Items tagged with Nintendo
Month after month since its launch in March of 2020, Nintendo has released new content for Animal Crossing: New Horizons like clockwork. The smash hit feels like a living, breathing organism all to itself because it seems like every time we look, there's a content update just around the corner. ACNH features special events for about every Western and Japanese holiday, along with tons of of other dates in many regions and loads of seasonal content, so there's always something new to do. That's what makes the latest announcement so bittersweet—the next big update to version 2.0, along with the Happy Home Paradise expansion DLC, will be the final update for my personal favorite game for the...
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Update, 10/13/21: After the quoted pre-order delivery date came and went without actual delivery of the Switch OLED, my order status changed from "Placed" to "Delayed," where it remains at the time of this article update. However, I have some potentially good (nay, great) news to share. I spoke on the phone with a representative from Walmart, who said there were some initial logistic issues (not uncommon during the pandemic), but that those have been sorted out. I'm told Switch OLED pre-orders have already begun shipping. Furthermore, the rep told me orders will go out by end of today for everyone who pre-ordered the console (a point I wanted to clarify, as I wasn't just inquiring about my own...
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Handheld gaming consoles are hot commodities, as we have seen with Valve's Steam Deck and Nintendo's recently-released Switch OLED. Getting your hands on the former is a matter of placing a reservation, and then waiting until sometime next year. As for the Switch OLED, it's out now, but it will take some work and perhaps lucky timing to procure one. We're here to help. As much as we can, anyway. It seems everything is in short supply these days, and apparently even securing a pre-order months ahead of time doesn't guarantee you will receive what you bought at the promised delivery date. That's the situation facing many people who pre-ordered a Switch OLED from Walmart back in July, myself included—others...
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Monster Hunter’s hopes of cross-play and cross-save being implemented on PC once Monster Hunter Rise and its forthcoming expansion Hunter Rise launch on Steam have been shattered. This is not good news for players who were wanting to transfer their progress over from the Nintendo Switch. Monster Hunter Rise launched earlier this year as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. The game is quite time-intensive, requiring players to grind many hours for gear to fight all those monsters. Players were hoping they would be able to experience higher framerates, along with 4K and ultra-wide monitor support once the game launched on PC, without losing all their progress. But a Monster Hunter tweet dampened...
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In a story that could have been ripped right out of a Grand Theft Auto (GTA) game, brazen car thieves in Yorkshire, England were caught using a device disguised as a...wait for it...Game Boy to steal vehicles. The gadget was used to bypass the car’s security systems and to crank the engine. The three men stole five Mitsubishi Outlanders valued at around combined $250,000 with the faux Game Boy, according to BBC. West Yorkshire Police said that the device was worth approximately $27,000 and could unlock and start a car "in a matter of seconds." No word on whether it can play games too (like GTA). All three men were arrested after one of the Outlanders was stolen from a driveway in Scholes....
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When it comes to games and who makes the biggest profit, one may not consider Apple being at the top of the list. But according to figures released as part of Apple’s recent antitrust trial, Apple made quite an operating profit from games in 2019. In fact, Apple made a massive $8.5 billion in profit from games in 2019. The fact that Apple does not make any of its own games makes this an astounding number. That was more than Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony and Activision Blizzard combined. This figure comes from the fact that Apple takes a 30% cut from all digital purchases made via its App Store. It is worth noting that Apple said during the trial that the total was incorrect and too high. To...
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In a recent Twitter post, Nintendo sought to make one thing abundantly clear to investors and the public large—it has no current plans to launch a Switch console beyond the upcoming Switch OLED refresh, and that definitely includes an oft-rumored 4K model with upgraded hardware. It is just not in the cards, if Nintendo is to be believed. For the most part, the Switch is the same console now as it was when it first launched in 2017, when we reviewed the original Switch. There have been some minor alterations since then, including a refresh in 2019 that improved battery life, and a Switch Lite that is smaller and lighter (without detachable controllers). But most of the core hardware...
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Would you like to be able to play classic Nintendo 64 games on your Nintendo Switch? This may be possible sooner than you think. Insiders claim that Nintendo 64 games will soon be available through a higher-priced Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Insider “NateDrake” claims that Nintendo 64 games will be added to Switch Online. This rumor is also separately supported by Eurogamer. Both claim that these games will only be available through a more expensive subscription. NateDrake remarked, “I'd come in at $30 a year, $35 would be the ceiling, any more than that I think Nintendo would be really pushing things.” A current Nintendo Switch Online subscription costs...
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It's only been out a bazillion years (small exaggeration), but Nintendo has finally got around to implementing Bluetooth audio support on its Switch consoles, a feature that has been absent since the original model launched back in 2017 (hard to believe it's been almost half a decade already!). The ability to pair Bluetooth audio devices arrives by way of the latest system update. The Switch has always featured Bluetooth capabilities, but up to now was only used to connect the Joy-Con controllers. Pairing a set of Bluetooth earbuds or headphones has been frustratingly unavailable, at least natively—manufacturers have offered Bluetooth adapters for those who wanted to wirelessly pair a headset,...
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Late last week, a credible rumor out of France alleged that the Nintendo Switch was in for a significant price cut in Europe. The tweet from Nintend'Alerts alleged that the Switch would fall to as low as €270 in France. Well, we're here to say that the initial reporting was correct, and an official price cut is now effective across Europe. The price in Europe has fallen from €329.99 to €299.99. However, Amazon France currently lists the console for €251.09. In the United Kingdom, the official price of the Switch dropped from £279.99 to £259.99, although retailer pricing is trending a bit lower. "More than four and a half years after its first release, Nintendo...
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The $299 Nintendo Switch has been on the market for well over four years, and during that time, it hasn't received an official price cut. However, to Nintendo's credit, it launched the Switch Lite in July 2019 as a lower-cost alternative at just $199. However, a new report suggests that the standard Switch could be in for a price cut ahead of the launch of the Switch OLED. The Switch OLED features a slightly larger display (7 inches versus 6.2 inches), OLED display technology (of course), and a more robust kickstand. The console's other specs remain the same except for a somewhat heavier chassis and a revised dock. The Switch OLED costs $349, just $50 more than the standard model. Nintend'Alerts,...
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The original Nintendo Game Boy and its follow-up Game Boy Color weren't the first portable video games. However, they were incredibly successful and spawned many successful franchises, like Pokemon and Super Mario Land. For millions of Gen X and Millennial gamers, it was their first exposure to the wonders of video games. Soon, if rumors pan out to be true, many of those titles will make their way to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. The total number of titles hasn't been confirmed yet, but if it's anything like the NES and Super NES collections, the number of available games will grow over time. The NES collection launched in September of 2018 with just 20 games, but that number has...
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It is often said that records are meant to be broken, but holy cow, we did not expect retro video game collectors to run with the concept the way they have been over the past several weeks. For the third time in less than a month, a collector has paid a record amount for a video game cartridge, this time plunking down a staggering $2 million for an unopened copy of Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Super Mario Bros. came out for the NES back in 1985 and was an instant hit. Now almost four decades later, the game still holds up as a fun platform title. It has also spawned multiple re-releases on various hardware, most recently Nintendo's revived Game & Watch handheld....
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If there is a knock to be had against the Nintendo Switch, it is that reports of drift issues affecting the Joy-Con controllers have been a persistent problem. We have even experienced this ourselves, prompting us to send them off for replacement. The web is home to multiple remedies you can try if you are having drift issues as well, one of which includes an incredibly simple mod. Like, really, really simple. This has been a bit of a sensitive and frustrating issue for those affected. Back in 2019, a report surfaced suggesting Nintendo had sent a memo to customer service agents instructing them to fix any Joy-Con controllers with drift issues, free of charge. Part of the memo is said to have...
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When an extremely copy of The Legend of Zelda fetched a whopping $870,000 at auction last week, it set a record for the highest price every paid for a video game. This led us to wonder what would eventually dethrone it, and we did not have to wait long for an answer—a near-immaculate copy of Super Mario 64 just sold at auction for $1.56 million. For any old school basketball fans out there, we're reminded of the time Kevin McHale set a scoring record for the Boston Celtics when he dropped 56 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons, way back in 1985. Not to be outdone, Larry Bird reclaimed the record just nine days later, when he went on a scoring barrage against the Atlanta Hawks,...
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In just under three months from now, the upgraded Nintendo Switch OLED will release to retail for $349, and though some people have been disappointed that it is not a bigger hardware refresh, we have little doubt it will be one of the hottest tech items around when it arrives. Your best chance at grabbing one is to secure a preorder. If that is your plan, you might be able to place one as early as this week in the US. Here's the thing—Nintendo so far has only said the Switch OLED will release on October 8, 2021, but did not say when preorders will actually go live. There were reports that some retailers in the UK had opened up preorders for the upcoming game console, but as of this writing,...
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The winning bid for what is believed to be the earliest sealed copy of The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) checked in at $870,000. Not too shabby for a cartridge that sold for $39.99 back in 1987. Even if accounting for inflation ($39.99 in 1987 is equivalent to around $95 today), that's a massive haul. It is also the biggest haul ever for a video game, a distinction that previously belonged to a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. that fetched $660,000 at auction just a few months ago. What is it exactly that makes these games of yesteryear so valuable today? It is a combination of factors, like still being sealed and in mint condition. What truly sets them apart, however,...
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The many rumors about Nintendo's updated Switch with an OLED display that pelted us over the past few months were accurate, but the timing of the announcement was a bit off. The company surprised us all this morning by announcing the new OLED model without any fanfare. As expected, the new display panel measures 7 inches diagonally versus 6.2 inches for the original Switch. While earlier rumors had indicated that the new Switch would support up to 4K resolutions, Nintendo brings us back down to earth by confirming that it only supports up to 1080p when docked. So, unfortunately, the hopes of gaming with the Nintendo Switch at 4K resolution with NVIDIA DLSS have gone up in smoke. Given that...
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It can be tough to play games with friends if they are spread across various competing platforms, but this is a problem of the past, thanks to cross-play functionality. Now, Overwatch is adding the feature so you can game on with friends across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo networks. Earlier today, the Overwatch Twitter account announced that cross-play has finally arrived around the globe. All players must create a Battle.net account and link their console accounts to start cross-playing to gain access to this. In celebrating this feature, anyone who logs into Overwatch before the end of 2021 will receive a promotional Golden Loot Box to pick up at least a legendary skin. Cross-Play has...
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Today was Nintendo's E3 event, and much was covered in the 1+ hour Nintendo Direct show. Now that everything has wrapped up let us look at some of the big game announcements below… Life Is Strange If you are a fan of the Life Is Strange series, Nintendo's E3 event held several announcements that should have you excited. First out of the gate is the Life Is Strange Remastered Collection that will be arriving in Q4 2021. It will bring both Life Is Strange Remastered and Life Is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered with better visuals and animations to "breathe new life into the great cast of characters and gripping stories." Also, a "bold new era of the award-winning Life is Strange begins"...
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We've heard plenty of rumors about the alleged Nintendo Switch Pro in the past few weeks, with the most recent information suggesting the console could be revealed in the days leading up Nintendo Direct event at E3 2021. Today, we're getting a bit of insight into what SoC could be inside the Switch Pro to give it the power necessary to tackle more graphically intense games with NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) enabled. According to reliable NVIDIA leaker Kopite, the SoC for the Switch Pro carries the internal designation T239. For reference, the Tegra X1 SoCs found in the original and refreshed Switch consoles are referred to as T210 and T214, respectively. This is a preliminary picture...
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Back in 2006 when Nintendo first launched the Wii, there were three games worth playing: Wii Sports, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (also on the GameCube), and Rayman Raving Rabbids. Ubisoft's title was the first third-party attempt at motion controls and was a blast in multi-player. The series featuring weird rabbit-like creatures and mini-games has persisted over the last fifteen years, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle on the Nintendo Switch was a big leap forward, featuring a crossover with Nintendo's most famous franchise and revamped, meatier gameplay. It's no surprise that a sequel is in the works. What is a surprise, is that Nintendo set a Mario + Rabbids 2: Sparks...
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