Games We Want On Switch 2, Hands-On With Assassin's Creed Shadows, And More Of The Week's Takes
There was no shortage of things for us to have opinions on this week. First, we shared our picks for the games we most want to see make their way to the Nintendo Switch 2. We also shared our impressions of Assassin's Creed Shadows after some recent hands-on time with the game, and look ahead to what seems to be a pretty promising year for Xbox Game Pass. Read on for these takes and more.
The original Switch was a trailblazing device that proved you could take console-quality games on the go, but it was demonstrably less powerful than its PlayStation and Xbox competitors. In the years since the Switch was released, that gap has only grown with the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. We still don't have official specs for the Switch 2, but it will likely be a decent leap forward for Nintendo's line of handheld/console hybrids. As such, it wouldn't be too surprising to see some older games make their way to the device that couldn't feasibly run on the original, so we got to thinking about some big games that we'd like to see ported to the Switch 2. Here are a few of our ideas. - Kenneth Shepard Read More
There is a reasonable chance you have not heard of Jonathan Nash. However, the games journalist and comedy writer has been such an inspiration for a generation of games critics, and the generation inspired by them, that his influence has almost certainly reached you. J Nash was extraordinary, and I'm very sorry to report he has died. I also can't wait to tell you why you will want to read everything he ever wrote. - John Walker Read More
Earlier this month, I got to try out Assassin's Creed Shadows via a livestreamed four-hour preview. Just a week before that preview, Ubisoft had announced that the next main entry in the open-world franchise about sneaky assassins and evil Templars had been delayed. Again. - Zack Zwiezen Read More
Nintendo made an interesting decision with Mario Kart 8. They chose to make it so good, and so comprehensive, that it removed the need to make any more. It has now been over ten years since Mario Kart 8 first released, more than double the length that's ever come between an entry in the series before. Honestly, they could re-re-release 8 for the Switch 2, and it'd still sell millions. Given this, here's an idea: why not do something dramatically different with Mario Kart 9? - John Walker Read More
Here's an interesting question: If the subject of a really good remaster is a bad game, does that mean the remaster is also bad, or just a good way to experience the original flawed product? That's the question I've been pondering since playing Star Wars: Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles. - Zack Zwiezen Read More
As we've extensively covered, Pokémon TCG Pocket is a lovely mobile card game version of the 30-year-0ld trading card game, but also a wide-open doorway to gambling mechanics. It's shocking to realize, early on in your time with the game, that it lets you pour as much as 720 Poké Gold a day into opening new packs, meaning it only cuts players off at roughly $105. Per day. Which is how much one Japanese player has been spending as he celebrates acquiring his 50,000th card. - John Walker Read More
While Xbox Game Pass rarely goes a month without getting at least something new that's worth checking out, it's certainly had its dry spells in recent years. The back half of January, however, has quietly revealed a surprising number of cool new games hitting the Netflix-like subscription service, and with several more day-and-date releases announced during Thursday's Xbox Developer Direct, 2025 is looking like it might be one of the service's best years yet. - Ethan Gach Read More
One of the biggest developments in gaming isn't just the growing number of games to play, with thousands more being released every year, but how sticky the biggest blockbusters are, monopolizing players' money and attention long after they've come out. And not just live-service multiplayer games either. New sales data shows how over a third of 2024's best selling games, like Elden Ring, came out years ago. - Ethan Gach Read More
Phantom Blade Zero was first revealed back at Sony's 2023 gaming showcase. At the time, the Chinese-made PlayStation 5 exclusive looked like another project heavily inspired by FromSoftware's Soulsborne games. But playable demos last year revealed it's much closer to a Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry-style action game. A new six-minute trailer shows exactly why, and gives the vibe that Phantom Blade 0 could be the next Black Myth: Wukong. - Ethan Gach Read More
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USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
Gamers complain after receiving damaged Nintendo Switch 2 consoles from NY GameStop
Gamers complain after receiving damaged Nintendo Switch 2 consoles from NY GameStop A GameStop spokesperson told USA TODAY the damages were isolated to a single store in Staten Island, New York. Show Caption Hide Caption Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here with a new Mario Kart game The new Nintendo Switch is now available. It retails for $449.99, and is expected to sell out fast due to heavy pre-order volume and low retail stock. Some fans who got their hands on the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 had their excitement deflated as multiple customers complained that their new console came out of the box damaged. Reports of this issue were shared across X and Reddit, mainly from consumers who said they bought the device from a GameStop in New York that had stapled receipts to the Nintendo Switch 2 packages and subsequently punctured the console screens. 'GameStop stapled the receipt for me and my friends Switch 2s to the box,' wrote X user Oadhan Lynch, sharing a series of pictures of the device after it had been opened. 'Genuinely insane now I'm gonna have to wait 3 months for the restock. And yes we were there for the midnight release so I bet everyone in this line is gonna have this same issue.' A GameStop spokesperson told USA TODAY: "These occurrences were isolated to a single store in Staten Island, NY. The affected customers − who represented a very small fraction − were swiftly given replacements." Lynch wrote in an updated X post on Thursday, June 5, that GameStop had "made things right" by providing replacements to those around New York and New Jersey who bought the damaged Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. Nintendo working to ensure retailers have 'ample supply' of Switch 2 The Nintendo Switch 2 was released on Thursday, June 5, for $449.99, with bundles including the new "Mario Kart World" also available for $499. Fans waited in long lines across the country for a chance to buy the console, which is the successor of the uberly popular original Switch, the second-highest selling device in Nintendo's history, selling more than 152 million units, CNBC reported. The high demand for the console did lead to a shortage that Nintendo says should be temporary, according to CNBC. 'We've been working really closely with our retail partners to ensure there's ample supply for not only the launch weekend, but well beyond,' Nintendo President and COO Doug Bowser told CNBC at the midnight launch party for the product at Nintendo's store in New York's Rockefeller Center. Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@
The Verge
28 minutes ago
- The Verge
Fortnite feels like a new game on the Switch 2
While you could play Fortnite on the original Nintendo Switch, it was a less than ideal situation that made the game feel more like a rough around the edges tech demo than a polished piece of software. Because of the Switch's hardware limitations, Fortnite could only run at 30 frames per second max, which could make it tricky to pull off well-timed shots. Character models were often so simplified that they barely looked like their counterparts on other consoles. And a combination of dropped frames, simpler textures, and overall lower resolution gave the island a choppy, muddy aesthetic quality that was tolerable, but far from beautiful. Though it was constantly being patched, Fortnite felt dated on the original Switch in a way that made it hard to justify Battle Passes or get excited about new design changes to the island. But, similar to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Fortnite 's Switch 2 update revitalizes the game by addressing almost every one of its core issues and highlighting all of the new bells and whistles Epic has been developing for it. Even in the Fortnite 's main menu where all of the game's various modes, shops, and inventory screens are displayed, there was a sluggishness to how things moved that could be attributed to the OG Switch's hardware. 30 fps was fine for choosing which skins you wanted to wear and selecting colorways for your weapons. But if you tried scrolling through your inventory of characters too quickly, you could see (and hear as the fan kicked on) the console struggling to keep up. Like the new eShop, there's a fluidity to Fortnite 's menu navigation on the Switch 2 that immediately makes the game feel more modern and like a platform designed to keep you poking around making adjustments to your avatar because it's fun. On the original Switch, it was common to see Fortnite characters whose in-game models looked very different than the rendered icons displayed in your locker due to a lack of proper lighting and things like clothing physics. Because of Fortnite 's toy-like aesthetic and the fact that you're not meant to be staring at your character head-on while playing, Epic could get away with simpler models on the first Switch. But on the Switch 2, you can see how much work the studio's designers have put into making its version of Poe Dameron look like Oscar Isaac, and Lewis Hamilton's braids actually move like pieces of hair that have weight to them. Before I was usually only able to check out the lobby for a couple of seconds before being pushed onto the Battle Bus because of how long the console spent stuck on its loading screen. But during my first Switch 2 Battle Royale, what shocked me most at first was to find my avatar standing in a lobby with ample time to mess around emoting at other players and checking out what kinds of skins they'd slapped on. I actually wanted to watch people dancing and playing instruments because there was time to do so without having to rush and get ready before everyone started shooting. And once the match had properly begun, I found myself way more interested in running around to look at waterfalls and watch NPC wander through neighborhoods as the sun set because of how much more visually impressive the island is with the update's improved lighting and textures. Fortnite still looks pleasantly cartoony on the Switch 2, but the game's boosted frame rate and resolution give its visuals a gloss of reality that makes everything feel more high stakes. It was thrilling to see the Scarlet Witch sprinting through the woods trying to shoot Force Lightning at a Sabrina Carpenter. Technically speaking, the characters weren't running any faster than they could have on the old Switch, but the action felt more intense because there was far more visual information coming in. There were still a handful of moments where Fortnite 's glitchiness rendered its head. Even though the Switch 2 version has better draw distances to help you see things that are far away, occasionally, I could see the train chugging along at a chopped and stuttering pace. Character selections also sometimes wouldn't immediately be updated after I selected them, and I'd have to wait until I was in a match to see which skin I'd equipped. At a glance, those sorts of bugs seemed to have more to do with how Fortnite is streamed to consoles as opposed to being reflections of the Switch 2's hardware. But they weren't so persistent enough to make the game feel broken or like it wasn't a massive upgrade over the original Switch. One of my personal bugaboos about skin-forward, free-to-play games like Fortnite is a concern that I'll end up spending real world money on costumes that I don't ultimately want to use all that much. It's why I've been picky about buying skins and leery when it comes time to sign up for a new Battle Pass. Fortnite on the Switch 2 can't solve for buyer's remorse, but the game's updated models make me want to try more of them out instead of sticking to my favorites who look better with their masks on. To gamers on other platforms, this might all sound unremarkable. But the difference in quality between the Switch and Switch 2's iterations of Fortnite is so stark that feels it fair to say that Epic has finally given the Nintendo fans a version of the game as it's meant to be played — one that's vibrant and makes you understand why it might be worth spending a few V-bucks. And if the game's forthcoming mouse control support is anywhere nearly as well-implemented as these visual changes, Fortnite could be one of the best new(ish) games you can play on the Switch 2 right now.
Engadget
an hour ago
- Engadget
How to buy the Nintendo Switch 2: Latest stock availability for consoles and games
The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally a thing you can buy in the US. The $450 console officially went up for sale at midnight ET on June 5, with several retailers offering the device both online and in-store. Predictably, online stock dried up fairly quickly and remains extremely limited as of our last sweep on Friday afternoon. This goes for Target too, which began its online sales around 3:30AM ET on June 6. Broadly speaking, people seem to have had more luck by going to a physical retail store in person. We can't guarantee you'll be able to snag one that way, but a few Engadget staffers managed to grab a Switch 2 on Thursday at their local Target or GameStop, even without a pre-order in place. So before you call it quits, check if a nearby Target, GameStop, Walmart or Best Buy — the four official retailers Nintendo lists on its store page — still has consoles in stock. If you're still on the hunt for Nintendo's newest device, we're rounding up all of the information we can find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 and where you can pick one up. Walmart opened up online purchases at midnight ET on June 5, but both the console alone and Nintendo's Mario Kart World bundle are out of stock as our latest update. Naturally, the world's largest retailer is also selling the console at its brick-and-mortar locations. The company has noted that quantities are limited and inventory will vary by location, but it's worth seeing if any store near you still has devices available. Target began selling the Switch 2 in stores on June 5. The retailer warned that supply will be limited and the console may now be sold out, though it's still worth looking into the locations closest to you. Anecdotally, Engadget's Billy Steele was able to pick up a Switch 2 at a Target just outside of Greensboro, NC as late as 4:15pm ET on Thursday. The company restocked its online inventory around 3:30AM ET on Friday, June 6. Those listings were live for at least a couple of hours, which is longer than we would've expected, but they've since gone out of stock. GameStop held launch events on Wednesday and has advertised in-store availability, though again this will vary by location. Engadget's Cherlynn Low was able to buy the console without a pre-order at a GameStop store in the New York City area on Thursday morning. That particular location had a little under 80 units available, but its manager told Low that inventory would differ at other stores based on population. The device is currently unavailable on GameStop's website. A $625 bundle that includes Mario Kart World , a microSD Express card and a few other accessories has been in and out of stock a bit more frequently than the standard SKUs, though it's sold out now (and kind of scummy anyway). We briefly saw it return on Thursday afternoon, so it may be one to bookmark if you can stomach the extra cost. The listings for the base console and Mario Kart bundle, meanwhile, now point to a "Find a Store" page. Best Buy held in-store launch events and said it'd have limited stock at its retail locations starting June 5. It is not selling the console online during launch week, however. You may have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. A Mario Kart World bundle at Costco that includes a 12-month Switch Online subscription has gone in and out of stock since Thursday morning, while Sam's Club has had a bundle without the Switch Online sub as well. You'll need a membership to check on either of those, though. We also saw the console at BJ's early on Thursday, but that retailer is also out of stock as of Friday afternoon. Verizon briefly had the Switch 2 available on Thursday morning, but that's dried up, and only those with Verizon service were able to order. Amazon doesn't have any form of Switch 2 listing on its website, nor does it list first-party Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza . The company didn't take any pre-orders for the Switch 2 either, so it's unclear if and when it will sell the device. Newegg has listed the Switch 2 on its site for several weeks, but it hasn't started sales yet. With all of these stores, we've seen the Mario Kart World bundle available in greater quantities online than the base console, which costs $50 less. But considering Mario Kart is the Switch 2's biggest launch game and retails for $80 on its own, that may not be the worst thing. Nintendo, meanwhile, is only offering the Switch 2 via an invite system. This requires you to have been a Switch Online member for at least 12 months and logged at least 50 hours of Switch 1 playtime as of April 2. It can't hurt to sign up if you meet the criteria, but don't expect it to bear fruit immediately — many people who registered in April still haven't received an invite, and shipments haven't arrived yet for some who did order. You can find a list of every Switch 2 retail listing we could find below. Just be aware that this is meant to be a reference, not a rundown of everywhere the device is available right this second. Where to buy Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle: Where to buy Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, Nintendo is selling a number of Switch 2 accessories alongside the console, from controllers to cases to cameras that utilize the system's new GameChat feature. Most of these became available on June 5 as well. The same goes for games like Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom . Another big Switch 2 release, Donkey Kong Bananza , won't be available until mid-July, though you can still pre-order it today. As of Friday afternoon, just about all Switch 2 games remain widely available. Stock for the accessories is spottier, but most devices are still available at one or two retailers at minimum. Nintendo's official Switch 2 carrying cases seem to be the hardest to find right now. Mario Kart World ($80) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Donkey Kong Bananza ($70) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Costco (membership required) Additional Switch 2 games Nintendo Amazon Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Amazon Joy-Con 2 bundle ($95) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 Pro Controller ($85) Switch 2 Camera ($55) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera ($60) Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip ($40) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) ($25) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case ($85) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector ($40) Nintendo (invite required) Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($120)
