With comedian/actor Kevin Hart dropping out of hosting duties for the 91st Academy Awards, many are wondering who will replace him. According to a new report, one of the options that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering is having no host at all.Variety reports that in this scenario, the Academy might recruit a number of celebrities and other "buzzy people" to present and send the broadcast to its numerous commercial breaks.One source told Variety that neither the Academy nor ABC had a contingency plan. The next meeting of the Academy's Board of Governors, which was scheduled before Hart dropped out, will take place this Tuesday. The matter of what to do after Hart's exit will surely be discussed. Having no host sounds like it is just one possibility that the Academy may be considering.The 91st Academy Awards take place on February 24. For comparison, the Academy announced Jimmy Kimmel as the host of the 2017 show in May 2017, while Hart was only confirmed as the host for this year's show last week before he dropped out days later.Hart backed out of the hosting gig after people discovered years-old tweets where the comedian and actor made homophobic comments. According to Hart, the Academy gave him an ultimatum: apologize or step down as host. Hart initially said he wouldn't apologize, but he later did, saying he was sorry to the LGBTQ community for "my insensitive words from my past." He said he chose to step down so as not to become a distraction.The most recent Academy Awards ceremony saw the viewership lowest in history, with only 26.5 million people tuning in. Presumably in an effort to get more people to watch, the Academy announced a "Popular Film" category, but it was scrapped in the wake of some amount of public backlash. Info from Gamespot.com

The idea of what the Super Smash Bros. games are, and what they can be, has been different things during the series' 20-year history. What began as an accessible multiplayer game also became a highly competitive one-on-one game. But it's also been noted for having a comprehensive single-player adventure, as well as becoming a sort of virtual museum catalog, exhibiting knowledge and audiovisual artifacts from the histories of its increasingly diverse crossover cast. Ultimate embraces all these aspects, and each has been notably refined, added to, and improved for the better. Everyone, and basically everything, from previous games is here--all existing characters, nearly all existing stages, along with the flexibility to play and enjoy those things in different ways. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a comprehensive, considered, and charming package that builds on an already strong and enduring fighting system.If you've ever spent time with a Smash game, then you likely have a good idea of how Ultimate works. Competing players deal damage to their opponents in order to more easily knock them off the stage. The controls remain relatively approachable for a competitive combat game; three different buttons in tandem with basic directional movements are all you need to access a character's variety of attacks and special abilities. There are a large variety of items and power-ups to mix things up (if you want to) and interesting, dynamic stages to fight on (also if you want to). You can find complexities past this, of course--once you quickly experience the breadth of a character's skillset, it allows you to begin thinking about the nuances of a fight (again, if you want to). Thinking about optimal positioning, figuring out what attacks can easily combo off of another, working out what the best move for each situation is, and playing mind games with your human opponents can quickly become considerations, and the allure of Smash as a fighting game is how easy it is to reach that stage.Complexity also comes with the wide variety of techniques afforded by Ultimate's staggeringly large roster of over 70 characters. Smash's continuing accessibility is a fortunate trait in this regard, because once you understand the basic idea of how to control a character, many of the barriers to trying out a completely new one are gone. Every fighter who has appeared in the previous four Smash games is here, along with some brand-new ones, and the presence of so many diverse and unorthodox styles to both wield and compete against is just as attractive as the presence of the characters themselves. In fact, it's still astounding that a game featuring characters from Mario Bros, Sonic The Hedgehog, Pac-Man, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and Street Fighter all interacting with each other actually exists.On a more technical level, Ultimate makes a number of under-the-hood alterations that, at this early stage, seem like positive changes that make Smash feel noticeably faster and more exciting to both watch and play. Characters take more damage in one-on-one fights; continuous dodging is punished with increased vulnerability; fighters can perform any ground-based attack, including smash moves, immediately out of a running state; and short-hop aerial attacks (previously a moderately demanding technique) can be easily performed by pressing two buttons simultaneously. Refinements like these might go unnoticed by most, but they help define Ultimate's core gameplay as a tangible evolution of the series' core mechanics.A number of Ultimate's more superficial changes also help Smash's general quality-of-life experience, too. Some make it a more readable game--additions to the UI communicate previously hidden elements like meter charges and Villager's captured items, a simple radar helps keep track of characters off-screen, and a slow motion, zoom-in visual effect when critical hits connect make these moments more exciting to watch. Other changes help streamline the core multiplayer experience and add compelling options. Match rules can now be pre-defined with a swath of modifiers and saved for quick selection later. Stage selection occurs before character selection, so you can make more informed decisions on which fighter to use.On top of a built-in tournament bracket mode, Ultimate also features a number of additional Smash styles. Super Sudden Death returns, as does Custom Smash, which allows you to create matches with wacky modifiers. Squad Strike is a personal favorite, which allows you to play 3v3 or 5v5 tag-team battles (think King of Fighters), and Smashdown is a great, engaging mode that makes the most of the game's large roster by disqualifying characters that have already been used as a series of matches continues, challenging your ability to do well with characters who you might not be familiar with.The most significant addition to Ultimate, however, lies in its single-player content. Ultimate once again features a Classic Mode where each individual fighter has their own unique ladder of opponents to defeat, but the bigger deal is World of Light, Ultimate's surprisingly substantial RPG-style campaign. It's a convoluted setup--beginning as Kirby, you go on a long journey throughout a huge world map to rescue Smash's other fighters (who have incidentally been cloned in large numbers) from the big bad's control. Along the way, you'll do battles with Spirits, characters hailing from other video games that, while not directly engaging in combat, have taken control of clones, altered them in their images, and unleashed them on you.Though there is some light puzzling, the world is naturally filled with hundreds upon hundreds of fights--there are over 1200 Spirit characters, and the vast majority have their own unique battle stages that use the game's match variables to represent their essence. The Goomba Spirit, for example, will put you up against an army of tiny Donkey Kongs. Meanwhile, the Excitebike Spirit might throw three Warios at you who only use their Side+B motorbike attacks.It may seem like a tenuous idea at first, but these fights are incredibly entertaining. It's hard not to appreciate the creativity of using Smash's assets to represent a thousand different characters. Zero Suit Samus might stand in for a battle with The Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater by donning a silver-palette costume and fighting you in a flower-filled Final Destination, but she also stands in for the spirit of Alexandra Roivas from Eternal Darkness by using a black-palette costume and fighting you in the haunted Luigi's Mansion stage, with a modifier that makes the screen occasionally flip upside down (Eternal Darkness was a GameCube horror game whose signature feature were "Sanity Effects", which skewed the game in spooky ways to represent the character's loosening grip on reality). If I knew the character, I often found myself thinking about how clever their Spirit battle was.Defeating a Spirit will add it to your collection, and Spirits also act as World of Light's RPG system. There are two types of Spirit: Primary and Support. Primary Spirits have their own power number and can be leveled up through various means to help make your actual fighter stronger. Primary Spirits also have one of four associated classes, which determine combat effectiveness in a rock-scissors-paper-style system. These are both major considerations to take into account before a battle, and making sure you're not going into a fight at a massive disadvantage adds a nice dimension to the amusing unpredictability of this mode. What you also need to take into account are the modifiers that might be enabled on each stage, which is where Support Spirits come in. They can be attached to Primary Spirits in a limited quantity and can mitigate the effect of things like poisonous floors, pitch-black stages, or reversed controls, or they can simply buff certain attacks.There are a few Spirit fights that can be frustrating, however. Stages that are a 1v4 pile-on are downright annoying, despite how well-equipped you might be, as are stages where you compete against powerful assist trophies. On the flip side, once you find yourself towards the end of the campaign, there are certain loadouts that can trivialize most stages, earning you victory in less than a second. Regardless, there's a compulsive quality to collecting Spirits, and not just because they might make you stronger. It's exciting to see which obscure character you run into next, feel validated for recognizing them, and see how the game interprets them in a Spirit battle. There's also just a superficial joy to collecting, say, the complete Elite Beat Agents cast (Osu! Takatae! Ouendan characters are here too), even though these trophies lack the frills of previous Smash games.Some hubs in the World of Light map are also themed around certain games and bundle related Spirits together to great effect--Dracula's Castle from Castlevania, which changes the map into a 2D side-scroller, and the globe from Street Fighter II, complete with the iconic airplane noises, are personal standouts. Despite the dramatic overtones of World of Spirit's setup, the homages you find within it feel like a nice commemoration of the games and characters without feeling like a pandering nostalgia play. One of the most rewarding homages of all, however, lies in Ultimate's huge library of video game music. Over 800 tracks, which include originals as well as fantastic new arrangements, can all be set as stage soundtracks as well enjoyed through the game's music player.There is one significant struggle that Ultimate comes up against, however, which lies in the nature of the console itself. Playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the Switch's handheld mode is simply not a great experience. In situations where there are more than two characters on screen, the view of the action often becomes too wide, making the fighters too small to see properly, and it can be difficult to tell what you or your opponent is doing. The game's penchant for flashy special effects and busy, colorful stages doesn't help things at all, and unless you're playing a one-on-one match, you'll likely suffer some blameless losses. This is a situational disadvantage and may not affect all players, but it puts a damper on the idea of Smash on the go.The need to unlock characters also has the potential to be an initial annoyance, especially if your goal is to jump straight into multiplayer and start learning one of the six brand-new characters. In my time with the game, I split my attention between playing World of Light (where rescuing characters unlocks them everywhere) and multiplayer matches, where the constant drip-feed of "New Challenger" unlock opportunities (which you can easily retry if you fail) came regularly. I naturally earned the entire roster in roughly 10 hours of playtime, but your mileage may vary.Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also features online modes, but they were not active during Ultimate's pre-launch period. The game features skill-based matchmaking, private lobbies, and voice chat via Nintendo's smartphone app. It also features a system where defeating another player will earn you their personalized player tag, which can be used as a currency to unlock spirits, music, and costume items for Mii fighters. I'll begin testing these features once the service launches with the game's public release and will finalize the review score once I've had substantial time with the matchmaking experience.Situational downers don't stop Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from shining as 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

Long before Fortnite, developer Epic Games launched a successful mobile game series called Infinity Blade. The franchise's three games are no longer available, however, as Epic removed them from the iOS App store on December 10 in a surprising and unexpected move.Everyone who already has Infinity Blade 1-3 installed on their iOS device can continue to play and re-download them (for the "foreseeable future), but all in-app purchases are turned off.But why is the Infinity Blade franchise getting the boot? In a statement, Epic said it has become "increasingly difficult" to support the franchise "at a level that meets our standards" at the same time as other ongoing projects such as Spyjinx and "other projects." The statement never mentions Fortnite by name, but surely the battle royale game is one of Epic's biggest focuses right now."The Infinity Blade series will always hold a special place for me personally and for Epic as a whole," Epic's Donald Mustard said. "It's always bittersweet to say goodbye, but we are excited for Spyjinx and what the future holds!"Epic will continue to support Infinity Blade III with more Clash Mobs and other "surprises" over the next month. What's more, Epic is giving away the Infinity Blade Stickers app for free.What's more, Epic teased that you can expect to see the Infinity Blade franchise appear in "places you wouldn't expect." Just today, Epic announced that a sword weapon is coming to Fortnite--and based on the teaser, it sure looks like the sword from Infinity Blade.The first Infinity Blade launched in 2010, with sequels arriving in 2011 and 2013.Infinity Blade is not the first Epic title to get scaled back or canceled following Fortnite's massive success. At the start of 2018, Epic confirmed it was shutting down its free-to-play MOBA Paragon, while just recently, the developer confirmed that it was no longer working on its new Unreal Tournament game. The studio is continuing to work on Spyjinx, an action-strategy game that Epic is working on with Star Wars and Star Trek director JJ Abrams. It was originally scheduled to launch in 2016, but that never happened. The statement today confirms Epic is still working on it, but no new release date has been announced.Another new Epic project is the Epic Games Store, which recently launched and offers a compelling revenue share split with developers.Info from Gamespot.com

It's finally happened. After months of teases and images, Batwoman has officially joined the Arrow-verse. In the second part of the "Elseworlds" crossover, The Flash (Grant Gustin), Green Arrow (Stephen Amell), and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) ventured to Gotham City for the first time and met the city's Caped Crusader.This Gotham is one that no longer has a Batman to keep them safe. Instead, Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) suits up as Batwoman in an attempt to save what she can of a dead city. While, for now, this will be contained to the second piece of the three-part "Elseworlds" event only, a Batwoman TV show is being developed for The CW that would pick up where "Elseworlds" leaves off.Before they could bring Batwoman to life, though, the writers and producers of the Arrow-verse had to figure out who she was. What's more, they have to create the world she lived in and decide how it would compare to the likes of Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl.For Caroline Dries, who's responsible for the story of "Elseworlds Part 2" and is developing the Batwoman series, the goal was to give away enough to make you wonder about what comes next. "We all as a group knew who the character was when we were breaking the story so our goal was trying to create a set-up story-wise where we could meet her kind of be intrigued by her, introduce Gotham a little bit, you know, plant a little visual things that are curious and then have people wondering what is this world she's part of," she said during a Q&A with press.That planning gives viewers some hints about what to expect, should Batwoman go to series. This Gotham is dead and rotting, with even Bruce Wayne leaving town--for reasons that haven't been revealed at this point. However, Kate Kane has no intentions of following suit and is instead renovating the old Wayne tower to be the home of her real estate business--which is pulled from the comics. Likewise, a number of potential villains were teased in the trip Gotham City, including Penguin, The Riddler, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and Nora Fries.This was all done with an eye toward expanding the universe in a spin-off. "We created it with a bigger story in mind for sure," Dries explained.Just as important as teasing what Batwoman and Gotham City could become, though, was grounding it in the Arrow-verse. This version of Gotham is very different from anything else seen on Arrow, The Flash, or Supergirl. This is a city without hope, that wasn't saved by its vigilante the way Oliver has done countless times with Star City.Instead of using Gotham City as the tread to keep it rooted in the Arrow-verse, it's Batwoman herself that is the link. "It was important for us I think to humanize Kate in a way that made her relatable to the other characters in the Arrow-verse, even though we're creating an enigmatic character we wanted sort of an in to her and in our minds Kara obviously has this cousin who's, you know, she's started in his shadow and her story was getting out of his shadow and that's exactly Kate's story," Dries said.That's why the moment at the end of the episode when Supergirl and Batwoman admit they know each other's secret identities was included. "It just felt like the right moment, the right movie," she explained.So what happens next? Now, we wait. The CW hasn't actually ordered Batwoman to series, though it seems like a foregone conclusion at this point. As for when it'll premiere, the best bet is in Fall 2019, allowing Batwoman to once again play a role in the annual Arrow-verse crossover. In the meantime, there's still one more piece of "Elseworlds" to watch Tuesday, December 11, at 8 PM PT on The CW.Info from Gamespot.com

Tom DeLonge, one of the founding members of Blink 182 who left the band in 2015, is doing very different things these days. He recently launched a new UFO research company, To The Stars Academy, and one part of the company is a storytelling division. One of the first projects to come of it is a TV show based on DeLonge's graphic novel, Strange Times.The show has been picked up by American TV network TBS, according to Variety. He told the site that To The Stars aims to create entertainment franchises that amount to a "science fiction Disney," which certainly sounds like a bold prediction."We hope to create something that could be described as sort of a 'science fiction Disney,' where our entertainment franchises are worlds that are inspired and informed by our own next-generation science division." The graphic novel Strange Times focuses on five kids, and they were inspired by the "degenerate skateboarders" that DeLonge grew up with. "The story is also set in that same town. Charlie, the main character, is a bit of myself. A boy searching for answers, trying to find a way out of suburbia, but laughing with his ridiculous, irreverent friends along the way," DeLonge said.You can read the full interview here at Variety. In addition to his work with To The Stars, DeLonge is working on new music for his other band, Angels & Airwaves. Info from Gamespot.com

Virtual reality gaming has been a tough field to navigate since its public debut in 2016, mostly because it was a brand-new technology that had immense hype leading up to the launch of three major platforms. Over time, we got to see VR experiences evolve from its early stages in terms of scale and ingenuity as developers built upon previous work and implemented new lessons learned. In 2018, there were a few flashes of brilliance that proved VR gaming doesn't need to chase realistic visuals or total physical immersion for a transformative experience, but rather fine executions of creative ideas using the tech that's already in place.Despite a refined version of the HTC Vive and an entry-level standalone Oculus headset in the Oculus Go, PlayStation VR stole the show late in 2018. It might be bit surprising to think that as time marches on, the more primitive technology was home to the year's best VR games; PSVR still runs on PlayStation 4 hardware (Pro or otherwise), tracks players through the PlayStation Camera, and uses the unsophisticated Move controllers. But it's a testament to Sony's ability to secure exclusivity, establish a wider platform, and have developers deliver unique, compelling experiences. And if it wasn't for a handful of great games, 2018 would've been wholly underwhelming for VR.Astro Bot: Rescue Mission was a definite highlight of VR gaming in 2018, exclusive to PSVR.PlayStation VR Comes Out On Top With GamesJapan Studio created something truly special for PSVR with Astro Bot: Rescue Mission. Its initial pitch may not sound like much: a seated 3D platformer where you control an "AR Bot" that was once a mascot for PSVR's Playroom mini-game suite. However, it turned out to be much more than that with one clever idea after another executed to near-perfection. You control the bot itself as you handle the DualShock motion controls to use gadgets and interact with the environment. These two elements effortlessly work in tandem to solve puzzles, navigate challenging platform sequences, and take down bosses. And it all came together thanks to color and charm instilled in the game's world and characters.In 2018, there were a few flashes of brilliance that proved VR gaming doesn't need to chase realistic visuals or total physical immersion for a transformative experience, but rather fine executions of creative ideas using the tech that's already in place.Leading up to the release of Tetris Effect, you may have been wondering, "What could Tetris do in 2018?" Well, producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi put that doubt to rest. By merging captivating Rez-like visuals, a momentous soundtrack, and an increasing challenge, the traditional Tetris gameplay was elevated to something greater than piecing a series of blocks together to clear lines, especially when played in VR. Each of its stages presented new visual themes and music genres that brought both an overwhelming intensity at times and a calming pace at others.Although we've seen tactical multiplayer FPS on PC VR platforms, Firewall Zero Hour showed that this style of game can work on PSVR, despite its relative technical limitations. Zero Hour is a slower-paced, multiplayer-only shooter that pits two teams of four against each other to complete objectives. It may have shortcomings in terms of map design, progression, downtime between matches, but it's a unique PSVR experience that also put the Aim controller to good use.In August, Sony revealed that the PSVR had sold three million units, which is more than its direct competitors Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. It's not much of a surprise given the lower barrier to entry, and this install base means that VR games could thrive on Sony's console.Multiplatform Games Made Special On PSVRMoss first released on PSVR in February before arriving on Vive and Rift in June. The third-person 3D action platformer used a whimsical art style to get you invested in the fate of its cute little mouse protagonist named Moss. Developer Polyarc combined simple, yet clever combat mechanics and challenging puzzles which was a delight. But it used VR to great effect by presenting a grand sense of environmental scale and seamlessly integrating traditional DualShock controls and motion sensor capabilities.Evasion came out on all three major platforms, but it's one of the few games that put the PlayStation Aim controller to use with its new cooperative FPS experience.There are few rhythm games like Beat Saber, available on PSVR, Vive, and Rift.Lastly, you can't bring up VR games without mentioning Beat Saber, an exhilarating rhythm game that has you slicing blocks to the beat of a song. Each block requires you to chop it in a certain direction using the left and right VR controllers, inducing a dance-like flow that feels gratifying regardless of difficulty. Beat Saber had an official release on PS4, but it's in early access for Vive and Rift. Unique to the PC versions however, is the ability to import your own songs for custom tracks in game, though that feature is still in development.HTC Vive Pro, Wireless VR, And The Price Of LuxuryIn May, HTC launched the Vive Pro, which is a higher resolution version of the original hardware with a few welcome ergonomic tweaks. The Vive Pro bumped up the original resolution from 2160x1200 to 2880x1600, which may not sound like much, but this translated to a noticeable improvement in visual clarity. Vive Pro's head strap was a vast improvement over the original design and made it much easier to put on and more comfortable with better weight distribution. And the built-in earphones were a critical addition since it was one less thing to worry about when using the Vive.The big problem, though: price. The Vive Pro costs $800, and that's just for the headset alone. It really is reserved for the enthusiast that has money to blow since it also requires you to have a Vive setup already, let alone a capable gaming PC. And if you don't, then you'll be shelling out $1400 for the full Vive Pro package. It's an impressive piece of technology, but it wasn't going to transcend what the industry already had, especially for its asking price.Perhaps more impactful than a higher-res headset is wireless capability. 2018 saw the launch of the Vive Wireless Adapter, and introduced a high-fidelity untethered experience with minimal input lag. But again like most things HTC Vive, it's expensive: the Wireless Adapter currently goes for $300 alone.Oculus Aims For Wider Markets With Standalone HeadsetsOculus has expanded beyond the Rift platform by launching the Oculus Go. It's a standalone headset that delivers a lighter VR experience, not intended for traditional gaming. The Go is part of the Oculus ecosystem regardless and has a few standout games like Thumper and Republique, but its controller and specs means it's limited in terms of gaming.It bears repeating: VR gaming is still in its early stages and is still building for the future.Oculus Go is also indicative of where the company is going in terms of VR tech. During its Oculus Connect 5 event in September, it announced that Oculus Quest (formerly Project Santa Cruz) would launch in Spring 2019 for $400, which is another standalone headset that'll have full range of motion, fully featured controllers, and more powerful hardware. Powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor, Quest isn't quite as powerful as a minimum spec Rift setup, but the prospect of a completely untethered VR experience that makes few concessions is enticing.VerdictAt least in 2018, VR gaming was about a couple of great ideas coming to fruition. PSVR separated itself from its PC competitors late in the year by offering a platform that gave rise to a few amazing experiences like Astro Bot and Tetris Effect. It also remains the cheapest VR platform with the slimmest hardware requirements, and in turn, a significantly lower barrier to entry. But VR didn't offer much outside of that. Advances were made technologically with HTC pushing higher fidelity and Oculus introducing a standalone headset, but neither was intended to serve a wider gaming audience, at least for now.It bears repeating: VR gaming is still in its early stages and is still building for the future. As developers continue to push VR forward and new games come out, we'll get closer to seeing VR's full potential in games. 2018 wasn't the best showcase of that, but developers are still investing the time into VR platforms, and we're hoping that comes to light in 2019.The GoodThe Bad+ A few amazing PSVR games that made the most of the hardware capabilities- Overall lack in impactful games, especially for PC VR platforms+ Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is the big game VR needed- HTC's new hardware, while impressive, is far too expensive+ Advances in tech this year lay the groundwork for the future- Did we mention an overall lack of games?Info from Gamespot.com

It's difficult to talk about Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom without discussing Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap and its 2017 remake, because despite being produced by an entirely different development team, this game is, in fact, an official successor in the Wonder Boy series. But even though its history might be confusing, Monster Boy is a fantastic adventure in its own right, one that distinctly builds upon the best parts of Wonder Boy and adds some welcome modern conveniences for good measure.You play as Jin, a blue-haired young man who must stop his drunk uncle Nabu from inflicting curses upon the kingdom's inhabitants and transforming them into animals. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't really expand beyond that initial premise. With the exception of some moments of levity provided by the cast of interesting supporting characters, the story is uninspired and concludes on a final act that feels shoehorned. But where Monster Boy's narrative lacks in imagination, it more than makes up for it with its well-honed character transformation mechanic.Over the course of the game, Jin unlocks an arsenal of equipment and gains five animal transformations--pig, snake, frog, lion, and dragon--each of whom has their own unique abilities. Jin's human, frog, lion, and dragon forms are also able to equip a variety of weapons, shields, and armor, all of which can be upgraded. Equipping items unlocks new abilities--one type of boots allow you to walk on clouds, while another allows you to double jump, for instance. Quickly swapping between all these different forms to take advantage of their strengths adds a continually enjoyable layer of thought to the platforming experience, and its strengths are regularly showcased by Monster Boy's excellent puzzle design.You're eased into each new animal form and piece of equipment with some basic obstacles and enemies before being set loose to explore the titular Cursed Kingdom. Puzzles scattered throughout require some thought; on several occasions, you'll be forced to combine the use of several different powers and abilities in creative ways in order to progress forward or reach a treasure. It might be juggling two different animal forms, using particular equipment abilities, or taking advantage of environmental items, and when you eventually figure out how to get there, it always feels rewarding. Puzzles become increasingly complex, the variety of enemies becomes tougher, and the platforming sections feature additional obstacles that require more precise timing as you progress, but the growing challenges are balanced out well by a forgiving number of checkpoints, which help you keep motivated to give things another try.While the game is primarily linear, the Cursed Kingdom itself is enormous and features several different secret-filled areas (discovering everything will likely blow out your playtime to roughly 15-20 hours), and the variety of puzzles and charming locations that you find in far corners of the world are themselves an attractive incentive to reach. The experience is doubly rewarding when you unearth new paths while revisiting a previously-discovered area armed with a bigger arsenal of animal forms and skills, and Monster Boy even implements a teleportation mechanic to alleviate frustrations of excessive backtracking.Monster Boy also boasts a brilliant visual and audio presentation that makes the Wonder Boy aesthetic shine, featuring a meticulously detailed hand-drawn art style. Each character is beautifully realized with their own delightful animation--little details, like the pig's sheepish look as he farts after eating a power-up plant or the frog eyeballing some flies as part of his idle animation, adds volumes to Jin's characterization and the game's charm. Every area of the Cursed Kingdom is also visually distinct and beautifully animated, and a couple of superb anime-style sequences that bookend the game help give it a slick, cohesive feel. The game's strong soundtrack helps round out the package and features both original pieces influenced by Wonder Boy's soundtrack, combined with new, rock-influenced arrangements of Wonder Boy's most memorable tunes, making it a great collection of music both new and old.Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom not only pays faithful homage to Wonder Boy, particularly The Dragon's Trap, but by refining the solid foundations of its spiritual predecessors with modern affordances, it becomes a rich platforming adventure in its own right. With a well-realized world filled to the brim with secrets and excellent platforming mechanics that always keeps things interesting, the Cursed Kingdom is a place you will want to discover every corner of. Info from Gamespot.com

The newest Farming Simulator game got off to a strong start. Farming Simulator 19 sold more than 1 million combined physical and digital copies over its first 10 days, it was announced today. A press release points out that the success is particularly notable given that Farming Simulator 19's release date--November 20--came amid a busy season for blockbuster releases.1 million copies sold in 10 days represents a new franchise sales record, according the CEO of developer Giants Software, Christian Amman. "It's incredible to see the impact of the team's hard work. Farming Simulator 19 offers so many new opportunities and our players are thrilled about them. Never before has a Farming Simulator game reached the one million mark so quickly and we are proud and happy that so many players join us on this amazing journey."Publisher Focus Home Interactive COO John Bert added that the company is "extremely proud" of Giants Software, adding that the new sales milestone reflects the game's commitment to quality. Farming Simulator 19 boasts a "mostly positive" aggregate review score on Steam after more than 4,500 reviews.New for the 2019 edition of Farming Simulator was a "complete overhaul" of the game's graphics engine, which Giants Software says delivers the "most striking and immersive visuals and effects." The game also adds a major new license in John Deere, along with a number of new locations in America and Europe to create and expand a farm. The game also adds rideable horses for the first time.Farming Simulator 19 is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Info from Gamespot.com

The brand-new trailer for Avengers: Endgame was unsurprisingly very popular. The video, which was released on Friday morning, become the "most-viewed trailer in history." It picked up 289 million views in its first 24 hours across all channels.That is well ahead of Avengers: Infinity War's first trailer, which tallied 230 million views over its first day earlier this year. It's yet another success for Disney, which owns Marvel, as the media giant's new trailer Lion King picked up 224.6 million first-day views just recently.To the greatest fans in the world, thank you for being there from the beginning til the endgame and making Marvel Studios’ #AvengersEndgame the most viewed trailer in history with 289M views in 24 hours! pic.twitter.com/WqWRzENmI1 — The Avengers (@Avengers) December 8, 2018The new Avengers trailer came after what fans thought was a long wait, even though Disney/Marvel never said when the trailer might arrive. The new trailer confirmed the movie's name, Endgame, a title that makes a lot of sense given what is expected to happen after the dramatic, cliff-hanger ending of Infinity War.The Avengers: Endgame trailer also of course raises a lot of questions, like what happened to Captain America's beard, how much time has passed since Infinity War, how Scott Lang seemingly got out of the Quantum Realm, and more. Check out GameSpot's rundown of all the big questions here.More: Avengers 4: Endgame Trailer Breakdown: Everything We Learned About The 2019 Marvel MovieInfo from Gamespot.com

V1 Interactive, the studio founded by Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto, has revealed a first look at the team's new game. As posted on the developer's website, the image shows a city/settlement that has presumably seen better days.The image's caption says that the picture shows just a "glimpse into a small corner of the larger world we're building." More information about V1's untitled game will be revealed "soon," the developer said. "We've still got some miles to tread before we can pull the curtain all the way back, so stay tuned!"The image apparently contains some clues and mysteries. Someone zoomed in on a creature walking on the fallen structure on the right-hand side of the image, and Lehto--presumably joking--said this is the protagonist from the game.Whatever this game is, it will be published by Private Division, which is the newly established independent games label run by Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two. Private Division is also publishing The Outer Worlds, which is the intriguing-looking sci-fi RPG from the Microsoft-owned Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian, along with the super-ambitious PC and console game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey from Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Desilets.Another co-creator of the Halo universe, Alex Seropian, is working on a new game as well. Seropian's studio, Industrial Toys, was acquired by Electronic Arts, and CFO Blake Jorgensen said the project is "innovative." But it's probably not launching soon.What do you make of the first image from V1's new game? It's giving me some Destiny vibes. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Info from Gamespot.com

It's hard to deny that "Elseworlds" is going to mean big things for Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. It's a crossover event loaded with firsts, from a visit to Gotham City and the arrival of Batwoman (Ruby Rose), to a trip to Smallville and the introduction of Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch). One of the most exciting firsts, though, is the first meeting between Superman (Tyler Hoechlin), The Flash (Grant Gustin), and Green Arrow (Stephen Amell).As you can see in the clip below, which GameSpot and TV Guide are debuting exclusively, the iconic moment is also a bit confusing. Thanks to whatever is going on with "Elseworlds," Barry and Oliver have switched bodies, leaving the Green Arrow with speedster abilities and The Flash with a great talent for archery. Still, even with the identity crisis, this is a very cool moment.And, of course, it's also a little funny. Upon realizing they're in the presence of Superman, Oliver quicky puffs out his chest and is immediately called on it by Barry. Something tells us watching these two navigate whatever is happening to them is going to be very entertaining.What this clip doesn't show, however, is the superheroes in their costumes. As we've seen from the massive collection of photos released for the three-night event, though, there will be plenty of costumed action, including Amell suited up as The Flash and Gustin wearing Green Arrow's hood. Fans will also get to see Superman in a black suit for reasons that have yet to be revealed.Based on everything we've seen so far, "Elseworlds" looks like the biggest and craziest crossover yet. You're not going to want to miss this event. "Elseworlds" kicks off Sunday, December 9, and concludes on Tuesday, December 11, on The CW.Info from Gamespot.com

The reveal of Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds was a highlight of the The Game Awards 2018. The studio has built up a solid reputation over the years for crafting creative and engrossing narrative-heavy RPGs, and if nothing else, The Outer Worlds shows many signs of being directly inspired by recent entries in the Fallout series, one of which--New Vegas--was developed by Obsidian less than a decade ago. The Outer Worlds is also the brainchild of Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, two creatives with a storied history in PC gaming. Their most notable chapter by far? When they and a small band of collaborators created the original Fallout in the mid '90s. But after following up with Fallout 2, they've had to watch while Bethesda took the series in its own direction--despite being at Obsidian now, neither Cain nor Boyarsky were working there at the time of New Vegas' development.We recently published a deeper dive into The Outer Worlds that speaks to a behind-closed-doors demo, covering aspects of the game's story, character progression, and combat. In the interview below, we get into the mindset of the two co-directors. It's obvious from the start that they have Fallout on the brain, lending credence to the suspicion that The Outer Worlds bears some striking similarities.On the other hand, it also veers away from the grime and dirt of a post-apocalyptic Earth in favor a world with vitality. For as much as they are exploring ideas that likely, in some fashion, link back to their days making Fallout, Cain and Boyarsky are most excited about heading into uncharted territory.Continue reading to hear their thoughts on reuniting after years and games apart, and where they hope to take their audience when The Outer Worlds releases on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2019.What was the feeling in your gut leading up to this reveal?Tim Cain: We just really wanted to show it. We have all these things that are funny or cool, but we couldn't talk about it.Leonard Boyarsky: We are very happy with where it's at. We think it looks great, we think it plays great. It's what we wanted to make when we started it, but at the same time you never know how people are going to react. To be able to finally show it and see how people react is cathartic.I think I've seen you [Boyarsky] quoted online as saying this is a "dream project." What aspect of this, would you say, is the dream?Leonard BoyarskyBoyarsky: Oh, it's definitely working with Tim! [laughter] No, but it is though; that is exactly what I meant. I worked on a couple games before Fallout, and Tim worked on a couple games before Fallout, but that was pretty much our start of working on games that we have creative control over. We created Fallout from scratch, we basically had complete creative control and did whatever we wanted to--same thing with Arcanum. It had been a really long time since we created an IP from scratch. We're really good friends, we complement each other's strengths and weaknesses really well. Not many people are fortunate enough to find that kind of person to work with in their careers, and we were lucky that it was very early in our careers and we have this really great synergy when we get together and start doing this stuff.We've never really made a pure sci-fi game. Fallout was sci-fi, but it was more post-apocalyptic than sci-fi. So it was one of these things where we're really big fans of science fiction; I personally love fantasy, but I much prefer science fiction if I have to choose between them. So it was weird that we'd never gotten around to do one, and when this opportunity came up it was like, "Yes, I can work with Tim again and we can create an IP from scratch!" It was basically this laundry list of things that I thought...that the next game I wanted to work on would be if I could say "here's the stuff I want to do," and this was it.If you can really put yourself back in your own shoes in the '90s, compared to today, what aspect of your current responsibilities do you love, and what do you miss from those times that you worked in an attic, and…Boyarsky: Well for me I still love the things I loved then, creating a world from scratch, it's just the best part about this. I love creating unique worlds with a unique feel and a unique look. The thing I do have to say I miss is that when we made Fallout and Arcanum, it was a very small team. We got to do all the stuff we're doing now but we also got to do…Tim did programming, I did design, like a lot of art on Fallout. I was the lead artist and the art director, and I was also doing like havlf the animations in the game, modelling stuff, texture mapping. I didn't end up scripting on that one, but I scripted in Arcanum. Working on those small teams you end up having your hand in everything.For [The Outer Worlds] we are much more directors. It's our vision, but we have a lot of very talented and wonderful people that we're working with who have done things that, especially from an art standpoint, I don't know that I would have brought it in that direction, but in a good way. We pointed them in a direction and they ran in directions that we never could have anticipated. In a way that's very rewarding because you feel like you gave people a germ of an idea and they got to make it their own and it comes back to you and you see what people have done. But on the other hand, I'm not in there doing that every day. I'm making sure people are heading to the right destination and fulfilling our vision of the game. I've been able to do some writing, some hands-on art direction, but for the most part a lot of people are doing the actual nuts-and-bolts work that we used to do on a day-to-day basis.Tim CainCain: Plus, one thing, in the '90s you could do things no one had ever done before because everything was so young and it was a bit of a Wild West of an industry. Now every time you think of something and you look, it's like, "Oh, this game did it. This indie game did it five years ago." It's hard to think of something that is completely original.We managed to put some things in here that I've never seen done in a game. In that way, I kinda miss that…the sky was the limit back then. If you could think about it, you could do it.Boyarsky: Well a perfect example of that is, when we made Arcanum, I didn't even really know what steampunk was. Now there is like every kind of punk there is. When we started talking about this game and the setting we had to be very careful not to fall into this pre-defined thing that has been done before. That's very important to us. We didn't want people to look at it and know exactly what this is, because people didn't do that with Fallout because nobody had seen something like that before. Between now and then, there's been every kind of mish mash of different styles. I mean, hopefully people took inspiration for Fallout for some of that stuff.Cain: We didn't want to make Tolkien with machine guns. One thing I've done, every time I ship a game I write a postmortem, just for myself; it doesn't get published. I write a postmortem of everything I think went right and wrong, and I also keep notes whenever I have an idea. So I went through them for this game and found some ideas from a few years ago that I'd like to try out. And here's what I thought went wrong with Temple, or Vampire, or Fallout.I even write, I probably shouldn't, but every time I play a Fallout game I write a postmortem for it. I have a postmortem for Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and New Vegas, even though I didn't work on them. So I read through all those notes, to recall what I thought they did right and what I thought they did wrong. And that influenced a lot of what I'm doing with this game.How often, if ever, do industry trends or audience demands seep into your priorities?Boyarsky: A lot less than we probably should. [laughter] We've always been really interested in making the games that we don't think are out there. Maybe there's a good reason why some of them aren't out there.Cain: We always like to joke, "Let's just make the games we like, and hopefully people will play them." We have been trying to understand what people have been asking for. I know when we put our combat system together, it was really important that it be an RPG, but people really want…Boyarsky: Yeah but it's less of a thing where we go, "Look at what people are looking for." We really don't want people to be saying, "Wow, this is a great RPG, you know the combat is just okay, but the RPG stuff is great."One of our goals is that we want combat to be fun. Obviously our combat isn't going to be as good as Call of Duty because that's not what we are here to do. So, in that aspect when we set out to do something like that, well then what would people think is a fun combat system? What do people want from a combat system that they would consider fun? I think we've been in that mode for years, but I'm not sure that we've ever focused on those things as much as we have with this one.I think it's much more a matter of, I don't want to say age, but just the length of time doing this. Earlier on Tim was saying that when we set out to make this thing that's a conglomeration of '50s and Road Warrior and pulp sci-fi, that wasn't something that people had done before, or the aspect of it where it's very gray morality and you could play anyway you wanted to play. With those things, because as Tim said that was a time when it was the Wild West where nobody had done that stuff before, now we have to look at what hasn't been served. We don't want to just rehash old ground. That's how we look at what people might want or what needs to be done in other games. Sometimes it might even inform, I don't want to say negative, but it might reinforce the opposite.Like, a lot of games are going towards cinematic storytelling, but to do that you have to have a voiced protagonist. One of our main goals here, as with all of the games we made together, we want people to be able to play this game any way they want to play. We want the person who wants to play as the upstanding, righteous hero who would never do anything a little bit gray to have fun and role-play the way they want to, as much as the person who wants to play the psychopath that wants to kill everyone in their way. Both of those should be fun. But if we picked a voice for you or a character for you that was premade, then no matter how much we let you tweak it, it still feels like there's a part of it that wasn't decided by me. I think it's both things: What do we think is really cool that hasn't been done, but what are things that people are doing? Do we want to take that, or do we want to keep it more old-school because this is what we get from it?Info from Gamespot.com

Project Judge, the next game from Yakuza developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, has been given a new name for its Western release. Outside of Japan, the game will be called "Judgement" and it will be available in Summer of 2019. The new information was revealed during the Kinda Funny Games Showcase, where a trailer was also shown.Unlike previous trailers, this one featured English voices--which is a big change for the developer, given that the Yakuza series was subtitled, instead of dubbed. The trailer ended with confirmation that Greg Chun will voice main character Takayuki Yagami. Chun is a prolific voice actor for video games, having lent his talents to Overwatch, Neir: Automata, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, among other titles.Judgement made its debut during the PlayStation Lineup Tour event held earlier this year. It's a narrative driven experience in which players assume the role of an investigator getting to the bottom of murders and other crimes. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's chief creative officer Toshihiro Nagoshi previously described Judgement as "something completely different" from what it has done so far. He also said that it has been in development for around three years.Alongside the numerous Yakuza titles released over the last couple of years, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio also launched Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise, a game based on the beloved manga and anime property Hokuto No Ken. In his review, Matt Espineli awarded Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise an 8/10, saying it has a "melodramatic narrative that skillfully blends new and old storylines" and a "fantastic combat system captures the feeling of Kenshiro's fighting style.""Lost Paradise may replicate the Yakuza series' format, but it's filled with a passion for FotNS that makes it fantastic all on its own," he added. "While previous games based on the property have adapted its story and characters with some success, few have managed to not only nail the style and tone but redefine what's possible with its world and characters. RGG Studios has done a splendid job at evoking the justice-fueled power fantasy Kenshiro represents, succeeding in revealing more about the historic and beloved character in amusing and unexpected ways."Info from Gamespot.com

During 2018's San Diego Comic-Con, everyone was abuzz with James Gunn's next secret, non-Marvel project. However, details about it and a potential trailer were never revealed, after his Twitter scandal caused him to cancel his appearance at the yearly event. However, the first trailer was released today, and the story is essentially the same as Superman's, but with a horrific twist.The movie is titled Brightburn, and it's written by Brian and Mark Gunn, produced by James Gunn, and directed by David Yarovesky, who worked with Gunn on the video short Guardians of the Galaxy: Inferno. In the trailer--which you can see above--a wife (Elizabeth Banks) and husband (David Denman) were unsuccessful at having a child, but one night, a meteor hits near their farm, and they find a baby. This sounds familiar, right? That's because it's the story of the iconic DC superhero, Superman.However, from there, it takes a horrific twist. As this child--Brandon Breyer--grows older, into his teen years, something awakens in him, and it's more than just superpowers. He puts on a mask, has a cape, and starts tormenting and stalking people, using his powers--in a sense--for evil. It's an age-old tale we know that takes things in a really interesting direction.The first trailer is an unsettling mixture of the superhero tale with a supernatural slasher horror film. This unique take on the superhero genre has my attention, which is especially tough with movies like Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame being the talk of the town as of late. While comic book fans have seen Superman as the villain before, like in Red Son, I can't think of a story that's tapped into the potential horror of the character.Brightburn comes out on Monday, May 27, 2019. Seeing as it's a Monday release, we are unsure at this time if it will be a theatrical or streaming release. However, those in the UK and Ireland get to see it a few days earlier, when it opens at cinemas on May 24, 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

There's an inherent goofiness to Transformers that's impossible to avoid. We're talking about big robots from space that transform into Volkswagons and Camaros and fighter jets. Bumblebee doesn't shy away from that--it fully embraces the fun silliness. But that's not even the best part about this movie--that would be how it actually feels mostly like a 1980s Spielberg adventure movie, with notes of John Hughes sweetening the mix.Those influences aren't subtle--the E.T. vibe is real, especially when Hailee Steinfeld's character, Charlie Watson, first encounters Autobot B127 as a scared alien creature hiding in the corner of her garage. And there are multiple extremely literal Breakfast Club gags, including a throughline of Bumblebee mimicking Judd Nelson by throwing one fist triumphantly into the air, which the movie deploys in the most perfect ways. Bumblebee also has tons of fun with the music of the era--the Transformer starts the movie with a voice, on the distant planet Cybertron, before losing his vocal capabilities in combat. Charlie teaches him to use the radio to communicate, at the same time imparting her love of alternative '80s jams. Bumblebee doesn't care for Morrissey's crooning at first, but dang it if she won't instill in the robot an appreciation for The Smiths by the end.Bumblebee begins on Cybertron, where a big, somewhat messy action scene establishes that the Decepticons have rooted out the Autobot rebellion. You really don't need to know anything about Transformers to appreciate this--I'm sure there are some finer points for fans, but the important bit is that Optimus Prime sends Bumblebee to Earth to keep it safe and wait for the Autobots to regroup. On arrival, Bumblebee lands square on top of John Cena's Agent Burns, some kind of high-ranking, square-jawed military type who makes it his mission to neutralize the robot-Volkswagon threat. Also, this is apparently a full reboot of the Transformers movies--Bumblebee here arrives on Earth in the '80s, whereas I'm told Transformers: The Last Knight had him fighting Nazis during WWII (I haven't seen a Transformers movie since the original, so who knows?).There's actually quite a lot of opening action before getting to Steinfeld's Charlie, whose relationship with Bumblebee is the movie's actual heart, and what it wisely spends most of its time on. The CGI in the Transformers movies has always seemed impressive, and Bumblebee and the Decepticons who come chasing him seem real enough, their battles punctuated by impactful thuds and scrapes. But this movie's real trick is making Bumblebee--a large, yellow robot from space--unbelievably cute. After losing his voice and most of his memories, B127 is reduced essentially to the status of a very smart dog. He practically wags his tail at Charlie, although he can apparently understand everything she says. The movie mines a ton of comedy out of recurring bits like Bumblebee understanding the command "hide!" too literally, and trying to crouch behind cover instead of transforming back into a car like she wants him to.Charlie herself will be intensely relatable to many viewers, whether you're a parent who grew up in the '80s or a kid now. She learned how to work on cars from her dad, who's no longer around. She rebels in relatively harmless ways like walking around listening to The Smiths and wearing too much eyeliner--typical teenager stuff that her mom (Pamela Adlon) and stepdad (Stephen Schneider) patiently tolerate. She has a crappy job at Hot Dog on a Stick and a neighbor kid (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) with a crush on her, but all she really wants is to get the car she and her dad were working on up and running. As a character, she doesn't rely too much on tropes, and she's extremely easy to root for.Cena's Agent Burns isn't quite the villain, which is good, because Cena is too lovable to hate. The WWE Superstar seems to have a blast in this movie hamming it up, throwing exaggerated salutes and barking orders at his subordinates. Cena's proved more than once that his comedic timing is gold (hello, Blockers), and Bumblebee occasionally puts it to good use, including in one exchange where he correctly points out that they probably shouldn't trust the Decepticons because--duh--they literally call themselves "Decepticons." Speaking of which, the Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick have their own moments of dark humor, which often comes in the form of the latter begging the former to please just let him kill the humans already, or saying things like "I like how they pop!" after vaporizing a random bystander immediately after arriving on Earth. There's also a very funny bit where Shatter and Dropkick kind of accidentally invent the internet? It's great.Bumblebee hits a perfect tone with a great mix of action, humor, and heart. The soundtrack strikes all the right chords, the action is mostly clear and easy to follow even when two massive robots are rapidly grappling and transforming into various forms, and the characters are instantly relatable, without screenwriter Christina Hodson relying too much on cliches. The homages to Spielberg, Hughes, and other '80s filmmakers may not be subtle, but they are a lot of fun, and Bumblebee pays tribute in smart ways that don't feel out of place or forced. Bumblebee was only Travis Knight's second turn in the director's chair, his first being the also excellent Kubo and the Two Strings; clearly he's a director to watch going forward, and if Bumblebee is the new bar for Transformers movies, then the series is in for a bright future as well.The GoodThe BadGood mix of action, humor, and heartSome of the action gets messyFun homages to classic '80s directors like Spielberg and HughesRebooting the movies' continuity might annoy some fans?Bumblebee is actually cute Avoids many tropes and cliches Hailee Steinfeld is a great, relatable lead Info from Gamespot.com