pass that will include all the Challenge Packs. For those looking to add more Amiibo to their collection, there's a few new figures for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighters on the way. Namely Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series, Pokemon Trainer, Squirtle, and Ivysaur. For the Castlevania fans out there, Simon Belmont will also be immortalized in Amiibo form.Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launched for Nintendo Switch in December 2018 and has already been very successful. The game was Amazon's best-selling video game of 2018 and the fifth best-selling game in the US (not accounting for digital sales). Nintendo also revealed that the game has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide as of December 31, 2018. This made it the third best-selling Switch game to date.It was also a critical success, having received widespread acclaim. GameSpot's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review awarded it a 9/10. Edmond Tran said it is a "flexible multiplayer game that can be as freewheeling or as firm as you want it to be."Its entertaining single-player content helps keep the game rich with interesting things to do, as well as bolstering its spirit of loving homage to the games that have graced Nintendo consoles. Ultimate's diverse content is compelling, its strong mechanics are refined, and the encompassing collection is simply superb."Info from Gamespot.com

While Netflix's Marvel shows seem to be coming to an end--only two of the six series are left standing--that doesn't mean the streaming service is getting out of the superhero game. In Umbrella Academy, the new original series based on comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, the street-level crime fighting has been replaced with time travel, the threat of global destruction, and some very entertaining dance sequences.Umbrella Academy follows a highly-dysfunctional "family" of people with a variety of powers--and the one "sibling" that seemingly has nothing special about her--as they're reunited following the death of their father-figure. That's just the kickoff point for the series, though. Whether it's time assassins from the future, a talking chimpanzee in a suit, or an old man stuck in the body of a teenager, Umbrella Academy is a comic book and TV series that embraces the weirdness of its premise and isn't afraid to look silly to tell its story.That said, comic book purists need to brace themselves. When you sit down to watch Umbrella Academy when it premieres on Netflix, you're going to notice some big changes from the source material. The first season roughly follows the first volume of comics, otherwise known as the "Apocalypse Suite" story. As executive producer and showrunner Steve Blackman told GameSpot, though, it would have been impossible to simply let the show play out the same as the comic."I wanted to respect what Gerard and Gabriel had done," he explained. "I didn't want to not feel that the fans would look at this and say, 'This is nothing I've ever seen.' At the same time, my goal was also to broaden it out to a whole new group of people who had not read the [graphic] novel yet. So, it was sort of looking at things... finding creative things that could make you feel that you're in a moment that you've seen before but then just expand on it as well as bring in sometimes new content that just had to fill [10 hours]."To do that, not only were new elements added, but story elements and characters from other Umbrella Academy stories were given more time to shine--including Hazel (Cameron Briton) and Cha-Cha (Mary J. Blige) in one of the season's best subplots. Beyond that, fans will get to see more development and interaction between the Hargreeves "family," which is a dynamic at the show's core.If new things frighten you, Blackman doesn't want you to worry. While there have been some alterations made while adapting the comic, the heart of the show remains the same. "I'm hoping that the graphic novel fans will feel respected, that the material was respected and that the characters, you know, even though we made changes along the way," he says.And it's that respect for the comics that sold Way on collaborating with Blackman on Umbrella Academy and essentially handing the showrunner control over how they're portrayed on TV. "It is about meeting and trusting talented people and I met Steve. I saw he had a vision, and I trusted that vision," he explained. "I said, 'Go for it.' And I'll do my thing on the book, and we'll have this weird little symbiotic relationship where I'm generating these crazy ideas and then you're taking them and expanding them or doing anything with them. So it's a cool relationship."Based on the trailers alone, that cool relationship has created something special and unlike just about any other comic book show you'll find on TV. Umbrella Academy premieres on Netflix on February 15.Info from Gamespot.com

Although the latest Nintendo Direct was filled with big news, upcoming Switch title Fire Emblem: Three Houses was the centerpiece, with an extended trailer showing off tons of narrative details about the upcoming game. We also saw combat in action and learned more about how characters will form bonds.In Three Houses, three ruling powers share the land in relative harmony. You--either a male or female character--are a mercenary under your father Jeralt's command, and you receive an offer to teach at the Officer's Academy.The Academy is composed of the titular three houses--the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer--and train them in particular skills to help you in battle. You're in charge of building a lesson plan of sorts that will help them learn and grow. Your students can also interact and form bonds at the academy, which will influence their actions on the battlefield.Here's how a Nintendo press release sums things up: "The Black Eagles. The Blue Lions. The Golden Deer. Three noble houses that are part of the Officer's Academy, an elite facility that trains students in the ways of weapons, magic and special skills. As a professor, the player must choose one of these houses to lead its students in grid-based battles with life-or-death stakes. Each house is comprised of many different students to meet and train, each with her or his own personality and skills. These students can interact with each other at the academy, strengthening their bonds and supporting each other on the battlefield."Fire Emblem: Three Houses was originally scheduled for launch this spring but will now release for Nintendo Switch on July 26. The presentation also included a rundown of the game's special edition. In other Nintendo Direct news, the company began the presentation with the announcement of Super Mario Maker 2 for Switch, as well as a Zelda: Link's Awakening remake.Info from Gamespot.com

Epic Games has been sued by a number of people, including Backpack Kid, rapper 2 Milly, and Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, over claims that the studio stole their dance moves to use in Fortnite. Now, Epic Games has released a memorandum in which it seeks to have at least one of the lawsuits dismissed on the grounds that "no one can own a dance step."A document filed in California court this week seeks to have rapper Terrence "2 Milly" Ferguson's lawsuit tossed out. It states that Ferguson's claims are "fundamentally at odds with free speech principles." The letter states, "Copyright law is clear that individual dance steps and simple dance routines are not protected by copyright." Epic asserts that such dance moves are actually "building blocks of free expression," and Epic says they are in the public domain.Epic also said in its note that the "Swipe It" dance emote, which is the one in question, varies from the move that 2 Milly made popular. One example is that 2 Milly's dance move, which is referred to as "the Dance Step" in the letter, features the torso, shoulders, and head face forward while the ribs move side to side. For the Swipe It emote, the torso, shoulders, and head turn to the side while the ribs remain in place. Additionally, 2 Milly's actual dance move is faster than Swipe It. Put shortly, "the works simply are not substantially similar," Epic said.The entire document is a doozy; it's filled with the kind of language and examples that make your head spin. You can read the full document here; as uploaded by The Hollywood Reporter.It's not immediately clear if Epic has filed similar measures in response to the lawsuits from Backpack Kid and Alfonso Ribeiro, but keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.The lawsuits seemingly had holes from the beginning. In the case of Alfonso Ribeiro's lawsuit, it was discovered that Ribeiro himself admitted to borrowing the dance from someone else.In other Fortnite news, the game's new 7.40 update has been delayed; it's now coming on Valentine's Day.Fortnite recently picked up a new competitor, as the battle royale game Apex Legends from Respawn and Electronic Arts is off to a wildly fast start. As of this writing, Apex Legends has more viewers than Fortnite and all other games by a large margin today on Twitch.Info from Gamespot.com

During a Nintendo Direct packed with big Switch news, the company also revealed that Toby Fox's Deltarune will be coming to the handheld and console hybrid. Chapter 1 of the Undertale follow-up will be available for free, while later chapters--which are "currently in development"--will not. In true Toby Fox fashion, the announcement was made with "a censored, spoiler-free trailer" featuring tons of Undertale's Annoying Dog, which was later confirmed to not be in Deltarune at such high quantities.Undertale, which first released on PC in 2015, came to Switch in September 2018. Deltarune: Chapter 1 is getting its port much more quickly; it first released late last year on PC to a very excited Undertale fanbase. Toby Fox stated that the game is far from finished and that Chapter 1 is a demo for what's hopefully to come.Deltarune: Chapter 1 will release on the Switch Eshop on February 28. We loved what we saw when we first played it on PC.In other Direct news, Nintendo has announced Super Mario Maker 2 for Switch and given far more details about Fire Emblem: Three Houses.Info from Gamespot.com

During the February 2019 Nintendo Direct (see all the news here), the company announced that Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice will be getting a Switch release. The acclaimed action game, which explores mental illness in a Norse mythology setting, has a release window of Spring 2019.Nintendo didn't provide many details about the port during the presentation. Hellblade was originally a PlayStation 4 console exclusive (that was also available on PC), and it came to Xbox One in April 2018.GameSpot awarded it an 8/10 in our Hellblade review, calling it "a spellbinding and sympathetic game about loss and redemption." It was also one of GameSpot's top 10 games of 2017.Stay tuned for more news from the Nintendo Direct, which began with the announcement of Super Mario Maker 2 for Switch. We also learned a lot more about Fire Emblem: Three Houses, including a release date.Info from Gamespot.com

During the latest Nintendo Direct presentation (all the news here), Nintendo revealed the release dates for a trio of classic Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy VII is launching for Switch on March 26, while the FF spin-off Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy is also set to release next month, on March 20. However, fans won't have to wait that long to play Final Fantasy IX; that game will arrive in the Switch Eshop later today, February 13, for $21.Back in September, Square Enix announced it will bring a slate of modern-era Final Fantasy games to Nintendo Switch (as well as Xbox One) in 2019, including the classic PS One entries Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX. The former was recently featured in a new Switch commercial that teased it would hit the console "soon."Beyond those titles, Square Enix is also bringing Final Fantasy X, X-2, and XII: The Zodiac Age to both Switch and Xbox One this year. The X and X-2 HD Remaster collection will arrive on April 16, with Final Fantasy XII following several weeks later, on April 30. The publisher has also previously announced a PS4 and Switch port of Final Fantasy: The Crystal Chronicles, but no release date has been confirmed yet.That wasn't the only Square Enix news to come out of the latest Nintendo Direct. We also learned that Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition will launch for Switch this fall, while the Minecraft-like spin-off Dragon Quest Builders 2 is coming on July 12.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed III Remaster will be available on Nintendo Switch on May 21. The confirmation was provided during the Nintendo Direct (check out all the news here), and confirms rumors from earlier in the year. The game has already been confirmed for release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 29.Alongside an updated version of Assassin's Creed III, the package will include a remaster of PlayStation Vita title Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, and the Tyranny of King Washington DLC. For those that have Assassin's Creed Odyssey's season pass, this remaster will be available at no extra cost. The Switch version will have new gameplay features such as aiming using motion control, and some touch-based gameplay too.Assassin's Creed III was first released for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U in 2012. We awarded the game an 8.5/10 in our Assassin's Creed III review; critic Kevin VanOrd said it "expands the series' gameplay in enjoyable and sensible ways."He added: "Assassin's Creed III is a big game that gives you a lot to do, some of which is fleshed out relatively well, and some of which isn't. It is not, however, content to rest on the series' laurels. It takes chances with its opening, with its story, and with its characters."As with many ambitious games, not every arrow fired hits the bull's-eye, yet this big, narratively rich sequel is easy to get invested in. Other games stimulate emotion with manipulative music and teary monologues; Assassin's Creed III rouses your mind and your heart by giving you a glimpse into its characters' souls and letting you judge them on their own merits."Info from Gamespot.com

Near the end of the latest Nintendo Direct presentation (read all the news from it here), the company debuted the latest action game from Platinum Games. It's called Astral Chain, and it's closer than you might realize. The game is set to debut exclusively on Switch on August 30.Astral Chain takes place in a futuristic city, as players inhabit a special forces unit paired with a living weapon called Legion. The gameplay centers around this partnership, as you'll pull off combat combos and exploration with the assistance of the robotic creature.The game is the latest from Takahisa Taura, the designer behind Nier Automata and the project is being supervised by Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya. It shows in the fluid combat that has become Platinum's signature style. The Nintendo Direct also took a moment to reiterate that Bayonetta 3 is still on its way.The Nintendo Direct was chock full of other news for Switch, including Super Mario Maker 2, Tetris 99, lots of new information about Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and more. Check out our roundup of all the announcements for more details.Info from Gamespot.com

If you haven't already, you can catch up on all the biggest news from the latest Nintendo Direct here, but the showstopper was the new Zelda game for Switch. Nintendo closed out its latest Direct presentation by unveiling a remake of the beloved Game Boy game The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, which is being "reborn as a new experience" on the hybrid console later in 2019. A specific release date was not announced.Nintendo didn't share many details about the Link's Awakening remake, but it retains the same top-down perspective as the original, making it the first new 2D Zelda game for Switch. It also features a visual style reminiscent of A Link Between Worlds, the 3DS follow-up to A Link to the Past.Link's Awakening originally launched for Game Boy back in 1993, with an updated color version (dubbed Link's Awakening DX) following in 1998. Unlike most other games in the series, it isn't set in Hyrule, but rather the mysterious Koholint Island. After being shipwrecked, Link washes ashore the island and can only escape by retrieving eight magical instruments and waking the isle's guardian, the Wind Fish.Nintendo announced a ton of other Switch games during its latest direct presentation, including Super Mario Maker 2, which is slated to launch this June. As promised, we also got a closer look at Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which is now coming to Switch on July 26.Info from Gamespot.com