It appears the next big battleground for gaming might be in the streaming world. Yet another major company, Verizon, is reportedly launching a game-streaming service of its own to presumably compete against what could be similar offerings from companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Sony, Electronic Arts, and others.According to The Verge, Verizon is launching a game-streaming service called .... Verizon Gaming. The platform is reportedly already being alpha-tested with the Nvidia Shield device. In the future, it'll be rolled out for Android smartphones, according to the report. It'll support an Xbox One controller paired wirelessly with the Shield or Android device, apparently.More than 135 games are currently up and running with the current testing phase, including Fortnite, Red Dead Redemption II, God of War, Battlefield V, and and many others. The current testing period is focused on making the experience as smooth as possible, the report said.There is no word yet on a release date or pricing for Verizon Gaming; as mentioned, it sounds like it's still very early days for the platform.Whatever the case, it is becoming clear that game-streaming could be a very big deal in the gaming world, and perhaps sooner rather than later. While OnLive might have been a failure, the fact that companies like Verizon, Microsoft, Sony, Amazon, EA, and others are now investing in game-streaming suggests that it might be time now that streaming has enough resources and momentum behind it to actually catch on in earnest.The appeal of game-streaming is that you don't need powerful, expensive hardware to play games at home or on the go. Instead, streamed games run on hardware at data centres and then get streamed to (theoretically) whatever device you might have. Physical games and gaming hardware like Xbox and PlayStation consoles are not likely to vanish anytime soon, as internet availability and speed is not consistent or reliable around the world.Microsoft is known to be working on multiple new Xbox consoles, while Sony has said it may release a PlayStation 5. Nintendo, for its part, has said it may eventually exit the hardware market, but that may not happen soon, if it ever does.Streaming is already commonplace and accepted for movies, TV, and music--so it was always seemingly only a matter of time before games caught up.For more on the new game-streaming platforms coming out, check out the news stories below.MicrosoftMicrosoft's New Game Streaming Service xCloud AnnouncedElectronic ArtsEA Has 1,000 People Working On A Ridiculously Ambitious-Sounding New TechnologyGoogleHow Assassin's Creed Odyssey On Google's Project Stream WorksAmazonAmazon Is Launching A Game-Streaming Service, Report SaysInfo from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has revealed the most-played Nintendo Switch games of 2018 in Europe, and the title at the top of the list probably will not surprise you.The news feed on the console in Europe reveals the most-played Switch game of the past year was Epic's free-to-play battle royale game, Fortnite. Rounding out the top five were all Nintendo-made games: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The only reason Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn't near the top is probably because it only just launched in December. Nintendo didn't share any numbers about specific play-time hours, so we don't know the gaps between the different games.Still, it's not all that surprising that Fortnite is No. 1 given the game's immense global popularity. As mentioned, this chart is only for Europe. It doesn't appear that Nintendo published similar most-played lists in the US or other parts of the world.NintendoEverything first reported this news. The top 20 most-played games for Nintendo Switch in Europe can be seen at the bottom of this post. NPD analyst Mat Piscatella responded to the news, saying he expects Fortnite's massive success to have an impact on the wider industry in 2019. Specifically, he said the way in which the game's massive success propelled gains for hardware and microtransaction spending in 2018 may be hard to replicate, especially in the first half of 2019.Nintendo announces Fortnite as the most played game on Switch in 2018. One of 2019's biggest market challenges will be meeting the comparable $ volumes set by Fortnite and its impact across all platforms in HW, MTX and ACC last year, particularly in 1H. Won't be easy. — Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 13, 2019Most-Played Switch Games Of 2018 In EuropeFortniteThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildSuper Mario OdysseySplatoon 2 Mario Kart 8 DeluxeFIFA 18MinecraftPokemon: Let’s Go, PikachuPokemon: Let’s Go, EeveeXenoblade Chronicles 2 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Rocket League Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom BattlePokemon Quest Stardew ValleyDragon Ball Xenoverse 2Octopath TravelerSuper Smash Bros. UltimatePaladinsSuper Mario PartyInfo from Gamespot.com

It's been a major week for Destiny, both inside and outside of the game. Destiny 2's Niobe Labs puzzle proved too difficult, so the Bergusia Forge was unlocked manually by Bungie rather than fans. And then Bungie and Activision split up, with the former gaining full control of the franchise. Now it's Friday, and that means Xur is ready for a visit. Here's where to find him and what he's selling from now until the weekly reset on January 15.This Xur appearance is no different than any other one. This week, Xur is located in The Tower. Spawn there and head left (east on the map) until you reach the hangar. Take another left and head past the Dead Orbit area, and then head up a set of stairs on the left to find him hanging out near a landing pad.In terms of his item lineup, Xur has the typical slate: three Exotic armor pieces (one per class) and one Exotic weapon. The weapon is the enjoyable fusion rifle Merciless, which reduces the weapon's charge time as you fire it without securing a kill.For armor, Hunters get the Young Ahamkara's Spine gauntlets (damage with abilities enhances tripmines), Titans get the Doom Fang Pauldron gauntlets (improves the Sentinel Shield and grants Super energy when you get void melee kills), and Warlocks get the Crown of Tempests (arc ability kills reduce their cooldown).Merciless (Exotic fusion rifle) -- 29 Legendary ShardsYoung Ahamkara's Spine (Exotic Hunter gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsDoom Fang Pauldron (Exotic Titan gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsCrown of Tempests (Exotic Warlock helmet) -- 23 Legendary ShardsAs noted above, the Bergusia Forge is now available to Annual Pass owners, marking the final big addition of the Black Armory DLC. Development on the game will continue, and Bungie claims its plans are "unchanged," so the previously outlined update roadmap will stay the same.Info from Gamespot.com

Following cancellations throughout 2018, there are two Netflix/Marvel shows from the Defenders universe still standing: The Punisher and Jessica Jones. These also happen to be the two shows with upcoming seasons still outstanding, with Punisher Season 2 dropping on January 18.Clearly, Netflix is waiting to actually release these final seasons before cancelling them too, judging by the fact that Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil were all canned after their seasons aired last year. If I'm wrong, great! These shows haven't exactly been consistent in quality, but overall I've enjoyed becoming immersed in the world of Netflix's Defenders. On the other hand, if I'm right--well, at least for now we can enjoy the carnage that is The Punisher Season 2.The Punisher Season 2 is very much more of the same, as far as Frank Castle's bloody hijinks go. Season 1, which released in 2017, left Frank in the wind, having maimed but not murdered his rival Billy Russo, and been cut loose by the powers that be. When we catch up with the Punisher in Season 2, he's sort of just drifting, staying in motels and hanging out in bars. It's very un-Punisher like; he even meets a nice lady, although predictably, that doesn't last long. You see, the Punisher's gotta Punish. It's what he does.Frank's little fantasy drifter life as Pete Castiglione doesn't last long, as trouble quickly finds him in the form of damsel-in-distress Amy (Giorgia Whigham), a young girl being hunted by a small army of douchebags. The story of why plays out over the course of the season, and it proves to be somewhat relevant to the times in which we live, though probably not too relevant that it will ruffle any particular feathers.Needless to say, Frank tangles himself up in the whole mess through a misguided but lovable desire to protect the innocent by executing as many of the guilty as possible. He faces off this season with two main villains: John Pilgrim (the very creepy Josh Stewart), a religious fundamentalist who paradoxically loves murder almost as much as Frank does, and the escaped Billy Russo, whose face isn't nearly as disfigured as everyone makes it out to be, which is a shame, because that would have been cool. Like last season, Homeland Security Agent Dinah Madani (Amber Rose Revah) and Castle's former squadmate Curtis Hoyle (Jason R. Moore) play prominent roles, and some other characters from the all-but-dead Defenders universe even crop up, which was clearly planned before the whole thing got cancelled.On what could be its last time around the Netflix merry-go-round, Punisher Season 2 presents a mess of morals, motivations, and messages. Its portrayal of veterans as mainly degenerate dickheads looking for any excuse to do violent crimes remains problematic. Billy has selective amnesia, and remembers being best friends with Frank, but not why Frank now wants to kill him, which is just boring and never really pays off in the way you want it to. Frank, meanwhile, is still undoubtedly a psychopath, but the show seems hesitant to call a spade by its name, and Madani spends half the season trying to convince other characters (Royce Johnson's no-BS Detective Sergeant Mahoney, and Floriana Lima's imitation Harley Quinn, Dr. Krista Dumont) that he's really a good guy deep down. That may be the case, but it's easy to see the other side of it too.That's really what makes The Punisher fun to watch: Castle is a deceptively complex character. Even though he's on the right side of these various conflicts, you kind of want someone to check Frank Castle's unstoppable macho killing spree. And yet, that would mean stopping Jon Bernthal too, which would be a shame, because he remains an absolute joy to watch. He's the manliest man on the planet; his endless grunting and hollering causes lesser beings to crumple in fear (also, he punches them really hard). Castle takes more bullets, slashes, and various hard knocks than any real human could possibly withstand, but the show never stretches disbelief too far, because Bernthal really seems that tough. The whole thing wouldn't work without him.The Punisher Season 2 rests comfortably in that middle ground Netflix's Marvel superhero shows have too often occupied: It's pretty good, not mindblowing like the best of them, and nowhere near the dizzying lows they've hit over the years. It's entertaining more often than not, and mostly well made. If they'd all been like this and public opinion hadn't turned against the Defenders, maybe the whole thing would have played out differently. Maybe it still will--who knows! For now, stream The Punisher Season 2 on Netflix next Friday, January 18, and enjoy the carnage while you can. Info from Gamespot.com

This weekend's Community Day isn't the only event Pokemon Go players have to look forward to soon. Niantic has announced it is also hosting a new type of Limited Research event next weekend, and it'll give users a chance to encounter a new Shiny Pokemon.The Limited Research event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 19. Much like a Community Day, it will only run for three hours, during which time you'll be able to receive special Limited Research tasks by spinning the Photo Disc at PokeStops. You can find the event hours for each region below.Each Limited Research task you complete will reward you with an encounter with a Feebas, the base form of the majestic Water-type Pokemon Milotic. Moreover, Niantic says players will have their first chance to encounter a Shiny Feebas as part of the event. The Limited Research tasks will only be available during the three-hour window, but players will be able to complete them at any time once they've been received.In the meantime, players still have a few more days to take advantage of the ongoing Adventure Sync Hatchathon. The event is scheduled to end on January 15--the same day that Heatran leaves Raid Battles--and offers double the usual amount of Stardust and Candy for hatching Pokemon Eggs.This month's Community Day, meanwhile, takes place on January 12. The featured Pokemon this time is the Gen 2 starter Totodile; if you evolve it into its final form, Feraligatr, up to an hour after the event ends, it'll also learn the powerful Water attack Hydro Cannon.Pokemon Go Limited Research Event ScheduleThe Americas and Greenland11 AM - 2 PM PT2 PM - 5 PM ETEurope, Middle East, and Africa10 AM - 1 PM UTCAsia-Pacific12 PM - 3 PM JST (January 20)Info from Gamespot.com

One of the biggest companies on the planet, Amazon, looks like it's extending its reach to yet another sector. The Information reports today that the retail giant is looking to launch its own game-streaming service. Deadline backed up the report with a report of its own that claims the project exists within Amazon right now.Deadline also reports that Amazon is currently speaking with publishers to distribute their games on the untitled Amazon game-streaming platform. The service could reportedly launch in 2020 at the earliest, though it's unclear if this is for a beta version of the platform or the full thing.It appears that streaming could be the next big battleground for game companies. Google already has its Project Cloud game-streaming service that it's testing with Assassin's Creed Odyssey (you can see our impressions in the video above), while Microsoft will let you play Halo on a phone with its Xcloud (working title) streaming service, and Electronic Arts has its own streaming technology in the works under its ridiculously ambitious-sounding Project Atlas. Sony has operated in the game-streaming area for a long time already through its PlayStation Now product.Amazon already does a lot with games, as the retailer is one of the biggest sellers of games in the world, while it also owns the popular video-streaming site Twitch. Amazon also owns Killer Instinct developer Double Helix, while Amazon has its own game studio team called Amazon Game Studios. In August last year, Amazon announced it had hired 2K Games founder Christoph Hartmann to be the new boss of Amazon Game Studios. it hasn't been all smooth sailing, however, as Amazon Game Studios canceled one of its first games, Breakaway, and a number of high-profile staffers quit.Amazon Game Studios has a number of games in the works, including a sandbox MMO called New World, the third-persons shooter Crucible, and a game based on Amazon's Grand Tour series. Bethesda, the publisher of games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls, is already working with its studios around the world to prepare for a future where streaming is popular and prevalent.Streaming is an exciting opportunity for games, and it could spell trouble for hardware manufacturers like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo. In a streaming world, games would play off computers in data centers and stream to your computer or mobile device, which in turn would reduce the need to own a console like an Xbox or PlayStation. One potential issue with streaming is that it depends significantly on network availability and speed, which is no guarantee in some places around the world.Dedicated console platforms are not going anywhere soon, it seems. Microsoft is making multiple new Xbox consoles, and according to a report from Brad Sams, one could be focused on streaming. Additionally, Sony has acknowledged the need for a PlayStation 5. Nintendo, intriguingly, has said it may eventually exit the hardware market.Andrew Wilson, the CEO of EA, said during a presentation recently that he sees a future where you can play games on any device you want, with streaming/cloud gaming help accelerate that shift. Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive, has said he believes streaming will help accelerate the industry's transition away from "closed" systems.Video game streaming hasn't been a total success story so far, as you may recall the OnLive service shut down before it ever got much of a foothold. However, given that some of the biggest companies in the world are now investing in game-streaming, it might finally be time for streaming to truly kick off in earnest. Info from Gamespot.com

Update 3: In a surprising announcement, Fortnite studio Epic Games announced that it had teamed up with Improbable to create a $25 million fund aimed at encouraging developers to leave Unity in favour of other platforms. Epic and Improbably created the fund to give cash to developers who abandon Unity for other game-development tools. Epic, of course, owns and operates the very popular Unreal Engine, which competes directly with Unity."To assist developers who are left in limbo by the new engine and service incompatibilities that were introduced today, Epic Games and Improbable are together establishing a US $25,000,000 combined fund to help developers transition to more open engines, services, and ecosystems," Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and Improbable executive Herman Narula said in a joint statement. "This funding will come from a variety of sources including Unreal Dev Grants, Improbable developer assistance funds, and Epic Games store funding."It continues:"We believe we are at the beginning of an unprecedented age of inclusive online games that become parts of our everyday lives. Enabling this will take much more than Epic or Improbable; it will take a vastly more mature, broad-based industry to enable this future: a community of companies connected by values such as fair and openly disclosed business terms, respect for developer choice, and full interoperability between platforms, software, and services. We encourage others with a similar vision to reach out, so we can find ways to make it come sooner."You can read the full statement here.Update 2: Unity has now responded with a blog post of its own that disputes Improbable's account of the situation and states emphatically, "Improbable's blog is incorrect."Unity offers a detailed breakdown of what's happened over the past year-plus, though it starts out by clarifying, "Projects that are currently in production or live using SpatialOS are not affected by any actions we have taken with Improbable. If a game developer runs a Unity-based game server on their own servers or generic cloud instances (like GCP, AWS or Azure), they are covered by our EULA. We have never communicated to any game developer that they should stop operating a game that runs using Improbable as a service."It goes on to explain the background of the situation, claiming that despite discussions between the two sides, "Improbable chose an approach which doesn't involve partnering with Unity, but instead involves making unauthorized and improper use of Unity's technology and name in connection with the development, sale, and marketing of its own products. More than a year ago, we told Improbable in person that they were in violation of our Terms of Service or EULA. Six months ago, we informed Improbable about the violation in writing. Recent actions did not come as a surprise to Improbable; in fact, they've known about this for many months."Unity explains that, two weeks ago, it turned off Improbable's Unity Engine license keys, saying it didn't take the matter lightly but that Improbable had "left us no choice. This was the only course of action to protect the integrity and value of our technology and Unity developers.""We believe that even though Improbable is violating our EULA, game developers should never pay the price for that," Unity said. "We have been clear with Improbable that games currently in production and/or games that are live are unaffected, and we would have expected them to be honest with their community about this information. Unfortunately, this information is misrepresented in Improbable's blog."Unity's blog post goes on to provide further details and discuss changes to its EULA. You can read about that in full here. The original story follows.A dispute between Unity and the developer of the middleware SpatialOS is impacting developers. Studios have had to pull their games due to the conflict, and SpatialOS developer Improbable has strong words for Unity's approach.In a blog post, Improbable explained that a change in Unity's terms of service puts SpatialOS games in breach of the license terms. In fact, it suggests that Unity clarified directly to the company that the change in the TOS was specifically to disallow services like theirs to work in the Unity engine. It says Unity also revoked the license due to another breach in an unspecified manner. Other engines remain unaffected.[Update 1: Improbable has now published another blog post in which it accepts some of the blame alongside Unity but suggests the problems are deeper and could have involved any company. It proposes that the games industry "might need to consider making some changes which hugely increase the rate of innovation and the collective success we could all experience." It doesn't outline any specific solutions, instead seemingly seeking to initiate a dialogue on the subject.]Going forward, Improbable says it is attempting to negotiate with Unity, and is offering development support to those who use the SpatialOS tech in the meantime, including opening an emergency fund. It's also looking into moving to a different engine as a last resort."This is an action by Unity that has immediately done harm to projects across the industry, including those of extremely vulnerable or small scale developers and damaged major projects in development over many years," the company said. "Games that have been funded based on the promise of SpatialOS to deliver next-generation multiplayer are now endangered due to their choice of game engine. Live games are now in legal limbo."All customers who entered into a relationship with us and Unity previously did so on the good faith understanding that the terms they signed up to, sometimes years ago, would allow them to be successful and not carry additional charges."Indie developers like Spilt Milk and Vitor de Magalhaes have made announcements on Twitter of their projects going on hiatus, pending a resolution to the conflict.Info from Gamespot.com

Al Pacino has been acting since the 1960s, but he's never starred in a TV show in a recurring role. That could be set to change soon. Deadline and others report that the Oscar-winning actor will star in Amazon's new Nazi-hunting show, The Hunt, which comes from the mind of Get Out writer-director Jordan Peele.Pacino appeared in an episode of the TV show N.Y.P.D. back in 1968, but this will be the first time he's in a TV show on a recurring basis. He joins actor Logan Lerman in The Hunt.Lerman plays a character out for blood after his grandmother is murdered, while Pacino portrays the mentor to Lerman's character. The Hunt is set in 1977 New York City, when a group of people known as Hunters track down Nazis who live secretly in the US hoping to establish a Fourth Reich in America.Peele is producing The Hunt through his Monkeypaw Productions and Sonar Entertainment labels. Moonfall's David Weil created the show, and he'll write and executive produce the show. Amazon has ordered 10 episodes of The Hunt, but there is no word yet on when the program will air or who else will star in it.Peele is famous for his comedy show Key & Peele, but he reached another level of success with the horror movie Get Out, for which he won an Oscar. He's keeping busy, as in addition to The Hunt, he has a horrifying-looking new movie, Us, coming out, and he's also working on the new Twilight Zone that will air on GameSpot sister network CBS All Access.Amazon Studios has a number of intriguing projects in the works, including a very expensive Lord of the Rings TV show that could focus on a young Aragorn. Info from Gamespot.com

If you're eager for a great JRPG to dive into, you should pick up Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition. Often cited by fans as one of the best games in the Tales franchise, this remaster of 2008's Tales of Vesperia is essentially an enhanced version of the Japan-exclusive PS3 port. This means you get additional playable party members, story subplots, dialogue, costumes, dungeons, mini-games, and much more that weren't available in the original Western release. In addition, all paid DLC is included. For hardcore fans who never imported the PS3 version, Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition is essential. And for newcomers, the remaster serves as an ample opportunity to experience the series at its greatest.Tales of Vesperia tells the story of Yuri Lowell, a former soldier who embarks on a journey to aid a young noblewoman on an important mission. While simplistic at a glance, the story remains captivating thanks to its alluring cast of characters and vibrant anime-styled presentation. Much like last year's Dragon Quest XI, there's a strict adherence to classic fantasy conventions in Tales of Vesperia, but it's delivered with such infectious joy and charisma that you can't help but be drawn towards the plights of its characters.Over a decade after its release, Tales of Vesperia is still fantastic.It also helps that the Definitive Edition looks and runs great. Aside from a blurry filter that seems to pop up during cutscenes at times, the visuals have aged well. We spent the majority of our time with the Switch version, which divvies up its performance to 30 fps during exploration and 60 fps during combat. Returning players from previous versions should feel right at home with these specs, but if you're looking to experience the game at its most enhanced, you're better off with the PS4 and PC versions, which run at higher frame rates across the board. Interestingly enough, it's worth noting that the Xbox One version's performance is identical to Switch. Regardless of which platform you choose, you'll find few technical issues that'll take away from your time spent playing Tales of Vesperia.Admittedly, one major shortcoming of the Definitive Edition is the new bonus dialogue interspersed across the story. A welcome addition on paper, the way it has been handled left us scratching our heads. While most of the original cast reprise their roles, a new actor has been brought on to play Yuri. Originally voiced by Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, Metal Gear Solid V), the replacement does a decent enough job emulating the popular voice actor's performance. However, it's undoubtedly disorienting to hear Baker one moment only to hear a different actor take the reins for a brief slice of bonus dialogue. Fortunately, you're not without options, as the game does contain the original Japanese performances, which keeps its voice cast consistent throughout.Over a decade after its release, Tales of Vesperia is still fantastic. With the flow of big releases slowing down, now's the perfect time to jump into this JRPG classic. For a closer look at how the game holds up and how it plays in its early hours, be sure to check out our commentary video above.Info from Gamespot.com

Update: Koei Tecmo has stated Dead or Alive 6's beta is exclusive to PS4. A PlayStation Plus membership is required to play. Original story follows.Dead or Alive 6 recently saw its release date delayed by a couple of weeks, but fans will still get to play the fighting game very soon. Without any form of prior announcement, publisher Koei Tecmo has launched an online beta of the game on PS4.The demo version is available to download now on the PlayStation Store, though you'll need to wait until 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 3 PM GMT on January 11 (2 AM AET on January 12) to play. The trial will last for precisely 72 hours.Fighters Online Beta test for #DOA6 is available for pre download now! It will be playable Jan. 11th 2019 at 8:00AM PDT - Jan. 14th 7:59AM PDT. Kasumi, Ayane, Hayabusa, Hayate, and one of the most anticipated newcomers, Diego will be the available characters! #DEADORALIVE6 #DOA6 pic.twitter.com/YXhsKjEyua — DOATEC(DOA6)OFFICIAL (@DOATEC_OFFICIAL) January 11, 2019In a tweet announcing the beta, Koei Tecmo did not mention platforms, leading many to believe the test would be available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, as with the full game. However at present the beta only appears to be on the PlayStation Store, not the Xbox or Steam equivalents. Five characters are included in this free pre-release version: Kasumi, Ayane, Hayabusa, Hayate, and new fighter Diego.Dead or Alive 6 was due to launch on February 15. However, following a delay to allow developer Team Ninja to "further polish its balance, gameplay, and expressivity," the game will now be released on March 1. The sixth main entry in the series focuses less on the overt sexuality of previous titles and more on easing in newcomers, according to our preview.Info from Gamespot.com

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is out now on Nintendo Switch, with a few new features and improvements over its Wii U cousin. One of those, Toadette, is certainly welcome, but her inclusion seemed to mean one of the Wii U version's playable characters, Blue Toad, was no longer in the game.However, it appears Nintendo was fooling us all along. You can still play as Blue Toad: simply hover over (Yellow) Toad on the character select screen and hold either ZL or L. Voila! Yellow Toad will switch out for Blue Toad, who is then playable in any level in the game--including those in the New Super Luigi U expansion.We enjoyed the Switch remaster here at GameSpot, and we awarded it a 7/10 in our New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe review. "Despite its aging formula, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is still a great entry in the series, with its typically tight platforming and both accessibility and depth to spare," we said. "While it can feel a bit stale for those who have been round the Mushroom Kingdom one too many times before, Deluxe is well worth playing, especially if you didn't get a chance to play NSMBU on Wii U."For more on the game, check out our New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe review roundup or check out our report on how the game works with the Switch's NES controllers. You can also take a look at some gameplay of new character Peachette in the video above.Info from Gamespot.com

Crunchyroll has announced the nominees for this year's Anime Awards. This year, there are five new categories: Best Character Design, Best Director, Best Fight Scene, and Best Performance by a Voice Actor--both for Japanese and English.Megalobox is the dominant series this year, nominated for eight of the 15 categories, including Anime of the Year. For Anime of the Year, Megalobox is joined by A Place Further Than the Universe, Devilman Crybaby, Violet Evergarden, Hinamatsuri, and Zombie Land Saga. My Hero Academia, which dominated the last Anime Awards, is only nominated for Best Animation and Best Boy this year. [Update: A previous version of this article noted both My Hero Academia protagonist Midoriya and his childhood friend Bakugo were nominated for the Best Boy category. However, there was a miscommunication between us and Crunchyroll, and it's really Haida from Aggretsuko and not Bakugo who made the cut.]Fan voting is live and you'll have until January 18 at 11:59PM PT to submit your choices for which shows you think deserve to win. Head over to Crunchyroll's Anime Awards portal to submit your votes. Full disclosure, I sit on the panel of judges for this year's awards, so I contributed to deciding the nominees for all but two of the categories.The full list of categories and their nominees are outlined below.Crunchyroll Anime Awards Category NomineesAnime of the YearA Place Further Than the UniverseDevilman CrybabyMegaloboxViolet EvergardenHinamatsuriZombie Land SagaThere were too many great anime to choose from!! Please welcome your nominees for ANIME OF YEAR! 🌟#AnimeAwards ✨Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymwhCA pic.twitter.com/QJ95xXQSyv — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best AnimationViolet EvergardenDevilman CrybabyMegaloboxA Place Further Than the UniverseBloom into YouMy Hero Academia Season 3I'm so excited to share all of these nominees for BEST ANIMATION!✨#AnimeAwards🌟Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymwhCA pic.twitter.com/OMoBn0RBuw — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best Opening SequenceWotakoi: Love is Hard for OtakuDarling in the FranxxKakegurui: Compulsive GamblerPop Team EpicAggretsukoJoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden WindSkipping any of these openings would be a CRIME! Make sure your favorite OP wins by VOTING NOW! ✨#AnimeAwards 🎶https://t.co/fFpkymwhCA pic.twitter.com/q1ll4x7Onn — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best Ending SequenceMegaloboxAttack on Titan Season 3After the RainFLCL AlternativeRevue StarlightFLCL ProgressiveIf you skip the ending song you're a COWARD. Your nominees for BEST ENDING SEQUENCE are...! ✨#AnimeAwards🎶Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymeGL2 pic.twitter.com/b948OxANlO — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best FilmNight is Short, Walk On GirlMy Hero Academia: Two HeroesMirai of the FutureLiz and the Blue BirdMazinger Z: InfinityFireworksPlease welcome the nominees for Best Film at the #AnimeAwards 💫Who are you voting for??🔥Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymeGL2 pic.twitter.com/cB6LD3wN6Y — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best Character DesignViolet EvergardenDevilman CrybabyZombie Land SagaMegaloboxAggretsukoJoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden WindMeet the nominees for BEST CHARACTER DESIGN! Which characters stood out to you the most this year? #AnimeAwards ✨🖌Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymwhCA pic.twitter.com/KWDbGicn9E — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best BoyKotaro TatsumiHonda-sanIzuku MidoriyaSakuta AzusagawaHaidaJoeTHE NOMINEES FOR BEST BOY ARE HERE! ✨#AnimeAwards💪Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymwhCA pic.twitter.com/R1LGADARb1 — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best GirlAnzuHinata MiyakeLily HoshikawaAsirpaNadeshiko KagamiharaMai SakurajimaTHE REAL BATTLE BEGINS NOW! Stand up for your best girl by voting in the #AnimeAwards ✨💕Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymeGL2 pic.twitter.com/VKNzcWvxJ3 — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best VA Performance (JP)Mamoru MiyanoSoma SaitoMegumi HanNao ToyamaRarekoReina UedaWhose performance touched you the most? Here the nominees for Best VA Performance (JP)! 🔥#AnimeAwards 🔥Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymwhCA pic.twitter.com/kB2IMEIkxZ — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best VA Performance (EN)Kari WahlgrenChristopher SabatErica MendezDavid WaldTia BallardErika HarlacherAnd your nominees for BEST VA PERFORMANCE (EN) are...! ✨ #AnimeAwards ✨Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymeGL2 pic.twitter.com/NbhG8TGVTe — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best DirectorMasaaki YuasaAtsuko IshizukaYou MoriyamaYohei SuzukiTaichi IshidateHiroko UtsumiWelcome the nominees for BEST DIRECTOR!! Thank you for making these anime so special! ✨#AnimeAwards🎥Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymeGL2 pic.twitter.com/kSN6dAiMpb — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best ProtagonistRetsukoYumeko JabamiJoeViolet EvergardenRimuru TempestSakuta AzusagawaWhich of these main characters will be getting your vote for BEST PROTAGONIST?! 🌟#AnimeAwards✨https://t.co/fFpkymwhCA pic.twitter.com/jZALV954CF — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best AntagonistRyo AsukaAkane ShinjoAll For OneYuriTokushiro TsurumiMomongaWho deserves to be crowned BEST ANTAGONIST in the #AnimeAwards!?🤘https://t.co/fFpkymeGL2 pic.twitter.com/IvOlv95k2v — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best Fight Scene Presented by CapcomHina vs AnzuAll for One vs All MightNaruto & Sasuke vs MomoshikiJiren vs GokuYami vs LichtSatan vs DevilmanAll of these fights were 🔥🔥🔥but whose fight deserves to win!? VOTE FOR BEST FIGHT SCENE in the #AnimeAwards, NOW!!! 👊https://t.co/fFpkymwhCA pic.twitter.com/QnROWmC1Ab — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019Best Continuing Series Presented by VRVThe Ancient Magus' BrideDragon Ball SuperBlack CloverMarch comes in like a lionOne PieceBoruto: Naruto Next GenerationsThese series we too good to say goodbye to last year! Your nominees for BEST CONTINUING SERIES are...! #AnimeAwards 🔁Vote: https://t.co/fFpkymeGL2 pic.twitter.com/zZbSWhcjaV — Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) January 11, 2019 Info from Gamespot.com

It's winter in the northern hemisphere, and that means two things: colder temperatures and video game sales. If you do your gaming on PC, you'll want to check out the discounts available on the Humble Store now, because its winter sale is live through January 24, offering discounts of up to 90% on a slew of PC games (most of which come in the form of Steam codes). Let's look at some of the games available on the cheap.First, a freebie--but you'll have to hurry to get it. Between now and January 12, while supplies last, you can grab a free copy of the first-person platformer A Story About My Uncle just for signing up for Humble's newsletter. No worries if you're already signed up; you can still get a copy of the game.Strategy game fans can pick up Sid Meier's Civilization VI Digital Deluxe Edition, which comes with the base game, the soundtrack, and six DLC packs that add new civilizations and scenarios; it's on sale for $24 / £21. Speaking of fancy editions, Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition is on sale for $25.50 / £18, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt GotY Edition is down to $20 / £14. All three of these titles offer dozens of hours of playtime.Fans of anime and fighting games can grab Dragon Ball FighterZ for $24 / 18. Tekken 7 is also on sale, bringing the price down to $20 / £17.50. Those looking to sink some hours into an RPG can get Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition, which comes with all of the DLC, for $25. If you prefer more traditional-style RPGs, you might consider Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, which is on sale for $36 / £24.For those looking to keep their expenditures in the single digits, you can pick up FTL: Faster Than Light for $2.50 / £1.75, Papers, Please for $5 / £4, or Darkest Dungeon for $7.50 / £5.70. And while Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen has just been announced for Switch in a $30 edition, you can get it on PC for just $9 / £7.20 right now.You'll find more of our picks in the list below, or you can see the full list of games on sale on the Humble Store.Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition -- $25.50Darkest Dungeon -- $7.50Dead Cells -- $20Deep Rock Galactic (Early Access) -- $19Dragon Ball FighterZ -- $24Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age -- $36Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen -- $9Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition -- $25FTL: Faster Than Light -- $2.50Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice -- $15Hollow Knight -- $10Into the Breach -- $10Kingdom Come: Deliverance -- $30Monster Hunter World -- $40Papers, Please -- $5Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration -- $15Rocket League -- $12Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $30Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove -- $20Sid Meier's Civilization VI Digital Deluxe Edition -- $24Slime Rancher -- $10Stardew Valley -- $13.50Tekken 7 -- $20The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt GotY Edition -- $20Info from Gamespot.com

Kingdom Hearts 3 is coming this month at long last, finally wrapping up the trilogy. The series has become known for its complex story and hidden endings that tease future events, and this installment is being especially guarded about its conclusion. So guarded, in fact, that Square Enix has detailed plans to release the epilogue as a post-launch patch.In a series of tweets, Square Enix noted that a few different free game updates will come on and around launch day. The first, scheduled for release alongside the game on January 29, will be the typical bug fixes along with a "Memory Archive" story recap. A second patch, on Wednesday, January 30, will add an epilogue video. Finally, on Thursday, January 31, a third patch will add a secret video.The epilogue will be viewable to anyone who has finished Kingdom Hearts 3, while the secret video requires finishing the game along with various criteria that will scale by difficulty level. No word on what these videos will be about, other than that they will "enhance player's enjoyment of the world of Kingdom Hearts."Traditionally, these epilogues and secret videos have shed more light on events that happened concurrently with other storylines, or teased future characters. Since this is the conclusion of the trilogy, it's hard to say what it might reveal--but the story of Kingdom Hearts has plenty of room for more sequels, even if this trilogy comes to a proper conclusion.The epilogue and secret movies have come up before, when the game leaked and spoilers began circulating online. At the time, director Tetsuya Nomura specifically asked fans not to spoil the two movies, since they represent the game's "biggest spoilers." His statement said because they want to save the surprise, these two movies wouldn't be available before release. Now we know for certain that he was referring to these post-launch patches.Kingdom Hearts 3 is one of our most anticipated games of 2019, and definitely the one with the longest wait. Kingdom Hearts 2 came out 13 years ago, and while there's been no shortage of spin-offs, fans have been eagerly waiting for the conclusion of the story. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.Info from Gamespot.com

It's been a major week for Destiny, both inside and outside of the game. Destiny 2's Niobe Labs puzzle proved too difficult, so the Bergusia Forge was unlocked manually by Bungie rather than fans. And then Bungie and Activision split up, with the former gaining full control of the franchise. Now it's Friday, and that means Xur is ready for a visit. Here's where to find him and what he's selling from now until the weekly reset on January 15.This Xur appearance is no different than any other one. This week, Xur is located in The Tower. Spawn there and head left (east on the map) until you reach the hangar. Take another left and head past the Dead Orbit area, and then head up a set of stairs on the left to find him hanging out near a landing pad.In terms of his item lineup, Xur has the typical slate: three Exotic armor pieces (one per class) and one Exotic weapon. The weapon is the enjoyable fusion rifle Merciless, which reduces the weapon's charge time as you fire it without securing a kill.For armor, Hunters get the Young Ahamkara's Spine gauntlets (damage with abilities enhances tripmines), Titans get the Doom Fang Pauldron gauntlets (improves the Sentinel Shield and grants Super energy when you get void melee kills), and Warlocks get the Crown of Tempests (arc ability kills reduce their cooldown).Merciless (Exotic fusion rifle) -- 29 Legendary ShardsYoung Ahamkara's Spine (Exotic Hunter gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsDoom Fang Pauldron (Exotic Titan gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsCrown of Tempests (Exotic Warlock helmet) -- 23 Legendary ShardsAs noted above, the Bergusia Forge is now available to Annual Pass owners, marking the final big addition of the Black Armory DLC. Development on the game will continue, and Bungie claims its plans are "unchanged," so the previously outlined update roadmap will stay the same.Info from Gamespot.com