Rockstar

The Pokémon Company had revealed another new Mega Evolution from Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s upcoming DLC, Mega Dimension. Mega Lucario Z has appeared! The group also revealed a new extra side mission, allowing players to catch the Legendary Mewtwo. Mega Lucario Z is a newly discovered form of Lucario. It was determined to be a Mega Evolution because of how its form changes through exposure to a Mega Stone and how its increase in power far outshines your average Lucario. Now, Mega Lucarios are already present in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but this Mega Lucario Z is new to the DLC. Z Mega Evolutions, such as this one, need less time to fire off moves but burn through Mega Power very quickly. They are a great option when trying to settle matches as soon as possible, but they won’t be helpful in a long battle. Mega Lucario Z is a Fighting/Steel Aura Pokémon. It’s 1.3 metres tall and weighs less than 50 kilos. The long fur around its head and waist, plus its fan-shaped tail, make it difficult to view its powerful movements. During close combat, this visually disorients opponents. The back of its hands, its shins, and other parts of its body are hardened with steel energy, allowing it to deal powerful blows by focusing its strength on those places. So what about Mewtwo? Beginning today, players can receive a Mewtwonite X stone and a Mewtwonite Y stone through the game’s Mystery Gift feature. This unlocks an extra side mission, where Mewtwo appears to be heading into the deepest areas of Lysandre Labs and may cause some systems to reactivate in response to the Mega Stones. Beating this side mission adds the Legendary Pokémon Mewtwo to a Trainer’s team. Developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is available digitally and physically for Switch 2 and Switch. The Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC will be released on December 10 for both platforms.

Mario Kart World is this week racing ahead with a brand new update, bumping this latest entry in the series up to Version 1.4.0. This new update for the Switch 2 exclusive adds a bunch of general changes. This includes the addition of "Custom Items" in the item rules, some music-related improvements, online updates, course changes for certain modes, and more. Along with this are fixes addressing various aspects of the game such as online play, problems related to courses and even items. So, here's the full rundown courtesy of Nintendo's official support page: Mario Kart World - Version 1.4.0 (2nd December 2025)General Added "Custom Items" to the item rules. This is a feature that lets you set which items appear. This is supported in "VS Race", "Balloon Battle", "Coin Runners", and "Room" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play". Made it so that music track name and source title of the track that is playing will be displayed on the Pause Menu. Added "Music Volume" to "Settings/Controller". Made it so players who gathered in a "Room" of "Online Play" can participate in "Race", "Knockout Tour", and "Battle". Up to 4 players can participate in "Race", "Knockout Tour", and "Battle". Made it so you can join in with friends who are playing "Knockout Tour" from "Friends" in "2p", "Online Play" as well. Added "Restart" and "Next Race" in the Pause Menu for "VS Race" in "Single Player". Made it so you can select "Photo Mode" from the Pause Menu in "Race against Ghost" in "Time Trials". Changed the course layout of below courses for "VS Race", or "Race" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play". Race that heads from "Koopa Troopa Beach" to "DK Spaceport". Race that heads from "Koopa Troopa Beach" to "Crown City". Race that heads from "Koopa Troopa Beach" to "Peach Stadium". Race that heads from "Whistlestop Summit" to "Koopa Troopa Beach". Race that heads from "Desert Hills" to "Koopa Troopa Beach". Race that heads from "DK Spaceport" to "Koopa Troopa Beach". Race that heads from "Crown City" to "Koopa Troopa Beach". Race that heads from "Peach Stadium" to "Koopa Troopa Beach". *Changed it so that, in all races heading toward "Koopa Troopa Beach", including the above courses, you will cross the finish line after two laps once you arrive at "Koopa Troopa Beach". You will now dash when riding on Manta Ramp’s back. Made it so the player will not hit Dragoneel when transformed into Bullet Bill. Made it so the player cannot use a second Boo while already using a Boo, when holding two Boos. When Dash Food is taken by someone, shortened the time until that Dash Food reappears. When a coin placed on water is taken by someone, shortened the time until that coin reappears. Fixed Issues Fixed an issue where the dash time was not correct after a Charge Jump. Fixed an issue where the player would slip through a wall when being stomped on from above by a vehicle driving on the road. Fixed an issue where a player would be squashed when touching a Thwomp that had landed. Fixed an issue where a Bullet Bill would not be displayed after using it. Fixed an issue where a character would be blurry even when making "Focus" "Character" when taking a photo in "Photo Mode" on the Pause Menu. Fixed an issue where the screen would look distorted if entering a pipe at the same time as joining a Free Roam in "Online Play". Fixed an issue where player could not get in a UFO when multiple players tried to get in a UFO at the same time in Free Roam in "Online Play". Fixed an issue where a friend’s information would not be updated when looking at the list of friends in "Friends" in "Online Play". Fixed an issue where there would be a communication error when looking at a group ID in "View Room Info" when participating in a group in "Friends" in "Online Play". Fixed an issue where a player’s place would go down if retiring during "Knockout Tour" in "Online Play". Fixed an issue where a player that is seen when spectating looks like they are going off the course over and over during "Knockout Tour" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play". Fixed an issue where the player’s own character or vehicle would change when starting "Online Play" or "Wireless Play" again after quitting a game after "Knockout Tour" in "Online Play" or "Wireless Play". Fixed an issue where a player would get stuck on a wall when using a Bullet Bill while falling off the course in "Sky-High Sundae". Fixed an issue where a Bullet Bill would go outside the course when using it on the final curve in "Boo Cinema". Fixed an issue where the player would slip through a bulldozer in "Toad's Factory". Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a spotlight in the race that heads from "Toad's Factory" to "Bowser's Castle" when transformed into Bullet Bill. Fixed an issue where if the player used a Bullet Bill or Spiny Shell in the first curve of "Desert Hills", it would get stuck on a rock. Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a tree when using a Bullet Bill on "DK Pass". Fixed an issue where, when the player was small because of Lightning, they would slip through the wall on the final curve of "DK Pass. Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on a billboard when transforming into Bullet Bill in the race that heads from "Crown City" to "Desert Hills". Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the ring of stone when using a Bullet Bill or Mega Mushroom while falling in "Great ? Block Ruins" right before the final curve. Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on the ground on the meadows near "Big Donut". Fixed an issue where the player would slip through the wall if rewinding after wall riding in the special room you can go to from a pipe in "Shy Guy Bazaar". Fixed an issue where the player would still fall into the lava even though they have "Smart Steering" ON in "Dry Bones Burnout". Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when using a Bullet Bill while rail riding in "Wario Stadium". Fixed an issue where the player would not be able to glide if getting on a glide panel while gliding in the race that heads from "Wario Stadium" to "Airship Fortress". Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck on the ground while heading from "Wario Stadium" to "Airship Fortress". Fixed an issue where the vehicle would float up from the rail when the player did a rail ride after a wall ride in a bike-type vehicle in "Wario Stadium". Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when using a Bullet Bill on the shortcut while heading from "Dandelion Depths" to "Cheep Cheep Falls" in the "Ice Rally" of "Knockout Tour". Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course while gliding, while heading from "Dandelion Depths" to "Cheep Cheep Falls" in the "Moon Rally" of "Knockout Tour". Fixed an issue where a green shell would get stuck on the ground while heading from "Airship Fortress" to "Dry Bones Burnout" in the "Heart Rally" of "Knockout Tour". Fixed an issue where the player would go off the course when they transformed into Bullet Bill on top of a building in "Crown City" in the below races: Race that heads from "DK Spaceport" to "Crown City". Race that heads from "Koopa Troopa Beach" to "Crown City". Race that heads from "Faraway Oasis" to "Crown City". Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience. Since launching alongside the Switch 2 in June, Mario Kart World has now received seven updates. The last major one (Version 1.3.0) was released in September. View full article

Chinese dev Seed Lab has officially announced that its upcoming cosy life sim, Starsand Island, is getting a Switch 2 version alongside the Switch 1 release when it launches next year. Scheduled for release in the nebulous "early 2026" and coming to all the usual platforms, that list also now includes Nintendo's latest console, where the devs will be offering two modes depending on your preference: Quality Mode, "targeting 45FPS in 1080p", and Performance Mode, delivering "60FPS in 1080p" in both docked and handheld modes. The Switch 2 version will also support mouse controls and GameChat during online multiplayer. You can check out the reveal trailer below if this one's passed you by thus far. Now, it has to be said that we're hardly lacking for great roguelike deckbuilders Metroidvanias cosy life sims on Switch, but last year a successful Kickstarter campaign amassed over $300,000 for this one, so there's clearly an appetite for more chilled vibes and harvesting on a handheld hybrid near you. Of course, Nintendo is bringing its island-based slow-life hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons - NS2 Edition to Switch 2 in January, so Starsand might want to avoid that particular part of 'early 2026'. (Then again, is there anyone reading this who doesn't already own New Horizons?) View full article

After ongoing requests from players, NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition finally got a compatibility update for the Switch 2 in November. With this game now functioning as it should on Nintendo's new hardware, another Square Enix title has now received a compatibility update. This time it's for the role-playing game Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, which was originally released on the Switch eShop in 2022. While it might not be the best remaster in Square Enix's library, there are still fans out there who have been wanting to experience this title on the Switch 2 without any problems. The good news is the issues associated with this game on Nintendo's hybrid system have now apparently been resolved. Since the arrival of the Switch 2, there were some start up issues, and while these didn't appear to be a massive problem for a lot of players, there were also some graphical glitches reported. While nothing is specifically mentioned on Nintendo's compatibility search page, as of 2nd December 2025, the game is now "supported" and the "game behavior is consistent with Nintendo Switch" on the Switch 2. The notes attached to this mention how the "previously identified issues have been resolved with an update". This follows a handful of compatibility updates last week after Nintendo released a new firmware update. Apart from NieR, several other titles received compatibility updates including DOOM + DOOM II. If you haven't already played the Radical Dreamers Edition of Chrono Cross, we said it was the "best and most convenient way" to relive this classic, despite its shortcomings in the remaster department. Will you be revisiting this game on the Switch 2 any time soon? Have you already tried it out on Nintendo's new hardware? Let us know in the comments. View full article

For all the money it earns through GTA Online, you'd think Rockstar would put at least a little bit more effort into the re-releases of its past games. Apparently not, though, as the new PS5 version of Red Dead Redemption is probably about as barebones as you can get. Just like the older PS4 re-release from a few years ago, you get the single player campaign of Red Dead Redemption along with the Undead Nightmare expansion in this package. There's a free upgrade for current PS4 owners, and it's also available via PS Plus Extra and GTA+. Buying the game outside of any upgrade or subscription will knock you back £49.99 / $49.99, or there's a 10-day offer to utilise on the PS Store to get it bundled with Red Dead Redemption 2. Now enhanced for PS5, the current-gen version only takes advantage of Sony's console in the most basic sense. You get a 4K resolution at 60 frames-per-second, with improved draw distances, HDR support, and some "enhanced image quality". The improvements seem to stop there, though. Despite the PS Store listing for the title stating it supports "vibration function and trigger effect" in relation to the PS5's DualSense controller, our testing has found there to be no evidence of any use of haptic feedback or the adaptive triggers. While you can import PS4 save data to pick up where you left off, there are reports that the PS5 Trophy list isn't auto-popping to reflect your achievements in the old version. Because of this, the comments we made in our review of the PS4 version still ring largely true. It's great to have Red Dead Redemption native to PS5, but it's still a western open worlder that "deserves so much more". View full article

That pesky Yuji Horii's at it again, getting Chrono Trigger fans all riled up over a potential re-release. This time, the Dragon Quest creator — who was a supervisor on the original Chrono Trigger — has raised eyebrows with comments that he made during a recent Japanese broadcast (as reported by IGN). When asked about all of the remaster and remake rumours that have surrounded the RPG's 30th anniversary for months now, Horii replied: "I can't say", "you shouldn't ask that", and "I'll get told off!". Of course, this has been enough to reignite all kinds of hopes and dreams. Unless Horii comes out and says that a revival categorically isn't happening, then this is always going to be the case. Indeed, the legendary developer did something similar back in May, when his words were somewhat misinterpreted. He did, however, say that he wanted to "do something" with Chrono Trigger, and that he was "starting to contemplate" what that something could be. In this latest case, we think it's pretty clear that Horii's having a laugh. He might even be referencing the kerfuffle that his previous comments caused — and he simply doesn't want to get into trouble again. Still, these rumours will persist until we get something concrete from Square Enix. Just look at the seemingly never-ending Final Fantasy 9 remake saga. Do you think we'll ever see Chrono Trigger return? Travel through time in the comments section below. View full article

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road has had another update to bring it up to version 1.4 following the recent 1.3 patch. This new patch brings all of the tweaks and additions made to other versions of the game (which we reckon is really very good, actually) to Switch 1 and 2, so there's total parity across all versions. That means the Switch releases have received the CPU Ranked Match mode, the new "Advance Win" feature — which allows you to call time on matches with huge leads (as well as some anti-cheat measures for online) — and a bunch of other tweaks and fixes to boot. The game's executive producer (and Level-5 CEO, lest we forget), Akihiro Hino, dropped the full deets on social media, although we are still awaiting some more detailed patch notes. Here's the tweet, plus the machine translation below: With this latest update, alongside 1.3's added ranked level cap and bug fixes, Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is certainly in good shape, and looking and playing every bit the soccer star that it is! View full article

We have been keeping an eye on Mina the Hollower for some years now. This is the GBC-looking Zelda-like from Yacht Club Games, the studio behind Shovel Knight, that launched on Kickstarter back in 2022, and only recently missed out on its initial release date thanks to a last-minute delay. It feels like it has been a long time coming, a fact that Yacht Club is reportedly painfully aware of. In a new report from Bloomberg (paywalled), studio founder Sean Velasco described Mina as "make-or-break" for the future of Yacht Club Games. In the time since Shovel Knight, the studio has downsized, faced a global pandemic and divided its teams into two — later reforged into one — and delays don't come cheap, either. “If we sold 500,000 copies, then we would be golden," Velasco told Bloomberg, "If we sold even 200,000, that would be really, really great. If we sold, like, 100,000, that’s not so good”. According to the report, the game's inception came back in 2019 by designer Alec Faulkner. Yacht Club initially split its staff into two teams — one focusing on Mina, and the other on a 3D Shovel Knight follow-up — though the former project quickly grew in ambition, with Faulkner reportedly struggling to operate as the game's director. Seeing that the system wasn't working, the studio laid off some staff to cut expenses and re-combined the teams to focus purely on the Mina project, with Velasco stepping into the director role. According to artist Sandy Gordon, had the team stuck together right from the jump, "we would’ve finished it two to three years ago". "If Mina flops, we'll still be around," Velasco told Bloomberg, though he's quick to clarify that they would "need more money". The studio is already taking steps to cut back on this front, moving fully remote at the end of the year and shifting its attention to only working on one project at a time. From the little of Mina that we have seen so far, we remain cautiously optimistic that the full game will deliver the goods. There's a free demo now available on the eShop (sporting 120fps on Switch 2, no less), and it plays every bit as much like a 2D Zelda game as you would hope. A delay is never a welcome sight, but our fingers are crossed that we don't have to wait too long to see things hit their full potential. View full article

Drag x Drive has received a rather beefy update earlier today, and to coincide with Patch 1.2.0's release, Nintendo has dropped a series of Ask the Developer interviews with the lead trio. Yoshinori Konishi (director and programming director), Hiroki Hamaue (programmer), and Takahisa Ikejiri (art director) sat down to share their experience in developing this online multiplayer title, which is controlled entirely with the Switch 2's Mouse Mode. In Part 1, Konishi shares that the game was inspired by "sports such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair motocross, BMX and skateboarding", particularly the former. Hamaue had previously rode a wheelchair "for a research project back when I was a student", but for Konishi and Ikejiri, the first time they got to experience wheelchair basketball was at an experience in Osaka. Image: Nintendo The developers purchased both an everyday wheelchair and sports wheelchair to help with the process. But the problem was that, as Konishi says, "We were restricted to the small space inside the office and could only let loose down the hallway once everyone else had gone home for the day. (Laughs)" because the project was tightly under wraps. Talking about the wheelchair basketball experience, Ikejiri recalls that he "wasn't prepared for how difficult it was to shoot the ball. In wheelchair basketball, the hoop is placed at the same height as in standard basketball. But since you take the shot sitting down, my shot didn't reach the basket at all." "Maneuvering a wheelchair is difficult unless you get the hang of when to apply and release force," Hamaue adds. "You can't just propel yourself along smoothly in a single stroke. But it cemented for me how deep the controls are". Images: Nintendo As well as trying out wheelchair basketball for themselves, Konishi details the variety of reading materials the team gathered up: "From an encyclopedia of wheelchairs to videos and essays by wheelchair athletes and even manga about basketball or wheelchairs, we pulled together as much reference material as we could lay our hands on and studied it together." And, crucially, wheelchair basketball players also got a chance to go hands-on with Drag x Drive during development, which provided Konishi and the rest with valuable insights: "Because the players use wheelchairs in their daily lives, they were all really good at turning and moving backwards in the game. Of course, we learned a lot about the controls, but we gained even more insights watching them think about what to do on the court as they played." Hamaue adds that "seeing actual wheelchair basketball players get the hang of the game and its controls so quickly confirmed to us that it could work well as an intuitive control scheme." And we'd agree; there's nothing else quite like Drag x Drive on the market, and while its control scheme may not be for everyone, it makes for a unique experience. Image: Nintendo All three parts contain video clips and test footage of Drag x Drive's development, and are worth reading especially if you're interested in checking out the new update. Perhaps it's time to dive back and try out Survival Tag mode as the Holidays approach... Are you still playing Drag x Drive? What do you think of the development process? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Polymega maker Playmaji has announced that DMA Design's Body Harvest is now available on the modular emulation system. Included on the same disc are: Burning Road PS Dead in the Water PS S.C.A.R.S N64, PS The N64 title is part of the Polymega Collection of physical releases, and is joined by A Boy And His Blob. That disc includes: A Boy and His Blob NES, FC KKND2: Krossfire PS Uprising X PS Gunboat TG16 Super Solitare SNES You can order both directly from the Polymega website. View full article

Don’t Stop, Girlypop! is a fast-paced arena movement shooter developed by Aussie indie studio Funny Fintan Softworks. Today, the developer, alongside publisher Kwalee, announced that the game will launch for PC in late January 2026. The brand new release date trailer showcases the game’s fast-paced combat, vibrant arenas, unique movement mechanics, and customization items. A demo for Don’t Stop, Girlypop! is currently available via Steam. It includes six early states, three unique weapons, and the chance to team up with a special digital dino companion. The demo is sitting at a Very Positive rating on Steam based on over 700 reviews. The faster you go in Don’t Stop, Girlypop!, the more damage you deal and the more you can heal. The game combines boomer shooter mechanics with advanced contemporary movement abilities. There are the game’s key features, via Kwalee: Wave hopping combines the feeling of a classic bunny hop with modern ground slam, dash and double jump mechanics to fling you into a fast, fluid and precise flow state. Unleash the horrors <3 Guns with alt-fires combine symbiotically with each other to create magical moments of complex interplay Master a deep and dynamic combat system to generate high Love scores and become the Cupid of death! Destroy shareholder value! Mining corp Tigris Nix wants to drain your world of The Love, a natural force keeping your planet alive. Lay waste to its robot drones to heal the Oasis! Kill ‘em with kindness! Every point of damage dealt against a robot is one piece of The Love released back into the environment and one step closer to the end of Tigris Nix. Dazzle your enemies by decorating your arms and guns with fabrics and ornaments. Add butterflies to your barrel, paint yourself in pink chrome, and – yes – dominate the battlefield in a quintuple-denim masterpiece. Developed by Funny Fintan Softworks and published by Kwalee, Don’t Stop, Girlypop! will be released for PC via Steam on January 29.

Fans of SEGA's blue hedgehog, rejoice: Sonic is returning to the silver screen with at least two more films by the end of 2028. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was officially announced a while ago, and though little is known of the movie and its plot, it's pencilled in for theatrical release in March 2027. However, as reported by Variety, Paramount Pictures has also revealed a 'Sonic Universe Event Film' is scheduled for December 2028. This is a separate project from the aforementioned Sonic 4, and given its label as a Sonic universe event film, it sounds like a spin-off, perhaps focusing on a different character. While it's presumed that core cast and crew will return for these movies, including director Jeff Fowler and voice talent Ben Schwartz (Sonic), we're pretty much in the dark as to the finer details. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released last year, found big success, making nearly half a billion dollars at the box office. It centred around the introduction of Shadow the Hedgehog, a powerful adversary voiced by Keanu Reeves. The series of movies has been a big hit, so it's not really much surprise that there's more to come in the next few years. Are you excited for the next couple of Sonic films? Tell us in the comments section below. View full article

There's nothing quite like learning the ins and outs of a fighting game, but sometimes, you just want to mash on buttons and enjoy cool moves and animations. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is almost two years old at this point, but that hasn't stopped developers Cygames and Arc System Works from releasing a meaty update that attempts to welcome new players. Patch 2.40 is out now on PS5 and PS4 in celebration of the title's second anniversary. It introduces two new control schemes, amusingly titled 'Smart' and 'Super Ultimate'. 'Smart' basically lets you perform automatic combos by repeatedly hitting face buttons once an attack connects, but outside of that, the controls retain their usual properties. This means that you can weave your own specials and supers into said combos once you feel more comfortable with the game's timing. 'Super Ultimate', meanwhile, is for those who to go all-in on automation. All you need to do is hold a button down to initiate attacks and combos, while defence is handled automatically as long as you're not pressing anything. The latter's only available in offline modes, however. For what it's worth, there is a free version of Rising that you can take for a spin, if word of these control schemes has caught your attention. Oh, and for the next couple of days — until the 4th December — every character on the base roster is available to play. Normally, characters are funnelled in and out on a weekly basis. As the headline of this article suggests, we would recommend checking Rising out. It's a rock solid, really good looking brawler with a very healthy mix of single player and online content. Might these new control modes tempt you into trying Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising? Never drop another combo in the comments section below. View full article