Latest news with #Samus
Gizmodo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Govee Gaming Pixel Light Review: These Lights Make My Dumb Gamer Brain a Little Too Happy
The bare walls of my bedroom—bedecked as they are with sporadic small prints but devoid of lights—demand I add some flair to my usually nerdy living space. The Govee Gaming Pixel Light seemed to fit the bill a little too well when I saw it back at CES 2025. The specialized display doesn't support enough colors to show all my favorite 8- or 16-bit artwork at their best quality, and it won't produce strong enough audio for anything more complicated than classic chiptunes. If the digital art and speaker for my desk didn't sport cringey decals and a frame that would make visitors assume I chugged Mountain Dew Game Fuel for breakfast, it would be the perfect antidote to my dull apartment. Govee sent me a pair of pre-release Gaming Pixel Lights long before the company finally made them available on May 19. It sat on my desk for ages, showing me a 32-pixel version of Samus from Super Metroid. Her staunch, visored visage helped me get through the hectic days. Both the $120 32×32 and $140 52×32 pixel frames don't take much effort to set up, though the digital wall or desk art lacks a battery and needs to be plugged into an outlet. Once it's connected through the Govee Home app, you'll have a wide variety of default and user-made effects to add to the screen. Yes, you can stick a static image on the screen, but the real fun comes from displaying GIFs of scenes from your favorite 8-, 16-, or perhaps a few 32-bit retro games. Govee Gaming Pixel Light It does what it needs to do, but limited colors limits what it can show. Pros Bright enough to work in most environments Bright enough to work in most environments Wide variety of art in the app Wide variety of art in the app 30 fps on GIFs offers speedy 8-bit images Cons Gamer aesthetic isn't for everyone Gamer aesthetic isn't for everyone Low-fidelity speaker Low-fidelity speaker Limited color range for pixel art Depending on how complicated your image is, the pixel light may have a harder time displaying every pixel with perfect color accuracy. The smaller device contains 1,024 lights, while the 52×32 version sports 1,664. The $155 Divoom Pixoo-64—a competing pixel light with a 64×64 pixel field—supports 4,096. Considering the limited lights, a 32×32 pixel image of ET might look great on the smaller Pixel Light, but a fan-made 8-bit portrait of Arielle from The Little Mermaid that appears fine on my phone lacked the color definition necessary to show fine features on her nose or hair. The more stark the colors, the better each image or GIF will appear. The screen is bright enough on its highest settings, but you can set it to dim or turn off on a timer if you want to sleep without a rainbow of pixelated light shining at you. Images look marginally better on the larger display thanks to its wider range of colors, but you'll still need to try out various images until you find one that fits your style. You can also upload your own artwork to the Govee app, though any of your photos you take from your phone will turn out splotchy and incoherent on the Pixel Light. You may find that uploading your own pixel art could produce mixed results. I had to try several different versions of Samus before I found a Metroid image that didn't look half bad. The GIFs play at 30 fps, which made a GIF of Sonic's classic spinning leg running animation look extra smooth. Divoom's similar offering runs at 24 fps. The device includes a rear 3W DSP speaker made for pairing your favorite chiptunes with this artwork. The built-in speakers aren't enough to fill a room with sound, but even without much bass, it's just enough to offer a retro feel, as if I was listening to a game on the age-old mono Game Boy speaker. The device itself has a single button for controlling volume and no physical mute button, which means you're forced to load into the app just to adjust your sound. All this meant I was more likely to eschew music entirely. After all, if you're planning to use your Govee Pixel Light to spruce up your gaming room, you'll end up listening to the game you're playing anyway. If you're the type to pick up a brush, you could create your own art and animated GIFs with the sketch mode. It's certainly easier to use with a stylus, but I don't have the time, patience, or ability to sketch something that will look any nicer than the artists who do pixel art for a living. The device has almost too many modes, from a clock feature to a stock ticker. There's even a counter to tell you the current price of bitcoin, as if you really need to pay attention to crypto prices on your fun, cute pixel monitor. The Pixel Light seems to think gamers want a very specific aesthetic, one full of cyberpunk-esque hard-edged contours with decals reading 'loading' and 'game.' A black frame is all I really need. The art is the reason you buy Govee's first real gamer product. But damn me if I enjoy it blaring the Magmar Caverns theme from my desktop, as if my bedroom had any more need for even more Metroid artwork.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Metroid Prime 4: Beyond' Gives Off Some Real ‘Echoes' Vibes
The latest trailer for Metroid Prime 4 shows Samus on the new planet of Viewros and some new psychic abilities, but it's all giving off some heavy Echoes vibes. It's been a while since we had anything new to see for Metroid Prime 4, and the latest trailer (shown below) reveals the world of Viewros to be both amazing and suitably mysterious. The original Metroid Prime trilogy felt very neat in a bookended kind of way. The whole Dark Samus arc as an antagonist worked wonderfully, but it's the second game in the Prime series that's really pertinent here. In many ways, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was almost a side story from the main quest. Yes, it dealt with Phazon and its corrupting effects, but the story was more self-contained. Taking place on the planet Aether, an indigenous race called the Luminoth was being hunted to extinction by the Ing from a Phazon-induced dark dimension of sorts. While that light and dark duality is seemingly absent in Metroid Prime 4, the planet of Viewros and its ancient alien population are definitely giving off strong Luminoth vibes. They're obviously not the same, but the new upgraded suit for Samus that's teased in the trailer (shown above) also bears stylistic hallmarks to the Light Suit from Echoes, especially with the sleek armor and the three lights in the center of the chest. The new psychic abilities that Samus can wield also come across as almost Aetherean in nature. It's hard to place how and why, but there's a certain Echoes vibe here. An echo of Echoes, if you will. While Sylux wasn't present in this trailer, it has been revealed that Sylux will be one of the game's primary villains, which will be interesting to see how that resolves as well as what Sylux's motivations are for hunting Samus in the first place. Considering that Retro Studios has been working on Metroid Prime 4 since 2019, it's clear that this extended development cycle has birthed something probably quite remarkable. Here's hoping that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond can finally deliver on that once it is released on Switch later this year. In the meantime, you should definitely play the remaster of the first Metroid Prime also on the Switch. It's incredibly good. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gives Samus psychic powers
Nintendo just dropped the action-packed second trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, its last major release for the uber-popular Switch console. This time, fearless bounty hunter Samus Aran finds herself mysteriously teleported to an uncharted planet called Viewros. Sure enough, it's crawling with alien nasties, from giant mosquito-like bugs to deadly plants with slithery tendrils. Your job is to vaporise them all in first-person mode using the Arm Cannon laser blaster built into Samus's high-tech suit — only now, she can control the beams with her mind. As it turns out, our plucky explorer now has psychic powers. Alongside making short work of those pesky beasties, her mind-meld abilities let her interact with the world, operating mechanisms and opening doors as she navigates the labyrinthine environment. When all else fails, you can blast through walls or roll into a ball (Samus's signature move) to squeeze through tight spaces. 'Why were these powers bestowed upon Samus, and what will her fate be? The threads intertwining beyond space and time will weave a new tale,' Nintendo teased in its synopsis. The new trailer arrived on Thursday during Nintendo's latest Direct presentation focused on upcoming Switch games. Yes, you read that right — Nintendo is still churning out new titles for its nearly eight-year-old console despite the imminent arrival of the Switch 2. Then again, thanks to the next-gen device's backwards compatibility, Metroid Prime 4 will be playable on both systems. If you're new to the series, Metroid kicked off in 1986 on the NES and (alongside the vampiric RPG, Castlevania) went on to shape an entire sub-genre known as Metroidvania. Games that fall under this category let you explore freely, power up to progress, and double back to uncover secrets. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the best recent example. Super Metroid (SNES), Metroid Prime (GameCube), and Metroid Dread (Switch) set the gold standard for the series, and Beyond looks set to continue that legacy. When can you play it? Well, after a gruelling eight-year wait, during which the game was rebooted once and went through multiple delays, we still don't have a concrete release date. All Nintendo has said is that it will be out at some point this year.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metroid Prime 4 Is Giving Samus A Red Suit And Psychic Powers
No Metroid game is complete without new abilities and a cool altered space suit. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has both, with the Switch game's latest trailer showing off psychic powers and red and black space armor that almost makes Samus Aran look like a Geth trooper from Mass Effect (complimentary). The latest footage shows the bounty hunter trapped on a strange jungle planet with a massive tree at its center. She has to fight off local vine-swinging enemies and solve puzzles with a set of psychic powers that let Samus control objects from afar. The new trailer ended with a look at a mysterious alien race Samus will be trying to help on the planet, as well as a new red suit they'll seemingly unlock for her. The footage also shows off the various environments on the planet's surface and familiar sights like Samus coiling up into a ball and rolling through tiny underground passages. There's also plenty of bugs, alien plants, and other local fauna to fight. The psychic powers look they'll be used to help solve a number of tracing puzzles too, which seems like a good fit for the Switch's touch and gyro controls. Metroid Prime 4 still has no specific release date but Nintendo reaffirmed it's coming before the end of 2025. With Switch 2 just around the corner, it's possible it will have an upgraded version on the new console, similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017, which was cross-gen between Wii U and the original Switch. Either way, Metroid Prime 4 seems likely to be the final hurrah for the current hardware, potentially taking it within spitting distance of its nine-year anniversary. Hopefully we still get HD remasters of Metroid Prime 2 and 3 on Switch before then. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nintendo Direct March 2025 - all the big Switch game announcements
As promised, Nintendo dropped its first Direct presentation of the year on Thursday afternoon, delivering a fitting farewell to the beloved Switch. After eight successful years, the console is making way for its more powerful successor, the Switch 2. Those aren't tears, we just have something in our eye. With the new device set to have its own Direct on April 2, this one felt like a warm-up act ahead of the main event. Still, the showcase delivered a solid overview of Nintendo's upcoming releases and major third-party titles that should see the Switch through this year. As expected, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A were both on deck, along with some cool surprises (game-sharing!). Maybe it's worth holding on to your Switch a little longer after all. Here's everything that was announced at the March Nintendo Direct. In a new gameplay trailer, Samus explores a lush alien world with a massive tree at its core. Players will scan relics, battle alien creatures, and use psychic powers to manipulate the environment. Samus can also control beam trajectories and interact with portals. The trailer ends with her in a shiny new red suit, but no release date beyond 2025 was confirmed. Take on the role of a cafe owner serving up potions for iconic Disney villains like Ursula and Gaston. Each concoction leads to chaotic encounters, adding a mischievous twist to the gameplay. Available later today. Like a pixelated take on Hogwarts Legacy, Witchbrook puts you in the shoes of a trainee witch at a magical academy. Fans of Kiki's Delivery Service will find plenty to like here. Best of all, the game features online co-op for up to four players. A new gameplay trailer gave us a look at the new Pokémon game's Z-A Royale tournaments. Set in Lumiose City, players compete in battle zones across the metropolis at night, with battles triggered when you're spotted by NPCs. The goal is to rise through the ranks, starting at Z and working up to A, with each victory bringing you closer to having a wish granted. The tournaments feature surprise stealth attacks and the return of Mega Evolutions. Alas, we still didn't get a concrete release date. Soon, you'll be able to share games between two Switch consoles with virtual game cards. Much like physical cartridges, you can lend titles to family members (but only for two weeks at a time). The feature requires a one-time Wi-Fi setup and works across both Switch and Switch 2 consoles. Virtual game cards will arrive via a free software update in late April. The first Tomodachi Life game in over a decade plops those quirky Mii avatars on a remote island. Cue oddball interactions, friendships, and some unexpected chaos - at one point in the trailer, we saw a giant person chasing a much smaller one. Think Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but with Tomodachi Life's signature weirdness. Nintendo is launching a new app that sounds like a mix between an events calendar - where you can keep track of upcoming Directs - and a news service devoted to its upcoming releases. It's dropping later today, and will get a lot busier following the Switch 2 deep dive on April 2. SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered – March 27, 2025 Rift of the NecroDancer – March 27, 2025 Star Overdrive – April 10, 2025 Monument Valley, Monument Valley 2 – April 15, 2025 High On Life – May 6, 2025 Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time – May 21, 2025 Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army – June 19, 2025 Tamagotchi Plaza – June 27, 2025 Patapon 1+2 Replay – July 11, 2025 The Wandering Village – July 17, 2025 Shadow Labyrinth – July 18, 2025 No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files – July 25, 2025 Gradius Origins – August 7, 2025 Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – August 27, 2025 Monument Valley 3 – Summer 2025 Lou's Lagoon – Summer 2025 Marvel Cosmic Invasion – Winter 2025 The Eternal Life of Goldman – Winter 2025 Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake – 2025 Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots – 2025 King of Meat – 2025.
