Nintendo has revealed why it decided to name the latest game in the Mario Kart series Mario Kart World rather than Mario Kart 9.This was revealed in a lengthy new Ask the Developer interview with Mario Kart World's development team, which reveals a ton of details. In it, the team is directly asked why Mario Kart World was chosen as a title over Mario Kart 9, and producer Kosuke Yabuki gave a very understandable response."If the idea had just been to add more courses, then I think we would’ve called it Mario Kart 9," Yabuki explained. "But, that wasn't our approach this time. We wanted to take the series to the next level. So, we decided to drop the numbering this time and go with a completely new title, Mario Kart World. So, we'd already added "Mario Kart World" to the concept art from the early stages of development."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Pokemon Trading Card Game continues to grow, with Scarlet & Violet: Destined Rivals releasing on May 30. The expansion focuses on Team Rocket, and you’ll have over 240 new cards to collect. Preorders are just as hot as expected--in fact, some products are already going out of stock at select retailers. To help you navigate the chaos, we’ve pulled together all the best places to buy the Destined Rivals expansion. If one of your favorites is out of stock, consider checking in at a later date to see if inventory has been replenished.Note: GameStop has issued a purchase limit of 1 unit per SKU each. Sleeved boosters are limited to 5 per customer. This means you might have a better chance of finding the cards in stock at the retailer. Some other retailers are restricting purchases to only shoppers with an online account to dissuade resellers.Pokemon TCG Scarlet & Violet: Destined RivalsSee at AmazonSee at WalmartSee at Best BuySee at GameStop Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals Booster Bundle $60 | Releases May 30 This Booster Bundle includes 6 Destined Rivals booster packs, each containing 10 cards and 1 Basic Energy. Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Best Buy Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals Elite Trainer Box $50 | Releases May 30 The premium Elite Trainers Box includes:9 Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals booster packs1 full-art foil promo card (Team Rocket’s Wobbuffe)65 card sleeves45 Energy CardsPlayer’s Guide to the expansion6 damage-counter dice1 competition legal coin-flip die2 plastic condition markersCollector’s box + 4 dividersCode for Pokemon TCG Live Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Best Buy Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals Booster Box (36 Packs) $161 | Releases May 30 This booster box comes with 36 Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals booster packs. Like the other booster packs, each one gets you 10 cards and a Basic Energy. Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Best Buy Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals Build & Battle Box $85 | Releases May 30 Includes:Premade 40-card deck that’s ready to play right out of the boxA unique foil promo card4 Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals booster packs Preorder at Amazon Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals Blister Pack (random selection) $14 | Releases May 30 Each blister pack includes:A unique foil promo card.3 booster packs, each with 10 cards and a Basic Energy. There are multiple versions available featuring different promo cards, and which pack you get is selected at random. Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at GameStop Pokemon TCG: Destined Rivals Sleeved Booster $4.49 | Releases May 30 Each booster pack contains 10 cards and 1 Basic Energy. Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at GameStop Ultra Pro Pokemon TCG Pocket Portfolio Release May 30 Store your cards in style with these relatively affordable portfolios. One is large enough for 80 cards, the other 180. The 40-card portfolio features colorful artwork of Gold & Ho-oh on the front, Cynthia and Garchomp on the back. The 80-card portfolio features Team Rocket. Preorder 80-Card Portfolio Preorder 180-Card Portfolio More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders Highly Limited Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary 4K Blu-Ray In Stock At Amazon Lego Monkey Palace Board Game Is Over 50% Off At Amazon Right Now 8BitDo Reveals Leverless Arcade Controllers For PC, Switch, And Xbox + Show More More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders Links (5) Locke & Key Keyhouse Comic Compendium Gets Massive Limited-Time Discount Lego's Awesome New Mario Kart Display Set Is Available Now First Book In Joe Abercrombie's New Fantasy Series Is Finally Here Amazon Restocks Lego Transformers Optimus Prime, Offers Big Discount PSA: Lego Bowser's Muscle Car Is Retiring - Save Big On 3 Mario Sets Before They're Gone Info from Gamespot.com

After Mario Kart 8 Deluxe introduced The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing characters to the series, people were curious where Mario Kart World would turn next for new racers. It's highly doubtful anyone predicted Cow from Mario Kart 64's Moo Moo Farm course. But Nintendo has revealed how a drawing--seen below--of the character driving a truck was the impetus for including the bovine.In a new Ask the Developer interview, Mario Kart World art director Masaaki Ishikawa discussed the origins of Cow as a playable character. "Each new Mario Kart game features new characters to race with, but since we added so many to the previous game, we wondered where we could go from there," Ishikawa said. "And then one of the designers came up with that silly sketch of Cow cruising along, and I thought to myself, "This is it!" (Laughs) So that's when we realized the course surroundings actually contained a lot of untapped resources."This sketch of Cow driving a truck led to the character becoming playable in Mario Kart World, according to Nintendo.Ishikawa added that Cow's inclusion then led to "Cheep Cheep and Pokey as racers." Additionally, Mario Kart World producer Kosuke Yabuki noted Cow also inspired "obstacle characters like Camel and Giraffe." As such, "Cow is actually a pivotal character in the Mario Kart series (laughs)," Ishikawa said.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Donkey Kong recently received a redesign across Nintendo's games and merchandise, and in a new interview, Mario and Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto explained the logic behind updating the iconic Nintendo character.Speaking with IGN, Miyamoto said he still plays a role in managing and creating Nintendo's iconic characters. He said the team recently went back to the Rare-designed version of the character from Donkey Kong Country and reevaluated it."When we were talking about trying to create new versions, evolving Donkey Kong, we created the game called Jungle Beat," Miyamoto said. "We worked together with the team that made 3D Mario. With the technology that was available at the time, we were able to make Donkey Kong more expressive. And going back to the design that Rare came up with, we reevaluated; what can we do with the design to make it more expressive? And then when it comes to the movie, we decided to move forward with this new generation Donkey Kong design."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Xbox has announced Retro Classics, a new collection of classic games coming to all Xbox Game Pass membership tiers. Developed in collaboration with Antstream Arcade, this is a collection of over 60 Activision games from the '80s and '90s, and it includes titles like Pitfall, Commando, and Grand Prix. These cover a wide range of platforms, from the Atari 2600 to the PlayStation. The collection will also expand over time to over 100 titles, and will include several more games from Activision and Blizzard.While it's only Mechwarrior 2 that populates the PlayStation section--it was also available on Sega Saturn and PC--it's still interesting to see a PlayStation game highlighted on this app specifically, considering that it can be installed on Xbox Series X|S consoles.According to Xbox, this is the latest step in its game preservation and backwards compatibility efforts, and Retro Classics will be available across console, PC, and cloud-compatible devices. Additionally, Xbox Achievements can be earned from these games, and there are other challenges for these games that players can pursue through modes like community challenges, competitive leaderboards, high-score rankings and more.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Lilo & Stitch (2002): Ultimate Collector’s Edition on 4K Blu-ray $32 (was $41) See at Amazon See at Walmart (sold out) Disney's live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch releases in theaters this weekend. If you want to revisit the original animated version, you can finally watch the 2002 classic on 4K Blu-ray thanks to the newly launched Ultimate Collector's Edition. Lilo & Stitch's 4K Blu-ray edition hit stores on May 6 and has been going in and out of stock. At the moment, the 4K release is sold out at Walmart, but Amazon has copies for $32 (was $41). Depending on your location, you might eligible for free same- or next-day delivery with Amazon Prime. Lilo & Stitch (2002): Ultimate Collector’s Edition on 4K Blu-ray $32 (was $41) This version of Lilo & Stitch comes with 4K Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and digital copies of the original film. Along with all new art and collectible packaging, the 4K version of the film supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for enhanced image and audio clarity.Lilo & Stitch: Ultimate Collector's Edition Special FeaturesLilo & Stitch's UItimate Collector's Edition is packed with bonus features, but it's worth noting that the content listed below is found on the 1080p Blu-ray disc, not the new 4K remaster.Hula LessonAnimating the HulaAudio commentaryDisneyPedia: The Islands of AlohaTwo music videosBehind-the-music featuretteA Stitch in Time: Follow Stitch through the Disney yearsAs an alternative to the new 4K Blu-ray edition, there's a standard Blu-ray 2-movie collection for $16.48 (was $26) and DVD version for $7.50 (was $15). The collection comes with the original film and Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch. See at Amazon See at Walmart (sold out) For more stories starring Experiment 626, check out our roundup of Stitch manga and graphic novels. Stitch has been a mainstay in the Disney collectible scene for decades, and the live-action remake has naturally led to an assortment of new toys and licensed merch, including an adorable interactive Stitch plush. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Overwatch 2's latest update brings the most significant changes to the game's new Stadium mode yet, with tweaks to the mode's mercy rule, major item price adjustments, the introduction of Freja, and hero balance changes. It's all detailed in the patch notes, which can be found below.Stadium sports a "mercy rule," where if one team has a significant cash advantage and wins three rounds in a row, that team will immediately win. However, Blizzard notes that the need for a 15,000 cash disparity between teams to trigger the rule was making it so games weren't being ended early when they probably should have.In order to make the mercy rule more effective, Blizzard has lowered the cash disparity needed to trigger it down to a 10,000 cash difference. Blizzard said it will keep an eye on the change and will consider making additional mercy rule changes in the future.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The road for Mario Kart World has been a long one, as its developers have revealed the Nintendo Switch 2 launch title started development in 2017 as a Switch 1 game.Details about the history of Mario Kart World's development were just one detail of many to come from Nintendo's Ask a Developer interview series, where one of the game's producers, Kosuke Yabuki, said that prototyping for Mario Kart World began eight years ago in 2017 and that the decision to move the game to Switch 2 was "truly a ray of hope.""We were thinking about what to do for the next Mario Kart game even during the development of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and we began prototyping in March 2017," Yabuki said. "It was at the end of that year when we officially started work on it as a project."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are set to expand in a big way this week with the arrival of Season 4. In this post, we're running through everything that's announced so far including new weapons, more maps, and the arrival of Ballerina star Ana de Armas as a playable charatcer.Activision shared all the details in an extensive blog post.Table of Contents [hide]Season 4 release dateSeason 4 release dateSeason 4 for Black Ops 6 and Warzone will launch on May 29, and it should arrive that day around 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The long-in-development Street Fighter movie may have just landed some undisputed star power, as a former WWE champion and DC Comics hero have reportedly been cast for the film.According to Deadline, WWE superstar Roman Reigns, Jason Momoa (A Minecraft Movie), Andrew Koji (Bullet Train), and Noah Centino (Warfare) are currently in talks to star. If the actors are involved, then the Street Fighter movie will have recruited some big acting muscle. Mamoa previously appeared as Arthur Curry/Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe of live-action films and he'll be playing the legendary intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is scheduled to arrive in June 2026.Reigns is another well-known face on television, as he held the Undisputed WWE Championship for a staggering 1,316 days. The former champion also appeared on the big screen in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Meanwhile, Koji has appeared in multiple movies and TV shows over the years, flexing his martial arts skills in projects like Warrior. Representatives for the actors have declined to comment to Deadline on whether they are or are not involved in the project. As for Centino, he appeared in the gritty action film Warfare, which was directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

PowerA Pac-Man Special Edition Wireless Controller for Xbox and PC $75 (was $100) See at Amazon PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller - Pac-Man Neon Arcade (Switch) $48.74 (was $65) See at Amazon Amazon has a pair of great limited-time deals on the new limited-edition Pac-Man controllers by PowerA. Officially licensed by Bandai Namco and created for Pac-Man's 45th anniversary celebrations, both of the wireless controllers have pro-style features, cool designs, and dynamic lighting effects. Most notably, Xbox Series X|S and PC players can get the Pac-Man Special-Edition Wireless Controller for $75 (was $100). Customizable wireless Xbox controllers with as many features found here are rarely available for this low of a price, so this deal is definitely worth checking out.Nintendo Switch users can also save 25% on the Pac-Man Neon Arcade Wireless Controller with remappable back buttons and unique lighting effects.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Activision has confirmed the next crossover character coming to Call of Duty in Season 4, and it's none other than Ana de Armas' character from the upcoming John Wick movie, Ballerina.The Ballerina Tracer Pack lets players become Eve Macarro, the character de Armas plays in Ballerina. The bundle comes with two operator skins, the first of which, "Eve Macarro," shows Eve in a red sequin dress. The second, "Ruska Rogue," depicts Eve in a black fit. The bundle also includes three weapons, including the "Releve" AK-74, the "Plie" Saug SMG, and the "Arabesque" 9MM pistol.Ballerina comes to Call of Duty.What's more, the DLC includes a "Dance With Death" finishing move, as well as the "Pirouette" emote, the "Keepsake" weapon charm, the "Caged Grace" emblem, the "Pas de Duex" calling card, and the "Take a Bow" loading screen.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

In 2022, Sony unveiled its PlayStation Stars rewards program, which gave dedicated players a chance to earn digital collectibles. Now, less than three years later, Sony has announced that it will be ending the PlayStation Stars program in the near future.Sony praised PlayStation Stars for fostering "a deeper connection with fans around the world." However, the video game company went on to say that after evaluating PlayStation Stars, it decided to bring it to a close. As of today, PlayStation Stars is no longer accepting new members. Existing members who close their membership also won't be able to re-join.The end of the program won't come all at once. Members are still able to level up their PlayStation Stars status and earn more digital collectibles through July 23 at 7:59 AM PT / 10:59 AM ET / 3:59 PM BST. No additional rewards or campaigns will be available after that time. Players will still be able redeem their PlayStation Stars rewards until November 2, 2026. Sony also assured players that they will still be able to access their digital collectibles, "even after these changes take place."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition (Nintendo Switch) $50 (was $75) See at Amazon See at GameStop See at Walmart (sold out) See at Target (sold out) See at Best Buy (sold out) Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition (PlayStation) $50 (was $75) See at Amazon See at Walmart Final Fantasy fans might be running out of time to add the the Pixel Remaster Collection to their Nintendo Switch or PS4 libraries. The Nintendo Switch version of Final Fantasy I-VI Anniversary Collection, in particular, is becoming increasingly scarce. Multiple retailers are have been sold out for weeks, but you can still snag a copy at Amazon or GameStop. Amazon just dropped the price back down to $50 (was $75). Recently, the Switch edition had been listed for close to full price. The PS4 physical edition is also up for grabs for $50 at multiple retailers, though we've seen this deal more often than the Switch offer.Released last October for Switch and PlayStation, the Anniversary Edition comes with a sticker sheet of Final Fantasy character sprites. It's worth emphasizing that this is a true physical release, with all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters on the Switch cartridge or PS4 disc (fully compatible with PS5). Square Enix initially released the physical in 2023, but the small print run sold out extremely fast. Last fall's re-release brought the collection to major retailers for the first time as the Anniversary Edition.RPG fans can take advantage of several other deals on Square Enix role-playing games for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox at Amazon this week, including last year's Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. For a modernized overhaul of a Square Enix classic, check out Romancing SaGa 2, which is discounted to an all-time low price of $30.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Jet Li Collection (4K Blu-ray) $107 (was $130) | Releases July 29 Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart If there was a Mount Rushmore of action stars, you can bet that Jet Li's face would be on it. A legend of Hong Kong's golden age of filmmaking and the star of several cult-classic Hollywood movies, Jet Li's movies are as enjoyable today as they were over 30 years ago. Five of the best Jet Li movies are being collected in a new 4K Blu-ray box set. Preorders for The Jet Li Collection opened in April, and now Amazon and Walmart are offering a nice discount that drops the price to $107 (was $130).If you already preordered a copy at full price, the new discount will automatically be applied to your order when Amazon or Walmart charges your payment method. Both retailers wait until preorders ship to charge, so if the price drops even lower before The Jet Li Collection's July 29 release, you'll be eligible for additional discounts thanks to the preorder price guarantee. The Jet Li Collection (4K Blu-ray) $107 (was $130) | Releases July 29 This collection is part of Shout Factory's new Hong Kong Cinema Classics line, and inside, you'll find the following movies on 4K Blu-ray and 1080p Blu-ray.Fist of LegendTai Chi MasterFong Sai Yuk AKA The LegendFong Sai Yuk 2 AKA The Legend 2The Bodyguard from BeijingEach movie is a new 4K restoration from the original film negatives, and they all come with brand-new extras. Not every movie here offers a massive number of bonus materials, but there's still a lot to dive into overall. You can check out all of the special features at the end of this story. Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart These movies are essentially a highlight reel of Li's career during the '90s, with three of them being filmed in 1993 alone. Earlier films like Once Upon a Time in China and Swordsman 2 helped turn him into a rising star thanks to his talent and well-choreographed fight scenes, and the Fong Sai Yuk movies--known as The Legend and The Legend 2 in the US--alongside Tai Chi Master showcased more of his graceful ability to smash faces. Fast-forward to 1994, and Li's work on The Bodyguard from Beijing and Fist of Legend were two more instant classics that garnered international praise.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com