Man, can you believe Summer Game Fest is turning six this year? It feels like yesterday it started up during the pandemic. Everything was shut down, and we were all stuck inside, so it was awesome to have a big digital showcase to keep us gamers hyped. They’ve tweaked when it happens each year, but honestly, it’s become one of the most exciting times of the year for me as a gamer – always a ton of cool announcements and trailers!
The original Pokemon Red and Green games debuted in Japan on February 27, 1996, kicking off a global craze that reached international audiences in 1998. Almost ten years later, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen arrived as the first updated versions of the classic games, released for the Game Boy Advance. As Pokemon approaches its 30th anniversary in 2026, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are getting new versions for the Nintendo Switch, available separately from the Nintendo Switch Online service. The Pokemon Company explained that these relaunches for the Switch are meant to be a fun celebration for fans, despite some initial surprise.
Xbox hasn’t sold as many Series consoles as hoped, and at the same time, many games that used to be exclusive to Xbox are now available on other platforms, like PlayStation. Even major franchises like Gears of War, Halo, and Forza are making the switch. This is more than just competition between console brands; by releasing its own games on other platforms, Xbox is reducing the reason to buy an Xbox console in the first place. It seems Xbox is not only losing exclusive titles, but also seeing fewer games being developed for the platform overall, suggesting the brand may be losing its importance. We’ve already seen several examples of this trend this year.
If you’re looking for games like Nintendo’s but want to spend less, there are plenty of great choices! Many are portable, but they all share that fun feeling of collecting a team of unique creatures and battling with them – either against friends or computer opponents – with the goal of winning.
Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 features more than 10 main puzzles, along with several simpler, smaller puzzles throughout each level. This guide lists the puzzles in the order you’ll encounter them, helping you keep track as you progress towards the chapter’s ending.
As a LEGO and Animal Crossing fan, I have to say this little polybag is a surprisingly big deal! Tom Nook has been notoriously hard to get your hands on – he only appeared in one set previously! This set changes that, and for just five bucks! You get Nook, a cute little green base with flowers, and a present hanging from a balloon – it perfectly captures that iconic floating present mechanic from the game. Honestly, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to finally add Tom Nook to your LEGO collection, and I’m thrilled about it.
And that’s not even considering games that ended after only one installment. Many first-person shooter fans would be thrilled to see sequels like Condemned 3, Titanfall 3, or Crysis 4, but we’re not focusing on those cases here – at least those games had a sequel. Instead, let’s look back at some truly great FPS games that, for various reasons, never received a follow-up.
For decades, fans have loved the Super Mario Bros. series, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the newest installment. It’s been highly praised for its bright, colorful graphics, especially when using Wonder Flowers, and players have enjoyed the new power-ups. While some are eagerly awaiting the Bellabel Park content planned for the Switch 2 Edition, others are discovering Super Mario Bros. Wonder on PC, bringing a retro feel to this popular game.
These hidden bosses can be tricky to find, as the game doesn’t show their locations on the map. Even when you locate them, reaching them can be challenging. This guide details the locations of all secret bosses in Nioh 3.
The upcoming Super Mario movie clearly takes inspiration from Super Mario Galaxy, so it makes sense that Rosalina is a major new character. Brie Larson, an Academy Award winner, will voice her. Bowser Jr. will also appear for the first time in a Mario movie, playing a key villain, and will be voiced by Benny Safdie. Recent leaks suggest Bowser Jr. will surprisingly team up with another character in the film.