Games

Over the past few years, Nintendo has been gradually adding Nintendo 64 games to the Expansion Pack level of its Switch Online service, making many of the console’s most popular titles available to subscribers. Games like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time have been included for a while, and more recently, classics like GoldenEye 007 were added. While the Switch Online Expansion Pack offers a great selection of N64 games, there are still many more that haven’t been released yet.

As in previous years, the Xbox One continued to thrive thanks to support from major game publishers. Some titles launched first on Xbox One, and others were also available on PlayStation 4. Whether exclusive to Xbox One or not, these are all fantastic games that will be celebrating their tenth anniversary in 2026.

Embark Studios has launched a big new update for ARC Raiders called Cold Snap, just in time for the holidays. The update includes lots of new cosmetic items, events, and gameplay improvements. A key feature is the Cold Snap Map Modifier, which blankets the game world in snow, reducing visibility and adding slippery ice. Players will need to be careful, as prolonged exposure to the cold can be dangerous. However, the modifier also increases the value of loot. The update also brings the Flickering Flames event, along with various quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes.

The One Piece anime is currently adapting the Egghead arc, and the animation quality has been remarkably good considering the challenges. While the pacing hasn’t always been perfect, the anime has consistently delivered high-quality episodes over the past few months. Most episodes have been better than average, and several are even being called some of the best of the year.

After the huge success of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios faces high expectations with their next project, Divinity. Fans who have followed the studio and the classic RPG genre will know Divinity, with the last installment being Divinity: Original Sin 2 in 2017. Interestingly, the announcement of Baldur’s Gate 3 actually led many players to revisit Divinity: Original Sin and its sequel. Larian has always been known for turn-based combat, and Baldur’s Gate 3 felt like a culmination of that expertise. However, with the new Divinity title suggesting a fresh start, some wondered if Larian might explore real-time RPGs. But it appears they’re sticking with turn-based gameplay for now.

Balloon Boy codes are a quick way to get free rewards in the game. Instead of spending a lot of time earning money or power-ups, you can simply enter a code to instantly get extra cash or special items. These rewards help you progress through difficult levels more easily and enjoy the game even more without having to wait.

Earlier this year, Microsoft took away the ability to remotely play games on the Xbox mobile app, leaving many users feeling it wasn’t very useful. However, a recent update has changed that! The app now includes a long-awaited feature that fans have been asking for, giving people a good reason to download it again.

Megagon Industries, a studio based in Berlin, created Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, a follow-up to their 2019 mountain biking game, Lonely Mountains: Downhill. This new game keeps the same overhead camera angle as the original, but instead of biking, you now ski! The environments have also changed to reflect the winter season, with snow and ice replacing dirt and sand. It was first released on January 21st for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and became available on Xbox Game Pass at the same time.

I had a lot of fun playing many great games recently, and they kept me entertained for hours. The list includes a wide variety of genres, like fast-paced action, classic platformers, challenging rogue-likes, immersive RPGs, and plenty of other types of games.